Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-04-01
4 Child,s Dream of a Star.

about good deal and thought of a num-
Der of things. He had a sister, who was
a 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 blue
ness of the sky; they wondered at the
depth OF the bright water they won
dered at the goodness and power of God,
who made the lovely world.
They used to say to one another some
times, Surprising all the children on
the earth were to die, would the flowers,
and the water, and the sky be sorry p
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
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 star that used to
come out in the sky before the rest,
near the church spire above 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 1t first cried out, "I see the star :"
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 looked out once again to bid
it good night, and when they were turn
ing round to sleep they would say, f" God
bless the STAR"
But while she was still yery younr. oh
very, very young, the sister dropped, 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 patient, pale face on
the bed, saying, ''I see the star 20 and
then a smile would come upon his face
and little weak voice used to saw:
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 toward him,
as he saw it 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 stars and dreamed
that lying where he was he saw train
of people taken up that shining road by
angels. And the stars opening showed
him great world of light, where many
more 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
stars (; and some came out from the long
rows in which they stood, and fell upon
the peoples necks and kissed them ten
derby, and went away with them down
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 and radiant,
but his heart found out his sister among
all the host.
His sisters angel lowered near the
entrance of the star, and said to the
leader among those who had brought
the people thither
60 Is my brother Gomez"
And he said s'No."
She was turning hopefully away, when
the child stretched out his arms, and
said, "Oh, sister, / am here Take
me p 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 on the home he was
to go 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 brother
to the child; and while he was SO little
that he had never yet spoken word, be
stretched his tiny form out ON the bed
and died.