Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-05-07
Ths ahosr 81 Knshinrton.

Speaking OF General Grant's dream tnat
he had TO pay duty on o bag Of dollars,
"Carp," the fantastical correspondent OF
the Cleveland Plain Dealer, revives the
following story, which is old enough to |
be new to readers of the generation which |
has grown up since the civil war;
1.-THE other morning, ut the breakfast
table, when l, an unobserved spectator,
happened to be present, Calhoun was OBJ
served to gaze frequently at his right
hand, and brush il with his left hand IN
hurried and nervous manner. He did
this so often that it excited attention. AT
length one of the persons comprising the
breakfast party, Mr.. Toombs, from
Georgia, asked the occasion of Mr.. Cal
houn's disquietude.
"'Does your hand pain you, he asked
of Mr.. Calhoun.
rather hurried manner, 'Pshaw 1t is
nothing but a dream had last night, and
which makes me see perpetually large
black spot, like an ink blotch, upon
the back of my right hand; IN optical
| illusion, l suppose. OF course these
words excited the curiosity of the COM
pany, but no one yentured to beg the de-
tails Of this singular dream, until Toombs
asked quietly:
| "'What was your dream like? am
not very superstitious about dreams; but
sometimes they have great deal Of truth
in them
"'But this was such d peculiarly alb
surd Dream said Mr.. Calhoun, again
brushing the back of his hand, however,
if it does not intrude too much on the
time of our friends,I will relate il TO you.
I tbka in
their expressions of anxiety to know all
about the dream, and Mr. Calhoun related
it.
"At late hour last night as was sit
ting in my room engaged in writing, l
was astonished by the entrance of n wish
tor who, without word, took seat
opposite me at my table, This surprised
me, as had given particular orders ia
the servant that l should on no account
! be disturbed The manner in which the
intruder entered, so perfectly self-pos
sessed, taking his seat opposite me with
out word, as though my room and al
within il belonged to him, excited in IN,
as much surprise us indignation. As
J raised my head TO look into his features
l over the top of my shaded lamp / dis
A covered that he was wrapped in a this
9 cloak which etfectually concealed his fac
t and features from view, and as | raise,
: my head he spoke;
"'What are You writing, senator iron
Il South Carolina"
II ~ did not think of his impertinence a
$ first, but answered him voluntarily
g 81 am writing plan for the dissolu
ton of the American Union CYo
!, know, gentlemen, that am expected :
/ produce plan of dissolution in the even
IS of certain contingencies.) To this til
g intruder replied in the coolest manne
u possible:
n Ex-senator from South Carolina will 20
. allow me to look ut your hand, your rigf
IS hand 2
:, He rose, the cloak fell and beheld hi
E, face. Gentlemen, the sight of that fac
y struck me like thunder-clap. 1t WI
n the face of dead man whom extr
9. ordinary events had called back to lif
Y The features were those of Gen. Georl
4 Washington. He was dressed in IL
N revolutionary costume such ms you s,
ut in the patent office" Here Mr.. Calhou
to paused, apparently agitated. His agit
OF ton, need not tell you, was shared
IN the company.
III Toombs at length broke the embarras
ing pause;
mt "Well, what was the issue of tn
scene ?"
of MIR. Calhoun resumed: THE intrudC
! as have said, rose and asked TO look
I'll my right hnnd, Us though had not L
~ power to refuse. / extended it. 4
ty truth is, felt strange thrill peryade I
OF at his touch !; he grasped it and held
OF near the light, thus affording full time
l examine every feature. 1t was the fa
he of Washington. After holding my ha
at for moment, he looked Mt me steadi
and said in quiet way:
land with this right hand, senai
from South Carolina, you would sign 20
he name TO paper declaring the Union d
solved
ms 81 answered in the affirmative tYci
,n. | said, "if n certain contingency arises
100 will sign my name to the Declaration
v1s Dissolution"
ut "But at that moment black blotch {
nv peared on the back of my hand, which
rtr seem to see now.
"'What is that p said l, alarmed
nd know not why, at the blotch on my haI
ed. THAT said he, dropping my haI
Ion ''is the mark by which Benedict Arn'
lie is known in the next world
Me "He said no more, gentlemen, hut DIR
the he laid on the table-laid upon the v,
Ion paper on which was writing. This obj
he was skeleton.
ack There, said he, there are the hol
of Isaac Hayne, who was hung Mt CHAR
lev ton by the British. He gave his life
it's order to establish tina Union. When J
,y's put your name to Declaration of Dis
irst luton, why, You may as well have
irst bones of Isaac Hayne before you
,ird was South Carolinian and SO are y
10 But there was no blotch on his ri
ach hand
,ild with these words the intruder left
md room. started back from the cont
and with the dead mans bones and-awo
With Overcome by labor, 1 had fallen aisle
md and had been dreaming Was it N,
The singular dream 2
the "All the company answered in
,wn affirmative, and Toombs muttered, IS
ntil gular, very singular, Mt the same ii
,ed. looking curiously at the back of his ri
II II hand while Mr.. Calhoun placed his h
Ion, between his hands and seemed buried
the thought"