The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-08-09
OUR STORY TELLER.
SAVED BY A E

SAtEU BY A
Dreams, which are Enthusiastically strange,
at times possess the president power.
There are many wonderful instances of
this on record. The story 1 will now
relate is a case in point.
A good many years ago a farmer,
named Silas Austin, living in a rather
wild and thinly populated region, sold
out his possessions in the latter part of
the winter for two thousand dollars. The
deed was duly executed, and the amount
paid in specie, with a verbal agreement
that he should not be required toremove
his family before the first of the ensuing
April. He deposited the money for
safe keeping, in the bed he slept on, and
o after set out on a journey with a
view of making another purchase.
az shall be 20 lonely with our two lit
tie children!" said his wife; "and then
if anything should happenl"
"PshawE" he replid; "what do you
fear?"
al don't know" she sighed; "I feel
timid; / fear something will go wrong.
Pm somehow afraid 1 shall never see you
again."
Nonsense, Hannah"
"And, then, Silas, you know we have
so much money in the housed"
cay, that's It'll" he returned with a
laugh. "Poor people walk boldly
through the dark places, and sleep
soundly with open doors; but the mo-
ment they get a little money they be-
come as timid as hares, and think rob-
bers are seeking them everywhere. Now,
you see, my DEAR" he added, cpl be
safe, because I shan't have the money
with me; and you because nobody'n
know you've got it."
"There are persons who know you've
received it and haven't spent it." she
rejoined.
"The man that bought the place, of
course"
ayes, and Others"
"Neighbors, perhaps; but you don't
fear them, Hannah"
az don't know what 1 fear, Silas; 1
feel strangely uneasy, and that's the
truth"
well, my DEAR" returned her hus-
band, "this is nothing but a within; and
if l remain at home for a within we'll
OOH be without a place to put our heads
in. 1 must go and seek out another
farm-you know the necessity for it as
well as I do; but Pn not be long away,
whether 1 succeed or not-not more
than two or three weeks at the most.
This decided, MI. Austin took leave
of his wife and children, the latter, two
little boys of four and six. He went
away, apparently with a light heart,
that his wife might not be further de-
pressed; but in reality, as he afterwards
confessed, he felt a good deal of secret
uneasiness. This increased, rather than
diminished, the further he went, and
when he reached the place where he was
to take the train he found himself SO
much Influenced by a strange, mystic
rious dread of evil that it required all his
reason to support his resolution to con-
tinue his journey.
Determined not to be turned by a
chimerical idea he paid his fare for a
hundred miles, and went off on the first
train.
On reaching his first destination he
went to bed, and being excessively
fatigued, almost Immediately fell asleep.
He awoke some time in the middle of
the night with a kind of a start, or
shock, as if something strange had
touched him, and he experienced that
peculiar sensation of dread and fear
which is sometimes produced by a fear
full dream that cannot be remembered,
but which seems to have impressed its
disagreeable effects upon the dreamer.
For a time, as is often the case when
awaking in a strange place, he wa quite
bewildered, and could not recollect
where he was, nor how he came there
but as soon as all became clear to him
his mind reverted to his wife and chill.
dren, and he felt such an indescribable
yearning for home that he half resolved
to take the first train back.
But while bordering on the matter
he gradually feel asleep, and this time
dreamed that he saw his own house
dimly Swallowed forth in the thick mys
terious gloom of night, and that while
he looked upon it such a strange dreat
of something awful took possession o.
him hat he shuddered as if suspended
over some dark abyss.
Then he though something moved hin
through the air, as a ghost would NOV,
without motion or y%olition of his own
till he suddenly found himself in tn,
bedroom of his wife, who was ther,
asleep with the two children. HefancieC
thathe wanted to wake her and tell he.
that something dreadful was going t.
happen; but though he tried to go to her
he found he could not stir, and his effort
to call out his alarm only resulted in tn,
most agonizing silence. Then he heart
the ominous sounds of stealthy fee
approach, and he knew that robbers wer,
creeping in upon her-robbers in dis
guise-robbers with faces painted blacl
and still he could not move, could no
scream out, could notwake and warn hi
dear wife and children of impendin,
death.
He was in terrible distress; it seemed
as if the very air he breathed was i'm
pregnated with crime, which it mad
thick and sitting, and it choked him
The steps came nearer; theystoppeda Attn
door; there was the noise Of gentl
force being used, and then the doc
swung slowly back and disclosed tw
black faces, looking unearthly an
demoniac in the pale, lurid, ghastl
light. He thought he knew they locke
thus before he saw them; but for a
that, the sight of them made him shuG