The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-04-18

Longley was gularl sdons brown, q
and retired in q rage. w Whether he eY-
er got the Eve dollars or not we cannot
take upon ourselv to say; put NE are
inclined to think that after his second
discontinue, The called it square, and
gave up the idea Of collecting that,
ssmall bill of his.
THEsLAND 4 8OF DREAMS @
"AeNEs,' e said Willy 81 cts taketa
walk into the land of dreams, and re-,
port to the Club Of Merry Iaughers,' :,
Goodp cried the surgeon; s los Ag-
gy, do; I II tie your bonnet;',and so!oR
We went. We sailed down the Stream
Of Comfort, in a Temperance steamer,i
till gentle Sleep metus and pointed out
the Land of Dreams. The stream
carried us hard down to an open gate,
over which was written, S dmittanceI
free from 6P. M. to s a. 2 Twas
not a little amazed that this gate stood
entirely unprote ected--not even an old
porter stood guard at IL! But Sleep
said $50 few entered by it, and thoye
were of 30 gentle and kind disposition,.
that no disturbance ever occurred from
leaving it open. This Comfort gate, :, !,
said she, s'though it, was built so long,
ago as when Paradise was incorpo
and was the very gate at which Eve
entered the land Of dreams, is known to
but very few, Many. attempt an en-
trance, but, they come ISOLATE in the,
morning that they are obliged to get in,
some other way, ;forswe seldom leave it
open after sunrise except for babes, and
for adults when the morning is stormy,
Here we were introd to two cher
ubins with wings chat rustled like the,
hum Of bees. II is their Office to close,
the eyes ofWeary babes, and the labo.
rers, whose sleep is sweet; and now they.
were, be our guides to- show us the.
curiosities Of the place. Passing through
the outer court, they. said they would
show us tho different gates Of the land;
and first they took US to the gate Of
REyERY, that was open so long as the
sun shone, with side gates, at which one
might creep in at midnight il. he chose.
A crowd Of novel.readers were pouring
in here, with fixed eyes and contracted
brows. There were great many
"young men of promise, With albums
and gold.headed pencils in their hands,
and with faces looking upwards as if
rapt in inspiration. There was o long
band in the slouch,cap and loose gown
uniform Of the student, who walked this
way because they thought it was the
path Of Genius. 53, ~.
The next that We visited was Fever
gate. It was crowded with haggard
men, having flushed faces and wildly
rolling eyes. It led to tho fayouritc
depot of the god Of dreams, aud he was
accustomed to send out BY il his choi.
cest packages. Next we passed by
Opium gate, though which two paths
run. The more elevated one (ond by
this all were permitted to walk for q
season)wa fragrant as the bridge by
which Xerxes crossed the Hellespont.
It was strewed with myrtles, and roses
without thorn, and the aroma Of flow
ers ioated around on every side. It
was melancholy all this while to know,
that whose walked this sunny path was
doomed, after q. little glimmering Of
stMs, and whirling Of sphers, to travel
YEARLY in the outer path, where every
thing was SC. different. Some etimes it
was narrow as the corridor Of q pyra-
mid, and it seemed to be covered with
the smile Of the Nile; and the storm
continually rushed through, tearing off
limb after limb from the painting trag7'
ellers. Furious beasts met them threat
,ning instant death, but they left them
to live on, carrying death in their hands
and never permitted to die.
Next was the gate of Drunkenness,
the entrance of which was by a steep
descent Of steps. At the head Of the
descent were innumerable filthy dram
shops, though which they cra8led be.
fore they we're allowed to 60 down,
Some walked down most effectingiy
amiable, and most s.gloriously drunk. z
some sneaked down with their fingers
in their mouths, as if they were watch.
ed; some staggered down with Whoop
and yell awfally blue and patriotic, as
the personfed essence of the 4th Of Jn.
| ly. Some rolled numbering down; some
slipped down; and some we're kicked
down by the respectable factors at the
head of the way. There they oil lay
sputtering, snoring, and swearing, till
the keeper of the gatescam out, and,