Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-03-27
SAVED BY A DREAM.

The sky was so black, the country lane
so dark, that was truly thankful whe
the scattered lights Of an outlying sub
urb began to twinkle in the distance
and it was with sigh Of relief that
stopped under the first lamp-post that
came to and looked at my watch. |
was no easy task, for the wind blew tn
gas in all directions and almost extin
guished it.
read the time at last-three minutes
to twelve-and, looking up from m,
watch-face, ! started to see man stand,
ing close opposite me. heard nothing
Of his approach. We looked at escf
other but for moment, yet il was time
sufficient to imprint his features indelibly
on my memory. A tall, shabby man, in
a ihreadbare frock coat, and seedy tai
hat, his face lantern-jawed and sallow,
his eye sunken and lustreless, his beard
long and ill-trimmed. In a tone of elab-
orate civility, he asked me the time,
thanked me for my answer, and, bidding
me goodnight, passed into the black
darkness which seemed to engulf him like
a grave.
| turned for moment to think of his
lonely walk in that grim obscurity, and
resumed my homeward way, laughing at
the start he had given me, and reflect
ing 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
shudder steal over me as imagined him
facing the bitter blast in his insufficient.
clothing
In the course of week or two the in
cident, triAing enough, Heaven knows
faded from my memory and thought no
more about it.
In those days was actively engaged
in the timber trade, and the course Of my
business took me q good deal about the
country. and brought me largely in con-
tact with the agents of the different no.
blemen and country gentlemen of the
district. With one Of these agents, who
lived 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
was on the line of railroad. 1t was dull
little hole enough, tina, only warmed up
into life when the militia were ou, or the
assizes were on.
One night | returned from L., having
just made large purchase of my friend.
the agent, whose master, sporting no.
bleman, was reduced to cut down the
family timber. When fell asleep that
night, had very simple but very vivid
dream. thought | was standing on a
lofty hill. BY my side stood a veiled
figure, who, with commanding gesture,
motioned me towards the town of L.,
which lay in the far distance. Then !
awoke.
OF course explained the image to
myself easily enough. | had been a
good deal engaged in the neighborhood
and had large venture more or less di-
rectly 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, won
dered If it would again visit me. 1t did
come again the same dream, in precise
" the same manner Doubtless had
been thinking too much about the first
dream, and this had given rise to the
second. But my explanation did not con-
vince me in the least; again was haunt
ed by the thing throughout the day, and
when | came home at night my pre-oc-
cupation was SO great that it attracted
the attention of my wife. She questioned
me upon the cause, and only to thankful
to unbosom myself Of what was now al
most a trouble, told about the dream
and its repetition. She had the tact not
to laugh at me, but was evidently little
impressed by the narrative.
The third night it came again, if any
thing more vivid and startling than be-
fore. This time | was utterly unhinged,
the pale face that fronted me in the
looking glass was hardly recognizable
for nv own. l went down to breakfast
filled with foreboding of some misfor-
tune-bad news in my letters-I knew
not what.
The maid entered the room with the
letter bag.
"There," said my wife, passing me a
letter on which was L. postmark, "Thaf
breaks your dream, John"
opened it hurriedly; it was from tht
agent, requesting me to meet him at L..
that day at o'clock, to arrange diff
Guilty that had arisen in the performanc,