Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-08-20

WIIeu his W1IC ran Ill dUu SdII 10 Uln1-
Only fancy! yesterday at noon one of
our mowers fell asleep under the Dream
ing Beech, without knowing it, and what
do you think he dreamt! Why that he
was immensely rich! and only think who
it was-Caspar, old Caspar, who is half
witted, and everybody pities and keeps
only for charity. What on earth will he
do with all his money!" #
"Wife," laughed the husband, chow
can you believe such rubbish? You, a
sensible woman! Just reflect for one
moment. How is it possible a tree can
foretell the future-let it be ever such an
old and beautiful tree?"
: The wife gazed at her husband with
wondering eyes, shook her head, and said
slowly:
Husband, don't speak so wickedly !!
You ought not to joke on such subjects"
ID" Il am not joking, my DEAR" replied the
husband.
For time the woman was silent, as if
she had not rightly understood him.
Then she said: Issss .I
/ "Why pretend what you do not mean ?
Surely, you, Of all others, have most rea-
you dreamt under it come true?''~ l9lto
"God knows" replied the husband,
when she had finished spealSing-"God
knows I am grateful, grateful to Him and
to you. Yes, it was beautiful dream,
and [ remember it like yesterday; but
everything is a thousand times better than
[ dreamt it, and you, love, thousand
times prettier and dearcr than the young
woman who appeared in my dream But
as regards the tree, my darling, this is my
opinion: IT man loves dancing, he
Will soon lind the music to dance to, and
echo repeats the words that are spoken to
her. had been for so many years
wretched and miserable amongst strang-
ers, it was no wonder if once in way I
dreamt a pleasant dream"
but still 1t was strange that you should
dream you were to marry me-" 80
u never dreamt that! All | saw was a
young woman, with two children, but she
was not half as pretty as you are, or the
children either"
"Fiep' cried the wife; "do you mean to
denysme or the tree? Didn't YOU tell me
the first day we met? 1t was in the even
ing, out there in the arbor. Didn't you
tell me you had dreamt you were to marry
me and become the landlord of the Crown
Inn?"
ID
had played his wife, and said:
at can't be helped, dear wife. l did
not really dream Of you, and if [ said so,
it was only joke. I remember YOU were
so very inquisitive, and l wanted to tease
YOU"
Upon this the wife burst into flood of
tears and left the room. When he fol-
lowed her, she was standing in the court
yard, still crying. He did all he could to
comfort her, but in vain.
GU have stolen my love, and cheated
me out of my heart" she said "I shall
never be happy again, no never" sa7ll
Then he asked her if she did not love
him more than anybody in the world, and
if they had not been the happiest couple
in the whole village?
She could not deny this; but neverthe-
less, she remained sad anG miserable, not
withstanding all he could say So he
thought, Let her cry herself QUITO
morrow she will be herself again" But
she was not herself again for the next
morning, though she certainly had ceased
weeping, she was sadder and graver than
ever, and pointedly avoided her husband.
Every attempt at reconciliation failed
nearly all day she sat gloomily by herself,
starting whenever her husband came near
her - AAsz = z NJ
This state of things continuing some
time, he also began to grow melancholy,
fearing he had altogether lost his wife's
love. Silently he moved about the house,
thinking how to cure the evil: but no idea
occurred to him; SO at noon he went out
into the village, and loitered carelessly
through the fields. The rich, ripe corn
waved like a golden lake, and thesbirds
sang sweetly enough, but his heart was
full of sorrow. In the distance stood the
old Dreaming Beech, queen of the forest
it lowered towards heaven It seemed to
beckon him with it's green waving branch
es to come nearer Ikea good old friend.
He went and sat beneath its shade, think
ing of days gone by Five years had
passed since he, a poor miserable wretch,
had rested there for the first time, and
dreamt that pleasant dream How pleas
ant! for it had lasted five years, and now
all gone! all gone! for overland ever.
Then the beech began to rustic again,
as it had done five years ago, and to move
its mighty branches; and as they moved
there fell, as then, the golden glittering
sunlight across its leaves, and through
the boughs peeped ever and anon the
deep blue sky. Their his heart grew calm
er and he slept. Soon he dreamt that
dream again of five years ago. The wo-
man at the table and the little children
at their play; but now the faces were the
faces Of his own dear wife and children,
and she looked at him with her large
brown eyes SO kindly, ah, so kindly! AND
then he awoke and found it was only a
dream! More sorrowful than before, he
broke off small green twig from the
tree, and went home and placed it in his
hymn-book.
The next day was Sunday, and as they
went to church the leaves fell out at the
wife's feet. He turned scarlet as he
stopped to pick them up and put them
into his pocket. But the wife had seen
it and asked what it was. 5a.
"Only leaves from the DREAMING
Beech, which is much kinder to me than
you are. Yesterday was resting beneath
it and fell asleep. 1t wished to console
me, for I dreamt that you were kind to
me again, and had forgiven everyth ing
but it is not true. The good old beech
though it is no bic tree, knows nothing
about the future'
The wife gazed at him, and it was as il
a ray Of sunshine had crossed her face
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