The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-06-04
Tales Of The Sonth.
EY A SOUTHERN NAN.
TIE FORTC NATE DREAM.

" ho c"" eAPi'''i truly Tie philOsopny OF
dreams? The metaphyscans, from Aris.
totlc to Hamilton, have tried their hands at
the problem, and have all, as VIC think, fail.
ed in its solution. They give us specula
ton, theory, conjecture, in abundance, show
ing how, by the laws Of association and sug-
gestion, active even in the somnolent brain,
the phenomenon may lie produced. But
which one OF them all has dropped the
sounding line Of a true analysis into the
depths Of the mystery and drawn up the
truth, so palablc in essence and proof, rs to
command and receive the recognition Of
universal acceptance?
We venture to submit, that true and
satisfactory theory of those airy creations
which people the brain Of the sleeper, is
still dcside.ratum in mental scienc. Some
new Kant or Locke has yet to arise who,
scizing the true clements of the problem, and
conducting the inquiry by the processes Of
higher, metaphysical logic, shall present
the world with the needed surplimcnt to its
love Of the intellect. But until the white
sails Of this perhaps vet unborn Columbus
Of the mind come shining on the intellectn.
al seas, we must he content to accept the
received philosophy ofdreams, dividing them
into two great classes, the normal and the
abnormal-the former including those of
which the known laws Of mind seem to af-
ford satisfactory explanation. and the lat
ter embracing that exceptional class, sucl,
rs monitory and prophetic dreams, of which
no adequate solution has yet been offer
ed.
We're to attempt to chronicle tithe Of
! the dreams Of the latter class which have
collected and jotted down in my common
! place book, the column Of the Home Jour
nal allotted to these tales. would simmer
for months with the haze Of drcam.land.-
Let me select one almost at random, and
transcribc it with some verbal additions
only to the original entry.
Moses negro man belonging 10 rcspcc-
table citizen Of Mobile, was staid, sober
sided gentleman of color, little past middle
age. lie labored faithfully for lis master,
and was rewarded with a large share of his
confidence, and a liberal proportion of his
own earnings. lie was, consequently, never
without pocket change sufficient to make
his frugal purchases and CRAFTY lis simple
! tastes.
One day the scheme ola prize lottery,
published Oh flaming landLills and posted
up at the corners Of the streets, attracted the
attention Of Moses. lie was seized with a
sudden passion TO buy ticket and try his
chance for one Of the prizes. Full Of the
project and of the emotion which it excited
in his breast, a stranger, till now, to the
fever Of speculation, he retired to his bed at
night, more TO ponder over his contempla-
ted, novel Investment Of portion of his SUR
plus cash, than to sleep. Not, indeed, that
he had any contentious scruples as to the
morality Of the purchsc Of lottery ticket;
but lie felt IA sort Of money scruple at the
idea Of a possible loss Of both prize and price
OF a chance. Nature, at length, asserted
her rights, and Moses slept the fcyered
sleep of a troubled brain. In the visions Of
the night he saw unroIlel before him the
identical handbll Which had attracted his
attention during the day. The eye Of his
mind wandered over its column prizes,
and rested, at length, upon one, opposite
to which he saw, distinctly, the number
10000 inscribed upon the margin Of the
bill. The impression was exceedingly vivid
and remained quite distinct in his memory
the next morning, when he awoke. He
went Immediately to the agency office Of
the lottery, and. by permission of his mas
ter and the agent, bought the ticket num-
bered 2,000' in tho scheme.
The day for the drawing came, and it
was found that Moses had become the owner
of prize of ten thousand dollars in cash.
Number $4,000" had qnintupled itself, and
the multiple Of increase was solid gold.-
His master offered him permission to pur-
chse his freedom but he declined to do so .
The money was put at interest in the bands
of a trustee, and Moses, who is yet alive and
living in Mobile, draws from the deposit
whenever he needs funds TO pay for the
annualhire of himself, or to cash the bills
forhis purchases. ..:.a, ill., a...
| Astrange feature in the case is that Moses
buys, every year, a ticket ih some lottery
numbered "2, ,o00' and has never yet failed
to draw aspri5e, generally small in amount
Ebut swelling, one year ito thesum of two
thousand dollars. ~ ''''" .e24
Can all the metaphysicians IN 4Cbristep.
dom explain the mystery Of this dream and
its literal faliImentl Verify, there aye more
Wopders shnt III by The curtain of slocaap