The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-09-13
About Dreams.
BY c. B. LEWIS.

a1veG No aoHger than forty years ago
large sjority of the residents of country
towns and neighborhoods were firm be-
levers in ghosts, and one who asserted
his belief that the spirits Of the dead did
not some times make midnight excursions
through graveyards and along lonely
highways was looked upon as little better
than an inidel. Intellectual advance
ment has almost overpowered supersti-
tion.yet if vote could be taken tO-day,it
is quite likely that fully one-third of the
adult population of the United States
would I've found believers in dreams, to
say nothing of signs. Almost every hour
in the day one may hear the subject of
dreams mentioned, apd the daily news
paper very often records what came of "A
Strange Dream" The belief in dreams,
good or bad, is but a relic Of the days of
-witchcraft, although entertained and sup
ported by men and women of such high
social standing that the superstition no.
where receives the contempt it deserves.
What is dream9 A philosopher will
reply that dream is the workings of the
mind and vet he will also say that dreams
come with sleep, and that i'll sleep the
muscles rest, the mind is lost, and the
senses depart for while.
When sleep comes we lose conscious
ness; we are as the dead and On awaken
ing we remem Der what we dreamed. The
live, present mind picks up and recalls to
memory what the second or dead mind
thought of during the trance or sleep.
What causes US to dream2 Physicians
will answer too hearty meal, overload
ing the stomach, position, or strangeness
of location. A believer in dreams will
answer that dreams come from some
spirit, to warn him of good luck or i'll
luck. Ia past ages kings and queens
were ruled by dreams, and dream inter
prefers were in great demand. We laugh
at the idea, and yet in this the nineteenth
century every bookstore has its stock of
dream books, and lottery tickets are pur-
chased and real estate sold on the strength
of dreams. Men enjoying regulations as
keen business men have been known to
purchase largely or sparipgly of goods, as
dictated by dreams; women Of sound
nina have kept their children from
sch col because they dreamed OF fire; and
out of one hundred young ladies who
may pass the night in a strange room,
ninety of them will put their shoe under
the pillow, or ''name the bed-post," in
order that their dreams may bring good
luck.
1t would destroy many a pleasant TO-
nance and belittle many a thrilling story
of Imagination if readers were convinced
that angels do not whisper 70 sleeping
babes and bring the smile which delights
the mothers heart, and that the spirits
OF kind friends do not warn the living las
they Sleep of danger close at hand or OF
il luck TO come The decisions IF they
are delusions) are widespread, popular,
and nothing but time and q higher intel
lectual standard will destroy them.
Having suffered serious injury not
long ago, and being in city of strangers,
the writer was sent to a public hospital
for treatment One day, after the pain
Of the wound had been greatly reduced,
and comfortable rest could be obtained,
he fell asleep. 1t was a very quiet after
noon; the ward was still, aud the sleep
was heavy. A dream came. ! dreamed
that I stood on the bank of river aud
saw and heard the swift waters breaking
over rocks with great noise. Great
trees, rails and logs were carried down
and saw some of them ground to splin-
ters OF the jagged rocks. Leaning over
the bank to get better view, lost my
hold and fell-no, awoke. A fellow pa
tent in the ward was reading aloud 10 a
friend, who was worse off than either OF
us. There was no other noise, and, con
GLIDING that his tones had shaped the
current of my dream, determined &c
make some experiments. At the Other
end of the ward was a patient who had
received knife-wound. Limping ovel
10 him, l found him snoring away in {
sound sleep. Sitting near his head, anc
speaking in low but distinct voice,
repeated part of Poe's Raven" commenc
ing:
Once upon a midnight dreary.
had repeated only three lines wher
the sleeper ceased to snore. AT the ffti
line he moved little. AT the tenth
saw perspiration on his forehead, and h
was nervous. As finished the fifteenth
he awoke with q shout. He had had |
horrible dream. He dreamed that Ia
was struggling in the water, swimming
to reach . boat, which kept dancing OF
ahead of him, always just out OF reach
He was at length exhausted, and as IA