Prophetic Dreams

Three friends were sitting waiting for a fourth, upon whom, in his absence, the conversation turned. Quite recently, the girl whom he was going to marry had suddenly been taken ill with inflammation of the cæcum and had died. Her fiancé appeared broken-hearted. It was difficult to interest him in anything, he had no longer any heart for his work and nothing gave him any pleasure. As they waited, his friends were discussing how they could rouse him from this state of apathy. Two of the three were planning to climb the Blümlisalp (one of the Bernese Alps, the highest peak of which is called the 'Weisse Frau', 12, 000 feet) the following week-end and they intended to ask the fourth to join them. He and his dead fiancée used to be enthusiastic Alpine climbers, and his friends knew that he was specially fond of the Blümlisalp district. It was true that he was now refusing to take part in any amusements, but they hoped to persuade him to join in such a 'serious' undertaking and believed that his delight in the mountains and in the beauty of nature would divert his mind from its sad thoughts.

When he appeared, they suggested the expedition, overcame his hesitation and objections and finally secured his promise to join them.

Two days later he took it back. He put down his change of mind to a dream: He had set out to climb the Jungfrau and had fallen from the Rottalsattel. He was not in general superstitious. This dream, however, had made a singularly strong impression on him and he felt that he must not undertake the climb of the Blümlisalp.

His friends succeeded in persuading him to make another expedition instead, to the safe Gantrisch peak (about 8000 feet). This is one of the foothills of the Alps and is very often climbed, in fact even children can manage it. There is no difficulty of any sort and the expedition is worth making because of the beautiful view.

As the party was coming down, the dreamer slipped, fell over a precipice and was killed.

Anyone knowing