She was also a famous believer in dreams; and
often entertained her friends at the breakfast table by relating her
dreams of the previous night. I remember meeting with her upon one
occasion, when it struck me that her countenance wore a look of unusual
solemnity, even for her, so much so, that I enquired the cause. "Ah!"
said she, "we are to have sickness, perhaps death, in our family very
soon; for only last night I dreamed I saw a white horse coming toward
the house upon the full galop; and to dream of a white horse is a sure
sign of sickness, and the faster the horse seems in our dream to be
approaching us the sooner the sickness will come." Her husband often
remonstrated with her upon the folly of indulging in these idle fancies.
I remember a reply he once made to some of her gloomy forebodings: "I
think the best way is for each one to discharge their duty in the
different relations of life; and leave the future in the hands of an
All-wise Providence." "That is always the way with you," was her reply,
"You have grown heedless and careless with your love of the world; but
you will perhaps think of my warnings when too late." Before meeting
with Mrs. Talbot I had often heard the remark that none were so cheerful
as the true christian; but I soon saw that her views must be widely
different.
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