Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-10-12
C'apella.

always finds him absent This is not strange
tor the Cracker is peaceable In pace requi
escat- Boston Commercial Bulletin.
CapelIa.
commodious house standing in its ow
large and well-cultivated garden ground be
yond its enclosing iron gates and palisades
turnpike road on which there was muci
passing traffic and beyond that the broa
and beautiful sea.
prosperous house, with no lack of ie
finement in it, and the feet of the healthy
happy, merry children echoing in its pas
sages. All healthy save one little boy Rob
ert fading child, he delicate blossom
on whom the wind might not blow too rough
ly.
Fires biazed and candles were alight on
early autumn evening. A. whole crowd o
little people danced to the quadrilles playe,
by the goyerness, or romped in corners t.
tunes of their own. 1t was Nellie's birth
day. Mrs. Earle sat by the fire, looking on
talking with the guests, restraining with {
word or motion the too exuberant spirits o
her own children. fair, fresh, slender lit
tie boy, with soft, sad light in his deeI
gray eyes, came up, and rested his heaC
against the flounces of her silk gown.
Tired, my BERTHE?
BERTHE did not answer but he put up hi
hand to feel for the loving clasp of his
mothers. Mrs. Earle, bending down, sav
how white and wan he looked.
1T has been to much for you, my littlt
! boy. Would you like to go to bed"
I'D like to go to sleep, mamma. Anc
Mrs. Earle quietly took him out of the room
to the nurse.
Presently Mr.. Earle, who had been from
/ Al a l.
ing merry with the little. folks, for he dearly
loved children. He missed one of them.
"Wheres Robert?" he asked of his wife.
Come and see him." she answered"
| don't like his look at all. -
The child lay in his white-curtained cot,
fast asleep. One little feverish hand lay out
side the counterpane his wasting cheek
surrounded by waves of light golden hair
pressed the bolster. In the pale Young face
sat the same wan. tired look that it hat
worn below.
'Poor BERTHE !" breathed Mr.. Earle. I'VE
shall not keep him long, l fear"
From that evening the child dropped
drooped more than he had before-and the
doctor began to come daily. When he took
| to his bed entirely, they moved him into q
room in the front of the house, as it had {
| hvelier look out, placing his bed at the win
patiently, day after day, looking at the pass
! ers-bv, and at the beautiful ever-changine
] sea.
| Gradually he began to take notice OF 0
\ bright star that might be seen over the SET
Just opposite to him when the sun wen
\ down. No one but himself knew how ht
| grew to love the star and to watch tor 1t. lie
liked to think that the star was watching him
| The darker the night grew the brighter grew
| the star.
at comes and it looks at me" he said tc
his mother. at seems to come up higher
and higher over the sea- AS though 1t wanted
to see me better. 1t is always there. 1t Il
as sure as Gods love-
"And that is even surer than the stars,
Berthe
But nothing can ever take that star away,
mamma can it
'Nothing ut all, Bertie. The stars are
placed in the heavens for signs and for sea
sons.
Il think it is taking care of me, mamma,
It watches me so.
Doing frequently in the daytime, Bertie
was wakeful at night. At the evening hour.
when the little tenants of the neighboring
rooms were falling asleep, he was wide-awake
and watching And somehow, what with
looking at the star and talking of it, he grew
to connect il in his childish mind with God
Himself to believe it was truely watching
over him.as God watched that it was, so to
say. type and surety of Gods presence.
at has always been there, you know, mann.
ma you told me it had.
True, Bertie."
Then why did | never. see it till since
was i'll, and lay here?'
Because Won never saw il before. Your
bedroom faced the other way, you know, and
the stars place Is yonder.
when Shall get well and play again with
Nellie and the rest ::
Mrs. Earle turned her head with n hasty
movement SO that her eyes and the sudden
rush of tears to them were hidden from HIM.
Perhaps it will be never, mamma = said
the child. anxiously. when asked papa
this morning, he told me | must be brave
little boy and trust all TO God. That God
would make me well If lie pleased, or else
| He would take me away to live with Him,and
that would be better.
Much, much better, Bertie, she answered.
with a sobbing sigh. ''He will take us al
when our work here is done and over"
And could not play now, am so tired
think am more tired than was yesterday
Suppose should get more and more tired
always Shall l."
81 hardly know, Berthe" she said, Will
hesitation. For she could not bear to dellb
erately mislcad even the dying child. He
quick of apprehension, discerned somewhat
Of the truth.
"Oh, mother To lie here always Wha
if God should forget me -
God never forgets. my darling. He II
sure and faithful.
''As sure ai the star 20
.,IeE Hertlp MS sure ng that
And that is always there. 1t never goes.
But there came an evening when httl
Robert Earle, looked for the star in vain. |
was not there it had gone How intensel.
troubled the child was, how $50 to say ter
rified, we perhaps could not picture. Ill
intellect and feelings were in advance Of HI
years and, like the rest OF us, who cann"
speak of some dread fear that has laid hol'
of our hearts, Bertie could not speak of this
If the star had deserted its place and him
why perhaps God could and would deseI
him.
For a few nights the same state of thing
continued There was no star. No stal
Other stars were IN their places, hut that on
was not The nurse noticed TINT Maste
Robert was unusually fcvcrish She told til
doctor that she had more than once caugh
him crying at the dusk hour IN his httl
bed.
"Ay," complacently asscntei the doctor
You see lac gets weaker.
One evening, when he was temporarily lei
alone, Mrs. Earle found him IN II state "i -
; citement lie had partly raised himself /
, bed his hands were stretched out as II |
welcome his gaze was strained on the SIX,
The beautiful star was III its place ngdlI
, shining in the deep-blue canopy OF night.
3 "Oh mother, mother, 1t ls there 1t
, there go
What Is there she asked, failing
/ comprehend
''ihe star the star thought 1t hn
e gone" said Bertie, breaking INTO ecstat
( tears OF ,rntitude. at has not been thel
: for ever 50 many nights, mother. l though
/ 1t had gone for good, and that perhaps Go
- had gone with 1t.
e "Oh, Bertc Why the star was alwl
there, every evening IT could not fail to
IN its place. But some clouds have hur
Y over the sea in the northeast these last ic
e evenings. and they hid the star from you.
q yes" snid the child, all his coniiden
o restored at the stars reappenrance. 'Ar
70 God must he there too and has not forge
10 ten me
II .My darling, exactly MS 1t is with that ST.
, so it is with Gods love. 1t may seem to
r hidden from us for time. Just AS the st
WAS hidden from you. But the love is SUI,
!, there. though the worlds trials and car
It may serve to obscure it, and We fancy
r. must be gone, MS you did Never lose yo
II trust in God, Berthe.
r .sNo" said the child mott again. Loc