The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-12-23
AN IDYLL OF "A DREAM.
EDWARD CRAIG.
[Copyrghedl
Respectfully

LAST night lay sleeping
There came dream so fair.
Twas dream | long will cherish
Because it taught Faiths needed lesson,
And showed me plains of peace.
In this dream, at first, l seemed to see
A dark and dismal past.
Clouds darkened every horizon
And gloom cast shadows everywhere.
Long trains of ills and disappointments
Passed by, UNDECIDED, dumb.
First a cloud, then sunbeam,
Until finally it seemed to be an endless
Scene of desolation.
Every moral faculty,
Every hope and faith inspiring trait
Seemed sunk in helpless imbecility.
The first among the long train of ills
Was, many disappointments.
Hopes, me thought, were only to be
crushed
BY cruel and relentless hands.
Then followed temptations, of every
kind, on every hand.
depart, Tempter, DEPART"
would command, again and again.
One conflict ended only to witness
Another one, mightier and stronger
Childhood's happy, blissful dreams
Were as but hollow mockery.
l heard no "Sweet voices of the night, :"
l heard no children singing.
There were no anthems of joyous halle
lujas,
No mighty offertoires, swelling the
measure Of human Joy.
Instead, only seemed to hear,
Through my minds and memory's ach-
ing ears,
Tones of dirges, and sounds of silent
sobbing.
passed down the city's streets, which
were dark and cold,
Until l came to an open cathedral door.
Why, or how, do not know,
But entered it's massive portals
And sought a secluded seat in the rear of
Its spacious auditorium.
The organ, bold, grand and majestic,
Was pealing forth the preludium,
"Rejoice, rejoice all We people,"
The tones died away, like great
Swelling echo of grand Amen.
Me thought the music would cease,
And | closed my eyes in silent reverie.
Ina moment there came floating through
the room
The sound of sweet and lyric voice.
81 will not forsake thee"
I. We're the words that reached my ears
At once my attention was won.
"Who can it be" asked myself,
"Of whom this singer sings"
crest, rest, to the weary"
peace, peace to the soul.
Though life may be dreary, earth is
not thy goal.
Come lay down thy burden,
Come unto me,
will not forsake thee,
Though all else should flee."
sat and listened, as one
Enthroned in mingled doubt and fear
In an instant another sound came peal
ing forth from the organ
And in unison mighty chorus was
sung.
"Jubilate Deo' rang out in tones
Almost divine.
In majestic maestosos, in sweet lulline
andantinos,
Praises were sung.
1t was grand, but torture.
Soon | was out upon the street,
And back to my habitation.
Living doubts, fears and sorrows,
Were soon changed to dreams.
While thus l slept and dreampt, mt
thought,
Some sweet spirit came and whispered
in my ear.
"Awake, Thou who sleepest,
Arise come 60 with me,
And will show thee plains of peace
There is joy, there is JOY,
Come, come, and go with me-"
With much distrust and many doubts.
followed the spirit on.
We passed over broad and fertile fields
Filled with rich and growing grain.
We traversed through valleys,
Over mighty towering hills,
To broad and massive plains beyond.
Their boundary was mountains
We wandered on and on
For leagues and miles.
At last we came to woodland forest
And then the spirit came and walke'
by my side.
Presently, we came to lake OF cain
and placid blue,
At the base of a tall and rugged bluff
We wound our way, down, up, AM
around
Its borders.
The farther we went, the more beautiful
The way, the scenes and the journe
became.
A sweet subtle fragrance filled the all
At last, we reached the summit,
And then the spirit said to me:
"Stop, pray thee, and listen to me,
Be thou of good cheer,
Follow me, and do as bid thee.
Soon we will be at our journeys end.
We followed broad and pretty path,
To the edge of the woodland, and ther
/ saw scene of exquisite beauty.
The spirit led me to large and stated
ground
Where we entered in.
On and on we walked,
Through gardens of rarest flowers an
sparkling fountains.
The fragrance | had noticed before
was Incompatible
To that which now perceived.
The spirit stopped and plucked rose {
Deep and purest red, which he gave
me.
At last we came to cool and prett
nook.