Beautiful Sketch By Charles Dickens

Tbere was once a chili), and he strolled alout a good deal, and thought of a nuiiibcr oí' tilinga, lie had a sister, who was n child, tr.o, and his constant companioo. These two used to wonder ül) day They wouderid at the boauty j f flowers; they wondered t the height and dopth of tl:o bright water; they wonduri-d at the Lroodnoss nnd power of God, wL'o made tho lovely world. Thi'y used to say to ene auotlicr lometimca, "Supposing uil tbo childien ou tiio earlh were to die, wou ld iho flowera and tho water fiud tbe sky bo sorry. For say they, tho buds are lbo chüdren of thu flowers, and tho litllu playtul tstreinns that gambol down the hil'uidu aro the childrcu of the waters ; nnd the smalleat bright apecka playiog at nide' and eek in the sky 11 night, muststirely bt lbe cbildren of the star ; and they would be all grievcd to see their p!ayniutes, the chüdren of men, no more. There was oue olear star that used to come out iu tbe sky beforo tbe rest, oear llie church spire, about llia graves, It was larger aud more beautiful tbey ihought, Iban all the otbers, and eyery night they wstelied for it, standing hand in hand at tho window. Wboever saw it first uried out "I see the star !" Aud often they cried out -botli togetber, knowing o woll wbeu it would riso aud whorc. So they grew to be such friendl with it that befóru lying down in their bcis, they looked out once again to bid it good niglit ; and wlien tbey were turning round to leep tbey would say, "God blb.-s the star I" Bul wbilo she was still vory young, oh, very, very youug, tbe sister drooped, and canie to Le so weak that sho eould no longer stand in the indow at tiigbt : aml ihen thu child lüoked sadly out by liimsilf, aud hiii lie saw the star, turued round 'to the patiënt, pale face ou the bod : "I see tbe star F' and theu a smile would come upon bis face, and a little, wenk voico used to say : 'God bltss uiy brotluT and the star !" Ai;d so the time camo all too booii, when tbe child looked out alone, wben tta-re was no face ou the bed ; uud wben there was a little grave among the graves nut tbere beforo; ai.d wlieu the star made long rays down toward bim, aud hu saw it through his icars. Now, these rays wero brigbt, and tliey soeiiK'd to ujakesuch a boautiful, eblniug way from cartli to hoaven, that wheu tbe child went to bis solitary bt-d, be dreanjed abont t'ie star; and dreamud that, ly ing where he was, he eaw a train of peopltí taken up thatsiiiuiugroad by angels. I Aud the star opening, shotved bim a great wcrld of ïight. wbcre nuiny more s'.ich angels waitftd to re'oeive them. And those ansiéis, who were waiting, urncd tbeir beauiing cyes upon tbo pjo■le who were carriod up into the s;ur ; iod boiüc came out from -ihe long rews n wbioh they stood, and feil u;un the jo jle'.-i Deokp und kisned them tenderly, uil V7cut away witti them dowa avenues f light, tmd wcre so happy in tbcir computiy (hat, lj'ing iu bed, be wept for -yUut tbere nrere ïuany angeis wbo did iot go witb theui, iind ampus thein One ie knew. The patiënt fa; o that bad once luiu opon tho bed was glorilied a tul adiant, but bis hemt found out his eiser ameng ill thu ho-t. IIissi8'.ür's angel liugered near tho entrance of the t-tar, aud said to tbe leader among tboEc wbo had brought the eople tbitber : 'Is jiy hrotber come?" And be eaid "No." Sh was turo ing bopefully away wbeu be child strutuhed out bis aruis aod a'ni : "Oh, sister, I am bore ! Take me I" Aüd theu she tttrned her beaming oj'f-s updii bim, end it was nigbt ; bul he htar wüb sbining into his room, makng lono; ruys down towui'd him as be aw it tbrouh hio teari, From tlutt bour forth the child looked out upon tbe star as on the home he was o go to, vben bis time should come, and ie thought ho did not belang to earth alone, but to the atar, too, boouuse of bis ialer'a angel gono before. There was a baby bom to be a brotlier o the ubild ; aud wliile he waa so little hut be bad never yet spoken a word, be trotchcd bis liny form out on tbe bed aud died. Again tbe obild dreanied of tbe opened star, and of the company of angels, and the train of people ; and all tbe rows of angels witb tboir beamiug oyes all urned upon those pcople's faces. H.-.id his sister' angel to tbe leader : "Is my brother come ?" And he said, "Not that one, but another." As the child boheld his brotber's angel in her arm, he oried, "Oh, sister, I am here ! Take me ! And sbe turned and smiled upon him, and tbe star vas ehiuiug. He grew to te n young man, nnd waa )usy with his book wheu au old sorvanl catne to bim and said : ''Thy inother is no moro. I bring her ilesing ou her dailing son." Again at night he saw the star, and all that furmer company. Said his siser's angel to the leader : "Is my brotber come ?" And be said, "Thy mother." A mighty ory of joy went fvirtli brough all tbe sturs because the inother was re-united to her two childron. And ie stretched out bis nrms and cried : 'Oh, mother, sister aud brother, I am iere 1 "Take me !" Aud tbey answer ed, "Not yet," and the star was akiniog, LItí grew to be a inau whoso hair was urniiig g'ay, and ho was sitting iu I i ehair by tbe firosido, heavy with grief, and witb bis fuce bedewed with tears, when the star opened once again. "Said his sifter's ungel to the leader, 'Is my brother ooiue ?" And he said, "Nay, but hi maiden daughter." Aml tho man who had beon a child aw his daugbtar, iiewly lost to him, a ■elistial croatiM'o among those three, and ie said ''My dnugbter'6 luad i on niy nother's bosom, and her arm ia around my sister s neuk, fiud at hef feet there i h tlie baliy of old time, and I can bear the parting f:ooi her, God bu praised!" And t.hu itar was ahiuing. Thus the child came to be ao old man, and hi once smootb faun wiis Wïinkled, and his steps were slow and ieeble, aud his back was bont. And ono night, as 1 ho lay upon his bed, hia childien ing around bim, hs cried a ho had cried s) long ago : "I see the star I" They whisperud to one nnother. : "lic is d'yii g." And he nid : "I am. My at;o is falling froiu me like a gormen, and I i, uve toward the stir as a cluld. And O, my Fathcr, now I thank ïhce that it lias o oftcn oponed to rcceive th se to uwait mo I And the star was ehitiin", and it shines pou hls gravu.