The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-07-04
THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 4. 89.
THEOREMATIC DREAMS.
WARNING RECEIVED BY A TEXAS
FARMER AND HIS WIFE.

Dreaming OF Raid Of Mexican Greasers,
which Was FULFILLED In the Panchs Parras
Msssacre-Tho Neighbors Couldn't Un-
derstand why the Farmer Moved.
Impending perils may cast shadow
persistently ignored In q waking state,
while the mind is under the influence Of
self deluding optimism-the wish that
is father to the belief in the significance
Of the threatening danger. But in sleep
the voice Of the monitor cannot be 81
fenced by such illusions, and warning
forebodings often take the form of dis
tinct visions, repeated with vividness
and frequency which at last cannot fail
to influence the actions Of the individual,
In spite of all waking sophisms.
DREAMED IT TWICE.
remember the instance Of an Ameri-
can family that had settled In the
northern uplands of Cameron county,
Texas, but before the end Of a year re-
moved to the vicinity Of a larger settle
ment and sold their half completed
home for reasons that remained mys-
terry to their upland neighbors.
1--WE had selected that building site
after good deal of prospecting" the
first proprietor of that house told me
few years later, land at first it seemed
puzzle to me that nobody had pre-empted
1t long ago. 1t was broad hill with
fine prospect east and south; we had an
abundance of timber, fine range, two
good springs, and ledge Of soft lime
stone within thousand yards of the
house, where you could shape out build
could hope to find better neighbors;
they actually got up picnic to celebrate
our arrival, SO glad they were to have
English speaking folks within visiting
distance.
"We had every prospect of getting an
improved road and postoffice, and three
months after our first entry would not
have sold that homestead for ten times
my direct expenses. But about half a
year after that ranch seemed haunted
place and didn't feel at rest night or
day, though people that know me are
not likely to call me superstitious. Inever
was afraid of darkness even when l was
boy and swarm of ghosts would not
scare me worth cent. But one night,
about week after had got home from
a trip to Brownsville Landing, l dreamt
our house was tackled by band of
Greaser bushwhackers (Mexican bandits)
and that they shot me down and killed
my little boy with club, and then
loaded their horses with everything they
could move.
1.-TWO nights after I had exactly that
same dream over again, and l could see
every stick and stone in our yard, when
l tried to make break for our next
neighbor and was shot down just as
rushed through HE gate. noticed the
very horses and saddles of that gang and
could have recognized every one of them
If had met them in daylight, and now
do believe that did see them somehow
or other on that trip to the landing.
THE wIFE's WARNING.
"The idea began to haunt me when that
though l never said word; but one
morning my wife seemed uneasy till al
our farm hands had started to work
and then asked me to come out in the
garden for minute.
"'Do you think there are any robbers
In this neighborhoodY she asked mt
WHEN we were quite alone.
"fWhy, did you see or hear anything
suspicious? l asked her back.
"'No, but had such strange dream
last night said she, with sort Of /,
shudder. I dreamt a gang of Mexicanl
came to our house and made me run TO
my life, and just before got through
the door I saw them knock down littl
Tommy with club
Didn't help your l laughed.
"'I don't know she said. 4 saw 70,
collar one Of them, and I kept calling
for you in English to save yourself, bu
just as you dashed through the gate
heard the crack Of shotgun and then
tainted
, 81 made no reply, but that minute
felt that we couldn't stay any longer
and two weeks after made up my mint
to move to Indianola. There were NJ
Mexicans in our immediate neighbor
hood at that hill farm, and no seriou
robbery had happened anywhere neare
than Casa Blanca, but felt that I hat
to look for new home If expected t,
get an hours peace, and it often seemed
to me that was doing sin if I let IN.
little boy out of sight for ten minutes
, So we made up an excuse about school
and postoffice and managed to sell on
pretty place for few hundred. TIL
neighbors thought must be half crazy
but couldn't help it; and just ten week
! after we were gone we got the news 0
that Pancho Parras massacre. TIL
. whole neighborhood had been sacke
| and outraged, and as know my boy,
I am now morally certain that he woul
have stood his ground and got himsel
killed if he had seen any brute lay hi
hands on his mother"
The very LONELINESS Of that accouu
impressed me with conviction of its al
solute truth, and on the whole conside
1t the most characteristic instance c
what Artemidoros would have Gale
"theorematic dreams" -Felix L. Oswald
NJ. D., in The Open Court.