The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-01-24
A Dream.

land, in his autobiography, relaters
the neutrality-suspicious. [ proceed fur
ther, think it will be entertaining to
relate remarkable dream l had some
years previous to my being a sailor.
my parents had ten children, one
(the tirst) died in her infancy, the rest
arrived to years of maturity. The
eldest five were all at service before
could remember them but the young
est four, namely, Elizabeth, Ruth, my.
self, and George were brought up to-
yether. Elizabeth was the eldest of
us four, and after time she married q
wothless man, who soon left her with
one child, daughter; and being OF a
tender spirit and constitution, she gave
herself up to grief, ard died of brok-
ell heart. Not knowing Of her death,
she being many miles away from her
relations, undertook to go and see
her for myself. I travelled with much
pleasure, but on arriving, at Eden
bridge, her home, I was Informed she
had been dead two weeks, and found
her child in the poor-house. set out
on my return next morning, and
wept nearly all the way home. About
two weeks afterward the above-men-
toned dream occurred
II thought / was walking IN a
pleasant road, where met my sister
Elizabeth, with child in her arms,
seemingly in great ecstacy. Remem-
bering that she was dead, I supposed
it to be her spirit, and being desirous to
know if she was happy, I put the
question to her, but she took no notice
of me, but continued walking along,
caressing her child, and singing in a
most melodious manner. l turned
and walked with her, admiring her
dress, which was white as snow, and
listening to the melody of her voice
until we came to a large town or city.
She turned up to go into the midst
thereof, and turned also to 60 with
her, she made a sudden stop, and told
me I must not 60 any further with
her. I again repeated my question,
whether she was happy" She an.
swered with smile, that che lived
in Heaven: that she had been to fetch
her child, that che might be with her
in that happy place that this was not
the time for me to 60 there; that
must return to tho place came from:
but added, IF thou art as good, and
serves the Lord as thou ought to do,
thou shalt goto Heaven also"
Upon which she proceeded into the
city, singing, and the melody of her
voice was such, and it echoed in such
o manner. that the whole city seemed
to ring; and # ultimately became such
%
transported with it. At length l lost
sight of my sister, and turning away,
I wept bitterly. I then proceeded on
my way, but the road was 80 strange
to me, that I knew not where 1 was
going. At length 1 came into a
strange place, where everything about
me became intolerable. In this state,
feeling all the horror possible, and
becoming entangled in kind of
labyrinth, called to number of people
who were at some distance from me,
for help but they only derided me for
coming there at the same time telling
me that the place where we were was
hell; that they had neither power to
help me nor themselves; that they
were much worse off than was, for
they had no help, but I had. At that
moment an invisible hand lifted me
out of my dismal situation, and set
me in road. 1 then ran as fast as !
could until I came to the place where
I farcied myself at the commence.
ment of my dream, when I awoke.
"Although I would by no means
encourage and an undue attention to
dreams, yet L believe the Father oi
Mercies sometimes makes use OF
dreams, now, as in former days, to
make known His will to the children
of men, and the only safe way have
found respecting them is to think as
little of them as possible then, if they
are intended to be of Divine significa-
ton, it will be revealed in due time.
"Some time after this dream I went
again to Edenbridge, to see my sister
Elizabeth's child; but she was also
dead, and on inquiring the time she
died, / found she died the same night
on which 1 dreamed the aforesaid
dream, which made such an impress
sion on my mind, that it has evel
since remained as fresh on my memo
ry, as though it had been dream Of
the present time aud have no doubt
it is we'll with my sister and l hope
to meet her, never to part again, in
the realms of bliss"