Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-07-19
Life and Death-A Beautiful Sketch by
Charles Dickens.

WRITES DlckeuS,
There was once child, and he
strolled about a good deal, and
thought of number of things. He
had sister, who was his constant
companion. These two used to won
der all day long. They wondered at
the beauty of flowers they wondered
at the height and depth of the bright
water they wondered at the good
ness and power of God, who made
the lovely world.
They used to say TO one another,
sometimes, "Supposing all the chill
dren on the earth were to die, would
the flowers and the water and the
sky be sorry 2" They believed they
would be sorry. For, say they, the
buds are the children Of the flowers,
and the little playful streams that
gambol down the hillside are the
children OF the waters 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 be all grieved
to see their playmates, the children
of men, no more.
There was one clear star that used
to come out in the sky before the
rest, near the church spire, about
the graves. 1t was larger and more
beautiful, they thought, than all the
others, and every night they watch
ed for it, standing hand in hand at
the window. Whoever saw it first
cried out, al see the star p And oft
en- 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 looked out
once again to bid it good night; and
when they were turning round to
sleep they would say, GOOD bless the
star.
But while she was still young-oh,
very, very young-the sister droop-
ed, 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 to the pa
tent, pale face on the bed : 81 see
the star' and then smile would
come upon his face, and little, weak
voice used to say, "God bless my
brother and the star !''
And so the time came, all too soon,
l. al Il
when there was no face on the bed
and when there was a 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 bright, and
they seemed to make such a beauti-
full, shining way from earth to heav-
en-, 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 ia
ken up that shining road by angels.
And the star, opening, showed him
great world Of light, where many
more such angels waited to receive
them.
And these angels who were wait
ing, turned their beaming eyes upon
the people who were carried up into
the star; and some came out from
the long rows ia which they stood,
and fell upon the peoples necks, and
kissed them tenderly, and went
away with them down avenues of
light, and were so happy in their
company that, lying in bed, he wept
for Joy.
But there were many angels who
did not 60 with them, and among
them one he knew. The patient face
that had once 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
the people thither:
'Is my brother Gomez"
And be said, mo"
She was turning hopefully away,
when the,child stretched out his arms
and said:
ooh, sister, | am here! Take
me !"
And then she turned her beaming
eyes upon him, and it was night
and the star was shining into his
room, making long rays down to-
ward him as he saw it through his
tears.
From that hour forth the child
looked out upon the star as on the
home he was to 60 to when his time
should come, and he thought he did
not belong to earth alone, but to the
star too, because Of his sisters angel
gone before.
There was baby born-a brother
to the child; and while he was so
little that he had never yet spoken a
word, he stretched his tiny form out
on the bed and died.
Again the child dreamed of the
opened star, and of the company of
angels, and the train of people and
all the rows of angels with their
beaming eyes turned upon those peo-
Piles faces.
Said his sisters angel TO the leader:
as my brother come ?"
And he said "Not that one, but
another"
As the child beheId his brother 3