The Hickman courier., 1868-05-16
A ChiId's Dream OF a star.
Rr CHARLES DICKENS.

There was once child, and he strolled
about good deal, and thought of 4 great
number of things. He had al ister,
who was a child too, and his constant
companion. These two used to wonder
all day long They wondered at the
height and blueness of the sky they
wondered at the depth of the bright
water; they wondered at the goodness
and power of God who had made the
lovely world.
They used TO say to one another some
times, 9 Supposing all the children upon
the earth were to die, would the flowers
aud water and sky be sorry?" They
believed they would be sorry. For, said
they. the buds are the children of the
flowers, and the little playful streams
that gambo down the hillsides, are the
children of the water; and the smallest
bright specks 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 eiAureh sPire, above the
graves. 1t was larger aud more beautI-
full, they thought than all the others, and
every night they watched for it, stand
ing hand in hand, at a window. Who
ever saw it first, cried out Il see the
star I" And often they cried out both
together, knowing so well when it would
rise, and where. So they grew to be
such friends with it that, before lying
down in their beds, they always looked
once more to bid it good night; and
when they were turning round to sleep,
said . God bless the star
But while she was still very young,
oh very, very young, the sister dropped,
and came to be so very weak that she
could no longer stand in the window at
night; and then the child looked sadly
at the star, turned round and said to the
patient pale face on the bed, " see the
star p aud then 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 all toc'soon
when the child looked out alone, and
when there was no face on the bed and
when there was little grave among the
graves not there before and when the
star made long rays down toward him, as
he saw it through his tears.
Now, these rays were so bright, and
they seemed to make such shining way
from earth to heaven that when the child
went to his solitary bed, he dreamed
about the star and he dreamed that
lying where he was, he saw a train of
people, taken up that sparkling road by
angels And the star, opening, showed
him 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 peo
pie who were carried up into the star
and some came up into the star and
some came out from the long rows in
which they stood, aud fell upon the peo-
ple's necks, and kissed them tenderly,
and went away with them down avenues
of light, and were so happy in their CON-
pany that, laying in his bed he wept for
joy.
But there were many angels who did
not 90 with them, and among them one
he knew. The patient face that had lain
upon the bed was glorified and radiant,
but his heart found 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
them thither:
" Is my brother come p
And he said g No"
She was turning hopelessly away,
when the child stretched out his arms
and cried, g o; sister l am here Take
NE = aud then she turned her beaming
eyes upon him, aud it was night, and the
star was shining into the room making
long rays down towards him, as he saw
it through his tears
From that hour forth the child looked
out upon the star as on the hem be 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 baby born to be a 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 open
ed star, and of 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 come ?"