Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-07-22
The Shadow Of a Dream.
IooNcLUDED FROM LAST WEEKS PAPER.

sleeping eyes years ago as 1t had ever
since continued to come before them at
intervals with increasing vividness. The
effect on the landscape of a winters twi-
light, deepening into night, began to
suggest itself after awhile. In addition
to this, l could at times discern, but on
ly in that vague manner belonging to
dreams, a horse and gig toiling slowly
up the hill. This incident also gradu-
ally increased in reality, and by the
time had been here at Clarendon
month could often see that it was N.Y.
self who was driving. Almost every
night l dreamt that l saw myself doing
this. I was alone in the gig, the lamps
we're lighted, and gave to the white
horse, and the chalk.cutting under
which l was forever passing. a spectral
aspect. l never seemed to get beyond
this spot, until there first arose talk
in the Office about the possibility of my
having to do our chief clerks (Mr. Shep-
fold's) work at Meresdene. After this,
there was change and confusion in the
vision. A frosty fog hung about the
gig-lamps glimmered through it ftfully,
giving an unusual phantom-like look to
all l beheld. saw myself for an in
slant driving as usual, but the next the
horse and gig had vanished, and I was
bending over the form of man pros
trate on the road. In one of his hands
he held the leather padlocked bag which
contained the bank money. A Grape
mask hid his face, but there was an ON
inous streak of red upon the white road
beside him, and my hands were tinted
the same color. Intense horror possess
ed me, for felt that l had killed him.
Aghast at the deed, strove to drag his
body to the side of the Whiteways, op-
posite the chalk-cutting, where the down
slopes abruptly to hollow some hund-
reds of feet below. In my attempts to
do this l always awoke. Then, every
night for three or four weeks, was
haunted and made miserable by this ac-
cursed dream, and when 1 knew that it
was finally settled that | should have to
make the journey alone, and discovered
that there existed spot on the road ac-
tually resembling in all its details that
which was only too familiar with I
could no longer mistake the meaning Of
my dream. 1t could be nothing but a
portent-a warning of what might hap.
pen to me. / should be there | should
pass the place on my journey home, IL
darkness and dalone-conditions favora
BILE to the attack which could not bu
suppose now would be made upon me
for the sake of the money which M
business would obligc NE to carry.
should defend it, and | should kill m,
assailant Yet why was the veil, whicl
it is the privilege of man to find eve
hanging before his future, lifted for me
What have | done, that the one shiel
which guards the happiness of huma
beings, that ignorance of what the mex
day or the next hour may have in stor
for them, should be dashed from my to
far-seeing eyes ? Why has my life bee
gradually and irresistibly embittered b
a sight of what might justifably, thoug
unintentionally, be forced upon me?
"That man, in the contemplation
some hideous crime, should be warne
! from it in dream that showed him
what it would lead, seems feasible an
we have heard that such things hay
been, and that men have been turne
, from their evil purpose thereby. b
that I, knowing of no malicious intel
= tion; having, as God is my judge, mol
in my heart should have thus been pc
I secuted by some fiendish, uncontrolled
phantom of the brain, which, by its pc
sistent nightly presence should ha
. shed its horrid shadow on my daily lif
< was unaccountable.
i .'Yet there was more behind; mo
mystery to aggravate the terror. Comil
) home after that visit to Meresdene wi
3 Mr.. Shepfold, threw myself on my b
v with dread of sleep that [ cannot e
s press. Perfectly certain now that
should 60 on dreaming till the end W
IS reached, l determined 1 would not slice
# l lay there, devising some plan by viii
l could avert this impending catastl
,e phe. 1t was my duty to do SO, both
myself and my employers; for the 81
4 of money should have with me won
m be very large. would detail to th,
IL exactly what I have said above wor
ID urge them to see it as I saw it-that
~ was an unmistakable warning which
had no right to disregard. They mig
10 think me fool, lunatic, coward
a what they pleased but would not ia
!? that journey alone, and I hoped tt
er would not wish it Yes, l would ST
or m my case the following morning. An
w finite sense of relief came over me wi
ct | had made this decision, calm
which | had been stranger for mon
be "a calm, indeed, that, despite my re
on luton, soothed me to sleep.
nS n INSTANTLY dreamt. Of course I ,