The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-01-11

went into q dream after I'd gone T.
bed and dreamed that l vas blind
And then l thought ! woke up ant
could hear my shipmates dressing. And
says l: it's a terrible dark morning.
And l thought they laughed an'
SAID 1t was broad daylight, and wanted
to know what was the matter. AND
l heard myself ask:
"'Ain't it night?' And heard then
answer:
Night. why, man, ye must b.
dreaming Then l thought ! felt my
way back to my bunk; and I'm lyin.
there yet in a dream and it seems very
long. And I've dreamed everything {
man could think Of since then. 70;
see l was coming home to marry ant
settle down. Thought ] came home
and my mother and sister met me al
the dock. OF course l couldn't see
them, and l felt all over their faces
and heard them crying, just as if it wa
real
"And, says /, Where's Annie?' mean.
ing the girl / was to marry; and
thought they told me she was there
md put her hand in mine and | tried
terrible to see her. | thought | sal
Town and cried and cried, and then
happened to think that ] 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
xnow 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,
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?
ana says /: Armies married.
'Oh pshaw!' says she, you're only
dreaming. TIN all come right
And so I keep forgetting it's a
dream. Sometimes have an awful sad
ness, but. thank God, / know Pm only
dreaming. know that when the morn.
ing comes l shall wake and laugh at
the phantoms of the night and shall
be young and happy. Well be off
Sandy Hook and looking to catch a
sight of home. And shall be getting
ready to meet Annie and mother and
the rest. And I'll have my best clothes
out o, itll 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
thousand years" he continued, yawn-
ing and rubbing his eyes. Seems rs if
had grown old since l went to bed
last night. But I've dreamed the like
before. and. my God! how glad l felt
when woke in the morning!"
Come" said he. speaking to the boy,
lets have the lights up-port an star
board an masthead. All right, sir, you
may have it for n dollar. It'll be all
the same in the morning"
And so we left him like 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-that it will bring back
the things we have lost. But then, he
was a 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 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: 1.-THE day has
come, thank God! and l am going
home"
And as was coming away heard
the preacher saying: "a thousand
years are as day. Our lives are but
dream of the night. You that hear
me are dreaming"
The words angered me. for knew
that I was awake. could bear with
the insanity of Riggs, but not with the
sophistry Of the preacher, and
shouted:
Life is not dream, you fool. Can
we not hear and see and feel?" At the
last word l struck table at my side.
And, as my hand touched it, the room
turned dark. as if night had fallen
and every sound hushed. And
then l thought mighty wave of light
swept over us in which everything van
ished and was awake and it was morn
ing.