Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-09-13
A DREAM.
And Its strange Realization.
IIarper's Bazaar.

On a cold December night some
twenty years ago, when the earth was
bound in a black frost and the bitter
winds blew strong and shrewdly, |
was returning home from spending the
evening at a friends house situated
some three or fourmiles out OF town.
The sky YVES so black. the country
lanes so dark, that | was truly thank
full when the scattered lights Of an
outlying suburb began to twinkle in
the distance, and it was with a sigh Of
relief that / stopped under the first
lamp post | came TO and looked at ny
watch 1t was no easy task, for the
wind blew the gas mall directionsand
almost extinguished it.
/ read the time at ast-three min
utes to 12-and, looking up from my
watch-face, ] started to see a man
standing close opposite me. | heard
nothing of his approach. We looked
at each other but for "a moment, yet IT
was time sufficient to imprint his fea-
lures indelibly on my memory. A tall,
shabby man, in threadbare, black
frock coat ana a seedy tall hat. his
face lantern-iawed and sallow, his
eyes sunken and lustreleSs, his beard
long and i'll trimmed. In tone Of
elaborate ciyility he asked me the
time, thanked me for my answer, and,
giving me good night passed into the
black darkness which seemed to in
gulf him like a grave
| turned for a moaent to think OF
his lonely walk in that grim obscurl-
ty, and resumed my homeward way,
laughing mt slyself for the start he
had given me, and rejecting that the
strong wind had blown away the
sound Of his approach, | thought Of
him as | sat and smoked my pipe over
my fire, and felt comfortable shud-
der steal upon me as | imagined him
facing the bitter blast in his INSULT
Gent clothing.
In the course of n week or two
the incident-trilling enough Heav-
en- knows faded from my mem
DRY, and thought no more Of it.
In those days | was actively engag
ed in the timber trade, and the course
of my business took me a good deal
about the country, and brought me
largely in contact with the agents of
the different noblemen and country
gentlemen Of the district With one
of these agents. who resided near the
country town of L., had numerous
transactions, and | used often to run
down to l.. TO meet him, for the town
was only fifteen miles away, and on a
line of railroad. 1t was a dull little
hole enough, that only warmed up in
to life when the militia were out or
the aSsiZes were ON.
One night returned from H., hay
ing just made large purchase from
my friend, the agent, whose master,
a sporting nobleman, was reduced to
cut down the family timber. When
| fell asleep that night ] had a very
simple, but vivid dream, | thought
| was standing ON lofty hill. BY
my side stood a yelled figure, who
with a commanding gesture, motion
ed me toward the town Of L., which
lay in the far distance. Then !
awoke
OF course, | explained the image
to myself easily enough. had
been good deal engaged i'm the
neighborhood of the place, and
had a largo venture more or less re
motely connected with it. Still the
dream was SO vivid that | could not
dismiss it from my thoughts the whole
of the day, and when | went To bed at
night l wondered if it would again
visit me.
It did come again, precisely tho
same dream, in precisely the same
manner Once more / found con
vincimg explanation Doubtless
had been thinking too much abou
the first dream, and tins had givel
rise to the second. But my eNplaua
ton did not convince me IN tn
least; again | was bounded by TIA
thing throughout the day, and whe
4 came home at night my preoccupu
ton was so evident that IL attracte
the attention of my wife She que,
toned me upon the case, and, onl
too thankful to uuboSum myself {
what was now almost trouble, | toll
her about the dream and It's rcpot
ton. She had the tact not To laug
at me, but was evidently little I'm
pressed by the narrative
The third night 1t came &gajn,
anything, more vivid and Starthu
than before This time | was utterl
uuhuged, the pale face that frontC
me i'm the lo.kngglass was hard
recognizable for my own / wei
down to breakfast, filled with a for
bodiug of some misfortune -ba
news i'm my letter. know not wha
The maid entered with the lette