Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-15
DREAMS THAT COME TRUE.
SOME REMARKABLE REVELATIONS AND
WARNINGS IN VISIONS.
Men Who Have Been Saved From Ship
wreck and Disaster by Super.
natural Means.

wreck and Disaster by Super.
natural Means.
Granting that ghost stories are some
times the product of imagination or indi-
gestion, or both combined, there are many
records of supernatural appearances and
revelations which seem to defy skepticism
and to invite criticism and investigation in
manner which is calculated to impress
the impartial reader or hearer with the
conviction not only that the narrator be-
lieves in what he says, but also that he
has good grounds for so doing. To accept
the orthodox theory that supernatural
appearances are impossible and that
dream-warnings are imaginary, it is
necessary to believe that from time imme-
mortal mendacity has been alarmingly
common. Horace speaks of
Avision after midnight, when dreams are true.
and thousands of poets and authors have
indorsed the sentiment. To prove that in
many instances coming events have been
predicted, actual occurrences depicted and
possible contingencies explained by dreams
is not difficult matter, if the testimony of
men of good repute is accepted. Some
times it is not on the evidence of dreamers
alone that Judgment must be based. A
few hours before the ill-fated ship London
started on its last voyage from the city
after which it was named, a gentleman
named Howell, who had secured passage
for himself and family, was warned in a
dream that the ship would founder in a
gale. He was so impressed with the vis-
ion, or whatever it may be called, that he
forfeited the passage money, and tried,
though without success, to get his baggage
put of. He also reported the warning to
several passengers, and was finally threat
ened with arrest and confinement as a
hopeless lunatic. Not long after Howell
said to friend
"It's mercy we didn't sail in the Lon
dom"
"Why? I? was asked.
'fShe sank yesterday. | saw it all clearly
while asleep"
! When the report of the sinking of the
vessel was received some of the neighbors
had sufficient curiosity to hunt up the date,
and their statements showed that the
vision was as accurate as the warning.
CLERICAL DREAMERs.
1t is difficult to explain this story except
| by an Endorsement of Millions theory that
Millions OF spiritual beings walk the earth
| Unseen, both when we sleep and when we
wake.
DIR. Buckley, the celebrated English di-
vine and linguist was by no means a
dreamer, in the ordinary sense of the
word, but he narrated several dreams with
prophetic import, and his ghost story has
been retold so often that mere reference
to it is sufficient. A clerical acquaintance
of the doctors shared his belief in the su-
pernatural, and would entertain friends by
the hour with stories in which dreams and
ghosts were prominent. This clergyman's
favorite anecdote was this: For years he
had associated with an old gentleman who
was an inveterate smoker. One afternoon
the friend arrived as usual, smoking his
pipe, and gave his host some important
advice. So grave and dogmatic was the
usually vivacious old gentleman, and so
singular was his disappearance, that the
clergyman mentioned the circumstance
to his wife. Later in the evening he
learned that his old friend died at the
very hour of his mysterious visit.
There may not be any direct connection
between spooks and Dreams though there
are many who believe that dream warn
ings are uttered by the spirits of departed
friends. This was the opinion of Richard
son, the explorer, who, while on perilous
voyage and in doubt as to what course to
pursue, received a supernatural hint to
| 'steer north" He steered north, and sub
sequent events proved conclusively that by
so doing he saved a number of lives.
Sailors are proverbially superstitious, and
not entirely without cause, if a tenth of
| the dream-warning stories of the sea are
reliable. Among the best authenticated
of these is the one which tells of Captain
dreaming that some shipwrecked sailors
were on ledge of rocks. The picture was
very vivid, and Just after daybreak the
Captain was astonished to see the counter
part of his dream, so far as the rocks were
concerned. He cast anchor and ordered a
boat to the rocks, with the result that nine
persons were discovered at the point of
death from famine and exposure.
THE CAPTAIN KNEW TOO MUCH.
Then there is the story of Captain
Hernside, whose good ship was wrecked
because he declined to heed the warning
of his first officer. The Captain told the
story against himself repeatedly, and was
so impressed by the circumstance that he
never went to sea again. The story is this:
One afternoon while the first officer was
asleep he dreamt that the ship was steer
ing clear into some hidden but deadly
rocks. Very wildly was the scene de-
picted. He saw the good ship strike, he
saw the men at the pumps working for
very life to keep down the water, which
insisted on rising in spite OF all efforts; he
saw them abandon the effort in despair
and take to the boats, and he saw the
good ship reel over and disappear beneath
the waters. The Captain listened good
humoredly to the excitedly narrated story,
and then advised the mate to go and sleep
it off" or he wouldn't be fit to take his
watch. A few minutes later the ship
struck the rocks, and the subsequent events
we're precisely as foretold.
The psychological romance, "The Wo-
man of the Dream" is the record of actual
occurrences, and so very feebly are the
personages and places disguised that when
the story first appeared the hero and hero
inc protested warmly against their private
affairs being made public. The heroine's
name was not "Mabel Eastwood" but that
was what the novelist calls her. Mabel
was supposed to be engaged to certain
Mr.. Trefusis, although she had more than
once declined to accept that gentleman's
attentions. One evening while sitting
with friend she was observed to be ex-
ceptionally nervous, and finally went into
species of trance. While in this condi-
tion she was seen to mechanically trace a
face picture, although she was not an
artist and had never been known to at
tempt to draw The friend drew near and
observed that it was the portrait of man,
and that the features were more striking
than becoming.
HAPPY ENDING.
When Miss Mabel emerged from the
trance, or threw off the peculiar influence
which had overpowered her, the friend
asked who it was she had been drawing
The reply was she did not know, except
that she was convinced fate had ordained
her to be under the influence of the origi-
nal of the portrait. When on the follow
ing day that original visited the house