San Andreas independent., 1860-08-11
A cH1LD's DREAM OF A STAR.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

/
about good deal and thought of number of
things. He bad sister, who was child, too,
and his constant companion. These two used
70 wonder all day long. They wondered at
the beauty of the flowers; they wondered at
the hight and blueness of the sky; they won
dered at the depth of the bright water; they
wondered at the goodness and the power of
God, who made the lovely world.
They used to say to one another sometimes:
"Supposing all the children on earth were to
die, would the flowers and the water and the
SKY be sorry?" They believed they would be
sorry. For, said they, the buds are the chill
dren OF the flowers, and the little playful
streams that gambol down the hillsiaes are
the children of the water; and the smallest
bright speks playing at hide and seek in the
sky all night must surely be the children of
the stars; and they would all be grieved to
see their playmates, the children of men, no
more.
There was one clear shining star that used
to come out in the sky before the rest. near
the church spire, above the graves 1t was
larger and more beautiful they thought. than
all the others, and every night they watched
for it, standing hand in hand at the window.
Whoever saw it first cried out, 81 see the
starl" And often they cried out both togeth-
er, knowing so well when 1t would rise and
where. So they grew to be such friends with
it, that, before lying down in their beds, they
always looked out once again, to bid it good
night; and when they were turning round to
sleep they would say, "God bless the star /"
But while she was still very young-oh,
very, very young--the sister dropped, and
came to be so weak that she could no longer
stand in the window at night; and then the
child looked sadly out by himself, and when
he saw the star, turned round and said TO the
patient, pale face on the bed, 81 see the star!n
and then a smile would come upon the face.
and little weak voice used to say, "God
bless my brother and the star ~
And so the time came al, too soon when
the child looked out alone and when there
was little grave among the graves not there
betore and when the star made long rays
down toward him, as be saw it through his
tears.
Now, these rays were so bright, and they
seemed to make such a shining way from earth
to heaven, that when the child went to his
solitary bed, he dreamed about the star; and
dreamed that lying where he was, he saw
train of people taken up that sparkling road
by angels. And the star, opening, showed him
a great world of light, where many more such
angels waited to receive them
All these angels, who were waiting, turned
their beaming eyes upon the people who were
carried up into the star and some came out
from the long rows in which they stood, and
fell upon the peoples necks, and kissed them
tenderly and went away with them down av-
enues of light, and were so happy in their
company that, lying in his bed, he wept for
joy.
But there were many angels who did not go
with them, and among them one he knew
The patient face that once had laid upon the
bed was glorifed and radiant, but his heart
fonnd out his sister among all the host.
His sisters angel fingered near the entrance
of the star, and said to the leader among those
who had brought the people hither:
" Is my brother Gomez"
And he said, No."
She was turning hopefully away, when the
child stretched out bis arms, and cried, 40,
sister, am here Take me /" and then she
turned her beaming eyes upon MIN, and it was
night; and the star was shining into his room
making long rays down towards him as he
saw through his tears.
From that hour forth the child looked ont
upon the star as on the home he was to go to-
when his time should come, and he thought
that he did not belong to the earth alone, but
to the star, too, because of his sisters angel
gone before.
There was a baby born to be brother to
the child: and while he was so little that he
never yet had spoken word, he stretched his
tiny form out on his bed, and died.
Again the child dreamed of the opened star,
and or the company of angels and the train
of people, and the rows of angels with their
beaming eyes all turned upon those peoples
faces.
Said his sisters angel to the leader:
"Is my brother Gomez"
And he said, "Not that one, but another"
As the child beheld his brothers angel in
her arms, he cried, 40, sister, | am here take
mel" And she turned and smiled upon him,
aud the star was shining
He grew to be young man, and was busy at
his brooks when an old servant came to him
and said:
"Thy mother is no more. l bring her
blessing on her darling son."
Again at night he saw the star, and all that
former company. Said his sisters angel to
the leader:
" Is my brother come?"
And he said, ''Thy mother"
mighty cry of joy went forth through all
the star, because the mother was reunited to
her own children. And he stretched out his
arms and cried, " O, mother, sister and BROTH
Not yet," and the star was shining.
He grew to be a man, whose hair was turn
ing gray, and he was sitting in his chair by
the ireside, heavy with grief, and his face be-
dewed with tears when the star opened once
again.
Said his sisters angel to the leader, " Is nv
brother come 2"
And he said, Nay, but his maiden daugh-
ter"
And the man who had been the child saw
his daughter, newly lost to him, a celestial
creature among those three, and he said.
"My daughters head is on my sisters bosom.
and her arm is round my mothers neck. and
at her feet there is the baby of old time and
can hear the parting from her, God be
praised p
And the star was shining
Thus the child came to be an old man, and
his once smooth face was wrinkled, and his.
steps were slow and feeble, and his back was
bent And one night as he lay upon his bed,
his children standing around him, he cried,
as be had cried so long ago:
" / see the star n
They whispered one another, Heis dying"
And he said, 81 am. My age is falling
from me like a garment and move toward
the star as child. And o, my Father, now
| thank Thee that II has en- often oneped To