[To TEE EDITOR or TEE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—Some little time ago, during the correspondence con- cerning "Dream Houses," you were good enough to admit a letter of mine anent a dream of an old house in my family, the dreamer (then aged fifteen) beccming its future mistress. When aged eighty-eight one morning she failed to appear in the breakfast-room, and sent word that not feeling quite well she would remain in her room, a most unusual event, which made quite a stir in the household. In the afternoon of that day—a Sunday—when everything was absolutely quiet, suddenly I beard a thundering, most violent knocking at an outer door, so loud and so startling that I dropped some article in my hand with a crash to the floor, and flew to the big door, expectimi—I hardly know what. No one was there! not a sound, not a creature near, not a movement. The house was searched to see if anything had fallen, but no! all was as usual. Much alarmed, I told a friend visiting us ;. her instant remark was : " That is a death-warning ; your grandmother [the dreamer above mentioned] will never rise from her bed again." She never did : very shortly afterwards she was laid in the family vault. I give the simple facts. Your article on " Witchcraft and Second-Sight " in the Spectator of July 18th recalls the incident to my mind.—I am, Sir, &c.,
M. AL. B.
[The story is interesting, but when very old people are lying ill every odd sound or sight is apt to be interpreted as a death-warning.—ED. Spectator.]
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