Day of the Last Furlough"), and wishes that he will come home soon. Characters Babe: In each of the three stories he is markedly different. Matilda: She is the only other character featured in each story of the trilogy and is Babe's little sister. Her love and innocence helps Babe to hold on to his humanity. This sibling relationship is a popular theme in Salinger stories, seen also in "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor" and The Catcher in the Rye. References Short stories by J. D. Salinger 1945 short stories Works originally published in The Saturday Evening Post