Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-01-21
REMARKABLE DREAMS.


in which he amassed his great fortune in bust
ness, was the recipient of his muui6cient bounty
at his death, and his name amt memory are well
preserved in Girard College, Girard Row, Girard
Avenue, Grard Bank, Girard Insurance Com
pany, GfArd House, etc. AT Grard College
where the support aud education OF some five
hundred orphans aud half orphans are provided
for, there is marble statute of Mr. Grard
which represents him with exact fidelity to his
appearance in life. lie was of short stature a
benevolent smile and had shrewd face, He
wore II large, peculiar coat, and his hair was
tied in queue. His whole life was marked by
eccentricites, which in no particular were more
observable than in his occasional acts Of beuevo-
lence.
In his office was a young man as clerk, who
attended to his duties very inteligently aud
faithfully. ThiS had attracted the auentioa of
MIR. Girard, for nothing escaped him, One
morning he came iuto the office, aud calling the
clerk, remarked:
Young man dreamed of you last night. >"
dreamed Of me2' returned the clerk ia sur
prise,
Yes saw form and heard voice. The
form was your own, aud the voice id This
Young man is your best clerk, but he should be
cooper. Merchants tul, but coopers are al
ways sure OF living by their trade. So you
must leave me, aud learn to be II Gr,.-rate
cooper. never go contrary to my dreams.
They often tell me how to proceed trust in
them as do 10 my own judgement, and obey
them consccntjously, Go and get a place to
learn the trade of cooper, and when you can
make barrel come and see me again.
The clerk was, of course, greatly astonshed
But he had no fear of toll, aud he knew that he
would lose nothing, in any event, by falling in
with the directions of Mr. GWrd Accordingly
he settled up his affairs at the office and in a
few days engaged with Mr.. Grard's cooper to
learn the trade, Daring long period he kept
steadily at work, aud made excellent progress
Meanwhile, Mr., Girard had not forgotten him
He otten saw the young man in his overalls on
the wharyes to work, and he always spoke cn-
couragingly to him. He had not made up his
mind as to what he would do for him, but he
WAS greatly pleased at the successful carrying
out of his dream On one occasion as he came
from the wharf he muttered
I" My young cooper is doing we'll lie is a
man, every inch of him. | must give him II
helping hand"
A few nights subsequently the good old man
was sleeping calmly in his Misunderstanding
Hpartmtnt. His real wealth did not show itself
in anything about him. The furniture was old
fashioned, and all the surroundings were strictly
after the plain taste Of the owner. As he sum-
bered his couulenHuce was calm, aud without
the trace of single care, At times slight
smile fitted over his face, and he seemed to ho
~
for considerable time, when he suddenly
awoke. He rubbed his eyes and then spoke
"Ah, ha T. he said, . I've had u dream again
about my young cooper. | thought that I'd
hear something about him again. There is II
good spirit looking after his welfare, surely.
When he finishes his apprenticeship, aud is a
good cooper, give him twenty thousand dollars
to start IN business whispered the voice in my
ear. OF course | will. He is worthy of encour-
agement The money will 90 into good hands
OF course I'll give it to him, but in my own
way. lla, ha I've plan for that
Soon the old man dropped into slumber again
He had the same calm cOunIenance aud tht
same serene smile. His life was devoid of all
evil, and his dreams Of good deeds in store
tor the future.
Time passed on. One day the young man
came into Mr.. Grard's office. He was in the
gnrb of mechanic and he looked healthlul aud
sinewy from manual labor.
Good day, Mr. Grard, " he said, rs the old
gentleman turned to him with warm greeting
" have come TO tell YOU that | am good
cooper now. I've served my entire time"
Can you make a good barrel p
" A. good AS any cooper in Philadelphia"
Make me twenty, and bring them here your
self"
The young man went Off and in an hour was
hard at work at the bprres. He was really a
superior workman, and when the twenty barrels
were completed they were the admiration of all
IA the shop, When they had been placed in Mr..
Grard store he examined every one of them
with the closest scrutiny, He looked at the
slaves, the hoops, the heads, the shape the cut
ting and the driving and in the end remarked
10 the young cooper, who was anxlously waiting
for his verdict
"They are good barrels. | never saw better
You have learned your trade, and done your
part faithfully Come into the counting-room,
aud III now do nine"
The couple went into the office The old
mans face was benming with pleasure and salts
faction, and the young mans was flushed aud
pale by turns from the peculiar circumstances OF
the moment. Mr.. Girard took down his check-
book aud wrote check. Tuis he cut out, aud
then, turning to The young man, said
My young friend, listen TO me Your ideI-
ity, promptness and energy first attracted my al
tention Then had the dream about you that
mentioned TO you long time ago Yon acled
with alhcrity upon the suggestion made in con-
sequence Of that dream, aud tod - you stand
before me skilled in a trade. | have dreamed 0f
you IN the meantime A good spirit whispered
in my 10 give you twenty thousand dollars.
You have made for me twenty superior barrels,
for which will now pay you one thousand dol
lars each, making twenty thousand in all
Mr. Girard, at this juneturt, placed in the
hand Of the agtated young man, the check he
had prepared "
Nov, he continued, 'you have capital TO
commence business a merchant, if you see fit.
Should disaster overtake you, go 10 your trade
again
The young man broke forth in a torrent OF
thanks but Mr.. Guard stopped him, saying;
. You lose interest on your money while you
talk have fulfilled my dreams and done JUS
tice to you. Good morning"
Here this strange interview ended The
young man went away with the deepest graft
tude in his heart, and resolution to make u
name in business worthy of the respect of his
generous benefaetor. He subsequently became
one Of the first merchants Of Philadelphia. This
incident is one Of the most singular IN The his
tory of Mr.. Girard, and no less in the annals OF
dreams.
THE FATAL CIPHER The vintage on the Rhine
for 1870 Ia "A failure. German sunerstition AYERS