Daily Republican., 1880-09-09
VAN vELrmAN,s DREAM.
a Comstoeker Up Among the Lftti'
Stars Sailing R0und sho MOsn.

4
As follows:
~ dreamed that | died aud went Ia
heaven, or TO what should have been
some " here in that neighborhood. got
there all alone-away up among the
stars, hich seemed mighty distance
apart. All was cold and strange and
uncomfortable. Presently saw the
new moon, which looked somewhat
home like and familiar 80 l went over
to it and seated myself In the curve o.
IL, where there was comfortable rest
ing place for my back, thinking I'd
take things easy and look about for q
time.
~ had hardly got comfortably fxsd
before rather brisk looking parsonage,
with q paper cap on his head, wearing
. leather apron and carrying Q mon.
key-wrench In his hand, appeared be-
fore me.
"Just arrived p said he, quite
briskly.
"'Just this minute landed said l.
"Well,' said the man, who looked
like IN engineer or some kind Of ma.
chinest, this Is no place for idlers; you
must 60 to work
"'To work = said l, fsebly, Am
not In heaven =
Heaven don't know what your
ideas OF heaven may b., but l can tell
you that you are in the great workshop
of the Universe. No iilers here, can
assure yod.'
"'I-I thought | hSd come here TO
rest stammered l.
"Rest You have come 10 the wrong
place il you ar, looking for rest. You
ses here are the axles Of all these
worlds TO grease, fires to be kept up IN
all the suns, and oceans Of nebulous
matter to b locked after and worked
into asteroids and things. Lots oi work
o 0 and just now We are very short
handsd-been extending our regular
works ont into space
"Just then | was startle2 At the sight
o. an immense fiery ball that came
rushing lloug with terrible roaring
sound, ani vi ich left behind trench
dOus trail q sparks.
Heavens = cried ], what is that
a eom-t r
"'A com g., said the parsonage be.
70 o me, Il b ,lievs IL Is what you have
been taught to call comet, but you'll
find out exactly what II Is before
you've bt en- here long. However, | may
as well tell you what you see Is the
special car Of one OF the bosses. There
are millions Of them in all, who 60
about in inter.stellar space inspecting
thinge-millions Of them, and to me
they seem to De passing every Ave min
utes, but where you came from they
seem to bs visible only at long inter.
vals.'
"'Where Is the biggest boss Of all.
Does he, too, have this carr" asked |.
/" No, you fool Do you want me-
to knock you of the horn OF that moonf
No ope here has ever yet seen the Great
Head Center
"'But isn't this Heaven ?
"'Why do you keep asking this
question 7 Haven't / told you thai you
are nov in tbs big Workshop Of the
Universei It was heaven where you
came from, but you did not know 1t.
You'll have no such good times here, !
can tell you. You'll not be allowed TO
loaf abou. up here and do as you please.
There you had body and a feeling to
tell you when anything hurt you-to
tell you when you was tired, and 50 on.
Down there you have nothing to do but
to make yourself happy-to enjoy your
selves-but like pack OF fools you all
go to piling up money, or trying to,
and worry yourselves about getting
things that are OF little use to you, con-
8 deripg the time you have to stay.
You have been mp hers hun 1reds Of
times before, bat you don't know 1t
vet, and will not remsmber II till you
have been here a million Of years, and
have passed through place you have
yet to see. You We're only sent down
to the earth for space, as may say,
Of fifteen minutes for rest and refresh
ment. Now you've got TO get to worf.
I've lust leea sent over here by one Of
the bosses to tell you 80. Up here You
won't have q lubbsrly body that you
must care for
But said l, we have shape, as
l see.'
"'Yss,' said thu being before me,
up here you have a body and you
don't have one-you feel and are hurt,
but not damaged. You know how 1t
was down there on your earth with
man who had lost leg, an arm or had
had any part Of him come on before his
main hulk-you know abont the feel
ing he had in thing that had depart
cd from himi
"'Yes.'
"'Yss Well, you might have taken
warning from that-might have guessed
something as to what would presently
be- the condition Of your whole body.
That within you which never dies feels
as keenly through the whole as through
q part. You are now all leg-all arm
ALI any part you will. But time flies
and must set you at work. Where
are you from p
"'From Virginia City, said I, turn
ing off toward where little black star
about ten feet in diameter was waltSing
round the moon, while others still
smaller we're whizzing round in various
directions.
"'What From the Comstock, hey =
and the parsonage began to soowl.
From the Comstock-Why, I've q notion
to send you right out to shoveling
comet dust into the sum-
Pray do not said I, 'tor though
u. r.. tbo Nopoofnck I naUaP WnFkad