The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-08-06
A FEARFUL DREAM.

"'o Coiituoiiy Cilltcu tiie llcll CiuD. de-
sides their nightly or weekly meetings, they
held one grand annual saturnalia, in which
each tried 10 excel the other in drunkenness
and blasphemy; and on these occasions
thero was no star among them whose Iurid
light was more conspicuous than that of
Mr.. Archibald D., who, endowed
with brilliant talents and handsome per-
son, held out great promise in his boyhood,
and raised hopes which had been complete
ly frustrated by his subsequent! reckless dis
sipations.
Ono morning after returning from this
annual festival, Mr.. Archibald B. having
retired TO bed, dreamed tho following
dream:
lie C,ncicl that he himself was mounted
on favoritc black horse that lie always
rode, AMI that llc was proceeding OH to-
wards his own housc-thcn 4 country seat,
cmLowercd 10y trees, and situated upon Il
hill, now entirely built over, and for,nins
part Of the city-when stranger, whom
the darkness Of the night prevented his dis
corning, suddenly seized his horses rein,
saying, you must go with unev
'And who arc you" exclaimed the
young man with volley Of oatlls. whilst
llc struggled to free himself.
"That you will sec by and by, returned
the otl1er, in Il tone that excited unaccoun-
table terror i'll the youth, who, plungins l,s
spurs into his horse, attempted to fly, but
i'll vain. However fast the animal flew, the
stranger was still beside him till at length,
in Lis desperate efforts to escape, tho rider
was thrown, but, instead of being dashed
to the ground, as he expected, he found
himself falling, falling still, rs if sinking in.
TO the bowels OF the earth.
At length period being put to this
mysterious descent, he found breath to in
quire Of lis companion, who was stillbesidc
him, whittier they were going. sWlcrc
am L? Where arc you taking me :? hc cx-
claimed
eTo hcll!' replied the stranger; and i'm.
mcdiatcly nterminablc ccllos rcpcared the
fearful sound, TO hell to hell to hell!
AT length light appeared which soon
increased to a blaze; but, instead of tho
cries, and groans and lanentings the terri
fled traveller expected, nothing met his car
but sounds of music, mirth and jolity; he
found himself at the entrance of q superb
building, fur exceeding any he had seen con-
structcd Ly human hands. Within, too,
what scene! No amusement, employ
mcnt or pursuit Of man on earth, but what
was here being carried on with vehemcnco
that excited his utter amazement. sTbere
the young and lovely still swarm through
the mazcs Of the giddy dance! There the
painting stccd still bore his brutal rider
through tho excitement of the goadcd race
There, over tho midnight bowl, tho intem-
peratc still drawlcd out the wanton song of
blasphemy! The gambler piled forever
his endless game, and the slaves of Mann
mon toilcd through eternity their bitter
task F.; whilc all tho magnifsence Of earth
palled before that which nov met his view.
lie soon perceived that lie was among
old acquaintance, whom he knew to be
dead, and each, lie observed, was pursuing
the object, whatever it was, that had form
erly engorsscd him, when finding himself
relieved Of the presence Of his unwelcome
conduetor, lie ventured to address his for,
mer friend, Mrs. d., whom he SAN
rs had been her want on Garth, absorbed l..
loo-rcquesting her to rest from the game,
and introduced him TO tho pleasures of the,
place which Appeared to him 10 be very nrifsss
like what he had expected, and indeed an
extremely agreeable one. But with what
a cry of agony, 30 answered, that there
was no rest in hell; that they must ever
toll on at those very pleasures; and innu-
mcrable voices echoed through the interim,
naLle vaults, there is no rest in help wbio
throwing opentheir vests, zach disclosed in
his bosom an over-burnng namo! These,
theyssaid, were the pleasures Of hell; their
choice on earth was now their inevitable
doom In tho midst of tho horror, this
scene inspired, his conductor returned, and
at :his earnest entreaty, restored him to
earth; but as hc quilted him, ho said, "Rc-
member! in ayear and 2 day we meet
again"
at This crisis Of his dream, the sleeper
awoke, fevcrisll and i'll; and whether from,
the effect t'of the dream or of his preceding
orgies, he was so unwell as TO be obliged to
keep his bed for several days ;sdiiriug
which period he had'timo fof many serious
reflections, which terminated in a resolution
baitasn the club and hisIicentlous COM
iohs altogether. -: -
NAese sooner wen, However, than.
:tlsoy around him, bent on recoyore
ing So valuable amembef6f their society;
and having wrung from him q confession 81