There was once a child, and he strolled 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 wonder all day long. They
wondered at the beauty of the flowers; they wondered at the height and
blueness of 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.
They used to say to one another, sometimes, Supposing all the children
upon 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 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 more.
There was one clear shining 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 hand at the window. 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!"
But while she was still very young, O, 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, turned 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 a little weak voice used to say, "God bless my brother and the
star!"
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 towards 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 dreamed that, lying where he was, he saw
a train of people taken up that sparkling 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 people's necks, and
kissed them tenderly, and went away with them down avenues of light,
and were so happy in their company, that lying in his 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 once had lain upon the bed was glorified
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 among those who had brought the people thither,--
"Is my brother come?"