Year: 1870

There once was 4 child, and he
strolled about 4 good deal, and
thought ola number of things. He
had a sister. who was a child too and
a constant companion. These two
used to wonder all day long. They
wondered at the flowers; they Won
dered at the height and blueness OF
the sky; they wondered at the depth
of the bright water: they wondered
at the goodness of God, who made
the lovely world.


They used to say to one another
sometimes, ''supposing all the chill
dren on the earth were to die, would
the flowers and the water, and the
sky be sorry They believed they
would be sorry. For, said they, the
buds are the children of the flowers,
and the little playful streams that
gambol down the hillsides are the
children of waters; and the smallest
bright specks playing at hide and
seek in the sky all night must sure
ly be the children Of the stars; and
they would be grieyed to see their
playmates, the children of men, no
more.


There was star that used to come
out on 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 hand at the win
dow; whoever saw it first cried out,
Il see the STAR" And often they
both cried out together, knowing so
well it would rise and where. So
they grew to be such friends with it,
that before lying down in their beds,
they looked out once again, to bid
it good night; and when they were
turning round to sleep they said,
"God bless the starr


But while she was still very young,
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 when he saw the star, turned
round to the patient pale face on
the bed: II see the star" and then
a smile would come upon her face,
and the little weak voice used to say,
''God bless my brother and the
starr


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 a 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
beautiful way from earth to heaven,
that the child went to the solitary
bed, he dreamed of the star; and
dreaming that lying where he was,
he saw train of people taken up
the shining road by angels. And
the star, opening, showed him Il
great world of light, where many
more such angels awaited to receive
them.


All the angels who were waiting
turned their beaming eyes upon the
people who were carried up in that
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 the bed, he wept for
joy.


But there were many angels who
did not go with them, and among
them one he knew, that patient face
that had laid upon the bed, was
glorified and radiant, and 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 Gomez"


And he said, "No."


She was turning hopefully away,
when the child stretched out his
arms, and said, 30, sister, am here!
take me!w and then she turned her
beaming eyes upon him, and then it
was night; and the star was shining
into his room, making long rays
down toward him as he saw them
through his tears.


From that moment the child
looked out upon the star as one Of
the homes he was to go to, when the
time should come, and he thought
he did not belong to earth alone,
but to the star too, because of his
sisters angel gone before.


There was baby born to be a
brother of the child; and while he
was yet so little that he had never
spoken a word, he stretched his tiny
form out upon the bed, and died.


Again the child dreamed of the
open star, and the company of angels
train of peoples faces.


Said his sisters angel to the
leader:


"Has my brother Gomez"


And he said, "Not that one, but
another"


And the child beheld his brothers
angel in her arms, he cried, 90, sis
ter, / am here! take mer And she
turned and smiled upon him, and
the star was shining.


He grew to be a young man, and
was busy with his books, when an
old servant 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 that former company. Said his
sisters angel to the leader:


Is my brother comet"


And he answered, "Thy MOTHER


A mighty cry of joy went forth
through all the stars, because the
mother was reunited with her two
children. And he stretched out his
arms and cried, "Oh, mother, sister,
and brother, l am here! take mer'
And they answered, Not YETI and
the star was shining.


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