Year: 1860

ed 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 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
90 with them, and among them one he
knew The patient face that had once
laid upon the bed was glorifed and radi-
ant, 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:


"Is my brother comep


And he said "No"


She was turning hopefully away, when
the child stretched out his arms, and cried
80, sister, l am here Take ep And
then she turned her beaming eyes upon
him, and it was night, and the star was
shining into his room, making long rays
down toward him as he saw it through his
tears.


From that hour forth the child looked
out upon the star as upon 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 baby born to be brother
to the child, and while he was so little that
he never yet had spoken word, he stretch
ed his tiny form out On the bed and died.


Again the child dreamed of the open
star, and of the company of angels, 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 come ?"


And he said, "Not that one, but anoth-
er."


AS the child beheld his brothers angel
in her arms, he cried, 30, sister, am herel
Take me !" And she turned and smiled
upon him, and the star was shining.


He grew to be a young man, and was
busy at his books, when an old servant
came to him and said:


"Thy mother is no more bring bless
ing OH her darling son."


Again at night he saw the star and all
that former company. Said his sisters an
gel to the leader;
AIS my brother como?n
And lie said, "Thy mother p


A mighty cry of joy went forth through
all the star, because the mother was re-uni-
ted to her two children Andhe stretched
out his arms and cried, 0, mother, sister,
and brother, am here Take mep And
they answered, "Not yet, and the star was
shining.


He grew to be man whose hair was
turning grey, and he was sitting in his
chair by the fireside, heavy with grief, and
with his face bedewed with tears, when
the star opened once again.


Said his sisters angel to the leader, is
my brother come 7"


And he said, "Nay, but his maiden
daughter"
And the man who had been child saw
his daughter, newly loss to him, celestial
creature among those three, and he said,
"My daughters head is on my sisters bo.
som, and her arm is round my mothers
neck, and at her feet there is the baby Of
the olden time, and can bear the parting
from her. God be praised"
And the star was shining.
Thus the child came to be an old man,
and his once smooth face was wrinkled,
and his steps were slow and feeble, and
his back was bent And one night as he
lay upon his bed, his children standing
around him, he cried, as he had cried SO
long ago:


II see the star p


They whispered to one another, Gle is
dying"


And he said, II am. My age is falling
from me like garment, and | move to-
ward the star as child. And Oh my Fa-
ther, now l thank thee that it has so often
opened to receive those dear ones who
await mep


And the star was shining, and it shines
upon his grave.