Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-04-11

man riding a sorry-looking nag, pulled
ND before our door. He was a we'll
looking man, with a sedate and solemn
face, and dressed in black. 1t was
safe enough to conclude that the man
was a minister, and so he announced
himself. He said he was the Rev. Paul
Meekmore: he was a missionary, on a
home circuit, and asked shelter for
himself and beast Tor the night. OF
course we welcomed him cheerfully,
and we were pleased with him. He
had travelled extensively, and his con
versation was entertaining and instruc-
tive. Before he went to bed he read a
chapter in the Bible and made a prayer
and Betsey said to me after he had re-
tired that she had never heard such a
beautiful prayer.
The next morning, at the breakfast
table, Mr.. Meekmore was very sedate.
He asked a blessing, and then only an.
swered such questions as were asked
him. Finally Betsey told him she was
afraid he had not slept well. He
smiled, and said he had slept very we'll,
saving the spell of a very curious dream
which had visited him three separate
times during the night. Betsey asked
him if he would tell what it was about.
at was the old dream of hidden
wealth." he said, with a solemn look.
" havn't dreamed such a dream be-
fore, since by a wonderful dream in
South Africa | led to the discovery of
a diamond mine worth millions of dol
lars and it never protited me a penny.
But such wealth is not for me. ] need
it not. My calling hath higher and
holier aims. And yet this poor flesh
is sometimes weak enough to lust after
the dross of gold and silver !"
BY degrees we got from him that he
had dreamed of a silver mine among
the crags of our hills. This mine seem
ed to his vision utterly exhaustless in
the precious metal but he could not
locate it. Betsey whose curiosity was
aroused, would have pushed the mat
ter, but Mr.. Meekmore finally shook
his head more solemnly than ever, and
and said that he would rather forget
the dream if he could.
When the m~issionary's horse was at
the door, and the wner was prepared
to start of, he informed us that he was
bound toward the Canada line, and that
he might return that way. OF course
we told him that our door would be
open to him; and he promised that he
would abide with us again If he had the
opportunity.
In two weeks Mr.. Meekmore came
back. He had received a summons,
he said, from the Home Board to return
to Boston and make immediate prepare
tions for a Winter campaign III the
West.
The second evening in the society of
the reverend gentleman we enjoyed
more than we enjoyed the first. His
fund of anecdote and adventure was
literally exhaustless, and an odor of
sanctity and delicacy prevailed all his
speech. We urged hat he should
spend a few days with us, but he could
not. He said it would give him great
pleasure to do SO, but his call to the
new field of labor in the West was
pressing and imperative.
On the next morning, Mt the break
fast table, our guest was even Sc
date and thoughtful than on the pre-
vious occasion and when questioned
ON tde matter he told us hat he had
been visited by the same dream again.
This time" he said, 1.-The vision
came with wonderful distinctness. l
not only beheld the vast chambers of
virgin silver, but | saw an exact profile
of the everything territory. 1t was n
wild desolate spot, by a deep ravine
through which the snow of Winter
seemed to find release in Spring, rush.
ing down II craggy hillside to a dark
wide stretching swamp below. This
would not impress Inc SO seriously
were { not that once before n dream of
the same import proved a startling
reality"
We conversed further on the subject,
and after breakfast Mr.. Meekmore took
a pencil, and upon the blank leaf of an
old atlas he drew a picture of the spot
he had seer i'll his dream and he
pointed out where, beneath the roots of
an old, stumpy pine tree, he had seen
o~ut-cropping of the precious metal. !
He had drawn the picture, he told
MS, to show as how vivid his dream had
been; but he advised us to think
no more of it, Even if it were
possible that the dream had substance,
the body of the mine was far below the
surface and, moreover, the Lord only
knew where the spot was located, even
allowing that such a spot existed.
For once in my life / had allowed my
cupidity to get the better of my out
spoken honesty. | allowed the reverend
guest to depart, and did not tell that |
knew where there was a spot exactly
the original OF that which he had pic.
tured, even to every rock, shrub, tree
and ruyine. And that spot was upon
the wild lot which had been purchased
by John Twist, and which John Twist
.u-..l .E.ll