Year: 1870

Dickenss


There was q child; and he strUlled
about a 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 won
der all day long. They wondered dt
the beauty of flowers; they W6tdeEed
at the height and depth Of the bright
water; they wondered at the goodness
and power Of God, who made the love-
ly world.


They used to say to one another
sometimes, 'sSnpposing all the Childfpn
on the earth were to die, WOHld the
flowers and the water and the sky be
sorry ?" They believed they wbhld
be sorry. For, said they; the buds are
children Of the flowers, and the little
playful streams that Eambol down the
hillsides are the children of the waters;
and the smallest bright specks playing
at hide and go seek in the sky all
night mttst sutely be the children Of
the starsj and they would be all griev-
ed TO see their playmates, the children
of men, no more.


There was one clear star that used
to come out in the sky b5fore the rest,
near the church Spite, about tire graves.
1t was larger and more beautiful they
th6tght than all the others; and every
night they watched fuF it, standing
hand In hahd at the window. Who
ever saw if first cried out, ttI see the
star !'' and often they cried out both
together, knowing so we'll when it
would rise; and where. So they EteF
to be such friends with it, before lying
down in their beds they looked out
UnUs again to bid it good night; and
when they were turning round to sleep
they would say, "God bless the star ~


But while she waa still very y0sng,
Oh very, very young, the sister dr60p-
ed, and became so weak that she could
no longer stand in the window at
nightj and then the child looked sad
/ Iy out by himself, and when he SAW
the star, turned round to the patient,
pale face on the bed and said: "f see
the star i'' and then alittle weak voice
used to say: ''God bless my brother and
the star %


And so the time came all too soon,
when the child looked alone, and
when there was no face on the bed;
and when there was little grave
among the graves, not there befOrej
and when the star made long rays
down toward him, as he saw it through
his tears.


Now, these rays were bright; and
they seemed to make such beautiful
shining way from earth to heaven,
that, when the child went to his soli-
tary bed, he dreamed about the star;
and he dreamed that, lying where he
was; he saw train of people taken Up
that shining road by angels. And the
star opening, showed him a great
world Of light, where many more
such angels waited to receive them.


And these angels, who were waiting
turned 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 up
on 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. The patient face
which had once lain upon the bed was
glOrified 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-


els 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 met


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 look
ed out upon the star as on the home
he was to go TO when his time should
come, and he thought he did. not br.
long to earth alone, but to the star,
too, because of his sisters angel gone
before.


There was a baby born to be a
brother to the childI and while he
was so little that he never yet spoke
a word, he stretched out on the bed
and died.


Again the child dreamed Of the
opened stHf, and Of the company 0fI
angels with their beaming eyes all
turned up in those peoples faces.


Said his sisters angel to the leader:


"Is my brother comp2'


And he said, "NUt that one, but an
other"


AS the child beheld his brothers
angel in her arms. he cried, "Oh, sis
ter, am here! Take meT' And she
turned and smiled upon him, and the
star was shining.


. He grew to be young man, and
was busy at his book when an old
servant came to him and saidl


"Thy mother is no more. 1 bring
her blessings on her darling son."


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


sis my brother Gomez


And he saidi "Thy mother"


A mighty cry of joy went forth
through all the stars because the moth
er was reunited to her two children.
And he stretched out his arms and
cried: cob, mother, sister, brother, I
am here! Take me!'' And they
answered: "Not yet," and the star
was shining. =


E[e grew to be man whose hair
was turning gray, and was sitting in
his chair by the fireside, heavy with
grief, and his face bedewed with
tears, when the star opened once