Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-12-31
A cHILD'S DREAM OF A STAR
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

SeIOlleu duOuI SOOu uedl, duu Thought
of a number of things. He had Sis
ter, who was a child, too, and his con-
slant companion. These two used to
wonder all day long. They wondered
at the beauty of the 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 and the power of God
who made the lovely world.
They used to say to one another,
sometimes, supposing all the children
upon the earth were to die, would the
flowers and the water and the sky be
sorry? 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 hill-sides are the children of
the water; and the smallest bright
specks playing at hide and seek in the
sky all night must surely be the chill
dren of the stars; and they would all
be grieved to see their playmates the
children of men no more.
There was one clear shining star
that used to come out in the sky be-
fore the rest, near the church spire
above the graves. 1t was larger and
more beautiful, they thought, than
the others, and every night they watch
ed for it, standing hand-in-hand at
the window. Whoever saw it first
cried out, 81 see starp' 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 always looked out once
again to bid it goodnight, and when
they were turning round to sleep, they
used to say, ''God bless the starw
But while she still was very young,
o very, very young, the sister drooped,
and came-to be so weak that she could
no longer stand in the window at
night; and then the child looked sad
ly out by himself, and when he saw
the star, turned round and said to the
patient, pale face on the bed, 81 see
the starr and then smile would
come upon the face, and little weak
voice used to say, ''God bless my broth
er and the start"
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 towards him, as he saw ii
through his tears.
Now, these rays were so bright, and
they seemed to make such a 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 spark
ling 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,
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 kiss
ed them tenderly, and went away with
them down avenues of light, and were
so happy in their company, that lying
in his little 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 once had lain upon the bed was
glorifed and radiant, but his heart
found out his sister among the host
His sisters angel fingered near the
entrance of the star, and said to the
leader among those who had brought
the people thither:
''Is my brother come"
And he said, "No."
She was turning away hopefully
when the child stretched cut his arms
and cried go sister, am here! Take
mel" and then she turned her beam
ing eyes upon him and it was light
and the star was shining into the room
making long rays down toward him
and 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 that he
did not belong to the earth alone, but
to the star, too, because of his sisters
angel gone before.
There was a baby born to be broth
er to the child; and whild he was SC
little that he never yet had spoken a
word, he stretched his tiny form out
on his bed, and died.
Again the child dreamed of the
open star, and of the company of an
gels, and the train of people, and the
rows of angels with their beaming
eyes all turned upon those peoples
faces.
Said his sisters angel to the leader:
''Is my brother Gomez"
And he said, mot that one, but an
other"
AS the child beheld his brothers
angel in her arms he cried, 30 sister
| am here! Take mel" 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. l bring
her blessing on her darling son !"
And at night he saw the star, and
all that former company. Said his
sisters angel to the leader:
"Is my brother Gomez"
And he said..: sThy mother"
A mighty cry of Joy went forth
through all the stars, because the mo
ther was reunited to her two children
And he stretched out his arm ant
cried, so mother, sister, brother, an
here! Take mev' And they answer
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