The record-union., 1894-05-12
For the REooRDsDNIoN.l
THE DREAM-WIFE.

In low-ceilinged hut on the shores of Brazil,
Where the noonday is scorching and the mid
night is chill,
And the rank groWths of Nature seem to bear
on their breath,
The poison Of feyer-the shadows of death
Lay fever-tossed patient, from whose dull.
Lies fire was hickering, its flame passing by;
For the priest had just said, my son, have
I commend thee to God, for the end is now
And had left with blessing for the dying
and dead;
The last rites were over. the last prayer was
The nurse, worn with watching and shrink
ing with fear
Seemed to feel that the angel of death hovered
near;
But exhausted and weary had fallen asleep,
And failed tor moment her vigil 10 keep.
When into the hut there glided a form
Whose every slight movement of culture
A woman, whose face was of sweet classic
mold,
And her hair seemed to simmer like tresses
In her hand was goblet as blue as the skies
When she touched the dull sleeper he opened
With a wild. eager look-witn gasp of sur
Drink ali of this quickly. for must not de-
Ily.p
He soon drained the vessel-she glided away
Next morning he woke feeling stronger and
well,
And asked for the woman-the vision-the
spell
Or whatever it was-that strange, beauteous
That had brought back his life in the dead of
the night.
His hearers they smiled for to them it did
But the play of delirium-the freak of a
dream 3!
In the suburbs of Natchez, he saw that same
face;
That same slender figure, and same golden
She stood in the pathway SO sweet and so
fair.
''My God it is she OF that far away land p
Here she stood in the flesh with rose in her
hand
He spoke TO his friend who thought him quite
wild,
Or possessed of a fancy unworthy a child.
But he soon sought way-they stood face to
And their spirits went back to that first meet
ing place,
To that low-ceiinged hut, where their souls
had once met,
For the light seemed to f1ash-in a fame-in
jet
From the past. They stood for a moment,
bewildered. amazed;
They looked scarcely conscious, they both
seemed so daZed;
YET never q WOru OF bnsb past QlQ tley speak,
Though the strange recognition had GRIM
soned each cheek
Then he woed and he won all the love of her
heart;
The love of life-wlich seemed a strange
OF his own past existence-his very own life;
He woed and he won this ideal for his wife.
1t was after the marriage, when at last by
themselves,
She went to a cabinet and from one of the
shelves,
She took down goblet, as blue as the skies,
or queer antique pattern, and with sweet,
eager eyes
She said, "On this place is well of strange
power,
Which works wonders in fevers Well, one
Midnight hour some six years ago, in a Wis
ion or dream,
I can scarcely tell which, so real did it seem,
1 went to a hut with this cup in my hand
To some distant country, some strange, for
egn land
I saw you there dying or near unto DEATH
With your eyes wild and staring, with quick.
gasping breath.
I touched your pale forehead, you looked In
my eyes,
As you drank from this cup with searching
surprise;
Next morning woke II the dream fingers
yet
And there stood the goblet with water still
Oh, how vivid the picture-e'en now recall
Every object about you - each rude cut on
the wall.
Amazed and astounded he suddenly cried,
"You saved me, my dream-wife, but for you
had diedr'
Oh marvel of mysteries-what can it mean?
The acme of wave-thonght! was 1t vision or
dream?
Did her soul go to him in that far-away land?
Did her soul go to him with that cup in its
hand?
And though years are now passed they are
wondering still
How her soul went from Natchez way down
to Brazil
Can the mind leave the body and wander
afar?
Does it travel through space like the light
from a star?
But whatever the mystery, she had once saved
his life;
He had met years before with his precious
dream-wife.
And though holy their love they are ponder
ing still
How her soul left her body and went TO
BRAZIL
REV. JOHN F. Won HERRLIcH.
Wichita. Kansas, May 2, 1894.