A CHILD'S DREAM OF A STAR.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 2, Issue 52, 19 December 1850, Page 4

A CHILD'S DREAM OF A STAR.

(From Dickeni Household Words.) 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 floweis ; they wondered at Ihe height and hluencss of the sky; they wondered at the depth of tlie bright water; they wondered at the greatness and power of God who made the lovely woi Id. They used to say to ons auolher, sometimes, supposing all the children upon earth were to die, would the flowers, and the water, anil the sky, be sorry 1 They believed they would be so-ry. For said they, the buds are the children of the flowers, and the little playful streams that gambol down the hill-sides nre the children of Ihe tvnter-j and the blight specks, playing at hide-and-seek in the sky all night, roust surely be the children of the stars; and they would all be grieved to sec their playmates, the children of men no more. There was one shining star that used to come out in the sky before the rest, near the church spire, above Ihe graves. II was larger and more beautiful, they thought, than all the others, and every night lliey watched for it, standing hand in hand at a window. Whoever saw it first, cried out, "I see the star!" and often they ctied out both together, know-

ing go well when it would rise, and where. So tilny grew to be such friends with it, that, before lying down in their bed?, they always looked out once again, lo bid it good night; and when they were turning round to sleep, they used to fay, 11 God blcßs the star. But while she was very young, oh very young, the sister drooped, and came to 1)3 so weak that she could no longer stand in the window at night; and then the child looked sadly out by hin.self, and when he saw the star, turned round and said to the patient pole face on the bed, " I see the star!" and then a smile would come over the face, and a lilile weak voice nsed lo say " God bless my brother and the star." And so the time came on 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, and 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, and when the child went to his solitary bed, he 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 tho people's necks, and kissed them tenderly, and went away with them down avenues oflight, 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 ho knew. The patient fice that once had lain upon the bed was glorified and radiant, but his heart found out his sister among oil the lioat: His sister's angel lingered near the entrance of the star, and said to the leader oinong those who had brought the people thither :

" Is my brother come ? And ho said " No." Slie wns turning hopefully awfty, when the child stretched out his arms and cried, "O, sister lam 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 towards him as lie saw it through his tears. From that hour forth, the child looked out upon tho star as on the Home he was to go to, when his time was come; and ho thought that he did not belong to earth alone, but to the star too, because of his s : ster's angel gone before. There was a baby born to be ft brother to the child ; nnd while he was so little that lie never yet had sjiokcn a word, he stretched his tiny form out on his bed and died. Again tho child dreamed of the opening star and of the company of angels, and the train of people, and the rows of angels with their beaming eyes all turned upon those people's faces. Said his Sister's angel to the leader : " Is my brother conie 1" And he said, " Not that one, but another. As'tlie child beheld his brother's angel in her arms, he cried, "O, sister, I am here ! Tuke me !" And she turned and smiled upon hiiu, and the star was shining. lie grew to be a young nun, and was busy at his hooks, when an old servant camo to him and said,— " Thy mother is no more, I bring her blessing on her darling son," Again nt night ho saw the star, and all the former company. Said his sister's angel to (he leader: " Is my brother come V' And he said, "Thy mother." A mighty cry of joy went forth through all the star, because the mother wasre-united to her two children. And, he stretched out his arms and cried, "O, sister, and brother, I am here! Take me !" And they answered him " Not yet," and the star was shining. He grew to he a man, whose hair was turning grey, and he was sitting in his chair by the fireside, heavy with grief, and with his face bedewed with tears, when the star opened once again. Said bis sister's angel to the leader, " Is my brother coine ?" And he slid, <* Nay, but his maiden daughter."

And the man who had been the child saw I his daughter, newly lost lo him, a celestial I creature onion# those three, and he said '* My ] daughter's head is on my sister's bosom, and; and her arm is round my mother's neck, and at her feet there is the baby o( old time, and I can hear the parting from her, God be praised." And the stir was shining. Thus the child came'to he an old man, nnd his once smooth face was wiinkled, and his steps slow and feeble, and his back was bent. And one night as ho lay upon his bed, his children standing round, he cried as lie had cried so long ago : •' I see the star I' 1 , They whispered one to another, "He is dying !'* And he said, "I nm. My ngc is falling like n garment, and 1 move towards llic star as a child. And O. my Father, now I thank thee tlint it lias so often opened, to receive those dear ones who await me!" And llie star was shining, and it shines upon his grave.