Henry Van Dyke (Nov 10, 1852 - Apr 10, 1933) was an American author, educator, and clergyman. Educated at Princeton, Van Dyke graduated from its theological seminary in 1877 and became a Presbyterian minister. The Hero and Tin Soldiers is short story by Henry Van Dyke. The story is set in 1918. Despite all the horrors of World War I, Christmas is on the move – presents, laugh, tears are flooding the city of Calvinton .The perfect place to be merry. The perfect time for surprises. Surprises of a kind that can be easily mistaken for a miracle. Like homecoming of a captain Walter Mayne, who was believed never to come back from battlefields of Europe. But does he himself have any reason for joy?