Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-22
A CHILD'S DREAM OF A STAR.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.


These two used TO wander all day long
They wondered at the beauty of the flow
ers; they wondered at the height and blue
ness of the sky they wondered 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, some
times, supposing all the children upon
earth We're to die, would the flowers and
the water, and the sky be sorry? They Ire
lieved they would be sorry. For said they
the buds are the children ofthe flowers, and
the little playful streams that gambol dMyn
the hillsides are the children of the water
and the smallest bright specls 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 observation-disclosures used
TO come out i'm the sky before the rest near
the church spire, above the graves. It was
lager and more beautiful, they thought, than
all the others, and every night they watch
ed for it, standing hand i'm hand at the win
dow. Whoever saw it first cried out, ~
see the star!o 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 out
once again, to bid it good night; and when
they were turning round to sleep they used
to say, Good bless the start"
But while she was still very young, oh,
very, very young, the sister dropped and
came to be so weak that she could no long
er stand in the window at night; and then
the child looked sadly out by himself, and
when he saw the star, ,turnedround and said
to the patient pale face on the bed, 81 see the
star and then Il 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 too 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 towards him, as he saw it
though 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 dreamed that, lying where he
was, he saw train of people taken up that
| sparkling road by angels. And the star
opening, showed him great world oflight,
! where many more such angels waited to
received them
All these angels who We're waiting turn
ed their beaming eyes upon the people who
were carried up into the star and some
| come out from lifelong rows in which they
StbONi, iiIiAi itIl 'tN'
kissed them tenderly, and went away with
! them down avenues Of light, and were 50
happy in their company, that lying in his
bed he wept for Joy,
But there were many angels who did not
20 with them, and among them one he
knew. The patient face that once 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 en-
! trance of the star, and said to the leader
among those who had brought the people
! thither:
Is my brother come?n
And she said No."
She was turning hopefully away, when
| the child stretched out his arms, and cried,
80, sister, | am her Take me ~ and
when she turned her beaming eyes upon
! him and 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 staras on the home he was to 90
! 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 sis
tcr's angel gone before.
There was Il baby born to be a brother To
| the child and while he was so little that
he never yet had spoken word, he stretch
ed his tiny form out on his bed and died.
Again the child dreamed of the opened
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@
| And he said, Not that one, but another y
As the child beheid his brothers angel
in heraIms, he cried, 80, sister, | am here!
Take me!n And she turned and smiled
upon him, and the star was shining.
He grew to be young man, and was
busy at his books when an old servant
came to him and said;
"VhY mother is no more. | bring her
blessing on her darling son ~
Again at night he saw the star, and all
that former company Said his sisters an
/ gel TO the LEADER
" l. my brother Gomez"
And he said, Thy mother.n
A mighty cry of JOY went forth through
all the star, becsiuse the mother was re-
united to her children. And he stretched
out his arm and cried, 80, mother, sister,
and brother | am here! Take me ~ And
they answered him mot yet" and the
star was shining.
He grew to he man whose hair was
turning gray, and he was sitting in his
chair by the tireside, heavy with grief, and
| with his face bedewed with tears, when
the star opened once again.
Said his sisters angel to tire leader, as
my brother Gomez"
u I.NVf l.. III.