The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-17
4 REMARR1BLE DREAM.
A Prominent Richmond Man Became Tired
of His Body and Cast IL on.

A Prominent Richmond Man Became Tired
of His Body and Cast il on.
prominent professional gentleman OF
this city. during the quiet hours Of night,
was recently favored by the following
dream. Every part Of this account he
vouches for as an accurate statement, &C
cording 10 his nocturnal vision:
l dreamed that. having become tired
Of my body, it having often caused me
discomfort and pain and hampered me
more or less in the labors Of my cher
ished profession, determined to rid my
self Of 1t as an incumbrance that l could
well dispense with.
After deep study Of the subject and in
| vestigation Of physiological laws, learned
how the dissolution could be effected. and
lost no time in carrying out my design
! The process was entirely painless, and
was followed by an unspeakable sense Of
relief
1t was like an instant recovery from
| long Illness. Every trace Of WEAKNESS
was gone. l did not even feel the pressure
| OF the gravitation which holds bodies>
down to the earth. and was conscious OF
the ability TO move TO any distant point
at will. No cold nor heat affected me,
nor did l desire or depend upon food
or drink. l experienced in those first mo-
ments triumphant eXultatiOn that sur
passed any happiness / mad ever known
1t was a victory Of spirit over matter
and all the laws Of nature.
1t was accompanied, also, by n certain
degree Of resentment towards the silent
form that lay before me, because Of the
many ills / had suffered during the long
period of our copartnership. The food of
reflections that passed through my mind
while surveying my mortal remains it
would be impossible to narrate, but pre-
parations must be made for interment,
and / prepared the deserted tenement for
decent burial After dressing 1T in my
best clothes, which 1 would never need
again, 1 procured a respectable casket
and wlled my body into it for its long
sleep.
Procuring an express wagon, I had the
casket hauled to Hollywood cemetery,
having telephoned for grave to be pre-
pared. and proceeded TO perform the last
duty of laying my body away in the earth.
Before lowering the coffin / had the cover
removed for one last look. Then first
came over me a sense Of loneliness and
a shade Of regret at parting from a life
long companion. But the work begun
must be carried out. and the lid was
screwed down and the mournful process
completed by the filling of the grave. A
friend who mysteriously appeared on the
scene shed few tears. which was proper.
and l turned away hOmewards to try the
experiment of life on earth without a
mortal body.
Passing along Main street l met a gen
tleman friend or two, but when / greeted
them they looked startled. said nothing
and hurried on.
and essayed to join them as they walked, |
but when l spoke they screamed and ran |
away. II began to dawn upon me then |
that my situation, so pleasant in many |
respects, was not without its inconveni- |
ences. After several unsuccessful at |
tempts to converse with those / met, with |
a view to explain to them the triumph l |
had achieved, l gave it up and bent my |
way towards the house Of a relative.
Then came over me the profoundest |
feeling Of isolation from my race, and |
an appreciation Of the fact that l was
incapacitated for any work among men. /
l was lonely beyond expression one of
all mankind having almost nothing in
common with them; exiled by my own
act from their company. l began to
think also that l had done a great in
justice to my poor body, which had been
my nearest friend for forty-two years.
accompanying me throughout my travels
over the larger part Of the world. l had
not always been kind TO it; had abused
It in many ways, and often driven it in
obedience to ambition beyond what was
right and considerate, and If il had caused
me pain, it had generally been through
my own fault and abuse of 1t.
] was stricken with remorse at my
larshness, and at my final ungrateful
act of desertiOn.
Arriving in no happy frame at the
house of my relative. l entered, opening
III door, and found himself ard his wife
itting before Il glowing fire in their
lomelike parlor.
l spoke and though they were not a
title startled, they did not fly from me-
because they recognized my voice, and
lad already heard what l had done
they began at once to chide me for my
TRANCE conduct, by which. if l persisted,
had made IL impossible ever again for
friend to look upon my face. They
rged me to undo at once, If possible
ny rash act, and take back my body
efore II began to decay, suggesting that
ne extreme cold of the season had,
oubtless, so far preserved il intact
felt the reasOnableness of their argu-
lent and yet was terribly disappointed
0 think that my triumph over the matter
nd emancipation from all physical dis
)mfcrt was after all not desirable. and
~ experiment a failure Bat. acting
pom their advice, ! hasteI.ed TO the ceme-
,ry and, securing the unwilling services
the frightened grave ggcrs. promise
large compensation for their assistance
the uncanny undertaking, l had the
,fiin dug up and opeie ed The sight Of
" poor body cold ana helpless. inten-
fed my former feeling Of remorse. and
ith bound l sprang into it, and re-
affiliated and thrilling with ecstatic
light. FASTENED homewards, after Civ
& handsome fee to the astounded
aYe-diggers.
Before l reached the gate OF the Gene
ry on my joyful return to my home
I'd friends. l awoke. and the strange
cam was ended. X. Y. T.
CofIef-a IA Climb