Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-07-27
4 Gem from Dickens.

Here is sketch by Dickens, which has
always seemed to be unsurpassed in beauty,
in delicate fancy, in touching tenderness. We
know those who have read it many, many,
many times and never without tears. Who
can read it without wishing blessing upon
him who wrote it2
A CHGLDs DREAM or A STAR.
There was once a child, aud he stroled
about a good deal and thought Of a number
Of things lie had sister, who was child
too, and his constant companion. These two
used to wonder all day long. They wondered
at the beauty Of flowers they wondered at
the height and blueness Of the sky; they
wondered at the depth Of the bright water /;
they wondered at the goodness aud power Of
God, who made the lovely world
They used TO say to ono another sometimes,
" Supposing all the children on the earth
were to die would the flowers and the water
and the sky be sorry? 20 They believed they
would be sorry. For, said thcy, the buds are
the children OF the flowers, and the little play
full streams that gambol down the hllsides are
the children Of the waters and the smallest
bright specks, playing at hide and seek in the
ky all night must surely be the children of
the stare and they would all be grieved to
see their playmates the children of men, no
more.
There was Que cigar Gtar 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 it, standing hand in hand at the window.
Whoever saw it first cried out, see the
star 90 And often they cried out both t9geth.
er, knowing so we'll when 1t would rise, and
where. SO they grew to be such friends with
it that before laying down in their beds, they
looked out once again, to bid it goodnight
and when they were turning round to sleep,
they would say, God bless the star 20
But while she was still very young oh,
very young, the sister dropped, aud came to be
so weak that she could no longer stand in the
window at night and then the child looked
sadly ont by himself, and when he saw the
star, turned round to the patient, pale face on
the bed -" see the star - aud then a
smile would come upon her face, and little
weak voice used to say "God bless my
brother aud 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
a little grave among the graves, not there be-
fore; and when the starmade long rays down
towards him, a. ho saw 1t through his tears.
Now, these rays were so bright and they
seemed to make such beautiful, shining way
from earth to Heaven, that when the child
went to his solitary bed, he dreamed about
the star; aud dreamed that lying where he
was, he saw train Of people taken up that
shining road by angels. And the star OPEN
ing, showed him great world of light where
many move 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 the
avenues Of light, and were so happy in their
company, that lying in the 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 had once lain upon the
bed was glorifed aud 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 Gomez ?"
And he said No."
She was turning hopefully away, whom the
child stretched out his arms, and said, "Oh
sister, | am here Take me-" And then
she turned her beamng eyes upon him, and
it was night and the star was shining into
his 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 aa on the home he was to 20 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 to be 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, aud all the rows of angels with their
heaming eyes all turned upon those peoples
faces.
Said his sisters angel to the leader
" Is my brother come 2"
And he said, " Not that one, but another"
As the child behed his brothers angel in
her arms, he cried, "0h, sister, am here
Take me 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
Thy mother is no more, | bring her
blessing on her darling son"
Again at night he saw the star aud all that
former company. Said his sisters angel to
the leader
81 Is my brother come ~
And he said, Thy mother"
A mighty cry of JOY went forth through
all the stars, because the mother was reunited
TO her two children Aud he stretched out
his arms and cried, "0h, mother, sister
and brother, | am here Take me" And
they answered, I" Not yot," and the star was
shining
He grew to be man whose hair was turn
ing gray, and he was sitting in his chair by
the ire-side, heavy with grief, and with his
face bedewed with tears, when the star opened
again.
Said his sisters angel to the leader, " Is
my brother come
And he said, " Nay, but his maiden dabgh-
ter"
And the man who had been tho child saw
his dauOhter newly lost To him "A celestial |