New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-19
A CHILD's DREAM OF A STAR.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

| OF Things, lie nau sister, VINO was q child
too, and his constant companion These tw
dered at the beauty of flowers; they won
dered at the height and biueness OF The SIX :
they wondered at the depth of the br;gh
waters; they wondered at the goodness an,
power of God, who made the world lovely
They used to say to one another some
times: "Supposing all the children on tn
earth were to die, would the flowers, an,
the water, and the sky be sorryi" They be
Ec-"a thnu unnl' hn snrru
"For," said they, "the buds are the chill
dren of the flowers. aud the little playful
streams that gambol down the hill side ar,
the children of the waters, and the smalles,
bright specks playing at hide and seek il
the eky all night must surely be the chill
dren of the stare. and they would all b,
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, neal
the church spire, above the graves. 1t was
larger and more beautiful, they thought
than all the otners, and every night they
watched for it, standing hand-in hand al
the window. Whoever saw it first cried
out, 81 see the stai"' And often they clied
out both together, knowing so we'll when il
| would rise and where. So they grew to be
such friend. with it that. before lying down
in their beds, they looked out once again to
bid it good night and when they we're turn
ing round to sleep, they would say, God
| bless the star"
But when abe was still very young, Oh,
| very, very young, the sister dropped and
| came to be SO weak that sEe could no
| longer stand in the window at night, and
then the child looked sadly out by himself,
and when he saw 10 star turned rouni to
the patients pale face on the bed, 81 see
the star" And then a I'm 10 would come
his tanA and "a Ii ttla wall
to say, God bless my brother and the
star"
And SO the time came, all too soon, when
the child looked out aloue, and when there
was no face on the bed, and when there
was little grave among the graves, rot
there before, and when the star made long
rays down toward him, as he Saw it throug b
his tears.
Now these rays were so bright, and they
seemed to make such a beautiful, shining
way from earth to heaven, that when the
child went to his solitary bed he dreamed
about the star, and dreamed that lying
where he was, he saw a train OF people
taken 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.
All these angels, who were waiting, turn
ed their beamiDg eyes upon the people who
were carried up into the star; and some
came ont from the long rows in which they
stood, and fell upon the peoples necks and
kissed them teDderly, 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 are 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 gloritied and radient, but his
h. art found out his sister among all the
host.
His sis er's angel fingered near the en-
trance of the star, and said to the leader
ann n those who had brought the people
thither:
lis my brother comet
Aud he said: "Nu."
She was turning hopefully away, when
the child stretched out its arms and said:
"Oh, 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 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 clild, and while he was 30 little that be
had never yet spoken word, he stretched
his tiny form on the bed and died.
Again the child dreamed of the opened
star and of the company of angels, aud the
train OF people, and all the rows of angels
with their beamiDg eyes all turned upon
those peoples faces.
Said his sister angel to the leader:
us my brother C met
Aud he said: mot that one, but another"
As the child beheld his brothers angel in
her arms, he cried:
"Ob, sister. am here! Take men
And she tn, ned and smiled upon him, and
the star was shining.
He grew to be u young man, and was busy
at hi. book, when an old servant came to
him and said:
Thy mother is no more. l bring her
blessing on her darling son."
Again at night he saw the star, and all
the former company. Said his sisters angel
to the leader:
as my brother comei'
And he said, "rhy mother"
A mighty cry Of joy went through all the
star. because The mother was reunited TO
her two children. And he stretched out his
ooh. mother, sister and brother, l am
herti fake me-"
And they answered, mot yet" and the
star was shining.
He grew to be q man whose hair was
turning gray, and he was sitting in his
chsir by the freside, heavy with grief, and
with his face bedewed with tears, when the
star opened once again.
Said his sisters abg to the leader:
'Is my brother comeW
And he said:
MAY, Int his maiden daughter"
And the man who had been the child saw
his daughter, newly lost to him, celestial
creature among those three, and he said:
my daughters head is on my sisters
neck, and at her feet there ia the baby of
old time, and | can bear the parting from
her. God be praisedg'
Aud the stsr was shining.
Thus the child came to he an old man,
and his once smooth face was wrinkled, and
his steps were slow and feeble, and his
back WAS bent And one night as he lay
upon his bed, bis children standing around
him, he cried as he cried so long ago:
II see the starp
They. whispered to one another: HE is
dying"
Aud he said: ,-..,.,.-...
81 am. Ny age is falling from me like
garment. and move toward the star -
child. And, oh, my Father, thank thee
that it has % often opened to receive these
dear ones who await me-" .stIl taH ar
And the star was shining; and Il shines
upon his grave.