The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-12-26
A WoNDERFUL STORY.


The following wonderful story appear.
ed several years ago from the pen Of an
unknown author. sl boa tsss ssa
The other morning at the breakfast
table, our friend, the Hon. John @. Cal
houn, seemed very much troubled and
out of spirits. You know ne. is alto
gether venerable man, with q hard,
stern, Scotch-Irish face, softened in its
expression around the mouth by q sort
of sad smile which wins the hearts of all
who converse with him. His hair is
snow white. He is tall, thin and angu-
lar He.reminds you very much Of Old
Hickory. That he is honest no one
doubts; he has sacrificed to his fatalism
hiss brightest hopes of political advance
ment has offered up on the shrine of
that necessity which he worships allthat
can excite ambition, even the Presiden-
cy of the United States. 3sq = -
But to my story The other morning
at the breakfast table, where an unob-
served spectator, happened to be present,
Calhoun was observed to gaze frequently
at his right hand, and brush it With his
left in hurried and nervous manner
He did this SO often that it excited at
tention. At length one Of the persons
composing the breakfast party-his name
1 think is Toombs, and he is member
of Congress from Georgia-took upon
himself to ask the occasion of Mr.. CAL
houn's disquietude.
Does your band pain you ?" he ask
ed of Mr.. C.
To this Mr. Calhoun replied. in rath
er a furried manner:
Pshawl It tisnothing! Only dream
I had last night, and which makes me
see perpetually large black spot-like
an ink-blotch--upon the back of my
hand. An optical illusion, / suppose"
Of course these words excited the GU
riosity of the company, but no one ven-
tured to beg the details of this singular
dream, until Toombs asked quietly
/" What was your dream like? I'm
not very superstitious about dreams;
but sometimes they have a great deal of
truth in them. - e.k4-, -.i.s
/" But this was such q peculiarly alb
surd dream said Mr.. Calhoun, again
brushing the back of his hand howey-
er, if it does not intrude too much on our
friends, I will relate it to you"
OF course the company were profuse
in their expressions of anxiety to know
all about the dream. In his singular
sweet voice, Mr. Calhoun related it:
EAT late hour last night, as was
sitting in my room engaged in writing,
I was astonished by the entrance of a
visitor, who entered and without a word
took seat opposite me at my table.
This surprised me, as I had given partic-
ular orders to the servant that should
on no account be disturbed. The man
ner in which the intruder entered SO
perfectly self-possessed, taking his seat
opposite me, without word, as though
my room and all within it belonged to
him, excited in me as much surprise as
Indignation. As I raised my head to
look into his features, over the top of
my shaded lamp, I discovered that he
was wrapped in a thin cloak, which eff
fectuaHy concealed his face and features
from my view. And as 1 raised my
head he spoke. ,.~sat.5 es5 s. -
a.What are you writing, Senator from
South Carolina p s. ss @
81 did not think of his impertineucs
at first, but answered him Voluntarily
"tI am writing plan for the disso-
luton of the American Union : (you
know, gentlemen, that I am expected to
produce a pan of dissolution, in the
event of certsin contingencies. =