The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-08
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE
tFrom Philadelphia Public Ledger.)


Dreams.
Sir-Apparently you have dreams
from your story OF the White House
dream. 1 wish very much that some
one would get up a symposium on
dreams. They are very interesting
things. and 1 have never been able to
compare mine with those Cf any one
else with any satisfaction. OF course.
a dream of appearing on the street
or at a party wholly or partially un-
clothed is very common dream, and
1t is common to both sexes; but the
curious thing is that no one notices
this condition except the dreamer L
have wandered thru hotels without a
stitch on, embarrassed to DEATH. and
no one else noticed it. I have no
doubt you have done the same thing.
I have heard people declare that
Kipling's ''Brushwood Boy" was highly
improbable; that is, the recurrence in
dreams of being at the same spot time
after time. Let me tell you. In my
dreams 1 have a tenement house in
Kinsley, where L used to live; quite a
large house. 1t has been added to
twice. know exactly where my
dream house stands, on .. vacant lot
facing the Santa Fe station. I have
dreamed about it since left Kinsley-
never before-more than a hundred
times. 1t is always at the same place
and has about the same exterior, but
the rooms change from time to time.
have rebuilt this house twice, and
each time in my dreams had fusses
with the builder. 1 am inclined to
think the "Brushwood Boy" story
might be true.
But here is a queer thing about
dreams, on which 1 would like to have
the voice of others who are physically
deficient. As you know, 1 am very
dreams these defects disappear. Now,
we know this: generally speaking,
dreams are based on some past eX-
perience. Sometimes that experience
is so old that We can hardly or not
at ali recollect it. Nevertheless, how
ever extravagant it is, the dream
probably has some foundation in past
experience. Here are two physical de-
fects that have more profoundly in
fluenced my life than any other. and
yet they never are reflected in my
dreams. In my dreams 1 have sound
hearing and two good eyes I wonder
if that is true of others physically de-
fective? Is a one-legged man in his
dreams one-legged, or does he have
two good legs, and so on down the
line?
Here is another curious thing: In
my experience there is no death in my
dreams. My only brother was killed
more than thirty-five years ago. My
father and mother died thirty years
ago; but in my dreams they are always
alive. In my dreams there appears to
be no death. Every one I have ever
known still is on earth. 1 wonder if
this is true with others?
Here is another popularity of my
dreams: AS you know, I travel a
good deal. Consequently. I dream a
good deal about travelling. I am try
ing to catch a train or boat. I am
going to California or Paris or some
other place, and in all the dreams L
have ever had of travelling 1 have
never been able to catch either Some
thing always happens, and it gets
away without me. I wonder if others
have that dream?
In former years I had a constantly
recurring dream, ve-y pleasant of
flying. 1 could, at will, lift myself
from the ground, soar over the coun
try, towns, villages, and descend
was exercise my will. I think this was
the most vivid and realistic dream 1
ever had. 1t persisted for many. many
years, but alas! it has quit me. In my
old age I can no longer fly.
OF course, this stuff doesn't fit in
your column. I am not writing it for
It was suggested by your
White House dream; but it certainly
would be a very interesting thing if
your newspaper would start a column
on dreams. 1 would go so far as to
suggest that you have a dream editor.
Have people write of their experience
in dreams. Let the editor educate
himself in the recent books on that
subject, most of which are very fool
ish. You would speedily find that col
umn was very widely read, and you
would get some interesting contribu-
tons to it. Every one dreams and
every ones dreams fail, but what
should we do without them?
T. D. S.
If Mr.. H. G. Wells will permit a
it is that he stop hugginr