Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-05-10
MYSTERY OF DREAMS.
The Wonders the Brain Sees In tn.
FRACTION of n Second.

The Wonders the Brain Sees In the
Fraction of Il Second.
IL is not unusual to hear one say that
he has been dreaming about something
all night, when possibly his dream oc.
cupied only Il very short time. Many
attempts have been made to measure
the time occupied in dream, and rec
ords appear from time to time in the
papers showing that often elaborate
ones occupy but few seconds. The
following incident is told by gentle
man who vouchcs for its accuracy:
BE was engaged one afternoon with
Il clerk in verifying some long columns
of figures that had been copied from
one book TO another. The numbers,
representing amounts i'll dollars and
cents, were composed of six or seven
figures. The clerk would read, for in
stance, Fourteen, one forty-two,
twelve" making the amount of Sl4,-
1922, and the gentleman would an
swer, Check" to indicate that the
copy was correct Page after page had
been read as rapidly as the words
could be uttered, each number receiy-
ing the CHECK" The work was drowsy,
and it was with difficulty lie could
keep his eyes open.
Finally sleep overcame him, and he
dreamed-dreamed of an old horse he
had been accustomed TO drive twenty
five or thirty years ago. He could not
recall any special -incident connected
with the dream except the locality and
the distinct sight of the horse and Of
the buggy to which he had driven him.
He awoke suddenly and, as number
was ended, called "Check." He was
conscious of having slept and of hav-
ing dreamed and said to the clerk:
Charlie, / have been asleep. How
many Of those numbers have l miss
ed" "None," he replied. you have
checked every one" Close question
ing developed the fact that of the fig
ures $14,142.12 he had heard the four
teen and the twelve, but had slept and
dreamed during the time occupied in
rapidly uttering the words zone forty
two" He tried by reading other num-
bers to measure the time and thinks it
could not have been more than half a
second.
Another story is told Of man who
sat before his fire in n drowsy condi-
ton. A draft blowing across the
room set a large photograph on the
mantel to swaying. A slender vase
was in front of it, and the man re-
members wondering. in mood Of
Whimsical Indifference, whether tho
picture would blow forward and send
the vase to the floor.
Finally gust of wind did topple the
picture. and it struck the vase. The
man remembers having been curiously
relieved in his state of drowsness that
at last the "old thing was going to fall
and be done with it."
Presently he was in the midst of n
complicated business transaction in q
western city miles away. All the de-
tails of new and unheard Of scheme
We're coming forth from his lips, and a
board Of directors was listening. The
scheme prospered. lie moved his fam
lily west. Fragments Of the journey
thitllcr and glimpses Of the fine house
he bought came before his vision.
A crash woke him. The vase had
struck the floor. He had dreamed an
unlived life covering years, and ali in
the time 1t took for the vase which he
had seen toppling before he fell asleep
to fall five feet and break.-Youths
Companion.