Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-10-16
A Fearful Dream.

SoME ninety years ago, there flourlshed in
Glasgow, Scotland, a club ofyoung men which
from the extreme profigacy of its members and
The lcentiousness Of their orgies. was com
monty called the He'll Club. Besides their
! nightly or weekly meetings, they held one
grand ANIMAL saturnala, in which each tried to
excel the other in drunkenness and blasphe.
my; and on these occasions there no star
amongst them whose lurid light was more con.
spicuous than that of young Mr. Archibald 3d.,
who, endowed with brilliant talents and hand.
some person held out great promise in his boy
hood, and raised hopes which had been COM
pletely frustruted by his subsequent reckless
dissipaiions.
One morning, after returning from this an :
nual festival, Mr.. Archibald b. having retired
to bed, dreamed the following dream:
He fancied that he himself was mounted on
a favorite black horse, that he always rode,
and that he was proceeding toward his own
house--then a country seat embowered by
trees, and situated upon hill, now entirely
built over, and forming part of the city-when
q stranger, whom the darkness Uf the night
prevented his distinctly discerning, suddenly
seized his horses rein, saying, "you must 60
with nell
"And who are you" exclaimed the young
man with volley Of oaths, whilst he strug ggled
to free himself.
"Ttat you will see by and BY" returned
| the other, in tone that excited unaccounta-
BILE terror in the youth, who, plunging his
| spurs into his horse, attempted to fly, but in
vain. However fast the animal flew, the
stranger was still beside him, till at length, in
his desperate efforts 10 escape, the rider was
thrown: but, instead Of heing dashed to earth,
/ as he expected, he found himself fal alling-fall-
| ing-falling IT'LL, as if sinking into the bowels
of the earth.
At length, period being put to this myste-
rious descent, he found breath TO inquire of his
companion, who was still beside him, whether
they were going. "Where am II Where are
you taking meP' he exclaimed.
tTo hellp' replied the stranger, and imme-
diately interminable echoes repeated the fear
full sound, "T'o hell! to hell! to hellp' ~
At length light appeared, which soon in.
creased to blaze; but instead Of the cries
and groaus, and lamentings, as the terrified
traveller expected, nothing met his ear, but
sounds of music, mirth and jollity; and he
found himself at the entrance Of superb bull
ding, far exceeding any he had seen construc
ted by human hands. Within, too, what {
scene! No amusement, employment or pur
SUIT of man on earth, but was here being car
ried on with vehemence that excited his un
utterable amazement. "There the young ant
lovely still swarm through the mazes of tn
giddy danceI There the painting steed still
bore his brutal rider through. the excitement
of the goaded race There, over the md
night bowl, the Incorporate still drawled gu
The wanton song or maudlin blasphemyl Tht
gambler piled for eve. his endless game, an
: the slaves Of Mannmon toiled through eternit
their bitter task; whilst all the magn ifcence Q
earth paled before that which now met hi
! view.' i# ssf NJ
He soon perceived that he was amongst OIL
/. acquaintances, whom he knew to be dead; n
a each, he observed, was pursuing the objec
: him: when, finding himself relieved Of tn
Q presence Of his unwelcome conductor, he yer
0 tured to address his former friend Mrs. D.
!. whom he saw sitting, a. had been her wont