Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-05-23

been betrothed for two years. / held
close and regular correspondence
with her. and her entreaties for me to
come home were at times pitiful.
However, wishing on this trip, above
all others, to convince the firm that
they need have no fear of my becom-
ing homesick, had never asked for
leave of absence.
cat last, about the first of Deem
Der, a letter reached me from the
house while [ was in Alabama, stating
that after the 10th inst, all travelling
agents will be at liberty until January
l. and wishing us merry Christmas
and happy New Year. OF course,
was extremely well pleased, and men
tally calculated that after the days
labor was completed on the tenth [
would board the 8 p. m. train for
Nashville, and reach home by the
morning of the 18th.
Retiring early on the night of De-
cember 6, suffering from no undue
mental or physical excitement, I fell
41AOO NIlotU up k1SoISO u NC d k)tdCGlO
sleep, in which [ dreamed that I stood
at the rear entrance of a strange
brick house, one which [ had never
seen in my waking moments, but ey-
cry exterior detail of which [ seemed
to note carefully and still remember.
Why or how [ was supposed to be
there, or why I was at the rear door,
[ do not know, but [ was perfectly
sure that it was proper to be there,
and also equally as sure that this
house was Mary's home. I knocked
upon the door and was admitted by
Mary's sister, who to me expressed
but little concern at seeing me, mere
ly saying, Mary is in the parlor, and,
as persons do in dreams, disappeared
] was alone. Taking a hasty survey
of the room, I noticed that it seemed
in disorder, such a disorder as results
from moving before articles are placed
in their proper positions. I scanned
things closely. A pair of lady's shoes
sat in the middle of the room, close to
the leg of a center table. A lounge
sat in the farther end against one of
the curtains, which hung over a fold
ing door, the other curtain being
drawn, disclosing small room, in
which the only article Of furniture
visible through the curtains was bu
reau, such as were so much used at
that time.
1sIt is needless for me to mention
every object which ] seemed to ex-
anime in that one brief moment,
though I recall everything wildly,
even to the carpet, the wall paper,
the unhung pictures and their frames;
suffice it to say that Mary stood in front
of the bureau in the little room, with
| her long, black hair hanging loosely
over his shoulders, while she searched
for something in the topmost drawer,
in utter ignorance Of my presence. [
| gazed upon her moment, and called
her name. She turned toward me
with a look of widest surprise, which
quickly changed to one OF JOY as she
rushed toward me with outstretched
arms, crying aloud my name. I adj
vanced toward her. AS she threw the
curtain farther back, in her wild haste
her foot caught under rug which lay
in the doorway, and she began to fall
I leaped forward and caught her in
my arms before she had fallen COM
pletely to the floor, raised her gently
and placed her upon the lounge, not a
yard away.
CHER sister had heard the noise we
had made and came running in Mary
did not speak. [ did not seem to be
excited, and can even remember in
the dream having attributed her quiet,
as she lay upon the couch, to faintness.
Her sister babe me enter an adjoining
room to the right, which / did, seem
ing to know that it was the sisters
desire to be alone with her while she
prepared her for bed and the treat
ment necessary to resuscitate her.
''In this other room began to feel
alarmed, and endeavored to allay my
fears, as we'll as to divert my thoughts,
by examining things closely. A door
with a broken glass opened out upon
a driveway, which seemed to have
been newly paved, and which led to
the street a few steps. A civic pro-
cession Of some kind was passing, at
which gazed intently at first through
the broken door, then stepping out
upon the drive, I seemed to have for
gotten Mary. I advanced but few
steps, when I slipped upon the icy
pavement and fell to the ground. The
imaginary fall awoke me with a start.
I was much excited h1lt NV 1aerxzac