Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-04-28
Grandma's Last Dream.

Grandma Grayson was firm, true Chris |
tian character, there could be no doubt |
about that. All her long life had been an |
eminently useful one, devoted from early
girlhood to the service of the Master she
loved so faithfully. Yet grandma, like many
another stanch, true Christian, had for many
years, as 1t would seem through some un-
conquerable physical weakness, been in bond
age through fear of death. "Not," she
would say, that fear to meet my blessed
Lord, or that ! am 80 10th to leave this
world of change and many disappointments
but dissolution seems so mysterious, the part
ing of soul and body is fraught with so much
that is yelled and vague, that not even my
utmost endeavors to trust all to the dear
Saviour can entirely dispel my fears; but it
is all through lack of faith" she would add,
call through lack of faith, and after all
though he say me, yet will trust in him."
All conversation on the subject invariably
ended with this emphatic declaration. 1t
was not very often she alluded to the topic,
aud we younger members of the family,
knowing her singular dread of such matters,
rarely discussed them in her presence. But
wheneverone of her old acquaintance passed
away from earth, the naturally cheerful,
bright old lady would be very quiet and
thoughtful for few days, and we knew
grandma was thinking it all over again."
AS she sat with her knitting dropped into
her lap, and the gentle eyes took on GER
tain peering, questioning look, not altogether
untroubled But short time the old trust
fulness would almost triumph, and grandma
would be herself again. One day she fel
i'll, only slightly so, however, but as the next
day found her still ailing, we called the fam
lily physician, who to our great surprise said
that she seemed to be sinking away, merely
from old age Still we all felt sure SHE
would rally in day or two. But towards
night of the third day, after having been
very comfortable through the afternoon, and
expressing herself as every grateful for all
Gods merces," she fell into calm quie
sleep. Perfectly calm, wonderfully quiet
md yet she dreamed, and strangely enough
dreamed audibly, for in childli e, murmur.
ing sound, she distinctly voiced the scenes
through which she was passing in what ap
peared her almost unconscious slumber. Al
first it was evident she had gone back few
years, to the time when grandpa died, for
words which were spoken around his death
bed were rehearsed with unerring accuracy.
Then few moments later she had gone
back to the busit st period of all her active
life, for she felt herself surrounded by all
her family of little children. Two of them
had died whils quite young, and she must
have recalled something of this long pas
sorrow, for in murmuring their names she
smiled and sighed consolingly, All we'll
levermore !" aud we knew she meant the
separation and sorrow could be repeated
"nevermore p Again with the sudden tran
siton of dream, She had gone still further
back into the past, aud 10 she was girl
again, for days long gone by, harmless scenes
OF amusement and pleasure in which she had
joyously participated and of which we had
often been told, were uppermost in her mind,
and in Imagination were present, and oh.
how true to life A shy, coy smile stole
over the wrinkled yet lovely face as she muir
INJURED the name of "Charlie Grayson," for
he was her lover again; what other fancy
could have called up that half blissful, half
bashful expression to grandma's dear, beau
tiful countenance But still farther into
the unforgotten past, aud she was a child
again. Could it be Z Yes she was telling
her mother what happened in school that
day. We stood with bated breath and over
! flowing eyes now, for the sweet voice was
growing so low, we bent to catch each falter.
ing sound. Was she going back farther
still ? Yes; back to babyhood for like a
little child she begged to be "taken up
she was so tired" and back farther still,
for like a nursing child resting its head on
its mothers breast, grandma slowly turned
her face inward on the pillow with a Nesting
| movement, and with little contented,
grooming sound, the voice ceased,-forever
And so back through the avenues of the
past, the kind Saviour had gently led the
spirit of his trustful, yet somewhat fearing,
child, until, like an infant dropping to sleep
upon the sheltering bosom of its mother, il
had slipped quietly out of the tenement OF
clay into the glorious house of the many
mansions of its Father. Oh, could she but
have known how sweetly and pleasantly the
:" dissolution SO much dreaded would be
merged in a last beautiful dream She would
only have asked in triumph, as we did now,
"Oh death where is thy sting ? Oh grave
where is thy victory?" But standing beside
the peaceful sleeper, we thanked God that
grandma's greatest dread had all melted and
dissolved in her last, murmured dream
| Golden Rule.