Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-21

A little blue-eyed girl was walking In the
early winter evening with her father. 1t
was the night before Christmas, and as
they walked he told her the story of the
Christ-child.
The little girl who loved the stars and
called them her sisters, was delighted with
that part of the story which told of the star
that guided the wise men until it stood over
the place where the young child lay, and
looking back of her as she skipped along,
clasping her fathers hand, she said -
ave, too, have star; look, father, dear
The star follows us wherever we co.
"That is beautiful" said her father. Gre
member that, little maiden. That is
it as Christmas gift, and sometime in the
years that are coming it may be comfort
to you. 1t is star of faith, and hope and
promise. Do not forget it, even if dark
clouds rise up between it and you and hide
its brightness from you. The star will be
there all the same, and it will follow you
wherever you Co." 1t is the sleeping spirit
of poesy stirring in the child's heart" said
the father to himself, for he was poet.
"The star follows us wherever We CO." re-
peated the little girl. "That is good to say
over in the night when the house is still
and my room is dark and | am wakeful.
The star follows us wherever we 60 1t is
a good song to sing"
After that the father and mother often
smiled as their little daughter rocked her
baby brother to sleep and sang softly
The star follows wherever we go"
In the summer time, when the children
frolcked in the green fields aud in the flower
garden, which was bordered with blue for
get-me-nots, and wove long garlands of roses
and lilies, they joined their songs with the
birds, and sang to tune Of their own =
The star follows us wherever We CO."
DAYS and months and years went by. As
the boy and girl grew older trouble came to
them. The dear father and mother slept
under the weeping willows in the church
yard. The pleasant home that stood in the
green field had gone to strangers. Weeds
grew in the forget-me-not garden and the
brother and sister found work. which kept
them in bread, in great smoky, noisy city
II was Christmas eve again, and the two
sat in the cold, dim lonely room with clasped
hands looking wistfully in each others faces
as they talked about the Christ-child after
whom they tried day by day to pattern their
lives.
ave try to do right" said the boy, sand
yet it is clouds, clouds, clouds all about us.
as a little CLEAN of memory from that far
away Christmas time came to her like ray
of light. "Yes, brother mine, just now,
but
"'The star follows wherever co."
Then they sang the words to tune of
their own as they had done in the sweet
childish days, when they frolicked as care
free as the birds in the forget-me-not gar
dan And the +" sleeping spirit of poesy {"
was awakened in the girls heart, and other
| lines followed the dear old sentiment until
it grew into beautiful poem, and the spirit
of harmony was awakened in the boys
heart and he composed tune for the sweet
words so fitting that they together were like
the foliage and blooms and fragrance of a
sweet-briar bush-a perfect whole.
Then they sang IT together until it rang
through the low balls Of the great lodging
house where they were, and the dodgers came
and stood in the doors of their rooms with
bowed heads while the melody rolled past
them like sweet incense.