The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-05-08
LOOKING UNDER THE BED.

We were a large family of boys and
girls, now all married and scattered at
various distances from the early home
and aged parents, with the exception of
two-a bachelor brother and a widowed
sister. | was the eldest girl and had
married and settled not 40 miles from
home. But as / was something of an
invalid, and the journey between my
place of residence and my old home
was broken by more than one change of
railroad and a disagreeable wait of over
two hours at little wayside station, l
did not often take advantage of the
nearness of my people.
One night. in the fall of 1856, awoke
from an unpleasant dream about my
father and next morning at breakfast
astonished my husband by declaring
that L was going home to see my pa
rents. My husband made no objection
to this move on my part, except regret
ting that he could not accompany me.
l was driven to the station and in due
time arrived in the town of Middleton,
the little place where | was born.
1t was a typical New England town,
with its pretty, quaint, boN-like houses
with their green painted blinds, the mar
row village streets we'll shaded with
noble elms and naples, the latter now
looking like enormous bouquets in their
gaUdy autumnal coloring.
L found my father quite well and in
the best of spirits, but several other
members of the family had like myself
been taken with desire to visit the old
FOLKS, for l found that nearly all NV
brothers and sisters. with their respec-
tive families, were there before me, so
that the old place looked quite like
former days.
While mother and Sister Kate We're
evidently very much pleased with the
idea of having kind of an unexpected
family gathering, | could see that they
We're not little perpIexed as to how
they We're going to provide sleeping
quarters for SO many. Ny advent did
not help in the least. as was enough of
an invalid to be very poor sleeper and
bad night was the forerunner of a AZ
hours headache, a headache that had
so far batfied medical skill. Where to
put me, therefore. in order that might
he quiet enough to obtain sufficient
sleep not to spoil my visit, was the ques-
tIon which troubled my mother and
Kate. However, my bachelor brother
was the one who settled the matter by
saving that | could have his room and
that he could bunk" as he termed it,
elsewhere.
Nat was the postmaster-had held
the position through several adj,
ministrations-and was a person of
note in the place. His room was an ex-
Il 6
house and as remote as possible. in or
der that his comings and goings should
not disturb mother, who was a light
sleeper.
Mother and Kate were alike relieved
by this arrangement, and | reioiced in
having room where no household noise
could possibly disturb my slumbers.
We were a jolly crowd when we got
together. | had forgotten nv bad
dream and was, in my quiet way, as
merry as the rest. The fun and frolic
continued until quite late. 1t was al
most midnight when Sister Kate es-
cortcd me to my room, and, aft r seeing
that everything was provided for my
comfort, retired, leaving me To my own
devices to pass the time until | fell
asleep.
After Kate left me / looked about the
apartment. 1t was to me the only
strange room in the house here | was
born. | also felt lonely, as | was not
accustomed to room alone, and coming
from the brightly-lighted sitting-room
into the DINNER one may have brought
about a strange feeling which oppressed
me. though 1 was not nervous at all
lff
was an oblong apartment, not very
high, with a door leading into the
grounds, as well as the one connecting
with the house, and these doors were at
least ) feet apart. The furniture was
not remarkable, except that it was de
cidedly old d-fashioned The bedstead
was a high four-poster. 1t stood with
its side close to the outer wall of the
room, and at the foot of il was an iron
safe. 1t was a comforta BILE bed, though.
however uninviting its position, and l
felt weary enough to sleep even in a
strange place, so retired after paying
due attention to the faStenings of the
outer door, which | found of massive
make and in good order, and, strange TO
say, L fell asleep as soon as my head
touched the pillow and slept soundly
for some time.
How long the duration of that sleep
was l never knew. | awoke with a
start from the self-same dream which |
had the preceding night, and amid what
appeared to be a babel of voices, one of
which l heard say distinctly:
Not now until the 18th
There had been something strange
about the dream of the preceding night.
While 1T left the impression of undue
pleasantness and | knew that il CON
cerned my father, | could not recall "a
single incident of it. But now | could
remember that there was in it some ref
erence TO the 5th, and that was all.
although L had evidently dreamed il
the second time. When had fully re-
covered my waking senses | sat up and
tried to pierce the intense darkness of
the room. The voices had undoubtedly
been dream voices, for no one was in
the room. Yet the words had made
such an impression on me that they
had apparently fastened themselves in
my brain. for Not now until the 18TH
seemed to shine as if branded in fire on
the deep gloom of my chamber.
The day before had been the 9Th of
the month: ten days off was the 15thi
What was To occur upon that date?
There is no need for one to say that
that night was full of horrors Every
form of trouble and disaster paraded
before nv mental vision, until the