The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-06-15
Dreams Wife Is Drowning
VISION AND TRAGEDY OF AN
EVENTFUL LIFE.
dreams ever come true?

conist from Virginia. He told it to a
couple of Denver friends the other
night
1T was strange DREAM Mr.. Beck
with began, though | suppose all
dreams are more or less strange. |
had been quite i'll Of typhoid fever
and was slowly recovering my
strength and one night l dreamed
| such a dream!
In my vision | saw my wife far
from me on board a ship. Beside her
| in a steamer chair sat man Of eX-
cellent build, square shOuldered, dark
of complexion and handsome, except
| that his smile that seemed 50 captiyat-
| ing to her was to me but a sheer that
his big, black mustaChe indifferenty
masked.
Il saw that dark strangers eyes
CLEAN as he bent toward her-my wife
the woman who had sworn to love,
honor and obey me, and | also noted
with grinding teeth that this same
wife of mine returned his gaze with
an ardOr that was hardly less than his.
Day after day | watched them az
the hot, semi-trOpic sun beat down
upon the deck awnings which shell
tered them.
Such a dream. It affects me even
now. One night | saw them meet by
moonlight. They seQuestered them
selves far forward Most of the pas
sengers had gone to their staterooms
and they were practically alone.
saw him take her in his arms and
oh, | seemed pinioned by some
mighty fOrce-and. though | raVed and
struggled madly to break away and
go and throttle this wrecker of my
life, could do nothing.
We'll, suddenly the whole scene
changed. I saw the ship, the same
ship, in the midst of frightful storm.
The vessel was first away up in the
air and then all but submerged in the
deep gulf beyond the high hilltop of
water over which it plunged. | saw
the boats lowered and crowded by
frantic people and Immediately sunk
and the writhing sea all busy with
the despairing, drowning victims.
"All the boats were swamped, one
after another. and the terrOr-stricken
passengers leaped overheard and
grasped with futile frenzy floating
spars and other Wreckage. A. length
the ship was left with only two cling
ing to the rigging They were clasped
in each others arms and as the YES
: sci plunged down for the last time
: they went with it, still closely cling.
ing together"
And what next?" queried one Of
his auditors.
Three months later | went to New
, York to await the arrival of my wife
from the Bermudas," Mr.. Beckwitt
! continued She had not been in the
q best of health and so sent her there
/. AT the first opportunity | arranged
) to meet her at New York and | sen
3 her a draft for all the money sh'
J needed. I had mentioned certain
steamer for her to take and | knew
when that vessel would bring her t
New York.
We'll, l was there on time and
l went at once to the company's Office
and asked if that steamer was no
: due to arrive the next day The twt
clerks who heard me looked at eacl
other and then one said to me: 'Yo1
haven't heard? That steamer wen
down off Hatteras two days ago. Onl
three souls were saved
Il was stricken dumb for moment
then | gasped: My wife-Mrs. Beck
with?'
"I'm sorry to have to tell you, bu
no women were saved said the CLERK
"'Were there twO-a woman and
man-clinging to the rigging at tn
last?' l inquired.
why, yes: so | understand
Mr.. Beckwith stopped again an
there was a moment of silence, hi
auditors refraining from speech i
Difference to the feelings of the nal
- rator
81 dropped into a chair" he re
sumed at length, land gave up to dis
tracing thoughts Of course I knew
without any telling, even before tn
official spoke, that my wife was deat
Now, with my conviction made al
solute certainty, ! considered ner fat
in all its bearings and concluded thu
it was best that she should go dow
with the ship; better for her and fC
me. as, of course, there could be n
reconciliation, nor even liberation 0
my part, and better for the children
who would now never suffer the gri'
of seeing their parents estranged an
living apart. Yes, it'was best that ST
should be buried deep in the gret
waters, was convinced"
"And so your dream did come trr
literally" said one of the hearel
after a nauSe