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year and ten months the poor child lingered, and almost every night I had to sing her asleep. Often, I remember, through bitter tears-for I knew she was dying, and I loved her the more as she wasted away— I held her little hand as she died. I followed her to the grave-the last thing that I have loved on earth. And the dream was fulfilled.

"True and sincerely yours,

""J. NOEL PATON."

A few years since, Mr. A. F., an eminent Scotch advocate, while staying in the neighbourhood of Loch Fyne, dreamt one night that he saw a number of people in the street following a man to the scaffold. He discovered the features of the man in the cart distinctly, and, for some reason or other, which he could not account for, felt an extraordinary interest in his fate, insomuch that he joined the throng, and accompanied him to the place that was to terminate his earthly career. This interest was the more unaccountable that the man had an exceedingly unprepossessing countenance; but it was, nevertheless, so vivid as to induce the dreamer to ascend the scaffold, and address him with a view to enable him to escape the impending catastrophe. Suddenly, however, while he was talking to him, the whole scene dissolved away, and the sleeper awoke. Being a good deal struck with the life-like

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reality of the vision, and the impression made on his mind by the features of this man, he related the circumstances to his friends at breakfast, adding that he should know him anywhere if he saw him. A few jests being made on the subject, the thing was forgotten.

'On the afternoon of the same day, the advocate was informed that two men wanted to speak to him, and on going into the hall he was struck with amazement at perceiving that one of them was the hero of his dream!

""We are accused of murder," said they, "and we wish to consult you. Three of us went out last night in a boat, an accident has happened, our comrade is drowned, and they want to make us accountable for him." The advocate then put some interrogations to them, and the result produced on his mind by their answers was a conviction of their guilt. Probably the recollection of his dream rendered the effects of this conviction more palpable, for one, addressing the other, said in Gaelic, "We have come to the wrong man; he is against us."

"There is a higher Power than I against you,” returned the gentleman; "and the only advice I can give you is, if you are guilty, fly immediately." Upon this they went away, and the next thing he heard was that they were taken into custody on suspicion of the murder.

"The account of the affair was, that, as they said, the

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three had gone out together on the preceding evening, and that in the morning the body of one of them had been found on the shore with a cut across the forehead. The father and friends of the victim had waited till the boat came in, and then demanded their companion, of whom, however, they professed themselves unable to give any account. Upon this the old man led them to his cottage for the purpose of showing them the body of his son. One entered, and at the sight of it burst into a passion of tears; the other refused to step over the threshold, saying his business called him immediately home, and went sulkily away. This last was the man seen in the dream.

'After a fortnight's incarceration the former of these was liberated, and he then declared to the advocate his intention of bringing an action of damages for false imprisonment. He was advised not to do it. "Leave well alone," said the lawyer, "and, if you'll take my advice, make off while you can." The man, however, refused to fly. He declared that he really did not know what had occasioned the death of his comrade. latter had been at one end of the boat and he at the other; when he looked round he was gone: but whether he had fallen overboard, and cut his head as he fell, or whether he had been struck and pushed into the water, he did not know. The advocate became finally satisfied of the man's innocence, but the autho

The

rities thinking it absurd to try one and not the other, again laid hands on him, and it fell to Mr. A. F. to be the defender of both. The difficulty was, not to separate their cases in his pleading; for however morally convinced of the different ground on which they stood, his duty, professionally, was to obtain the acquittal of both, in which he finally succeeded as regarded the charge of murder. They were therefore sentenced to two years' imprisonment, and so far as the dream is concerned here ends the story. There remains, however, a curious sequel to it.

'A few years afterwards the same gentleman, being in a boat on Loch Fyne in company with Sir T. D. L., happened to be mentioning these very curious circumstances, when one of the boatmen said that he "knew well about those two men, and that a very strange thing had occurred with regard to one of them." This one, on inquiry, proved to be the subject of the dream; and the strange thing was this-on being liberated he had quitted that part of the country, and in process of time had gone to Greenock, and thence embarked in a vessel for Cork. But the vessel seemed fated never to reach its destination; one misfortune happened after another, till at length the sailors said, "This won't do; there must be a murderer on board with us." As is usual when such a persuasion exists, they threw lots three times, and each time the lot fell upon that man. He

was consequently put on shore, and the vessel went on its way without him. What had become of him afterwards was never known.'-Night Side of Nature.

DREAM-THOUGHTS OF WAKING CIRCUMSTANCES.

BLANCHARD FOSGATE, M.D.

Many years ago, when our family resided on the banks of the Mohawk, long before the thunder of the steam water-paddle echoed along the shores of the Hudson, or the shrill whistle of the locomotive startled the silence of glen and mountain; when the river in the summer was crossed by ford or ferry, and in winter upon the often treacherous ice; early in the spring, before the river had broken up, my father, on the eve of departure for New York, dreamed that he was in an ice-house, striving to get out by climbing up its slippery contents. The dream was barely related, and then forgotten. The succeeding day, on horseback, he commenced his journey, and was obliged to cross the river. The ice by evaporation having lost much of its strength, he was precipitated into the stream below. Timely assistance, however, rescued him from the impending