Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-02-12
VOL. XII.
For the Delaware Gazette
AN EXCURSION IN DREAMLAND.


Mr.. EDITOR a genuine speci-
men of dream, not the most ludicrous. nor
the most grave, but :" unique of its kind, -
and perhaps it would do less harm to the
light reader, than some of the reeking fic-
tons in circulation.
was in the ancient citadel of some city
of eastern Germany or Prussia, nexr the
boundaries of Russia. Memory begins at
the door of rhassy and gloomy vault, deep
in the center of the castle, and (strange)
very like the hall and door of certain
basement recitation-room | wot of, where
poor Freshmen resort to be tortured over
Latin, for three-fourths of an hour, daily.
Grim and dusty soldiers were hurrying up
from this room to the battlements above,
with cannon, powder kegs, and shot; for
the tower had been long dismantled.
| asked them " what's upl'' but got an
evasiVe answer. | followed them to the
Top, and then saw that the whole city was
astir, and martial professions thronged the
streets. The town was in the first fury of
insurrection. The tremendous power of
Russia had slowly, like creeping avalanche,
borne down upon her western neighbors,
until she had crushed in her resistless
course, their nation alties and name, to
about midway from her present bounds to
the Rhine and Napoleon's suggestive
prophecy, +" Europe must become Republican
or Cossack," came forcibly to my mind.
But the people, still longing for freedom,
were in arms, and a general ferment was
deeply at work along the whole frontier.
Soon the soldiers began to load the "war-
dogs" with grape, and to plough the masses
below, (who fred not shot in return,) as
coolly as if il were target exercise. But
just at this moment, up came the mighty
emperor and autocrat of all the Russias,
dressed ike respectable American gentle
man; tall, stalwart, and imposing ; with
massy head and brow, short hair, and fero-
cious moustache, shining with bears grease
He gave few brief orders, and soon him
self, his empress, and | were in room to-
gether, inside, opening upon the ba,t!ements,
which much rescmbled the external CALLER
les of our college buildings. The room
was fac simile of third or fourth rate
garret, such we poor students are often
obliged to occupy; few wooden chairs,
and semi-tables, no carpet, floor dirty. rick
ETY. and rusty stove, bad wash-stand, boots,
books, aud manuscripts in the corners, dirty
and ragged coats, ETC., on the walls, low,
hard, slonched bed, sickly light through one
window, and fifty cents each, per Week, for
t;co, tcithout eatras Soon his imperial
majesty of the moustache aud myself were
lounging la Yankee student, upon the edge
of the bed, aud engaged in earnest CONVEX
sation; while at our door the thunder of
| artillery shook the cruInbling old pile, and
cries of the mangled but uRyieiding multi
tudes came up from below.
Alexander was !" free and easy,a a-clfatty,
and penetrable. He seemed about twenty
seven, full OF nobleness and strength OF
soul, with tender freshness of feeling that
surprised me. | sat with one leg over his,
whiting nice piece of "clean stuff pine
shingle, with my inevitable jack-knife. We
talked of his government and its policy, its
effect on its subjects, aud brought up his
despotism and American freedom in COM
parlson, but redeemed to the ears as
thought of our dear peculiar institution -
and of Kansas and Nicaragua. But know
ing me Yankee, of the Puritan stripe, lie
very kindly did not mention these.
| often urged him to stop the slaughter OF
he did not heed. warmed with my theme,
and talked fervidly Of the charms OF human
freedom, the majesty of human rights, the
irrefragibility OF mans natural, God given
liberty, and the unmeasrred blessings o.
liberal and popular government, based or
and permeated by the pure and invgoratins
sentiments of the Christian religion. The
amiaJle Bear sensibly softened under the
heat of my glow, and his young and Lowell,
empress, quite subdued and won, came aut
recfined on the front of the bed, joining he
plea and melting looks with mine, where
upon Alexander and myself drew back t.
the back side of the bed, and sat up, cross
legged, facing each other, a la Turgue, ou
, heads just clearing the sioping ceiling unde
the roof, while | took his right hand in boil
oi mine, and reasoned, wrestled, and plea,
with him, as an act more sublime and glori
GUS in magnanimous benevolence than NOR
tai had ever performed, to abdicate hi
throne, declare his people free, turn advocat
OF free principles, place himself at the hea
of an enlightened and liberal policy, an
i assist in establishing over one-fourth of tn
earth's surface vast, and liberal, tree, rep
resentative government by the people.
The emperor was soitening, visibly, unde
: our blended power, when suddenly
was down on the plain, in the suburbs
the city, in the rear of a company of SO
diers who were firing upon the city and pee
pie, but with little seeming zest or relis
for the work Beside me stood my fathe
: (dead nearly year,) with the benignar
! and cordial reality of life. We stood on
| @,l Z@bo
II carnage, talking of that, and of the dear o
e tunes departed, as we talked when he WI
: with US; and of his present employment
/ (for he seemed yetin G-.) The road fro
i the " corners,'' south into the woods
= where lay our first farm in Ohio, led c
u southwark from where we stood, part
which road. formerly lying through swa
- and very muddy. he told me he had just hi
e paved with brick, preparatory to haulil
l. over it the brick for q large and splend
y mansion which he was about to erect,
v the very site where, when we lived in t
y i" "cabin," the "neD house. was to be built.
The mansion was to be in blending
% Gothic and Oriental style, with mingl
i, gables, arches, verandahs, and minare
III embowered in trees and vines, flowers a
u exotics; and the grounds to vie in volupi
's Gus msgnifcence with the palmy groves
!" dreamy Ispahan; the whole modelled aft
he rny own ideal.
y But so soon as l told my father of I
- conversation with the emperor, he advised
+" to leave himself, and at once return TO I
- castle and press my cuuse; at the same ii:
. wishing me the largest success in my vi
- and noble enterprise.
Upon this | was Immediately sitting
US the bed with Alexander as before, no sen
he BILE time having interviewed, the conversati