第12部分(第3/7 页)

never　had　a　felicitous　dream　in　her　life。　The　grind　and　worry　of　the　day

invade　the　sweet　domain　of　sleep　and　weary　her　with　incessant；

profitless　effort。　I　feel　very　sorry　for　this　friend；　and　perhaps　it　is

hardly　fair　to　insist　upon　the　pleasure　of　dreaming　in　the　presence　of

one　whose　dream…experience　is　so　unhappy。　Still；　it　is　true　that　my

dreams　have　uses　as　many　and　sweet　as　those　of　adversity。　All　my

yearning　for　the　strange；　the　weird；　the　ghostlike　is　gratified　in

dreams。　They　carry　me　out　of　the　accustomed　and　monplace。　In　a　flash；

in　the　winking　of　an　eye　they　snatch　the　burden　from　my　shoulder；　the

trivial　task　from　my　hand　and　the　pain　and　disappointment　from　my　heart；

and　I　behold　the　lovely　face　of　my　dream。　It　dances　round　me　with　merry

measure　and　darts　hither　and　thither　in　happy　abandon。　Sudden；　sweet

fancies　spring　forth　from　every　nook　and　corner；　and　delightful

surprises　meet　me　at　every　turn。　A　happy　dream　is　more　precious　than

gold　and　rubies。

I　like　to　think　that　in　dreams　we　catch　glimpses　of　a　life　larger　than

our　own。　We　see　it　as　a　little　child；　or　as　a　savage　who　visits　a

civilized　nation。　Thoughts　are　imparted　to　us　far　above　our　ordinary

thinking。　Feelings　nobler　and　wiser　than　any　we　have　known　thrill　us

between　heart…beats。　For　one　fleeting　night　a　princelier　nature　captures

us；　and　we　bee　as　great　as　our　aspirations。　I　daresay　we　return　to

the　little　world　of　our　daily　activities　with　as　distorted　a　half…memory

of　what　we　have　seen　as　that　of　the　African　who　visited　England；　and

afterwards　said　he　had　been　in　a　huge　hill　which　carried　him　over　great

waters。　The