Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-06
DAILY EVENING STAR.
THE BREAM ANGEL

FROM THE GERMAN OF JEAN PAIL. .s-
Once the bright angel whose DUTY il
was to watch over the happiness of mer
the guardian angel of the world-drew
near the throne of the Heavenly Father
and prayed: - - -
"Give me, o Father, a means by which
| may teach man the way now to avoid
in part, at least, the many sins and tempta
tions which the fall hath entailel upor
him; for man is not always bad. A,
times his heart is ready to receive tn,
good which light external might fix
upon him :"
Then the Father spoke to the angel,
and said:
Give him the dream 7"
The sweet angel flew over the world
with his sister, the Dream.
Far and wide they spread the gentle
influence, and the hearts of life-Weary
mortals were. rejoiced. But the soft
breathings of the Dream Angel fell not
alike on all.
10 the good and gentle who had sunk
TO rest amid the blessings of their loved
ones, and whose slumber was deepened
by the toll of good deeds which they had
done, there came soft and silent gliinpses
OF the far-offland of light.
Forgetting the narrow prison of the
world, their souls rose up, and spread
broad and wide over the land of visions
and gazed with eagle eyes upon the gold.
en- giories. But as the night waned.
their dreams grew dim, and the outer in.
fuence of the soul gently closed upon
Them even as the corolIa of the night
flower closes about it, and shuts from its
gaze its best loved starry heaven.
10 the toll-wOrn and sun-burnt bus.
oandman, who hasfallen asleep in despair.
an who ever feared lest some grim acci.
dent might destroy the fruit of his labors
the sweet dream came like soft summer
shower upon the parched and dusty
fields; and as he dreamed, he saw the
green corn rising in goodly ranks. and
gazed with joy Epou the small, soft ears
which, at first no larger than flower.
buds, seemed, as he beheld them, to ex.
pand to ri pc maturity.
There are certain dream phantasies.
and strange sleep changes, that are to be
found only in the deep, unbroken slum.
Der which results from extreme bodily
fatigue, or in the light, irregular rest Of
q fever-even as the grotesoue blue
dragon-fy and the strange water.fitter
are found only ON the surface of the deem
silent pool, or the shallow brook. And
as the husbandmen slept on, the fantastic
spirits who attended the dream fitted
about him, and spread gay confusion
over the happy vision for, as he gazed
upon the golden years, a purple and
scarlet cloud seeming to overshadow him.
while round about he heard the pealino
OF bells, the ringing of familiar voices.
and the lowing of cattle and in the inter.
walls there came the shouts as of clad
friends at the harvest home. Then the
purple cloud gathered again about him :
out the dream-spirits, with their long.
shadowy arms, drew him through it. and
ne now stood before well filled granary.
aad the tears of joy ran down his cheeks.
His wife and loved ones gathered about
hlm, and their blessings and praises sank
mo his heart, and mingled with the
hymn, which rose like a golden cloud
from the ocean of his soul. And he
awoke from the sweet dream and blessed
1t for the hope it had inspired him with.
But the dream flew on to a guilty pris-
oner, who had fallen asleep cursing his
judges, his doom, and the black, damp
letters which clung like cold adders to
his limbs; and as he dreamed, the prison
was opened, the cold chains fell away.
and remorse and rage no longer fixed
their poison fangs upon his heart. A
bright light shone upon him, and blessed
thoughts OF mercy, repentance, and rec
fitted through his mind, like
golden-winged butterflies through sum-
mer garden: and he awoke trusting in
release, with his heart filled with love
and kindness. Did the cold, damp fet
ters fall from his limbs! Were the
prison doors opened The fetters fell
not away, the prison door remained fast:
and, worn down by famine and sickness,
he perished alone in the narrow dungeon. |
But the blessed hope which the gentle
dream had left in his heart gladdened his
ast hour, and as he died, exclainin,.
Not my will, but Thine, Oh Father 2
benold there was joy in heaven
1t has been said that hope alone is left
with mortalS-but with her abdeth her
sister, the Dream who maketh her known
to us; for by dreams men are led to hope: |
and by Hope shall be saved.