Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-02
SuperstitiOus Fears.

SuperstitiOus Fears.
Men mark when they hit" observed
Bacon; land never mark when they
MISS" and to this circumstance he at
tributes the belief in dreams and popu.
lar predictions. No doubt an extraordi-
nary number of fulfilled presages and
prophesies could easily be collected
There are, for instance, few better at
tested facts than the certainty of bis
death which Nelson entertained before
the battle of Trafalgar. AS the Captain
of the Euryalns took leave of him on
the morning of the Dist of October
" God bless you, Blackwood," he said, II
shall never see you again 1t is, how
ever, equally certain that Nelson, by
wearing his full dress uniform, with his
four orders of knighthood, did his best
to accomplish the mournful foreboding
with which he was haunted. First came
the feeling of gloom and then a reckless
ness consequent upon it. The rest fol-
lowed naturally enough. But of all
stories of this kind, perhaps the most as
tonishiug, as it is also one of<the most
enthusiastically told, is that related by
Vernier, in the Ayenir National, CON
corning his friend, Musson, the artist.
Vernier called on Musson one dav about
four o'clock, and found him in his studio
busy cleaning his boots. :" You are
going out this EVENING"" he began.
4" Yes" replied Musson, dinner at
Madame Hainguerlot's." Good table,
charming woman, pleasant company"
9 have great mind not to go; I had a
bad dream last night; harm whitehall
me if go out tonight. | dreamed that
| was at work, when [ heard three dis
tinct knocks at the door, 1 had hardly
said come in when tall la.y, her face
veiled was seated in this arm chair Is
it to Nj. Musson,' she said, that | have
the honor of speaking?' TO himself,
madame viii you draw my portrait? ,
am at your orders, madame But [
must have it at once I was impatient
to see her face, and said, I'VE will begin
at once The unknown one made a
movement, as if settling herself into
posture. Madame I added, 9 must
trouble you to lift your veil She did So.
before me. "The hoax is good one, is
it not?'' said kissing voice which came
from the empty mouth. eau revoir,
NJ. Musson." Such was Musson's dream.
Vernier babe him shake offsuch thoughts,
and with good-natured persistence end
ed by prevailing. Musson again took
up the blacking brush and completed
his toilet. At II o'clock the same night
Vernier, returning home, found himself
in front of the Hotel Hainguerlot, in the
Rue Mont Blanc. A carriage was just
then leaving the courtyard of the house.
Suddenly loud cry was heard; servants
rushed forward with lantern; a man had
fallen down in the narrow entrance.
Vernier recognized the unfortunate
Musson, almost run through by the pole
of the carriage and killed on the spot.
Without pretending to offer any ex-
PLANTATION of this remarkable story, one
may observe that according to Vernier,
Musson had for some time previously
been troubled with gloomy thoughts and
foreboding, which he duly related to his
friend, and the friend "marked when he
hit.''' Of the unfulflled forebodings we
hesr nothing. Again the hypothesis of
suicide might explain the coincidence.
Thomas, Lord Lyttelton, in the last CEN
fury, was supposed to have died by his
own hand, and the we'll known story of
the apparition to. have been invented by
him as blind to disguise his intention.
If it be objected that Musson would
hardly choose SO unpleasant a form of
death, one can only answer that in the
matter lsu; ide men have often shown
an ill-reculat d taste-teste the late Alb
du IAziz of Turkey, not to speak of
many more. Chambers journal.