Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-09
The Romance of a Dreamer

/ was not always q dreamer. I can
readily remember time when l wa
wont to ridicule those people who be-
lieve there are such things as God.given
messages, sent. to you while sleeping,
that will bring to you good or IL, in &C
cordance with how you receive item.
was one of those who considered these
warnings, hints, suggestions merely "the
children of an idle brain begot of moth
ing but vain fantasy" was in the habit
of referring to anything seen or heard in
my sleeping hours as "only dream"
All that is changed now. lam dreamer.
/ am not spiritualist in the generally
accepted sense of that term, yet ! have q
strong and abiding faith in certain
force of which we as yet know very little
"a force the power of which seems
boundless, which follows no given rule
and is utterly beyond control.
The story lam about to relate is, l will
admit marvelously strange and seeming
" beyond the shadow Of reality. Had
any one told it to me three years ago l
should have pooh-poohed it as nom
sense. About it there are many things
which defy explanation. All my at
tempts to investigate them have been
futile. It is impossible to get to the bot
tom. Just 80 far can 60 and no farther
The lines clear and firm, and symmetri-
cel in the foreground, run off into mist
that defies penetration.
Six years ago spent month in the
Engadine. I had been studying art in
Paris during the winter, and had goLe
off on sketching tour among the noun
tains as soon as the sunny days of June
had followed the smiling days of May.
Travelling from place to place, ! found
myself one evening ct quaint little inn
in Q village called Bergnn. I had come
down from st. Moritz and was on my
way back to Paris and my studies.
Never had anything had seen 30 i'm.
pressed me as did the picturesque effects
of that little bunch of houses on the
bank of Q rushing river above which
pine girdled peaks rose into the white
moonlight. The houses were low and
deep-roofed, with overhanging caves and
rickety balconies, and with windows
small and many panes. Firewood was
piled beside the doorway of each little
chalet, and here and there q I walked
along the dusty, rocky roadway out OF
the town, upon . log of wood or in q
heavy clumsy chair sat CHEEKY villager
enjoying the evening and his pipe.
never forgot Bergun, and often would
take out the sketches made there and
gaxe on them with rapt interest, while
could imagine myself once more In the
heart Of the Alps beside the rushing riv-
q, looked down upon the rocky hills
and the high-sailing moon.
Three years had passed-over three
years, Il Was in the latter part Of No
Vombef. / was home again in dear old
Philadelphia. My work had been recog.
missed O. meritorious. I was Q member
0fthe National Academy of Design, and
was gradually working to gain q place
In the front rank of landscape painters.
/ had been painting ill day, celebrating
ono of my Engadine sketches. It was q
picture of . rocky gorge, with . frAil
hand bridge crossing over stream
which rushed in . torrent through the
gorges narrow confines. / had suc>
eeeded In getting capital moonlight eff
1bCt upon the water and when I fell
anleep Il was with . satisfied sensation
that comes after the successful eccom-
paishment Of desired end.
had never been given to dreaming.
Very seldom was my sleep any more
than . blank page, but on this night 81
dIeamed dreams and saw visions"
dreawed . lever inmy life ! had dream
"a be1oeo. ! wAs In 6witxerland again
81 BeERun, With fts picturesque houses,
- dnG1y roads, il mountains, It's river
end IL eorRes but MAS mot alone. Il
6somod that / had 0pent . weak there,
ond that TIT 0eok bed boen paaBed il