The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-01-21
PremOnitOry Dreams.

For future more sublime. ,ss
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PremOnitory Dreams.
One winter evening, about fifty year
ago, post-chaise, with single gentle
man inside 1t, drove up to the little inn
on the pentland firth, in the north of
Scotland, where passengers who were go
ing to cross to the Orkneys usually spent
the night. The gentleman, whom we will
call Mr.. Mac T., was the owner of a
large estate, and an old house which had
belonged to- his family for hundreds OF
years, in the Mainland, or chief of the
Orkney Islands, and was now about to
visit his property. It was a clustering,
stormy night, but that only made more
pleasant the cigar and the glass Of whis-
key, and the cracking wood. fire by
which Mac T. sat chatting with the
laadlord, who was an old friend both OF
his father and himself, and who was
proud of entertaining the "young laird"
as he called him, with his widest tales
OF adventure on the sea. They did not
however, SIT late, for the Orkney packet
sailed very early in the morning. and
Mac T. soon found himself in the cosy,
well-appointod little bedroom. The
wind was chanting a grand Berserker
melody, and the sea was roaring a deep
bass accompaniment. Mac T. loved those
sounds for they had often been the lullaby
of his childhood, ana soon tell asleep.
For some hours he slept without an
image or a thought reaching his mind;
but at length, when the morning was
glimmering gray in the east, a strange
dream came to puzzle him. He dreamt
that he was in the ancient banquettlng-
hall of his old house in the Mainland. sit
ting at the head of a very long table The
banqueting hall was now in reality al
most ruin, but in his dream Mac T.
saw it hung with tapestry and blazing
with hundred lighs. The table was
we'll filled on both sides, and he thought
he glanced curiously down its length to
see who his guests were. AS he looked
he shuddered in his dream. Those who
sat at the table with him wers all dead
ancestors for many generations back. He
knew their faces and dresses we'll from
their portraits in the picture gallery.
Next to him sat his own father, who had
died about year before. And at the
IN dress of skils, who was a Morse chief
tain, the founder of the family. 1t SEEM
ed to him that he sat for some moments
as if spellbound, while the spectres muir
INJURED together in low, hollow tones. At
length they all rose, and slowly, one by
one, in turn, left the hall. But before
they went, each one paused at the door,
and turning, raised his hand in warn
Ing attitude, fixed his eyes on Mac t.,
and said in deep voice, the word "Be-
ware!'
''The packet starts in twenty minutes,
sir" cried a loud voice at the door, rous.
ing Mac r, suddenly from sleep. Con-
fused at first, yet soon remembering
where he was, he sprang out of bed and
began hurriedly to dress himself. Being
bad sailor, his first glance was natural
ly enough at the sea, close to which the
inn stood. The wind had risen in the
night. The waves Numbered on the
shore; and the little Orkney packet was
tossed up and down like limpet
shell. AS he gazed, his strange dream
rose up with sudden distinctness before
Mac rs mind. He was infected with s
good deal Of Scotch superstition. Be
sides, he did not much like the looks Of
the sea, and so he resolved not to 90 out
till tomorrow. That day the Orkney
packet was lost with everv man on board
and Mac T. and his little wife, who was
lett at home with the babies, had tt
thank that warning dream ror his life
The other instance we have to tell i
quite as singular. Many years ago thu
Rev. Mr.. N. held small living in thu
widest part Of West Somerset. The par
ish church stood on bleak hillside, ant
Mr.. N. was a bachelor, logged in the farm
house close to it.. Among his small tlocl
there was none in whom the clergyman
took more interest than in Mary the pref
ty daughter of the farmer, his landlord
When Mary was about twenty Mr.. N
was much troubled by finding that sh
had formed an attachment with .Jacl
Townsend, the cleverest workman AM
the most worthless fellow on the farm
One autumn night the clergyman
dreamed that Mary stood at his bedside
and cried out in an imploring voice
Come out on to the hillside!" The i'm
preston left on his mind on waking wa
so distinct that, if he had not known tn
door was locked so that no one could en-
ter the room, he would have though
Mary must in reality have been there
Feeling, however, sure that it was only
dream, he composed himself once NOR
to sleep. But scarcely had he closed hi
eyes when Mary was again there, calling
to him to come out on the hillside. Sew
en- several times he tried to sleep, ant
seven times the phantom came back, al
ways with the same cry. .A. a T.
At length, mastered by an almost IRE
sistible impulse, he rose, dressed himself
and went out on the hill. He Wake
some distance, but could see nothing eS
cept the heather-bells waving in til
moonlight; could hear nothing but dis
tant sheep bell tinkling softly, and tn
stream warbling below in the vale,
He was just going back, when suddenl
shrill cry reached him, seeming
come from a neighboring combe. Hurry
ing a that direction, he saw at the DO
tom of the combe two figures, those Of
man and woman, apparently strugglin
with each other. AS he drew near, tt
man ran away and the woman fell to tt
ground. When he came up he 1ouud TIL
it was Mary. She had only tainted, ar
Lo eoo, brouo 10 RI horapif Then