An account

I had spent the evening of December 5th in close study at Greek grammar. About 11 o'clock I stopped, and sat down by the fire to read Manon Lescaut. Some time afterwards I fell asleep, and it was then that the idea of my grandmother's illness or death (I am uncertain which) first came to me. On wakening, about 12.30, 1 found my dictionary under the bars, and my anxiety for that made me, for the moment, forget my dream. Carelessly leaving the gas burning, I went to bed ; and all I remember is that every particular of the room which I saw was strongly impressed upon me ; that the old lady was breathing very heavily ; and, strangest of all, my mother, who was and is in Australia, seemed in the room. She, as I thought, turned to me, saying, ' I fear, Duncan, she is dying ! ' How long it was before I wakened I cannot say ; but every fact was strangely distinct, for I seem to remember even the ticking of the clock. The gas being quite bright when I awoke, I rose to extinguish it, and quite accidentally noticed the time. On receiving the intimation of her death, on the morning of December 7th (Wednesday), the time, I noticed after my surprise had passed away, was between 4 and 5 a.m. On further inquiry, my aunt said that it was between half-past 4 and 5 o'clock. The time I had noticed was 5.30. I did not know that my relative was ill until I heard the news of her death. She was no great friend to me, and consequently I rarely troubled her, or thought of her. I had received a letter a week before, saying that she was not very well ; but as she was a woman of about 76 years, I took but little notice of this, and had thought no more about it. You ask if I have ever had other dreams of death, which did not correspond with the reality. I think I can honestly answer ' No.'