Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-04-30

The pail of mystery never so COM
pletely and mpenetrably wraps its
folds about any other act of life as it
does around the wonderful visions
that photograph themselves upon the
memory indelibly, through the in
explicable workings of the brain,
while the body is at rest. Uncon-
sciously to the other parts of the
individuality, this active, everwork,
ing, ,supersensitive servant continues
its work like sheltering angel, keep
ing it's faithful vigils through the
night over the resting animal organ
ism, silently taking note of every
sound borne upon the air to Its sem
sitive appreciation, and prepared.
like faithful sentinel, to give warn
ing to the being of which it is a
part.
That many dreams come true, and
are intended as warnings, direct from
the Almighty, has been proved to
thousands of human beings so fre-
quently and with strong force as not
to admit of doubt, says writer in
the N. Y. Times. Such dreams come
to us in childhood, and others follow
at intervals throughout our lives.
People possessed of nervous tempera-
ments are more susceptible and have
such dreams much more frequently
than others, but even the most phleg-
matte people occasionally have them,
and few beings are free from them.
The brain is like sponge which col
lects minor facts of various times,
facts gravitaing in the brain toward
each other, until the greater fact
is evolved, leading to a conclusion
regarding matters which are likely
to occur in the future, either near or
remote. Atmospheric influences
have much to do with dreams, and
psychic force much more, but, as the
mind governs the body and is its
master, the animal organism is its
complete subject at all times rebel
lion being out of the question.
II has been remarked that of all
humanity the soldier and the sailor
are the greatest dreamers. This is
accounted for upon the theory that
danger brings the brain to a greater
tension than does any other infiu.
ence. Some of these dreams related
as having come to soldiers are of in
terest, and the verified ones are well
worth telling and studying over, for
they fOretold actual occurrences and
often fOretOld the action Of greater
men than the dreamer-in fact, in
many instances they were the cause
of averting catastrophe. Some OF
these occurred during the war be-
tween the North and the South OF
this nation. Every soldier engaged
In that war has at least one of these
remarkable dreams to relate as being
either his own or that of a comrade
1t was one week previous to the
battle of Fair Oaks that a volunteer
passed the night in tent ofa member
Of the Fifth Michigan Infantry, ant
when he arose in the morning he was
gloomy and down-hearted. Wher
rallied about his fancied home-sick
ness, he answered in solemn tones:
81 have only one week to live
1 had dream last night that ha
settled the business for me and lot
of others. A week from to-day
battle will be fought, and thousan d
will be killed. My regiment will
lose more than one hundred men
and shall be killed while charg
ing across the field"
The men laughed at his mood.
spirit and his belief in a simpl
dream; but 1t was with furiou
temper that he turned upon them
and, with blancned face and in al
impressive and er-to-be-forgotteI
manner, continued:
"Your regiment will also be ii
that fight, and when the roll is calle,
after the battle you will have moth
ing to make merry over, but, on tn
contrary you will find subject 70