the sky; they wondered at the depth of the bright water; they wondered at the goodness and the power of God, who made the lovely world. 2. They used to say to each other, sometimes, "Supposing all the children upon 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 hill-sides, are the children of the water; 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 mōre. 3. There was one clear, shining star, that used to come out in the sky before the rest, near the chûrch-spire åbove the graves. It was larger and mōre beautiful, they thôught, than all the others; and ěvèry night they watched for it, standing hand in hand at å window. 4. Whoever saw it first, cried out, "I 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 in their beds, they always looked out once again, to bid it good-night; and when they were turning round to sleep, they used to say, "God bless the star!" 5. But while she was still very young-oh! very, very young --the sister drooped, 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, tûrned round and said to the patient, pale face on the bed, "I see the star!" and then a smile would come upon the face, and å little weak voice would say, tremulously, "God bless my brother and the star!" 6. 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 thêre befōre; 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 shining way from earth to heaven, that when the child went to his solitary bed, he dreamed about the star; and he dreamed that, lying where he was, he saw 1 å train of people taken up that sparkling road by angels.1 And the star, opening, showed him a great world of light, where many more such angels waited to receive them. 2 7. All these angels, who were waiting, tûrned their beaming 2 eyes upon the people who were carried up into the star; and soon came out from the long rows in which they stood, and fell upon the people's necks, and kissed them tenderly, and went ȧway with them down avenues of light, and were so happy in their company, that, lying in his bed, he wept for joy. 8. But there were many angels who did not go with them, and among them one he knew. The patient face that once had lain upon the bed was glōrified and radiant, but his heart found out his sister among all the host. His sister's angel lingered near the entrance of the star, and said to the leader åmỏng those who had brought the people thither, "Is my brother come!" And he said, "No." 7 9. She was turning hopefully away, when the child stretched out his arms, and cried, "O sister, I am here! Take me!" And then she turned her beaming eyes upon him, and it was night; and the star was shining into the room, making long rays down toward him as he saw it through his tears. From that hour fōrth, the child looked out upon the star as on the hōme he was to go to, when his time should come; and he thought he did not belong to the earth ålōne, but to the star too, because of his sister's angel gone before. 10. There was å baby born to be a brother to the child; and while he was so little that he never yět had spōken a word, he stretched his tiny form out on his bed, and died. Again the child dreamed of the opened star, and of the company of angels, and the train of people, and the rows of angels, with their beaming eyes all tûrned upon those people's faces. 11. Said his sister's angel to the leader, "Is my brother come?” 4 Glō'ri fied, made glorious or excellent. 1 An'ġel, å spirit employed by God to make known his will to man; å ministering spirit: a měssenger. 2 Beam'ing, sending forth beams or rays of light; shining. 3 Av'e nue, ȧ way, opening, or passage; an alley or walk; ȧ wide street. 5 Rā'di ant, beaming with brightness; shining. Hōst, an army; å multitude; any great number. 'Lin'gered, delayed; remained or waited long. And he said, "Not that one, but another." As the child beheld his brother's angel in her arms, he cried, "O sister, I am here! Take me!" And she turned and smiled upon him, and the star was shining. 12. He grew (gro) 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. I bring her blessing on her darling son." Again at night he saw the star, and all that former company. Said his sister's angel to the leader, "Is my brother come?" And he said, "Thy mother!" A mighty cry of joy went fōrth through all the star, because the mother was reunited to her two childrèn. And he stretched out his arms, and cried, “O mother, sister, and brother, I am here! Take me!" And they answered him, "Not yet." And the star was shining. 13. He grew to be à man whose hair was tûrning gray, and he was sitting in his châir by the fireside, heavy with grief, and with his face bedewed1 with tears, when the star opened once again. Said his sister's angel to the leader, “Is my brother come?" And he said, "Nay, but his maiden daughter.” And the man who had been the child saw his daughter, newly lost to him, à celestial creature among those three; and he said, "My daughter's head is on my sister's bosom, and her arm is round my mother's neck, and at her feet there is the baby of old time, and I can beâr the parting from her, God be praised!" And the star was shining. 14. 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 round, he cried, as he had cried so long ago, "I see the star!" They whispered one another, "He is dying." And he said, "I am. My age is falling from me like a garment, and I move toward the star as a child. And O, my Fäther! now I thank thee that those dear ones who ȧwait me." it shines upon his grave. 1 Bedewed (be dūd'), moistened with dew, or as with dew. 2 Charles Dickens, an English novelist, was born at Portsmouth, Feb. 7, 1812. His numerous writings it has so often opened to receive And the star was shining; and DICKENS.2 most happily combine humor and pathos. Some of his most beautiful and striking passages were drawn from the sorrows and sufferings of childhood. He died in 1870. I II. 54. MY CHILD. CAN NOT make him dead! Is ever bounding round my study-chair; 2. I walk my parlor floor, And, through the open door, I hear å footfall on the chamber stâir; To give the boy a call; And then bethink me that he is not there! 3. I thread the crowded street ;— A satcheled lad I meet, With the same beaming eyes and colored hair, And, as he's running by, Follow him with my eye, Scarcely believing that-he is not there! 4. I know his face is hid Under the coffin lid; Closed are his eyes; cold is his fŏrehĕad fâir; My hand that marble felt; O'er it in prayer I knelt; Yět my heart whispers that he is not there! 5. I can not make him dead !— When passing by the bed, So long watched over with pârental câre, My spirit and my eye Seek him inquiringly, Before the thought cômes that he is not there! 6. When, at the cool, gray break Of day, from sleep I wake, With my first breathing of the morning âir My soul goes up, with joy, To him who gave my boy; Then comes the sad thought that he is not there! 7. When at the day's cälm close, Before we seek repose, I'm with his mother, offering up our prayer, I am in spirit praying, For our boy's spirit, though-he is not there! Was but the raiment that he used to wear. Is but his wardrobe locked ;-he is not there! 9. He lives!-In all the past He lives; nor, to the last, And, on his angel brow, I see it written, "Thou shalt see me there!" 10. Yes, we all live to God! FATHER, thy chastening1 rod So help us, thine afflicted ones, to beâr, That, in the spirit land, Meeting at thy right hand, "Twill be our heaven to find that he is there! Chastening (cha' sn ing), punishing for the sake of correcting or reclaiming; purifying. 2 John Pierpont, an American elergyman, poet, and author, was born in Litchfield, Conn., April 6, 1785. He was graduated at Yale College in 1804, studied law and was admitted to practice in 1812, and was ordained minister of a Congrega PIERPONT.2 tional Church in 1819. As å public speaker, å writer, and a reformer, he was highly esteemed. The first edition of his poetical works, under the title of "Airs of Palestine, and other Poems," appeared in 1840. Many of his poems were called forth by circumstances connected with the moral and religious movements of the times. He died Aug. 26, 1866. |