The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-07
THE DREAM WOMAN.

/ was the victim of the Brazilian
fever and every one had given me up,
writes an imaginative story teller in
the Chicago Mail. l heard the priest
say at my bedside that | would not
live till morning. / was sinking into
a heavy stupor when the door opened
and a golden haired woman in a white
gown glided in. She carried in her
hand a curious porcelain bowl of
water.
Drink she said in a sweet voice,
holding it to my lips.
"The doctor forbids it, I MUIR
INJURED.
"Drink and fear nothing" she said.
l obeyed and drained the vessel she
held toward me ''Good night and
sweet dreams" she added, and glided
away as mysteriously as she had en-
tered.
The next morning Iawoke refreshed
and invigorated. I asked to see the
lady who had waited upon me in the
night, but they smiled and said it was
a delirious dream. In time l recovered
my health and returned to Virginia.
1t was ten years after this illness that,
in riding past a fine old country house,
| saw a lady walk down the path who
paused to pick a rose. Her figure was
tall, her hair golden, her eyes black.
Her motions were graceful. With a
little exclamation of establishment |
recognized the lady of my dream, if
| dream it We're. She looked a little
older-nay, a good ten years older
but otherwise was unaltered.
know not in what words | COM
municated this fact to my friend, but
l know | ended by saying:
II must speak to her. She will re-
member"
My friend uttered an imperative
negative.
"She would think you a madman,n
he said. Come on. You may get
yourself shot for staring at another
mans wife. They do such things
prompt at the South. / will find out
who she is if you like"
/ assented eagerly. We rode On.
Talk to me as much as you like"
he said, ''but lever expose yourself to
strangers. 1t is possible this lady was
in Brazil in 18-, and brought you
something to drink when you were
left alone. In that case a doubt that
troubles you will be satisfied. You
can with all propriety call on her and
thank her."
But, though he spoke in this way, /
knew he did not imagine it could be
so. That evening we smoked our
cigars in Colonel L-'s'company, and
my friend automatically introduced
the subject.
THAT beautiful house with the
large garden" he said, lis quite a
feature of the place. Who owns it?"
"a lone woman, widow of Mr..
V.p said the Colonel. ''She was a
belle in her girlhood. She might still
be one if she chose"
perhaps we saw her in the gar
den,n said my friend, beginning a
minute description.
Exactly. 1t was no one else,'
said the Colonel.
My friend paused a moment and
then said
she reminded B. of someone he met
in Brazil. In fact, he almost believed
her the same person."
mo, no. said the old Colonel.
Mrs. V. has eve left Virginia. We
have known the family since she was
two years old. 1t is only the other
day that we spoke of that, and she
lamented that she had not travelled
more"
felt a pang of disappointment, but
found courage to say:-"I should
greatly like to be introduced to her.
The old Colonel instantly offered to
introduce me.
but remember.n said my friend, as
we parted, never tell her of your
fancy. 1t would spoil your chances
with her, and | see it is a case of love
at first sight,
He was right, and / was very for
tunate - very happy. l won this
beautiful woinan's heart.
Her fortune ] did not want, but it
was large. l had sufficient means and
could not be suspected of mercenary
motives. We were married, after a
long and ardent wooing on my part.
She loved me, but d second ma
riage seemed wrong to her, and it was
not until she realized that she had
i~rretrievably given me her heart that
she would give me her hand.
Neither of us had ever visited
Europe. We decided to re the
ocean during our honeymoon. Be-
fore we went she showed me her
beautiful home and all her posses
sions. Among them was a store OF
old china,
Suddenly she turned,to the shelves
of her cabinet and took down a china
bowl - transparent, covered with
flowers and butterflies of quaint con
ventional form.
AS she held it toward me I saw
again the long, low-hung, white
washed Brazilian ROOM the crowd OF
men playing cards at an ~improvised
table, the figure of the woman adj
vancing toward me. 1t was her atti-
tude that my wife had assumed. !
uttered a cry.
ssAre you thirsty?' she asked.
ut is true, then,n l cried. "You
are the woman who saved my life
when ! lay perishing of fever in
BRAZIL
She began to tremble. Setting the
bowl aside she threw herself into my
arms.
Long ago." she panted-s'ten years
ago--I thoughtI held that bowl in my
hand and asked you that. 1t was
night. / do not know whether !
l-x..x 4. -tho4Ho~ 4 .voc N,nI II %hn