45. XLV.
DREAMS.
Church uv the Noo Dispensashun, }
February the 6th, 1864.
I am no speshel bleever in dreems. The gulf
atwixt the material and immaterial worlds is 2
wide to be spand by the bridj uv sleep, or if
spand at all, the way is 2 narrer to make safe
even the passij uv a nite-mare. [Poeticle idee.]
Still, the sperit may, wen loost frum its lode uv
clay, sore off in2 the dim fucher, and retane a
porshen uv its impreshns when it agin okepies
its prison-howse.
Last Saterdy nite I hed a dreme. I hed bin
a redin “Cotton is King,” and sech works, aidin
my understandin with frequent drafts frum a
bottel containin “nacher's last best gift 2 man,”
and I fell in2 a gentel slumber. I dreemd that
the Confederasy hed bin successful, that it carried
out its orijinel idee, and hed subjoogatid the
Northern Staits. Gefferson Davis wuz roolin at
Washington, under the title uv “Gefferson I, Empror
uv all the Amerikys.” The Senit and Hows
uv Repsentativs hed bin dun away with by decrees,
and the biznis uv governin wuz dun solely
by the empror and his ministers. All to wunst
I wuz in Washington, a rolein along in a gorjus
carige. I wuz sumwat surprizd at my persnel
apperans. I wuz drest in flesh-culered tites, with
sandels on my feet, with dimund buckels onto em,
and on my hed wuz a crown, makin me resemble
a play acter I seed wunst a playin Richerd. Suddenly
the carige stopt, and I alitid, and assended
the steps uv the palise. It was a resepshun, and
a chamberlin wuz announcin the gests ez they
arriv. “Earl von Seymor!” “Count de Richmond!”
“Markuis Fernandywood!” and, ez I
stept forerd, wat a gush uv exstasy thrild thro my
vanes as the chamberlin (who wuz little Samcox,)
showtid, “DOOK DE NASBY!” O, wot a moment!
My dreems continnerd. Methawt the nobility
wuz made up uv the offisers uv the Confedrit
armies, and sech Northern men ez hed bin troo
to the Confedrisy. The Northern Staits hed bin
diwided into dookdums, and erldums, and sich—
my territory extending forty miles eech way frum
Wingert's Corners, whair my dookal palise wuz
sitooated. Niggers wuz dun away with, ez all
the whites, excepting the privligd classes, wuz
serfs, wich effectooally settled the question uv
[ILLUSTRATION]
NASBY'S DREAM OF GREATNESS.
[Description: 631EAF. Illustration page. Illustration of two men. One is
wearing a crown and a cloth draped around him; the other is bowing with
his hat in his hand.]
Afrikin slaivry. The nobility ownd the land, and
the inhabitants wuz all peasantry, payin to the
lord uv the soil 4-fifths uv the produx. I wuz
livin in stile. We hed subjoogatid the Abolishnists,
and wuz usin their leadin men ez our meenyels.
O, it wuz magnificent and gorjus! I arose
evry mornin with Sumner a holdin a bason, and
Waid a pourin uv perfoomd water over my hands,
after wich Chase dryd em with towels. They wuz
my servance! Poetikle justise.
In short, Gefferson Davis, ez soon as he hed
the power, hed declaird the idee uv men governin
themselves a failyoor, and hed revivd the old
foodel system. France and England hed assisted
him in establishin hisself, and hed jest got the
thing into good runnin order. One seen in my
dreem filled me full uv joy. I thot I wuz in my
dukel robes, in my ancestrel halls, overlookin my
stewart (W. Dennison) a reseevin triboot frum
the happy peasantry, wen I notist among em sum
who hed refoosed me credit in the days uv the
Republic. Rage filled my sole. “Away with the
hory miscreance!” showtid I to my armd serviters,
“away with em 2 the deepest dunjun neeth
the castel mote! ha! ha!” Just then I awoke.
It wuz but a dreem, but it left an impreshen
on my mind. “If we succeed in smashin Lincoln
and his guverment,” thawt I, “a monerkey must
ensoo, and, who nose, I may yet be Dook de
Nasby!” Filled with new zele, I resoomd labor
on my sermon for the morrer, on the unconstooshnality
uv the puttin down rebelyuns with muskets,
with renood wigger.
Petroleum V. Nasby,
Paster uv sed Church, in charge.
