The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-02-19
While still gazed at the rocks above
me, the lips of an unseen being were
pressed to mine. / felt warm kiss.

While still gazed at the rocks above
me, the lips of an unseen being were
pressed to mine. felt q warm kiss.
NEW WORLD.
THAT kiss brought me back to earth.
/ thought my eyes were open, but l
found that they were shut; for heard
light footsteps around me, and yet saw
no one in the cave.
There came soft breath upon my
cheek, and two sweet lips once more
touched mine. The feeling Of life again
returned to my outward senses. /
heard the whispering Of my children's
voices. Dream and reality were ming
led confusedly together but they soon
began to be parted the one from the
other more distinctly, until l came full
ly to, myself, & perceived clearly what
was round me. | became aware that l
was lying in stiff, uncomfortable pos
ture. 1t seemed to me as If were on
the sofa in my summer-house. / open
ed my eyes, and my Fanny hung over
me. It was her kisses that had awak-
ened me. Our children clappCd their
hands for JOY when they saw me awak-
ening, and clambered up on the sofa
upon me, crying one after the other,
Papa! papa! good-moruing w-And
my dear little wife locked me in her
arms, and with eyes filled with tears,
child me for having slept all night in
the cold summer-house had not Chris
topher, our man-servant, come back but
a quarter Of an hour before from the
post-house, and told the maids in the
kitchen of my arrival, not a soul would
have known that had come.
But the heavy Walpurgis dream had
affected me to such degree, that lay
still for some time, not venturing to
trust my eyes or my ears. l looked
around for the fantastic cave in the des-
ert, but still was in the summer-house.
There lay still the drums, whips, and
playthings on the floor. Upon the Ia
BILE still stood Fanny's work basket
all just as l had found it when / had
chosen my nights lodging there.
"And Christopher has just returned
ed from the post-house?" asked l. "Has
he slept there all night?"
"To be sure, you strange creature :"
said Fanny and patted my cheek. "He
says, too. that you yourself told him to
do so.-Why have you passed the night
on this sofa,which is as hard as a rock ?
Why did you not rout us out of our
beds How gladly would we all have
been prepared for your reception !"
l started with delight. "You have
slept, then, safely and quietly all
night 2" asked l.
"Only too soundly," said Fanny.
"Could 1 have guessed that you were
here in the summer-house, there would
have been an end of all sleep. l would
have slipped to you like ghost. Do
you know, too, that it is Walpurgis-
night, in which the witches and hob
goblins play their tricks?"
81 know it only too well ~ said Land
rubbed my eyes and smiled joyfully al
finding that all my crimes were dream
that neither post-house nor city wcr,
burnt; that neither the Redcoat from
Prague, nor the long-since forgotten Ju
liza, had made me Il visit.
Iclasped the lovely Fanny more fond
ly to my heart ; and with her and my
children upon my lap, l felt, now more
vividly than ever, the peace of goot
heart and pure conscience.
A new world bloomed around me
and more than once l was doubtful
whether it were Il dream or not. look
ed often towards the pleasant roofs q
our town to convince myself that ! ha'
thrown no candle into the hay.
Never in my life had had a more con
nected, vivid, and definite dream; on
ly at the last when it blended itseI
with my waking moments, had it be
come wild and fantastic.
We went in triumph through III,
beautiful garden to the pleasant dwell
ling-house, where all my household
welcomed me most heartily
had altered my dress little, wen
loaded with all sorts of playthings fol
the boys, into Fanny's room to break
fast. There sat the young mother with
the merry little ones. At each look Of
love, Il new rapture streamed through
my heart. l sank silently on Fanny's
breast, and with tears of joy presented
to her the little tokens which | had
bought for her in Prague, saying, "Fan
ny, to-day is thy birthday"
"Never have celebrated it more de
lightfully than now!" said she. 81
have you again. have invited some of
our friends to pass the day with us, to
welcome you home. hope it does not
displease you ?-But now sit down by
us, and tell me all about YOURSELF"
But my remarkable dream stood too
vividly before my eyes. thought 1t
would be a relief to relate it. Fanny
listened and became very serious. "Tru'
ly," said she, at last, zone ought to be-
lieve in the witchery of Walpurgls'
night. Thou hast dreamed quite SER
mon. BE yet more piOus, my pious
one, for surely thy good angel has spo'
ken with thee. Write dJwn thy dream
Such dream is more remarkable than
many life. / rely, you know, much
upon dreams. They do not tell US OF
the future, but they tell us of ourselves
They are sometimes the clearest look
ing glasses of the soul"
TIE TEMPTER AND THE TEMPTATION
! A REMARKABLE, although indeed moi
extraordinary, coincidence occurred or
the day following my Walpurgis
dream.
!, My wife had invited some friends
l from the city to a family festival. On
account Of the beauty Of the day, w
dined in the upper roomy saloon OF th'
summer-house. The Walpurgis-drean
. was almost blotted out from my mem
| I, al. IL ~,