Year: 1870

A Gem from Dickens.


There was once child, and he strolled
about good deal and thought of u num-
ber of things. He hal sister. who was
q child too, and his constant companion.
These two used IN wonder MI day long.
They wondered mt the beauty of flowers;
they wondered ut tho height and blueness
of the sky; they wondered Mt the depth of
tho bright water; they wondered ut the
goodness and power Of God, who male the
lovely world.


They used tO say TO one another some
times, 'Supposing all the chll,lren on tho
earth were to die, would tho flowers and
the water and the sky bo sorry? They he-
leyed they would bc sorry. For said
they, the buds are Tho children of the flow
ers, and the little playful streams that gam
Dol down the hillsides are tho children of
the waters; and the smallest bright spccks
playing mt hide and seek In the sky all
night, must surely be the children Of the
stars; and they would all be grieved TO
SEQ their playmates. the children Of men,
no more


There was one clear star that used to
come out In tho sky before the rest, near
the church spire, above the graves. TWAS
larger and more beautiful, they thought,
than all the others, and every night they
watched for It, standing hand In hand at
the window. Whoever saw It first cried
out, 4 see tho start And often they cried
out both together, knowing so well when
It would rise, and where. So they grew
to be such friends with 1t, that before ly-
ing down In their beds, they looked out
once again. to bid itgood night; and when
they werc turning round 20 sleep they
would say. God bless the start


But while she was still very young, oh
very, very young, tho sister dropped. and
came 10 be so weak that she could no longer
stand In the window mt night; and then
the child looked sadly out by himself, and
when he saw the star, turned round to the
patients pale face on the bed: i SEQ the
start and then smile would como upon
his face. and little weak voice used to
say: God bless my brother and the start
And 50 the time came all too soon, when
tho 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 towards him, rs ho saw 1t
through his tears.
Now, these rays were so bright, and
they seemed tO make such beautiful,
shining way from earth tn Heaven, that
when the child went to his solitary bed.
he dreamed about the star; and dreamed
that living where no WAS, he saw n train of
people taken up that shining road by an-
gels. And the star opening, showed him
n great world of light, where many more
such angels waited tO receive them,
All these angels, who were waiting, turn
cd their bcaming eyes upon the people
who were carried up into the star; and
some came out from tho 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 In the bed he wcpt for joy.


But there were many angels who did not
90 with them, and among them one he
knew. The patient fi.co that had once
lain upon the bed WAS glorifcd and ra-
diant, but his heart found out his sister
among all 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
thithcr-


is my brother come?'


And he said No,


She was turning hopefully away. when
the child stretched out his arms, and said,
oh, sister. am here! Take me" and then
she turned b er beaming eyes upon him,
and It was night; andthe star was shining
into his room, making long rays down
towards him as he saw 1t through his
tears.


From that hour forth. the child looked
out upon the star rs on the home ho was
to GO TO, when his time should come, and
hethOught he did not belong to earth alone.
hut 10 the st,r. too. because of his sisters
angel gone before.


There was baby born to bea brother
to the child; and while he was so little
that he had never yet spoken u word. he
stretched his tiny form out on the bed and
died.


Again the child dreamed Of tho opened
star and of the company ofangels, and the
train Of people, and all the rows of angels
with their bcaming eyes all turned upon
these peoples faces.


Said his sisters angel to the leader


rs my brother comeP =.


And he said. Not that one, but another '


As the child beheld his brothers angel
In her arms, he cried. oh, sister, l am
hero! Take mer And she turned and
smiled upon him, and the star was shining.
He grow to DO u young man. and was
busy mt his book when An old servant came
to him and said
Thy mother Is no more. / bring her
blcssi nc on her darling son.


Again ut night he saw the star. and all
that former company. Said his sisters
angel to the leader


is my brother come?


And he said. Thy mother


A mighty cry of JOY went forth through
all the star. because the mother was re-
united To her two children. Aud he
stretched out his arms and cried, oh.
mother, sister and brother, / am here!
Take mer and they answered, not yet,
and the star was shining.


He grew tn he man whose hair was
turning gray. and he was sitting In his
chair by the fire-side, heavy with griefand
with his face bedewed with tears, when the





star opened once again.


Said his sisters angel TO the leader, is
my brother Gomez And he said Nay. hut
his maiden daughter


And the man who had been child saw
his daughter. newly lost to him. y celestial
creature among those three. and no said,
My daughters heal Is ON my mothers
bosom. and her arm Is around my sisters
neck. and ut her feet there Is tho baby OF
old time. and can bear the parting from
her. God be praised?


And the star was shining.


Thus the child came to nm old man. and
his once smooth face was wrinklcd, and
his stops were slow AID feeble. and his
back was bent. Aud one night rs he lay
upon his bed. his children standing around
him. he cried rs nc had cried 30 long ago:


Il see the star!


rho, ,yh;.,,.r,si In ono another. sHe Is