me one morning, and said, "William, I had a vision last night of a young
man in a tall hat, with a green-and-red carpet-bag in his hand. I saw
him so plainly, that I should know him again anywhere. He was walking up
the road when you met him, shook hands, and returned with him to the
house. Then you and F---- brought him in at the glass door. On the hall
table there stood a basket containing four beautiful and fragrant
fruits. You took up the basket and offered it to the visitor, who,
putting his hand upon one, said, 'Oh, thank you!' Then touching the
three others in order, said, 'That is for mother, and that for sister,
and that for --.' I could not hear who. You may smile," she continued,
"but I heard that, and saw it all as plainly as I see you now."

I was accustomed to hear such things, and consequently thought no more
about it, but went on to speak of other subjects. In the course of the
afternoon, as I was going out, I met a relative coming along the road,
and took him back with me to the house; there my wife came out to him,
and we led him in through the glass door. When he had sat some time and
had had some luncheon, my wife said, "I wonder whether this is the young
man we heard about this morning? .... What young man?" asked our
visitor, hastily; "What young man do you mean? .... I should not wonder
if it is," I replied; "We will see presently." He seemed very
suspicious, having heard before he came that some mysterious change had
taken place in us, and so looked again and again to see if he could
detect anything different.

"Come and see my sister," I said; to which he assented, and we went
across to her house. As soon as we entered her room, she said, "How do
you do? I saw you last night." "What do you mean ?" he replied,
withdrawing his hand. "Why, I was on board the steamer last night."
"That may be," she said, "but you are the gentleman I saw. Have you not