FAITH IN DREAMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 442, 19 April 1880, Page 2

FAITH IN DREAMS.

A great number of people there are who do not believe in the ■ significance' of dreams, but as 1 have on three or. four different occasions had'dreams which have been realised in almost every particular, I may not be considered altogether foolish if I confess to attaching considerable importance to dreams when they, make a deep impression upon my mind, I will now proceed to relate one .which I had Bomeyears,ago, when my Jiusband kept the ferry at-—Lake.

It was in the month of December, the•weather had,been very wet for some three o; four days, the river had risen-bank high, and on Christmas Eve -I went to bedin a rather low frame of mind; W most as soon as I went 1 to'sleep I; com-'! menced ; to dream, and saw the flooded river,;saw my husband, drive a horse and trap m to lt.sawhorae, trap, and husband djflappear. : beneatli.the dark water's. They rose again;, sunk, then' rose again, while Isfcood paralysed on; the bank, and when they sunk the tlurd time I uttered a loud shriek, and awoke. My hsbandiwas shaking mevigorously/by the shoulder? saying,'" For Heaven's sake, Mary, what's twmatter, I thought you were dying;"

I made some some reply and went to sleep again, and the next morning, though, the dream made a great impression on ray. / tnind,in getting through:my work I forgot all about'it till I heard I; (ray husband) say, he would have to go over the river to get the trap and horse,-which had been left there on the previous evening, as he - had to go for two.or three friends ..he had invited to Christinas dinner, "The n}an in charge of the ferry went to get his ctmojr reody to put him across, but T'went to my husband and tried every. means in my >. power to prevent him from .goingr-* 1,. went do.wn on my kness, with teats X my eyes, and begged- him' not to go, buj he only laughed at my fears, and out that they.flpuld make two trips, ljjl|... the trap over first, and then switpnthe horse at the stern of the ■canoe. 'I was somewhat reassured at this, but nevertheless .went to-the waterside to see the - result. They reached the other side, in the canoe all right, and went'after the horse and trap. In a short time I saw the trap coming-along, with P. in it, driving, and my worst fears seemed about to be confirmed. He drove calmly down to the water, whipped up tde horse, and in an instant they were in twenty feet of water, which was running at a tremendous rate. The.horse swam gallantly for a'few yards, being rapidly washed down the stream at the same time, while F. stood up with the reins in one hand, the whip in the other, and over his knees in water, apparently as cool as though on dry land. I stood rooted to the ground, the whole thing was happening exactly as I saw it in my dream. I was so paralysed with horror that if he had been within a yard of me I could not have moved to save him.

By this time, everyone in the house had assembled on the bank, thoroughly convinced that they would have to witness ray husband's death without being able to raise a hand to save him. ■.. The canoe was on the other side, and the ferryman had not yet seen F.'b danger, .being still some distance off and not knowing but what he was waiting to put across in the canoe.

When about one-third of the way across, the horse still swimming bravely, a swift eddy caught the trap, swung it round, and horse, vehicle, and man disappeared beneath the waters. They .soon reappeared, however, and strange to., say the trap was upright. F. still standing upright as before, but, as far as'we could see, now looking very white. They had now drifted some considerable distance, and had arrived where the river runs between sheer perpendicular banks, 30 or 40 feet high, so that even if he could have reached the side, he could'not have got out.

Twice more they disappeared from view, and the last time, those .watohing said. "It is all over; we have seen the last of poor B. F.!" . A few yardsfro.m'Whe're the trap last went down, a tree "ha& fallen from the bank above into the water] forming a snag, and on the trap again rising, which it did in a few seconds—bottom; upwards ■-it lodged against this snag. The horse was observed to be making ; frantio struggles to release itself from the trap, but could not succeed in. its endeavors, the poor animal being firmty wedgod, head downwards, in the Bnag: At first no sign of F. could, be seen, but presently, to the utter astonishment of all, his head appeared above the opposite sick* of the trap, and. slowly and painfully he crawled on to the vehicle, arid from that to part of the tree which-was above the water, from which perilous situation he waß quickly taken by the- whioh had gone in pursuit as Boon as possible. The poor horse, however, was drowned.. A plentiful application of brandy and >arm bath quickly restored my husband to health, but I was some time before I recovered the effects of this fearful realisation oHI vivid dream.