The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-07-25
end of April or the beginning Of M.v.

end Of April or the beginning Of My.
March 10Th. don't remember nv
mind running once en- the end OF the
cravat yesterday, aud I am certain I
never looked at it. Yet I bad the
strangest dream concerning it at night.
thought it was heightened into long
cue, like the silken thread that led to
Kosamond's Bower. 1 thought 1 took
bold of it, and followed it e little way,
and then got frightened and tried to 90
back, but found that I was obliged, in
spite Of myself, to go on. It led me
through a'plsce like the Valley Of the
Shade" of Death, in ao old print I re.
member ip my mothers copy of the
Pllgrim's Progress. l seemed to be
months aud months following it, with
out any respite, till at last it brought me
on sudden, face to fnce with an an
gel whose eyes were like Mary's. He
said to me, "Go on, still the truth is
at the end, waiting for you to find it,"
| burst out crying, for the angel bad
Mary's voice as we'll as Mary's eyes,
and woke witt my heart throbbing and
my checks a:l!f*et, What is the mean
ing of this Is il always superstltious, I
wonder, to believe that dreams may
come true? =.
April soth. I havo found it; God
knows to what results it may lead; but
1t Is as certain as that I am sitting
here before my Journal that I have
found the cravat from which tho end in
Mary's hand was torn5!s I discovered
it last night; but the futter I was 10,
and the nervousness aud uncertainty I
telt, prevented me from noting down
this most extraordinary and most uu-
expected event at the time when it hap.
pened. Let me try if can preserve
the memory Of it in writing now.
was going home rather late from
where l work, when [ suddenly re-
membered that l had forgotten to buy
myself any candles the evening before,
and that I should be left in the dark if
did not manage to rect,fy this mis-
take in some way. The shop close to
me, at which I usually deal would be
shut up, | knew, before could get to
it; so ] determined to go into the first
place passed where candles we're sold.
This turned out to be small shcp with
two counters, which did business on
QUE SHE in toe general grocery way, and
acd en- the other in the rag and bottle
and old iroo line. There were several
customers on the grocery side when
went in, SO I waited on the empty rag
side till I could be served. Glancine
about 're here at the worthless looking
things bv which I was surrounded, my
eyes caught by a bundle of rags lying
on the counter, as if they had just been
brought 10 aud left there. From mere
idle curiosity, I looked close at the
rags, ard saw among them something
like au old cravat. I took it up dirocs-
ly, and held it under gas-light. The
pattern was blurred lilac lines, running
across tho dlney black ground 10 trel.
lis work form. I looked at the ends {;
one of them was torn off.
iow l managed to hide tue breath
less surprise into which this discovery
threw me, steady nay voice somehow,
and to ask tor my candles calmly, when
the man and woman serving in tho shop
having disposed of their other customers
inquired Of me- what wanted As tho
man took down the candles, my brain
was all in whirl with trying to think
how l could get poss SESSION vf tho old
cravat without exciting any suspicion.
Chance, and little qulckae:s on my
part in taking advantage of it, put the
object within my reach in moment.
The man having counted out the can
dies, asked the woman for some paper
to wrap them in. She produced a
piece much too small and Aimsy for the
purpose, and declared, when be called
for something better that the days sup
ply of stout paper was all exha ustcd.-
He few into rage with her for man.
aging so badly. Just as they were
beginning to quarrel violently, l step
ped back to the rag counter, took the
old oravat carelcssly out of the buodle,
aud said in as light a tone as I could
possibly assume
"Come, come don't let my candles be
the cause of hard words between you.-
Tie this ragged old thing round them
with bit Of string, and I shall carry
them home quite comfortably"
| The man seemed disposed to ius; st
on the stout paper being produced but
the woman as if she was glad of an
opportunity Of spiting him, snatched
the candles away, aud tied them up in
moment in the torn old cravat.
was afraid he would have struck hcr
before my face, he seemed 10 such a
furry j.; but, fortunately, another GUS
toner came in, aud obliged him to put
his hands to peaceable aud proper uses,
"Quite bundle of all sorts on the
opposite counter there," said to the
woman, as I paid her for the candles.
eyes, and all boarded up for sale by
poor creature With lazy brute OF a
husband, who let's lis wife do all the
work while he spends all the money!
answered the woman. With a malicious