The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-18 00:00:00

A DREAM.

The following is, we believe, an old story,
but it has recently appeared in a Country Jour-
nal :

" We give the following extraordinary story as we received
it, only premising that the principal actor in the narra-
tive is said to be a Gentleman now resident at Fulham.—
Mr. Thornton was one night extremely agitated by a dream.
It appeared to him that he saw the gardener of his fa-
mily in the act of murdering his cook-maid. He awoke,
but endeavouring to dismiss the vision from his remem-
brance, attempted to compose himself to sleep. His eyes
were scarcely closed, when again the same dreadful picture
presented itself to his imagination. Alarmed by the ex-
traordinary, the distinct, and the repeated intimation, he
rapidly arose, and taking his night lamp in his hand, de-
, parted from his room, and descended from the stairs, with
an intention of proceeding to the spot in which the circum-
stances of the dream had appeared to him as occurring.__
The hour was about four o'clock. The morning was clear,
moonlight, and frosty. The reader will conceive what his
surprise must have been, when, on entering the kitchen,
on his way to the garden by the nearest avenue, he perceived
the cook dressed in white, putting on her bonnet and cloak, as
if preparing for a journey. To his inquiries respecting her pre-
sence at such an unaccustomed hour,and in such extraordinary at-
tire,she replied, that she was on the point of being married to the
gardener,—that they were going to a neighbouring village for that
purpose,—and that Mark was waiting for her, at the end of the
garden, with a horse and taxed-cart to convey her to church. Mr.
Thornton told her that he, of course, could have no objection to
their marriage, though he remonstrated against the secrecy of
the proceeding, and desired her to wait a few moments till his
return, as he was desirous of speaking to Mark previously to
their setting off. Her master did not delay a moment in hasten-
ing to the garden : his mind much misdoubted the good inten-
tions of the paramour, and he was not a little struck with the co-
incidence of his dream, and the preparation s that he had Witnessed.
He first went to the bottom of the garden—to the spot mentioned
by the maid-servant, as the place in Which Mark was waiting
for her coming. All was still. There was no Mark ; no
horse ; no chaise. He then proceeded to the place marked
out to him by the vision. Here he was destined to behold an
object of a very doubtful character. Working with an inde-
fatigable and hurried hand, and with his back turned towards
him, Mr. Thornton perceived a man digging in a pit. As he
stood at his labour in the pit, it appeared to be about three feet
and a half deep—it was about as many in width, and about six
feet in length ; it had all the character of a grave. Mr. Thorn-
ton approached silently, and laid his hand with a sudden grasp
on the man's shoulder.—Mark turned his eyes upon his master,
shuddered and fainted.—Were the indications of that dream the
suggestions of a lying spirit ?"

THE SWALLOW.—AImost every newspaper in
England has noticed the early departure of this
interesting wanderer, by observing that in the
middle of last month they were congregat-
ing in the way which is usual, late in Sep-
tember, or in October; few, however, have in-
quired into the cause of this early emigration.—
We have heard it ascribed to a scarcity of insect
food, occasioned by the heavy rains of July, and
the frequent thunder-storms, which are well-
known to be principal causes of the mortality
of insects; but we are rather of opinion, that
their flight prognosticates that a severe and early
winter %vitt set in ; and we see no reason why
the instinctive foresight of the swallows should
not.lead then, to determine the best time for their
departure, as well as teach them the quarter of
the globe to go to. We are confirmed in this
conjecture by the report of our sporting friends,
who tell us that there is this year an unusual
quantity of berries and other hedge fruits.

Mr. BURROUGHS'S benefit on Monday night
yielded 4001., the greatest house ever known at
the Surrey Theatre. The box-lobbies, and all
the various avenues, were crowded to excess.—
No slight proof of the estimation of the actor and
the worth of the man.