Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-06-02
MYSTERY OF DREAMS.
Fhe Wonders the Drain Sees In the
Fraction of Il Second.


Fraction of II Second.
1t is not unusual TO hear one say that
he has been dreaming about something
all night, when possibly his dream oc-
cupied only very short time. Many
attempts have been made to measure
the time occupied in n dream. and rec
ords appear from time 10 time In the
papers showing that 0r'@n elaborate
ones occupy but a few seem - The
following incident is told by gentle
man who vouches for its accuracy:
He was engaged one afternoon with
n clerk in verifying some long columns
Of figures that had been copied from
one book to another, The numbers,
representing amounts in, 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 $14-
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 recciv.
ing the ''chcck." The work was drowsy,
and it was with difficulty he could
keep his eyes open.
Finally sleep overcamc him. and he
Acknowledgement 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 awollc suddenly and, as II number
was ended, called Check" He was
conscious of having slept and of hay-
ing dreamed and said to the clerk:
Charlie, | have been asleep. How
many of those numbers have | miss
ed?" "None." he replied. you have
checked every one" Close question
ing developed the fact that Of the fig
ures $14. 14212 he had heard the four
| teen and the twelve, but had slept and
dreamed during the time occupied i'll
| rapidly uttering the words 'one forty
| two" lie tried by reading other num-
bers to measure the time and thinks it
| could not have been more than half Il
second.
! Another story IS told. of man who
sat before his fire in drowsy condi-
ton. A draft blowing across the
room set large photograph on the
mantel to swaying. \ slender vase
was in front of it, and the man re-
members wondering, in mood OF
| whimsical Indifference, whether the
picture would blow forward and send
the vase to the floor.
Finally Il 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 a
complicated business transaction III a
| western city miles away. All the de
tails of a new and unhcard OF scheme
were coming forth from his lips, and a
board Of directors was listening. The
scheme prospercd. He moved his fam
ily west Fragments of the journey
thither ana glimpses Of the fine house
he bought came before his vision.
A crash woke him. The vase had
struck the floor. He had dreamed M
unlivcd life covering years, and all il
the time it took for the vase which he
had seen toppling before he fell asleeI
to fall five feet and brcak.-Youth'i
| Companion.