Oh，whatacontrastdidO’Connoraffordashelayinalltheabjecthelplessnessofundisguisedterroruponhisdeath-bed，totheproudcomposurewithwhichhehadtakenthefieldthatmorning。Ihadalwaysbeforethoughtofdeathasofaquietsleepstealinggraduallyuponexhaustednature，madewelcomebysuffering，or，atleast，softenedbyresignation；
　　Ihadneverbeforestoodbythesideofoneuponwhomthehandofdeathhadbeenthussuddenlylaid；Ihadneverseenthetyrantarrayedinhisterrortillthen。
　　NeverbeforeorsincehaveIseenhorrorsointenselydepicted。ItseemedactuallyasifO’Connor’smindhadbeenunsettledbytheshock；thefewwordsheutteredweremarkedwithalltheincoherenceofdistraction；butitwasnotwordsthatmarkedhisdespairmoststrongly，theappallingandheart-sickeninggroansthatcamefromtheterror-strickenanddyingmanmusthauntmewhileI
　　live；theexpression，too，ofhopeless，imploringagonywithwhichheturnedhiseyesfromobjecttoobject，Icanneverforget。Atlength，appearingsuddenlytorecollecthimself，hesaid，withstartlingalertness，butinavoicesoalteredthatIscarcecouldrecognisethetones：
　　’Purcell，Purcell，goandtellmypoormother；shemustknowall，andthen，quick，quick，quick，callyouruncle，bringhimhere；Imusthaveachance。’Hemadeaviolentbutfruitlessefforttorise，andafteraslightpausecontinued，withdeepandurgentsolemnity：’Doctor，howlongshallIlive？Don’tflatterme。
　　Complimentsatadeath-bedareoutofplace；doctor，forGod’ssake，asyouwouldnothavemysoulperishwithmybody，donotmockadyingman；haveIanhourtolive？’
　　’Certainly，’repliedthesurgeon；’ifyouwillbutendeavourtokeepyourselftranquil；
　　otherwiseIcannotanswerforamoment。’
　　’Well，doctor，’saidthepatient，’Iwillobeyyou；now，Purcell，myfirstanddearestfriend，willyouinformmypoormotherof——ofwhatyousee，andreturnwithyouruncle；Iknowyouwill。’
　　Itookthedearfellow’shandandkissedit，itwastheonlyanswerIcouldgive，andlefttheroom。IaskedthefirstfemaleservantIchancedtomeet，ifhermistresswereyetup，andwasansweredintheaffirmative。Withoutgivingmyselftimetohesitate，Irequestedhertoleadmetoherlady’sroom，whichsheaccordinglydid；sheenteredfirst，Isupposedtoannouncemyname，andIfollowedclosely；
　　thepoormothersaidsomething，andheldoutherhandstowelcomeme；Istroveforwords；Icouldnotspeak，butnaturefoundexpression；Ithrewmyselfatherfeetandcoveredherhandswithkissesandtears。Mymannerwasenough；withaquicknessalmostpreternaturalsheunderstooditall；shesimplysaidthewords：
　　’O’Connoriskilled；’sheutterednomore。
　　HowIlefttheroomIknownot；I
　　rodemadlytomyuncle’sresidence，andbroughthimbackwithme——alltherestisablank。IrememberstandingbyO’Connor’sbedside，andkissingthecoldpallidforeheadagainandagain；Irememberthepaleserenityofthebeautifulfeatures；IrememberthatIlookeduponthedeadfaceofmyfriend，andIremembernomore。
　　FormanymonthsIlaywrithingandravinginthefrenzyofbrainfever；ahundredtimesIstoodtotteringatthebrinkofdeath，andlongaftermyrestorationtobodilyhealthwasassured，itappeareddoubtfulwhetherIshouldeverberestoredtoreason。ButGoddealtverymercifullywithme；Hismightyhandrescuedmefromdeathandfrommadnesswhenoneorotherappearedinevitable。
　　AssoonasIwaspermittedpenandink，Iwrotetothebereavedmotherinatoneborderinguponfrenzy。Iaccusedmyselfofhavingmadeherchildless；Icalledmyselfamurderer；Ibelievedmyselfaccursed；Icouldnotfindtermsstrongenoughtoexpressmyabhorrenceofmyownconduct。But，oh!whatananswerI
　　received，somild，sosweet，fromthedesolate，childlessmother!itswordsspokeallthatisbeautifulinChristianity——itwasforgiveness——itwasresignation。Iamconvincedthattothatletter，operatingasitdiduponamindalreadypredisposed，isowingmyfinaldeterminationtodevotemyselftothatprofessioninwhich，formorethanhalfacentury，Ihavebeenahumbleminister。
　　Yearsrollaway，andwecountthemnotastheypass，buttheirinfluenceisnotthelesscertainthatitissilent；thedeepestwoundsaregraduallyhealed，thekeenestgriefsaremitigated，andwe，incharacter，feelings，tastes，andpursuits，becomesuchalteredbeings，thatbutforsomefewindeliblemarkswhichpasteventsmustleavebehindthem，whichtimemaysoften，butcanneverefface；ourveryidentitywouldbedubious。Whohasnotfeltallthisatonetimeorother？Whohasnotmournfullyfeltit？Thistrite，butnaturaltrainofreflectionfilledmymindasIapproachedthedomainofCastleConnorsometenyearsaftertheoccurrenceoftheeventsabovenarrated。EverythinglookedthesameaswhenIhadleftit；theoldtreesstoodasgracefulandasgrandasever；noploughhadviolatedthesoftgreensward；noutilitarianhandhadconstrainedthewanderingsoftheclearandsportivestream，ordisturbedthelichen-
　　coveredrocksthroughwhichitgushed，orthewildcoppicethatover-shadoweditssequesterednooks——buttheeyethatlookeduponthesethingswasaltered，andmemorywasbusywithotherdays，shroudinginsadnesseverybeautythatmetmysight。
　　AsIapproachedthecastlemyemotionsbecamesoacutelypainfulthatIhadalmostreturnedthewayIcame，withoutaccomplishingthepurposeforwhichIhadgonethusfar；andnothingbuttheconvictionthatmyhavingbeenintheneighbourhoodofCastleConnorwithoutvisitingitsdesolatemistresswouldrendermejustlyliabletotheseverestcensure，couldovercomemyreluctancetoencounteringtheheavytaskwhichwasbeforeme。I
　　recognisedtheoldservantwhoopenedthedoor，buthedidnotknowme。Iwascompletelychanged；sufferingofbodyandmindhadalteredmeinfeatureandinbearing，asmuchasincharacter。Iaskedthemanwhetherhismistresseversawvisitors。Heanswered：
　　’Butseldom；perhaps，however，ifsheknewthatanoldfriendwishedtoseeherforafewminutes，shewouldgratifyhimsofar。’
　　AtthesametimeIplacedmycardinhishand，andrequestedhimtodeliverittohismistress。Hereturnedinafewmoments，sayingthathisladywouldbehappytoseemeintheparlour，andI
　　accordinglyfollowedhimtothedoor，whichheopened。Ienteredtheroom，andwasinamomentatthesideofmyearlyfriendandbenefactress。Iwastoomuchagitatedtospeak；Icouldonlyholdthehandswhichshegaveme，while，spiteofeveryeffort，thetearsflowedfastandbitterly。
　　’Itwaskind，very，verykindofyoutocometoseeme，’shesaid，withfarmorecomposurethanIcouldhavecommanded；
　　’Iseeitisverypainfultoyou。’
　　Iendeavouredtocomposemyself，andforalittletimeweremainedsilent；shewasthefirsttospeak：
　　’Youwillbesurprised，Mr。Purcell，whenyouobservethecalmnesswithwhichIcanspeakofhimwhowasdearesttome，whoisgone；butmythoughtsarealwayswithhim，andtherecollectionsofhislove’——hervoicefalteredalittle——’andthehopeofmeetinghimhereafterenablesmetobearexistence。’
　　IsaidIknownotwhat；somethingaboutresignation，Ibelieve。
　　’IhopeIamresigned；Godmadememore：so，’shesaid。’Oh，Mr。Purcell，I
　　haveoftenthoughtIlovedmylostchildTOOwell。Itwasnatural——hewasmyonlychild——hewas——’Shecouldnotproceedforafewmoments：’ItwasverynaturalthatIshouldlovehimasIdid；butitmayhavebeensinful；Ihaveoftenthoughtso。Idoateduponhim——Iidolisedhim——I
　　thoughttoolittleofotherholieraffections；
　　andGodmayhavetakenhimfromme，onlytoteachme，bythisseverelesson，thatIowedtoheavenalargershareofmyheartthantoanythingearthly。I
　　cannotthinkofhimnowwithoutmoresolemnfeelingsthanifhewerewithme。
　　Thereissomethingholyinourthoughtsofthedead；Ifeelitso。’Afterapause，shecontinued——’Mr。Purcell，doyourememberhisfeatureswell？theywereverybeautiful。’IassuredherthatIdid。
　　’Thenyoucantellmeifyouthinkthisafaithfullikeness。’Shetookfromadraweracaseinwhichlayaminiature。Itookitreverentlyfromherhands；itwasindeedverylike——touchinglylike。Itoldherso；
　　andsheseemedgratified。
　　Astheeveningwaswearingfast，andI
　　hadfartogo，Ihastenedtoterminatemyvisit，asIhadintended，byplacinginherhandaletterfromhersontome，writtenduringhissojournupontheContinent。I
　　requestedhertokeepit；itwasoneinwhichhespokemuchofher，andintermsofthetenderestaffection。Asshereaditscontentstheheavytearsgatheredinhereyes，andfell，onebyone，uponthepage；
　　shewipedthemaway，buttheystillflowedfastandsilently。Itwasinvainthatshetriedtoreadit；hereyeswerefilledwithtears：soshefoldedtheletter，andplaceditinherbosom。Irosetodepart，andshealsorose。
　　’Iwillnotaskyoutodelayyourdeparture，’saidshe；’yourvisitheremusthavebeenapainfulonetoyou。I
　　cannotfindwordstothankyoufortheletterasIwouldwish，orforallyourkindness。IthasgivenmeapleasuregreaterthanIthoughtcouldhavefallentothelotofacreaturesoverydesolateasIam；
　　mayGodblessyouforit!’Andthusweparted；IneversawCastleConnororitssolitaryinmatemore。
　　THEDRUNKARD’SDREAM。
　　BeingaFourthExtractfromtheLegacyofthelateF。
　　Purcell，P。P。ofDrumcoolagh。
　　’AllthisHEtoldwithsomeconfusionandDismay，theusualconsequenceofdreamsOftheunpleasantkind，withnoneathandToexpoundtheirvainandvisionarygleams，I’veknownsomeoddoneswhichseemedreallyplannedProphetically，asthatwhichonedeems“Astrangecoincidence，“touseaphraseBywhichsuchthingsaresettlednowadays。’
　　BYRON。
　　Dreams!Whatage，orwhatcountryoftheworld，hasnotandacknowledgedthemysteryoftheiroriginandend？Ihavethoughtnotalittleuponthesubject，seeingitisonewhichhasbeenoftenforceduponmyattention，andsometimesstrangelyenough；andyetIhaveneverarrivedatanythingwhichatallappearedasatisfactoryconclusion。Itdoesappearthatamentalphenomenonsoextraordinarycannotbewhollywithoutitsuse。Weknow，indeed，thatintheoldentimesithasbeenmadetheorganofcommunicationbetweentheDeityandHiscreatures；andwhen，asIhaveseen，adreamproducesuponamind，toallappearancehopelesslyreprobateanddepraved，aneffectsopowerfulandsolastingastobreakdowntheinveteratehabits，andtoreformthelifeofanabandonedsinner，weseeintheresult，inthereformationofmoralswhichappearedincorrigible，inthereclamationofahumansoulwhichseemedtobeirre-
　　trievablylost，somethingmorethancouldbeproducedbyamerechimeraoftheslumberingfancy，somethingmorethancouldarisefromthecapriciousimagesofaterrifiedimagination；butoncepresented，webeholdinallthesethings，andintheirtremendousandmysteriousresults，theoperationofthehandofGod。AndwhileReasonrejectsasabsurdthesuperstitionwhichwillreadaprophecyineverydream，shemay，withoutviolencetoherself，recognise，eveninthewildestandmostincongruousofthewanderingsofaslumberingintellect，theevidencesandthefragmentsofalanguagewhichmaybespoken，whichHASbeenspoken，toterrify，towarn，andtocommand。Wehavereasontobelievetoo，bythepromptnessofactionwhichintheageoftheprophetsfollowedallintimationsofthiskind，andbythestrengthofconvictionandstrangepermanenceoftheeffectsresultingfromcertaindreamsinlattertimes，whicheffectsweourselvesmayhavewitnessed，thatwhenthismediumofcommunicationhasbeenemployedbytheDeity，theevidencesofHispresencehavebeenunequivocal。
　　Mythoughtsweredirectedtothissubject，inamannertoleavealastingimpressionuponmymind，bytheeventswhichI
　　shallnowrelate，thestatementofwhich，howeverextraordinary，isneverthelessACCURATELYCORRECT。