Year: 1873

was safe enough to conclude that the
man was a minister, and so he announced
himself. lie said he was the Rev. Paul
Meckmore he was a missionary, on a
home circuit, and asked Shelter for him
self and beast for the night. OF course
we welcomed them cheerfully, and were
pleased with him. He had travelled ex-
tensively, and his conversation was en-
tertaining and instructive. Before he
went to bed he read a chapter in the
Bible and made prayer; and Betsey
said to me after he had retired that she
never heard such beautiful prayer in
her life.


The next morning, at the breakfast
table, Mr.. Meekmore was very sedate.
Tic asked blessing. and then only an
swered such questions as We asked him.
Finally my wife told him she was afraid
he had not slept we'll. He emiled and
said he had slept very well, saving the
spell of very curious dream which had
visited him three separate times during
the night. Betsey asked him if he would
tell what it was about.


cit was the old dream of hidden
wealth." he said, with solemn look. 81
haven't dreamed such q dream before,
since by wonderful dream in South
Africa led to the discovery of a dia-
mond mine worth millions Of dollars, and
it never pro6ted me a cent. But such
wealth is not for me. need it not. Ny
calling hath higher and holier aims. And
yet this poor flesh is sometimes weak
enough to lust after the dross of gold
and silver


BY degrees we got from him that he
had dreamed of a silver mine among the
craggs of our hills. This niue seemed
to his vision to be utterly exhaustless in
the precious metal; but be could not
locate it. Betsey, whose curiosity was
aroused, would have pushed the matter.
but Mr. Meekmore finally shook his head
more solemnly than ever, and said that
he would rather forget the dream if he
could.


When the missionary's horse was at
the door, and the owner was prepared to
start off, he informed US that he was
bound toward the Canada line, and that
he might return that way. OF course
we told him that our door would be al
ways open TO him and he promised that
he would abide with US again if he had
the opportunity. ~.


In two weeks Mr.. Meeknore came
back. lie had received a summons, he
said, from the Home Board to return to
Boston and make immediate preparation
for a winter campaign in the West.


The second evening in the society of
the reverend gentleman we enjoyed more
than we enjoyed the first. His fund of
anecdote and adventure was literally ex-
haustless, and yet an odor of sanctity
and delicacy pervaded all his speech.
We urged that he should spend a few
days with US, out he could not. He said
it would give him great pleasure to do SO.
but his call to the new field of labor in
the West was pressing and imperative.


On the next morning, at the breakfast
table. our guest was even more sedate
and thoughtful than on the previous oc-
casion, and when questioned on the mat
ter he told US that he had been visited by
the same dream again.


This time" be said, "the vision came
with wonderful distinctness. no: only
beheld the vast chambers of virgin silver,
but l saw an exact profile of the over
lying territory. 1t was wild, desolate
spot, by deep ravine. through which
the SHOWS of winter seem to find release
in spring. rushing down a craggy hill
eide to dark, wide-stretching swamp
below. This would not impress me so
seriously were it not that once before a
dream of the aame import proved start
ling reality"


We conversed further on the subject,
and after breakfast Mr.. Meekmore took a
pencil, and upon the blank leaf of an old
atlas he drew picture of the spot he
had seen in his dream and he pointed
out where, beneath the roots of an old
stumpy pine tree, he had seen out-crop-
ping Of the precious metal.


He had drawn the picture, he told us,
to show us how vivid his dreamhad been !;
but he advised US to think no more of it
Even if it were possible that the dream
had substance, the body Of the mine was
far below the surface; aud, moreover.
the Lord only knew where the spot was
located, even allowing that such apot
existed.


For once in my life 1 allowed cupidity
to get the better of my outspoken homes
ty. allowed the reverend gentleman to
depart. and did not tell him that knew
where there was spot exactly the origi-
nal of that which he had pictured, even
to every rock, shrub. tree and ravine.
And that spot was upon the wild lot
which had been purchased by John
Tu;af aud uhich Inhn Twi,t nunad