Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-10
AUNT MARGARET'S DREAM.
An Old Miser's Sudden Trans
formation.

A very quiet, orderly household we
were at the farm after that wild. frolic-
some, noisy Joe had gone back to his
city life. He had only dragged through
a month and a half of the summer at
the dear. delightful old country home
when he declared the whole place a
bore, but in truth it had only been
bored by him, and packing up once
more he went back to his work in the
city, leaving everything more peaceful
for his absence; all, perhaps, except
two anxious, yearning hearts thatwere
fast growing sorrowful and old-one
the mothers, the other fathers. But
little the h~igh-spirited boy thought of
that the morning he drove away from
the old farm gate; his spirit. like the
prancjng horse the driver firmly held
in check, was impatient to be of, to be
freed from restraint. How hurrledly
he told the old folks goodbye, and then
as he dashed away threw a kiss from
the tips of his fingers to his sister Nell,
who stood and looked %longingly after
him. Oh, brothers, sons, too little you
care fer the tender, anxious hearts at
home when you set sail upon an I'M
tried sea and venture out alone.
Several weeks passed away quietly
and pleasantly, too, except for occa-
SIGNAL bits of news (bad news goes
here, there and everywhere, you know
which found the way out to III oun
try home, that Joe wasn't living just
as he ought to do; rather too fast, too
fond OF drink and sometimes found at
the gaming table. Poor Aunt Mar
garet, it seemed as if her face grew a
little thinner, her hair a little whittier
every day after that. L shall never for
get how she looked one morning as we
all sat around the breakfast table.
flushing herplate away, having scarcely
tasted the food upon it, she said, look
ING up at uncle, who was himself in
danger of falling into a brown study
over his smoking mullins and steaks:
Husband, couldn't youspare a little
tine to run up to the city in a day or
two' 1 fear that things are going
wrong with Il boy some way. That
Was a queer dream | had last night"
and here she leaned her head upon her
hand and looked down thoughtfully.
! thought that Joseph was standing
on a prccipice at a fearful height above
ablack, yawning sea, and that we were
powerless to help him, but when l
reached out my hand and shrieked for
ald an ugly little dwarf came in sight,
ana. in answer to my entreaties. he
ssaid there was only one way to save my
10Y, and that was money; but even
mat effort would cost me the life of my
o'her child, and then, as I threw up
my hands in despair, a beautiful angel
appeared at my side. At that instant
awokc."
Tut, tut; there's nothing in dreams,
vile. What could there be in such
nonsense as that?" and uncle went on
spping his coffee, while Nellie glanced
coward me with a strange, serious ex-
Preston on her face. and then, with a
cheerful smile at her mother, she said:
Never mind. mother; you know tits
sa'd that Dreams must go by contrarles,
ana IT SO, Joseph is going to make us
very happy about something"
aunt Margaret shook her head sadly.
Sut nothing more was said about the
aream. l think, however, it did not
q":te pass out of anybody'a mind. for