Year: 1875




strolled about good deal, and thought


of a number of things. He had sister,


who was a child, too, and his constant


all day long. They wondered at the


beauty of flowers; they wondered
at the height and blueness of


the sky; they wondered at the
depth of the bright waters they
wondered at the goodness and bower of
God, who made the world lovely.


They used to. say to one another,
sometimes: Supposing all the chill
dren on the earth wete to die, would
the flowers, and the water, and the sky
be sorry. They believed they would
be sorry.


"For" said they, 4" the buds are the
children Of the flowers, and the little
playful streams that ganbo1 down the
hillside are the children of the waters,
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 star that used to
come out in the sky before the rest,
near the church spire, above the graves.
It was larger and more beautiful, they
| thought, than all the others, and every
night they watched for it, standing
hand in-h hand, at the window. Who
ever saw it first cried out, 81 see the
star :" And often they cried out both
together, knowing so well when it
would rise and where. So they grew to
be such friends with it that, before
lying down Ia their beds, they looked
out once again to bid it good night, and
when they were turning round together
they would say, "God bless the star"


But when 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 patients pale face
on the bed, 81 see the star And
then a smile would come upon his face,
and a little weak voice used to say,
God bless my brother and the star


And so the time came, all too soon,
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,
as he saw it through his tears.


Now these rays were so bright, and
they seemed to make such a beautiful,
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 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.


All 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 upon
The peoples necks aud kissed them
tenderly, and went away with them
down avenues of light, aud 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 that 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
tue people thither


Is my brother come


And he said "NO."


She was turning hopefully away,
when the child stretched out it's arms
and said


"Oh, sister, am here Take me |"


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 on the home he
was to go to when his time should
come, and he thought he did not be-
long to earth alone, but to the star, too,
because of his sisters angel gone be-
fore.
There was a baby born to be a
brother to the child ; and while he was
80 little that he had never yet spoken a
word, he stretched his tiny form on the
bed and died.
Again the child dreamed of the I
opened star and of the company of
angels, with their beaming eyes all
;urned upon those peoples faces. {
Said his sister angel to the leader: {
"Is my brother Gomez"
And be said "Not that one, but {
mother" I
As the child beheId his brothers |
nigel in her arms, he cried: E
"Oh, sister, am here Take me " j
And she turned and smiled upon him, q
md the star was shining. t
He grew to be a young man, and was c
,usy at his book, when an old servant c
anne to him and said: S
" Thy mother is no more. bring i
Ter blessing on her darling SON" 6
Again at night he saw tbe star, and a
II the former company. Said his Sis o
er's angel to the leader: o
Is my brother come ?" C
And he said, Thy mother" 4
A mighty cry of Joy went through all b
he star, because the mother was re- e
nited to her two children. And he &
out his arms and cried: Il
"Oh, mother, sister and brother, /
m here take me


And they answered, "Not yet," and n
ne star was shining. O
He grew to be mau whose hair was
1rning gray. and he was sitting in his c
hair by the fireside, heavy with grief, W
nd with his face bedewed with tears, +
hen the star opened once again. G
Said his sisters angel to the leader n
els my brother Gomez" b
And he said: 81
NAY, but his maiden daughter" n
And the man who had been the child le
Nv his daughter, newly lost to him, a Il
slestial creature among those three, W
nd he said fc
" My daughters head is on my sis. m
RS neck, and at her feet there is a OF
lby of old time, and l can bear the ST
arting from her, God be praised! M
And the star was shining. al
Thus the child came 10 be an old re
an, and his once smooth face was le
rinkled, and his steps were slow and Fl
eble, and his back was bent. And an
le night as he lay upon his bed, his tn
ildren standing around him, he cried Sc
Il z..-...l I<..... n