"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 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

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 a 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, 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,

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.

Excerpt Holiday Romance by Charles Dickens:

"The anguish of my own bride's being also made a witness to the same point, but the admiral knew where to wound me. Be still, my soul, no matter. The colonel was then brought forward with his evidence.