The San Francisco call., 1906-09-02

dream in which he was a boy Of four
or five years. listening to an old love
song he had heard at that age, but
never afterward. He awoke TO find
himself sitting up in bed whistling the
air. much to the amusement and amaze
ment of the other members of his fam
lily. n practical and successful business
man. personal friend of the writer.
visited one summer the mountain town
in tho Berkshires where the very early
years of his life were spent
He was the guest OF the farmer who
had bought the property after mis-
fathers death and who had erected
more modern house about one-half a
mile from the old building which had
been our friends boyhood home. but
which at that time was used solely
for the storage of farm implements
and tools. The day OF hts arrival he
tramped about the country visiting
places he had not seen for many years.
His Awakening.
lie returned to the farmers house
early In the evening, very weary and
exhausted and after light supper
retired early to his bed. During the
night he dreamed he was a little boy
again in his fathers home. Seated
by the open window of the room used
as sitting and dining room. he was
looking out into the night listening
to the night sounds of the country and
wondering what the great world had
in store for him.
The splashing OF water in his face
awoke him in the early morning twi-
light. He was seated on a box before
an open window in the old tool house.
to reach which he had walked. bare
footed. clad only In his night dress.
over the stuoble of a recently mOWn
field for half a mile. and over a floor
OF the old house covered with pieces
OF broken glass. old nails and suchs
things as accumulate in place of the
kind How long he had been there
he had no way Of telling. An early
morning shower had awakened him.
His feet were but slightly bruised. and
he was in no way injured. but was
obliged to remain as he was until he
attracted the attention OF some early
rising farm hands. who much startled
ct first. finally brought him his clothes.
enabling him to return TO his room.
much werried over his first and only
experience as a Somnambulist.
All the illustrations used in this
paper have been drawn from the writ
er.s personal experience and from
those Of his intimate friends one
more personal experience may be given
20 illustrate how some so-called visions
may be explained 1t was dream, in
which the body died and the spirit
after witnessing the real grief of some
of his friends and the Indifference Of
others, left the earth and sought the
gates of heaven Conscious of his
utter unworthinesS, be fingered by the
gate afraid TO attempt TO enter as he
a
gates did not close, he cautiously
passed them and was surprised to ind
ne was not challenged
A scene of beauty and activity words
cannot describe greeted his sight. while
music to which all the lOngings and
aspirations of his soul responded greet
ed his hearing In all this beauty
peace and activity he walked with a
feeling of loneliness and unw0rthinesa
until, darting from a group. a little
child ran to him and finally greeted
him. Then all the loneliness and feeling
of unworthiness left him. and he wan
dered with the child 10 a mighty tenn
pie whose arches were lost in space.
From this temple streamed a clear.
soft, white light which made perpetual
day. He asked the source OF the light
and the child told him 10 look up
He did and saw the Madonna and Child
from whom the light radiated-
He awoke. His face was toward his
open bedroom window. and there upon
the wall of the house opposite were
the Madonna and Child. bathed in and
emitting the soft white light OF the
dream Apprcciating the fact that
what he seemed to see was merely an
intense dream reheNed. he consulted
his pulse. with eyes Sill fixed upon
the picture. until it disappeared. leav-
ing the brov-nstone front OF the house
bathed' over In the light OF the newly
risen sun. and then. with watch in
hand. he consulted his pulse again
The picture had remained visible TO the
external eye exactly thirty seconds.