Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-06-27

went into dream after I'd gone to
bed and dreamed that I was. blind.
And then I thought I woke up and
fcould hear my shipmates dressing. And,
says I it's terrible dark morning.
"And I thought they laughed and
said it was broad daylight, and wanted
| to know what was the matter. And
L heard myself ask:
"'Ain't it night?' And I heard them
answer:
Night, why, man, We must be
dreaming Then I thought I felt my
way back to my bunk; and I'm lying
there yet in dream and it seems very
| long. And I've dreamed everything a
man could think of since then. You
see I was coming home to marry and
settle down. Thought / came home
and my mother and sister met me at
| the dock. Of course 1 couldn't see
them, and I felt all over their faces
and heard them crying, just as if il was
| real.
"And, says 1, Where's Annie?' mean
ing the girl I was to marry; and l
thought they told me she was there,
and put her hand in mine and [ tried
terrible to Zee her. I thought I sat
| down and cried and cried, and then I
| happened to think that l was only
! dreaming after all. / dreamed that
| she went away and that my mother
| died and that / started this little shop.
| Seems as if it was all real, and yet /
know I'm only dreaming. You men who
come here to buy things and talk with
me are only part of my dream. One
| day | thought man came in and told
| me Annie was married. Well, SIR I
sent the boy home and sat there in
the shop alone that evening. And by
and by my sister came in and says she
to me: What are you crying for?'
and says 1: Armies married.
''Oh pshaw!' says she, you're only
dreaming. It'll all come right
"And so I keep forgetting it's a
dream. Sometimes have an awful sad
ness, but, thank God know I'm only
dreaming. I know that when the morn
| ing comes 1 shall wake and laugh at
the phantoms of the night and 1 shall
| Sandy Hook and looking to catch a
ready to meet Annie and mother and
| u.
out. o, it'll be grand
The old mans face had a merry
smile as he spoke of the coming morn
ing and the things it had for him.
Seems as if this dream had lasted
a thousand years" he continued, yawn-
ing and rubbing his eyes. Seems as if
1 had grown old since / went to bed
last night. But I've dreamed the like
before. and, my God! how glad I felt
when l woke in the morning."
Come" said he, speaking to the boy,
''1et's have the lights up-port an star
board an masthead. All right sir, you
may have it for dollar. It'll be all
the same in the morning."
| And so we left him like a ship lying
to and straining at the cables, his an
Choir sunk in the deep of that long
night. 1t seemed to me that it would
be better for many of us if we could
think it all dream and have his faith
in the morning it will bring back
the things we have lost. But then, he
was lunatic.
And years went by-many of them
filled with coming and going and
loving and striving and nights
and days like this one. And.
long afterwards, when I went to Riggs
funeral, they told me that he rose
| in bed before the end came and held
his hand to his eyes. Looking into the
far sky he cried aloud: ''The day has
come, thank God! and 1 am going
| home"
And as I was coming away I heard
the preacher saying: "a thousand
years are as a day. Our lives are but
dream of the night. You that hear
me are dreaming
The words angered me. for I knew
| that l was awake. I could bear with
the insanity of Riggs, but not with the
sophistry of the preacher, and I
shouted:
'Life is not dream, you fool. Can
we not hear and see and feel?" At the
last word I struck table at my side
| And, as my hand touched it. the room
turned dark, as if night had fallen
suddenly, and every sound hushed. And
then I thought mighty wave of light
swept over US in which everything van
ished and was awake and it was morn.
| ing.