Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-26
DREAM OF A STAR
Beautiful Thought Of a Child Concerning
the Stars

about good deal and thought of num-
Der of things. He had a sister who was a
child too, and his constant companion.
They wondered at the beauty of flowers:
and they wondered at the hight and blue
ness OF the sky; they wondered at the
depth of the water; they wondered at the
goodness of God, who made them lovely.
They used to say to one another some
times: Suppose 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. They
said, The buds are the children of the
flowers, and the playful streams that gam
Dol down the hillside are the children of
the water, and the smallest bright specks
playing at hide and seek in the skv 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 shining 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-band at the window. Whoever saw
it first cried out, Il see the star and
after that they cried ont both together,
knowing so well when il would rise, and
where. So they grew to be such friends
with it, that before lying down in their
bed. they always looked once again TO bid
it good night; and when they were turn
ing around to sleep they used to say, "God
bless the star. -
But while she was still very young, Oh,
very young, toe sister dropped, and came
to be so weak that she could no longer
stand In the window at night, and then
the child looked out sadie by himself and,
when he saw the star, turned around and
said to the patient pale face on the bed, Il
see the start" and then smile would come
upon the face and little weak voice used
to say, Good bless my brother and the
start
And so the time came, all too soon,
when the child looked out all alone, and
when there was no face on the bed, and
when there was a 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 shining way from
earth to heaven, that when the child went
to his solitary bed he dreamed about the
star: and dreamed he was lying where he
saw train of people taken up that spark
ling road by angels; and the star, opening,
showed him great V orld of light, where
many more such angels waited to receive
them.
All these angels who were waiting turn
ed 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 peo-
pies, necks and kissed them tenderly, and
went away with them down avenues of
light and were so happy in their company,
that lying on 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 onca had
lain on the bed was glorifed and radiant,
but his heart found out his sister among
the host.
His sisters angel fingered near the en-.
trance of the star, and said to the leader
among those who had brought the people
thither:
SIS my brother Gomez"
And he said, MOI
She was turning hopefully away, when
the child stretched out his arms, and
cried, 80, sister, | am here Take met,
and then she turned her beaming eyes up
on him, and it was night; and the star
was shining into the room, making long
rays down toward him as he saw it through
his tears.
From that hour forth the child looked up
ON the star as the home he was to go to
when tine time should come; and the
though that he did not belong to the
earth alone, but to the star too; because
Of bis sisters angel gone before.
There was baby born to be a brother
to the child, and while he was so little
that he never yet bad spoken a word, he
stretched out his tiny form on his bed and
died.
And the child dreamed of the opened
star, and of the company of angels, and
the rows of angels, with their beaming
eyes all turned upon these peoples faces,
Said his sisters angel to the leader:
SIS my brother Gomez
And he said, Not that one, but anoth-
er."
As the child beheld his brothers an
gel in her arms, he cried, 20. my sister
am here! Take MEL And she turned and
smiled upon him-and the star was shin
ing. He grew to be young man, and
was busy at his books, when an old serv-
ant came to him and said:
THY mother is no more. | bring her
blessing on her darling son.
Again at night he saw the star, and all
that former company. Said his sisters an
gel to the leader: us my brother Gomez"
And he said Thy mother!' {
A mighty cry of JOY went forth through :
all the stars, because the mother was re-
united to her two children; and he stretch
ed out his arms and cried, 20, mother,
sister, brother, am here! Take me!'
And they answered him, mot yeti" and
the star was shining.
He grew to be man whose hair was
turning gray, and he was sitting in his
chair by the Preside, heavy with grief,
and with his face believed with tears
when the star opened once again.
Said his sisters angel to the angel, as
my brother Gomez"
And he he said, NAY but his maiden
And the man VINO had been the child
saw his daughter, nearly last to meet him,
il celestial creature among those three, and
said, my daughters head is on my sis
ter g bosom, and her arm is around my
mothers neck, and at her feet is the baby
of old time. and can bear the parting
from her, God be praised n'-and the star
was shining:
Then the child came to be an old man
and bis once smooth face was wrinkled
ind his steps were slow and feeble, and
MS back was bent and one night he lar
,pon his bed, his children standing round
le cried, as he cried so long ago, Il see
he start"
They whispered one another, "He is dy-
ng." And he said, Il am. Nv age is