Jump to content

Page:Dreams and apparitions (1).pdf/23

From Wikisource
This page has been validated.

23

mentioned before, which, nevertheless, from obvious circumstances, might have been but too true. But what shocked her most of all, was the following terrible prognostication, which she heard repeated three sevaral times:—Na, na, I'll no see it, for I'll never see ought earthly again beyond the wa's o' this cottage, but Tibby will live to see it;—ay, ay, she'll see it."—Then a different voice aske:—"What shall she see, kerlin?" "She'll see the craws picking his banes at the back o' the dyke."

Tibby's heart grew cauld within her when she heard this terrible announcement, because, for many years bygone, she had been convinced, from sensible demonstration, that old Douglas Harvey had commerce with some superior intelligence; and after she had heard the above sentence repeated again and again, she shut her ears, that she might hear no more; committed herself once more to the hands of a watchful Creator, and fell into a troubled sleep.

The elemental spirits that wave the shadowy tapestry of dreams, were busy at their aerial looms that night in the cottage of Know-back, bodying forth the destinies of men and woman in brilliant and quick succession. One only of these delineations I shall here relate, pre-