Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-11-07
A Child's Dream of a Star.
BY CHARLES DICKENS

good deal. and thought of number of things
He had sister, who was a child too, and his
constant ompanion These two used to won
der all day long. They wondered at the beauty
of the f1owers; 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 made
the lovely world.
They used TO say to one another sometimes,
Suppose all the children on earth were to die,
would the flowers and the water and sky be
sorry 2" They believed they would be sorry
For, said they, the buds are the children of
the flowers, and the little playful streams that
gambol down the hillsides are the children of
the waters; and the smallest bright specks
playing al hide and seek in the sky all night
must surely be the children of the stars, and
they would be grieved to see their .playmates,
the children men no more. .-r#
There was a star that used to come on the
sky before the rest, near the church spire above
the graves 1t was larger and more beautiful,
they thought, than ali the others, and every
night they watched it, standing hand in hand
by the window; whoever So " it first cried out :
Il see the slar!' And often they both cried
out together, knowing so we'll when it would
rise and where. So they grew to be such
friends with it that before lying down in their
beds, they looked once again to bid it good
night and when they were turning around to
sleep, they said: God bless that star''
But while she was still very young, oh, very
young, the sister dropped, aud came to be so
weak that she could nc longer staud in the win
dow at night, and then the chld looked sadly
by himself, and when he saw the star, turned
round to the paiients $ pale face on the bed, II
see the star! and then smile would come
h.,r fao l.b t:ttlo
to say God bless my brother and the star |"
And SO The time came all too sooD, when
there was 10 face on the bed and there was a
little grave among the graves not there before !;
and when the star made long rays toward him
he saw it through his tears
Now these rays were so bright, and they
seemed to make such beautiful way from
earth TO heaven. that when the child went to
his solitary bed he dreamed that |, ing where
he was, he saw a train Of people taken up the
shining road by angels And the star opening,
showed him great world of light, where
many more such angels waited to receive them.
All the angels who were waiting turned their
beaming eyes upon the people who we're car
rled up to the star; and some one came out
from the long rows IN which they Stood and
tell upon the peoples necks aud kissed them
tenderly and went away with them down ave-
nues of light and were 70 happy in their com
pany, that lying in bed, he wept for JOY.
His sisters angel fingered near the entrance
of the star, and said to the leader among those
who bad brought the people thither:
''Is my brother Gomez"
And he said Ne.
She was turning hopefully away, when the
child stretched out his arms and said
70, sister, am here take me; and then
she turned her beaming eyes upon him, and
then it was night and the star was shining into
his room, making rays down towards him as
be saw them through his tears.
From that moment the child looked out up
on the star as one OF the homes he was to go
to, when the 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 brother of the
child and while he was yet SO little that he
had never spoken word he stretched his tiny
form out upon the bed and died.
Again the child dreamed of the open star,
and the company of angels aud the train OF
people faces.
Said his sisters angel to the leader:
Has my brother come
And he said, Not that one, but another. !"
As the child behed his brothers angel in
the orbs he cried: 20, sister, am here, take
me T. Aud she turned and smiled upon him,
and the star was shlnIng.
He grew to be young man, and was busy
with his books, when an old servant came to
him and said
Thy mother is no more. l bring her bless
ing on her darling sou. ;"
Again at night be saw the star and that for
mer company. Said his sisters angel to the
leader:
us my brother come Z?
Add he answered, Tiny mother.
A mighty cry of joy went forth through all
the stars, because the mother was united with
arms and cried 80, mother, sister and broth
er, am here, take me - and they answered !:
mot yet - and the star was shining.
He grew to be man whose hair was turn
ing gray and was sitting by the tireside heavy
with griet aud with his face bedewed with
tears, when the star opened once again.
Said his sisters angel to the leader:
us my brother come?
And he said, Nay, but his maiden
daughter"
And the man who had been a child saw his
daughter newly lost to him celestial creature
among those three, and said:
my daughter head is upon my mother
bosom, and her arm is around her neck, and al
her feet is the baby of old times, and | can
bear the parting from her, God be praised -
And the star was shining.
And the child came to be an old man, and
his back bent Andsoue night as he lay upor
his bed, his children standing around him, he
cried as he had cried SO long ago.
81 see the star u
And they whispered to one another: III,
is dying. on.
And he said. II am. My age is falling from