Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-04-29
Anecdote of a sleep walker.

During the ReVOlntlOnary war tneIe was
gentleman of large property residingln Brooklyn
who was addicted to the habit OF walking in
his sleep. Panic-struck at the invasion OF the
enemy he daily expected that his dwelling
would be ransacked and pillaged. Under the
influence of these fears, he rose one night, and
taking strong box, which when awake he new
er attempted to lift without assistance, he pro-
ceeded down stairs, furnished himself with a
lantern and spade, and in deep wooded glen
about quarter of a mile from his house he bu-
red his treasure, carefully replacing the sods so
as to create no suspicion OF their having been
removed This done, he returned, undressed,
and went to bed. Next morning he was first to
discover the loss of the strong box without hav-
ing the slightest remembrance OF what had pass
ed. Enraged at his loss, he Immediately &C.
cused his domestics of robbery, as no traces of
violence were perceptible on either the locks or
doors of his house that could induce him to sus-
pect strangers. Month after month elapsed, and
still the mystery was not solved, and his family
began to want the necessaries OF life without
having the means of procuring them.
At that period to public calamity, no money
could be raised on real estate, and it was at that
season of the year when agricultural labor had
ceased, which left him no means of earning q
support for his family. To augment his misery,
his only son lay confined with violent fever,
without any one OF those comforts which his
situation demanded. The despairiDg father was
strongly affected by this melancholy view OF
the future; hisrest became more frequently bro
ken, and he would often wander from room to
room all night with hurried and unequal steps,
as if pursued by an enemy. His wife and daug-
ter who were accustomed to these nightly wan
i otto, ,tal to 1isfti
they were fearful some accident might betall
him in this case it was necessary to employ
the most violent means to awake him, upon
which he would exhibit so much fear and dis
tress that they usually suffered him to recover
from the trance, which was succeeded by droW-
siness, after which he would sink into light
and natural sleep, which generally continued for
several hours.
One night as his daughter was watching at
the couch of her sick brother, she heard her
father descend the stairs with a quick step, and
Immediately followed him. She perceived that
he had dressed himself and was lighting lam
tern at the hearth, after which he unbolted the
door and looked out; he then returned to the
kitchen and taking the lantern and the spade he
left the house. Alarmed at the circumstance
which was unusual, though it sometimes oc-
Cured, as above related, without the knowledge
of his family-she hastily threw on cloak and
followed him to the wood, trembling with ap-
prehension of she knew not what, both for her.
self and her father.
Having gained the place where he had three
months since buried the box, he set down the
lantern so as to reflect strongly upon the spot;
he then removed the sods, and striking the spade
against its iron cover, he laughed wildly and
exclaimed: 'sMy treasure is safe and we shall
be happy" And shouldering his heavy burden
with the strength of Hercules, he stopped not,
as before, to replace the sods or the earth, but
snatching up the lantern pursued his way home
to the great Joy OF his daughter who could
scarcely support herself from the fears she had
experienced, which were that he was about to
DIG his own grave and commit suicide, or mur-
der some of his own defenceess family. lneX-
pressible therefore was her JOY on seeing him
ascend the stairs and place the box in the for
mer recess after which, rs usual, lie retired to
rest. His wife and daughter, however,were too
anxious to sleep themselves; the one sat patient
ly watching the dawn of day, and the other re-
turned to the apartment of her suffering broth
er, to relieve his mind by the joyful event, and
her consequent hopes of speedy recovery.
When the gentleman arose in the morning,
his wife observed the usual gloom upon his coun-
tenance as he asked about the health OF MS son
and expressed sorrow at not being able to pro-
cure these comforts for his family which were
so much needed Finding him perfectly nncon-
scious of what had passed the preceding night,
she watched the effect which the restoration OF
the box would have upon his mind; and as she
expected, with an astonishment amounting to
frenzy almost he exclaimed: "Who has done
this whence came the boXi'
Not until he had listened to his daughter could
he be convinced of the possibility of his per-
forming such an act while asleep. Suffice it to
say, that now health, peace and competence
were once more restored to his dwelling, and
the result of this blessing had sautary effectup-
on his mind and although he still continued his
midnight excursions, yet his friends were graf
ifieG to find them less frequent than formerly,
and his future dreams also, to judge by appear
ances, seemed to partake of the mild, serene
character of his thoughts