The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-07-11

selves with unusual facility.
We were acquainted with young lady
accustomed 10 sit upin bed and recite
poetry in her sleep, whose mother assured
US that she sometimes took cognizance
of circumstances which she could not in
any way account for. On one occasion
they had been TO ball; and after the
daughter was in bed and asleep, her
mother went quietly into her room, and
taking away her dress and gloves deposi-
ted them in another room. Presen,ly,as
usual, the fair somnambule began talk
ing in her sleep; her mother, as usual,
conversed with her; and at length
asked "But what have you done with your
new ball dress?" Why, you know" re-
piled she, "you have laid it ON the couch
in the drawing-room." eyes," conlin-
ued the mother, "bu, your gloves-what
have you done with themf' "You know
well enough" she answered, in an angry
tone, "you have locked them up in your
jewel box" Both answers were correct
and it may be here observed that SOM
nambulists, if equivocated with in con-
versation, or in any way played upon,
will express themselves annoyed, and be-
tray angry feelings. The truthfulness
ofsleep talking may, we appreheud, al
ways be relied on. In this state there is
no attempt at evasion; no ingenuity ex-
ercised to disguise anything. The mas
ter.mind Of Shakspeare-which seems to
have OWNED the secrets of Nature, and
illustrated scientific principles before they
were discovered by philosophers-recog-
nized this fact, in making Iago thus rouse
the jealousy'of Othello:-
:.There are a kind of men SO loose ofsoul
That in their sleep will mu,ter their affairs;-
One of this kind is Cassie.
In sleep heard him say, sweet Desdamona,
Let us be wary."'
Hitherto OIhello had borne up manfully
against the cruel insinuaiion of Iago-but
this sleep.revelation "denoted a foregone
conclusion" and carried with it irresisti.
bic conviction. Upon the same principle,
Lord Byron founded The story Of "Paris-
ina" Not long ago robbery was com.
mitted in Scotland, which was discovered
by one of the guilty parties being over
heard muttering some facts connected
with it in his sleep. Mental anxiety will,
almost at any age, give rise 10 sloep talk
ing. The ideas ofchildren during sleep
are often very vivid; nor is there anything
more common than to hear them utter
EXPLANATIONS Of distress, connected, par
ticularly, with any fears that may unwise.
ly, have been impressed on the waking
mind. The case Of little girl came
lately under our notice, who exhibited the
most alarming symptoms during sleep;
sobbing and imploring help, under the
that she was pursued by an
evil spirit: in consequence of foolish,
fanatical person having frightened her
with threats of this description, while the
child before going 10 bed, was saying her
prayers. Very much convulsed inwardly,
she was with difficulty awakened, and for
afterwards remained in state
of agitation bordering on delirum. As
suredly parents cannot be loo careful in
endcavoring to make very young child
rem 60 10 bed with composed and happy
minds, otherwise they know not what
hideous phantom may draw aside the
curtain Of their sleep; and, by terrifying
the Imagination, produce fits that may be
incurable in after life. We believe it
quite possible that epilepsy, ITSELF may be
so produced.
In schools sleep talking is very common:
anxious pupils, in their sleep, will fre.
quently repeat lesson they cannot rem
em5er when awake.
The son Of the eminent linguist and
commentator, DR. Adam Clarke, tells US,
that his father overheard him, in his sleep
repeat Greek verb which he was endea-
voring 10 learn, and which the following
morning he was unable to remember This
is a curious fact-he knew his lesson in
his sleep, but did not when he was awake,
the faculty of memory, however, in a
state Of somnambulism undergoes many
singular notifications. Thus, persons
who talk in their sleep, may, by conver-
saiion, be brought 10 remember dream
within dream; ;andit is very common,
in the higher stages Of sonnambulism,
for person 10 recollect what happened
in the preceding fit, and be unconscious
of any interval having elapsed between
them. A somnambulist, at Berlin, in
one of her paroxysms, wandering in her
sleep. was guilty Of an indiscretion which
she had no recollection of in her waking
hours; but, when she became somnambu-
ic, she communicated all the circumstan-
cesto her mother. During the next con-
valescent interval, they again escaped
her memory. The case related, by Tre-
viranus, ofa young student who when he
fell asleep began to repeat aloud con-
tinuous and connected dream, which be.
gan each night precisely where it left off
the preceding night. This reminds us
Of the story Of the drunken Porter, who
in fit of in,oxication left parcel at a
wrong house; when he became sober he
could not recollect where he had LEFT it,
but the next time he got drunk he rem
embered the house, and called and re-