Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-01-12
A Strange Dream.
SIGMA,

A strange Dream.
So many instances are cited of dreams
being indicative of coming events or eX-
listing scenes, that one is seldom impressed
with their strangeness, and very often in
different as to their truth or falsity.
A few days ago we had the pleasure of
meeting tie wire of an old friend from
Tennessee, who was visiting with rela-
tive in this city She is clear-headed.
practical lady. and, although she has suf-
fered as many sorrows as generally fall to
the lot of mortal, she looks upon the
brigh side, and enjoys life with thankful
ness.
She related to us a strange dream, which
she recalled with vividness and earnest
ness engendered by the death of her only
son, and we publish it for the benefit of
our readers. because of it's peculiar nature.
In August last her only son was a bright,
healthy child of four years of age, extreme
ly af1ectionate and interesting. He slept
in a little cot near his mothers bed, 50
that her hand could be laid soothingly up
on him when he was fretful or restless.
One night she dreamed that she was
walking from one room into another, and
heard faint. sad cry, as if from child.
Turning about she saw a little figure in its
night-clothes following her. In the half
lighted room its face was somewhat indis-
tinct. bu: evidently sad. Its eyes looked
mournfully at her, as it reached out its
little hands to touch her skirts, AS she
approached it. it retreated and vanished.
again appearing when she walked forward.
1t was the figure of little boy, and his
little bare feet pattering on the floor was
painfully distinct. A terror came over
her which she could not shake ff She
awoke. to find her child sleeping soundly
in his little cot. beside her.
The next night she saw the same figure
following her, and lost her feeling of ter
ror, and seemed to recognize it as the spir-
it of some little child who loved her,
Night after night the dream was repeated,
every morning recalling it with apprehen-
sions of coming evil to her boy. But he
continued healthy. with nothing in his ap-
pearance to warrant her fears that her
dreams foretold his death. She became
so accustomed to these phantom visits that
during the day she fancied she could hear
the pattering steps behind her, as she
moved from room to room. On the night
of the 18th of October she awoke from
her usual dream with shudder, and.
springing out of bed, fancied she heard
the faint sigh, and saw the sad face of the
child, as it melted away into the darkness
of the room. Her little child was restless
and the mothers fears were aroused
She placed her hand on his forehead, and
found it hot with fever. Arousing the SER
wants, she sent for phys clan, who, on ex-
amining the still sleeping child, admitted
that he was dangerously i'll. For two days
and nights following she watched by her
sick child, feeling no hope for his recovery.
Toward morning of the third day she fell
asleep, sitting on the floor, and was again
visited by the phanto,n-child of her dreams.
His face was lit up with a sweet smile, and
as he lowered over her, he put his little
hands over her face caressingly, and she
awOke with a staat, and, quickly looking at
her sick boy, she saw that he had died
while she was asleep!
The night following the burial of her
child she saw again the white-robed figure
this time cl,nglng to her skirts, and look
ing beseechingly at her. as if begging her
not to grieve. The face that she had not
recognized before was transformed, and be-
came the face of her little dead child.
Since that time she has never seen the
phantom of her dreams either walking or
sleeping. But she believes that the visi-
tation of this little figure for months before
her child fell i'll was nothing less than
warming, and her grief has been tempered
with the feeling that he is in better
world, from whence he comes to see her
daily.
She is no spiritualist, no believer in the
supernatural, but she recalls this strange
dream with awe and reverence. This is
all. If those who pretend to solve the
mysteries of sleep. dreams, or spiritual Wis
itations, can find anything in this to cor
robor;te their theories they are welcome
to it.
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