Answer:
No, Jim Macpherson never came back home from the war. The cello taped box had a note paper on it where he had written that "to be buried with me when the time comes'. It is clear that he never came back
In the story, The Last Leaf, Johnsy and Sue paint pictures together. Johnsy has been diagnosed with pneumonia and their visit to the doctor proves that she will die soon.
Explanation:
This story gradually moves from a very usual, routine life of two young girls to individuals, where one who want to fight for making an other feel better and worthy to live, while another seems to fail to understand what it actually is to fight the disease/illness.
Here, when Old Behrman paints a leaf outside for Johnsy, that is when she realizes that she must fight and defeat the illness, rather letting it defeat her.
Sue and Old Behrman's idea of making Johnsy realize what it takes to be alive, takes away Behrman's life at the end as he catches pneumonia too, because of the cold weather he was standing in while painting the leaf for Johnsy.
To give in to illness in the beginning but realizing how important it is to be resilient, is what we learn from this story.
