Plantation life; Virginia -- Social life and customs
"About the time I became of age, I returned to Virginia for the
purpose of looking after and settling my father's estate. Three years
thereafter I received a letter from my only sister, informing me that
she was going to be married, and pressing me in the most urgent manner
to return to Scotland to be present at her marriage, and to attend to
the drawing of the marriage contract. The letter gave me a good deal of
trouble, as it did not suit me to leave Virginia at that time. I went
to bed one night thinking much on this subject, but soon fell asleep
and dreamed that I landed in Greenoch in the night time, and pushed for
home, thinking I would take my aunt and sister by surprise.
"When I arrived at the door, I found all still and quiet, and the
out door locked--I thought, however, that I had in my pocket my
check key, with which I quietly opened the door and groped my way
into the sitting-room, but finding no one there I concluded they had
gone to bed. I then went up stairs to their bed-room, and found that
unoccupied. I then concluded they had taken possession of my bed-room
in my absence, but not finding them there became very uneasy about
them. Then it struck me they might be in the guest's chamber, a room
down stairs kept exclusively for company. Upon going there I found the
door partially open; I saw my aunt removing the burning coals from the
top of the grate preparatory to going to bed. My sister was sitting up
in bed, and as I entered the room, she fixed her eyes upon me, but did
not seem to recognize me. I approached towards her, and in the effort
to make myself known, awoke, and found it all a dream. At breakfast
next morning, I felt wearied and sick, and could not eat; and told the
family of my (dream) journey the overnight.
"I immediately commenced preparing, and in a very short time returned
to Scotland. I saw my sister married, and she and her husband set off
on their 'marriage jaunt.' About a month thereafter they returned, and
at dinner I commenced telling them of my dream, but observing they had
quit eating and were staring at me, I laughed, and asked what was the
matter; whereupon my brother-in-law very seriously asked me to go on.
When I finished they asked me if I remembered the exact time of my
dream. I told them it distressed and impressed me so strongly, that I
noted it down at the time. I pulled out my pocket-book and shewed them
the date, '14th day of May,' written in pencil. They all rose from the
table and took me into the bed-room and shewed me written with pencil
on the white mantle piece '14th of May.'
"I asked them what that meant, and was informed that on that very
night--and _the only night_ they ever occupied that room during my
absence--my aunt was taking the coals off of the fire, when my sister
screamed out, 'brother has come!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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