Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-05-22

sleep and we see the host of our departed
/ days summoned to our judgment Events
:, which have long since been forgotten, are
here revived, with all their original fresh.
ness; and here we meet the friends from
whom we are separated by day, and we
wake and love them better for having met
aud exchanged, even thus, the tokens of
f friendship. How often, alas do We gather
from our dreams lessons more impressive
: than all the maxims Of real life-lessous
to which cur wounded pride would not
suffer US to listen, if coming under less
fantastic guise
There are dreams whose sad image leaves
such deep impression upon our mind, as
to haunt Us at every turn BY day; and
there are others, which make US feel hap
py for days aud weeks together. 'Quiet
sleep and pleasant dreams ~ what better
can man wish friend than this ? They
are not granted to every one but come to
those only whose minds are not burdened
with care, whose conscience is not orpress-
cd with guilt.
Dreams, they say, are fabricated of ideas
that have passed through the mind by day;
they are the embodiment of its conceptions,
emotions and passions. The dark forms
of malice, envy, aud revenge, that have
been lurking IN the secret places of the
heart, are in dreams revealed in all their
hidcousness and uudisguiscd determines
while the pure thoughts, the kind wishes,
the noble aspirations that have been cher
ishcd there by day. are displayed in all
their beauty and majesty. What more,
then, can | wish for my best friend, than
that her heart may be SO pure, that all its
secret things when embodied in her sleep
ing thoughts may afford only peace and
pleasure Ii we ourselves would enjoy
this greatest of all luxuries, let us guard
well our mind and heart that Fancy MAY
find there no material from which to weave
its trighrful vi>ions-f0r certain it is, that
dreams DO take their co!oring from our
own daily character and pursuits. The
child who has been all DAY chasing but
terfies, and gathering flowers, and rcvel-
ing in the everchangiDg beauties of the
field and the forests, the winds and the
waves, sees, at night, insects with gaudy
wings, birds Of swceter songs, and flowers
of more dazzling hues, than any he has
found in his rambles The miser who la
bors for an ounce of gold by day, dreams
of mountains of gold by night; and the
philosopher, the statesman, the orator, who
are attempting to reach the summit of
fame, see themselves already seated there,
while all the world do them homage.
Not only do our dreams depend upon
our character, but our character and hap
pincss are in turn dependent upon them:
or, at least, very much influenced by them.
To those disheartcned by the many trials
Of life, and the thousand difficulties to be
overcome in their efforts after excellence,
what glorious refrcshment is found in these
visions of the night The helpless inva-
lid is no longer stretched on the couch of
sickness in dreams he takes up his couch
and walks, nay, runs, he flies, scales impas-
sable muntains, walks fearless along the
brink of precipices, sails over yawning
CULTS and if at last, tired with his trium-
phant travels, he wakes and finds it all a
dream, he thanks God for it even thus,
and with greater patience than before runs
the race that is in reality set before him.
The discouraged student sleeps, and is
conscious of new and enchanting powers.
Thoughts that breathe crowd upon his
enlightened vision, and in "words that
burn" the once stammering speaker now
moulds by his eloqueucc mighty multi
tudc of the beautiful, the learned, the great.
Who would rob him of his dream?
If dreams are spirits whispers, then it is
the fearful foreboding with which the de-
mons of Remorse and Despair fill the soul
of the culpris, that thus distorts his coun-
tenance and dsturbs his sleep with starts
and groans Then, too, when the face of
sleeping innocence is dimpled with smiles,
are kind angels whispering to it of that
happy land where the good Shepherd is
leading his lambs through the green pas
lures and beside the still waters. Nor are
the day dreams of men, worse than useless.
If visions of future usefulness, fame, or
glory were never presented to our mind, i
where would be the incentives necessary g
to lure US in pursuit Of great and noble {
objects? Let, however, the clements Of
,ur visions be real, and then shall we not /
De pursuing phantom, nor grasping at I,
;hadow aud let US remember that when
sc have gained the object of our anticipa- S
lions, we may not expect TO keep them Il
always, nor even long. All the pleasures
# life are broken, imperfect, and transient, y
yet how eagerly we engage in these pur- !,