Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-06-23
LIFE AND DEATH.
beautiful Sketch by Chas. Dickens.

sr..,. 49, n..
There was once child, and he strolled
about good deal, and thought of a
number OF things. be had sister, who
was a child, too, and his constant com.
panion These two used to wonder all
day long. They wondered at the beauty
of flowers they wondered at the hight
and depth of the bright water; they won
dered at the goodness and power OF God,
who made the lovely world /. foi
They used to say to one another some
times, Supposing all the children on
the. earth were to die. would the flowers
and the water and the sky be sorry
For, say they, the buds are the children
OF the flowers, and the little playful
streams that gambol down the hillsldes
are the children OF the waters; and the
smallest bright specks playing at hide
and seek IN the sky al night, must surely
be the children OF the stars; and they
would be all grieyed to see their play
mates, 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 watched for 1T, standing hand
IN hand al tne WINDOW Nnoever
saw IL hrst crieu OUT i see tne
star ana ollen they crieu GU. pom
together, showing SO wen when !, wouiu
rise, ana wnere; 90 tney grew 10 pe sucll
lriehds WIN IL tIat before lying uowh IN
tneir peds, tney looked ou. once again 70 70
piu ~ goou-hiSnt' anu wheii the} were
turning i.T round 10 steep tney wouid say
qod piess tne star .,,
But whiie she was sun very young on,
very, very young the sister drooped, ana
came 10 pe SO weak that she couiu no
longer stand IN tne wihdoWat hlghti anu
then the cnlid looked sadiy Out py MN,
sell, and when ne saw the star, turned
round to the patent, pale face on the
bed see the star and then a smile
would come upon ms lace, ana a little,
weak voice used 10 say ood pless my
brother and the star! :,
And SO the tune came all 700 soon,
when the child looked out alone, ana
when there was no iace on the bed; ana
when there was little grave among the
graves not there beiorei ana when the
star made long rays down toward him'
as ne saw II through MS tears.
Now, these rays were bright, and they
seemed to make such a beautiful shin
ing way from earth to heaven, that, when
the child went to his solitary bed, ne
dreamed about the star; and dreamed
that, lying where ne was, ne saw traih
OF people taken up that shining road by
angels. And the star opening, showed
him great world OF hight, where many
more such angels waited to receive them.
And these angels, VINO were waiting,
turned their beamlngeyes. upon the peo-
pie who were carried up into the star;
and some came out from the long rows
IN which they stood and tell upon the
people necks and kissed them tenderly,
and went away with them down avenues
OF hight and were so haPpy, IN their com
pany that lying IN the bed, ne wept Tor
JOY. -,
But there were many angels VINO dld
not go with them, and among them one
he knew. The patient face that had
once lain upon the bed was glorlted and
iouioh'i p". 80 "s"it iNN 49, ' 80
ter among all the host
His sister $ ngelhngered near the en-
trance " me star, ana said 70 the leader
among those h0had brought the people
thither. |
Is my brother GOMEZ"
And he said, mo"
She was turning hopefully away, when /
the child stretched out his arms, and said:
"0h, 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 toward him as he saw it
through his tears.
From that hour forth the child looked
out upon the star as the home he was to
20 owhen his time should come, and be
thought he did not belong to the earth
alone, but to the star, too, because of his
sister angel gone before.
There was a baby born to brother to
he 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