The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-25
DREAMS THAT COME.
STRANGE FREAKS AND FANTASIES or
THE SLEEPING MIND.

| 7w-st.- 49, SSssIs,i.ssss-3k rr7g ssgza.
In what Respeots Waking and Eleepine
Dreams Are Different-R2pfd ity 81 In,
Brains Action During the Progress Of
Dream-some Examples.
! The difference between dreams and wax
ing impressions would seem to be, since The
dreamer Of course believes In the present
actual reality of what he sees, that th,
ideas or images .ollow one another as the
result of certain mental operations or asso
Citations over which we have absolutely no
control, whereas In our waking moments
we may begin, vary or discontinue the
series at will. We cannot divert any OF
our impressions whilo dreaming by refer
ence to external objects, for the simple
reason that the power of comparison Is
lost, and there exists peculiar condition
of mental impotoncy which gives rise to
every incongruity and absurdity of the
dreamer's experience.
To give an example of these: A man
dreams Of attending friends funeral, and
walks and chats In the procession with that
same friend without thinking it at all odd
or peculiar; and frequently. as every
dreamer knows, we will SHIFT our scenes to
almost incredible distances in q mere mo-
OF establishment at thus overcoming such
physical impossibilities. 1t is marvellous
with what rapidity the mental panorama
sometimes passes in review-so rapidly
that the sound or disturbance which wakes
the sleeper appears actually to set in mo-
ton the train of images which produces
the dream. 1t is told of IA man who served
in our late war that he dreamed he had
enlisted, gone to the front, fought two bat
ties at widely separated times. deserted,
was captured, carried back, court mar
tailed, sentenced to be shot and was
awakened by the report OF the firing party
to find that he had been asleep just four
minutes.
A medical writer records case of gen
tleman suffering with mitral stenosis (valv
ular disease Of tho hearth who was com
PEELED to sleep in n sitting posture, as h'
suffered the most horrible sense Of suffoca
ton whenever he lay down. In thes,
Nightmares he thought he was attackc,
by monstrous skeleton which clasped II
bony fingers about his throat and tried t
J strangle him. Once he fell over upon tn,
bed in his sleep. His attendant ran an,
raised him up instantly, yet la that brit
moment Of time he seemed to have struR
gled with the demon for upward Of al
hour.
A friend dreamed that he went fror
4 New York TO Boston by steamer, spen'
several days with an acquaintance, and oil
the return voyage, gale arising, the sea
broke over the vessel and drenched hin
: with spray. He woke to find his wifi
Iplayfully sprlnkling water in his face.
4 lie had dozed in his chair for less than five
minutes. A comicnl story is told Of {
naval surgeon in whom dreams Of any
character could be produced by simpl,
j whispering in his ear during sleep. HI
could be made to go through the who'll
! ordeal of quarrel n challenge and duel
the pistol being discharged by him at tn,
given signal with as much accuracy as t.
4 time us IL he were wide awake. Findin
him asleep one day in a hammock on decl
1! ono OF the officers whispered in his en-.
that he had fallen overheard aud to swim
for his life, as shark was after him. TIL,
fact that it was principally for the marine
: did not detract whit from the enjoyment
with which they witnessed his froglik'
rontortions.
On another occasion they told him aves
, sci had been engaged that the decks weI'
/ being swept by musketry fire. and the mel
81 falling like leaves around him. He becam'
? white as sheet and manifested the live
all began to groan in imitation OF tht
wounded, and upon one OF them suddenly
shouting, Down goes Billy McCue" 9TH,
surgeons assiEtant), the poor fellow jump
i ed up with cold perspirntion standing lik,
= beads on his forehead and broke for tn,
y cabin on q run. Strange to say, however
O he had afterward not the slightest remem
brance OF the dream.
% That dreams are ocula subjecta fidelibus
4 laid before the faithful eye as menta
shadows Of whit has passed previously be
fore us, is evinced by the fact that theN
never reveal any change which may havt
! .aken place In the scene since we last saw
IT.. II we dream of place we have visite,
II summer it must always recur to us ii
is summer dress, but il we visit the plac
= 10Th in summer and winter the scene is ap
4 o appear in the garb we first saw it In, q
= he impression first conveyed is likely I
il nave been the stronger.
ID The undiverted ideas of dream ma
Il sometimes correct the errors of the day
ls A paying teller in bank noticed anon
= the line OF patrons one particularly nois
Hand impatient individual who insisted upo
"a the immediate payment Of a check for fit
il dollars as he could not wait his turn. TIL
/ teller, to get rid of his opportunities, pal
him and thought no more of the circun
stance At the end of the fiscal year tn
books Of the bank showed deficiency
u fifty dollars, and after weeks hard wor
ID in trying to make them balance he gly
n the matter up and drew his person.
p check for the amount. The same night
!, dreamed, and the whole circumstance
u the noisy individual returned to him 5
clearly that he went to the party's accour
~ and found where the money had been pal
A and never entered in the books of interes
1, Scott relates story Of a gentleman VIII
j. was sued for the recovery of certain tith,
= which, ko was strongly impressed, hs
y been paid by his father, then deceasct
! The night before the trial he dreamed thu
- mis- father appeared and told him the del
md been paid and tue papers relating
he transaction were in the hands OF u co
cain attorney, whom he had employed {
y this one occasion for special reasons /
~ further said that should the matter ha,
II" escaped the attorneys memory il might
h recalled by mentioning Portuguese go
g. piece, which had been given in paymel
an and the change spent at the tavern II
Up gentleman limited up the attorney, wi
OF had entirely for9 often the matter, but I
~ utmbered it Immediately when the go
!, coin was mentioned. Philadelphia Tint
All from tho Banana.
Mr.. Gels has shown that the ripe banan
nut uD in tin cuus with condensed mil