Dalton, and of his unfortunate drinking habits, also of his being
nearly drowned, before you went to bed the night you dreamed that
dream?"

"Ye-s," said Aunt Debie, "I--was." She made the admission very
reluctantly; for she immediately saw the inference Mr. Gurney
wished to draw.

"And did thee not eat plum cake and cheese just before retiring?"
He knew the old lady was very partial to the edibles he mentioned,
and suspected that because she had yielded to her weakness she had
been disturbed by dreams.

"Well," he said, "thee ate the cheese and plum cake, and these
indigestibles caused thee to dream; and thee believes that to
dream of persons walking in a cornfield and plucking ears of corn
is a sign of disease and death. You were talking of Charles Dalton
and of his unfortunate drinking habits, also of his being nearly
drowned lately. Now, what is more natural than that you should
dream of him of whom you were thinking just before you went to
sleep, and that your sleeping thoughts should be influenced by
your waking ones, and by your opinions in regard to such dreams?"

"Thee can always explain things to suit thine own notion, James
Gurney. Does thee not believe that God can give warnings now the
same as He did in the days of old? Did He not give warnings to
Samuel of Eli's coming trouble? Likewise of Saul's? And to Nathan
of David's? And is there not many other places in the Bible where
it speaks of warnings given? Now let me ask, Is not God 'the same
yesterday, today, and forever,' and, if so, can He not do as well