Year: 1860




about good deal, and thought of a
number of things. He had a sister,
who was a child too, and his constant
companion. These two used to woh-
der all day long. They wondered at
the beauty of the flowers; they won
dered at the height and blueness Of the
sky; they wondered at the depth Of the
bright waters; 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
on earth were to die, would the flowers,
and the water, and the sky, be sorry 2"
They believed they would be sorry.
For, said they, the buds are the chill
dren of the flowers, and the little play
full 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 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
lorhe rest, near the church spire, above
1.-THE graves 1t was larger and moro
" beautiful, they thought, than all the
others, and every night they watched
for it, standing hand in hand at win
dow. Whoever saw it first, cried out,.
II see the STAR" And often they cried
out both together, knowing SO we'll
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
good night; and when they were turning
round to sleep, they used to say, ''God
bless the star -


But while she was still very you =,
oh very, very young, the sister dropped,
and came to be so weak that she could
NO longer stand in the window at night;
and then the CHILD looked sadly out by
himself, and whenh saw the star, turned
round and said to the patient pale face
on the bed, II see the star ~ and then
a smile would come on the face, and
little weak voice used to say, "God bless
my brother and the star -


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 toward him,
as he saw it 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 sparkling road
by angels. And the star, opening,
showed him a great world of light, whore
many more such angels waited to re-
ceive them


All qhese angels, who were waiti1c,
turned their beaming eyes upon -
people who were carried up into the
star; and some came out from the long
rows in which they stood, and fell pom
the peoples necks, and kissed them
tenderly, and went away with them down
avenues of light, and were so happy in
- their company, that lying in his 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 all 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 7"


Ah he said ''NO."


She was turning hopefully awaY,s
when the child stretched out his qrmSs
and cried go, sister, l am here TaK6
me - and then she turned her beaming
eyes upon him, and it was night ard
the star was shining into his room, max
ing long rays down towards 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 60 to when his time should come;
and he thought that he did not be 'ong
TO the earth alone, bnt to the sta~,
too, because of his sisters angel gone
before.


There was a baby born to be brother
to the child and while he was so little
that he never yet had spoken a word,
ba S+ra+rbn1 his +iDIy form ont on hi :