ent to bed
thinking of the farm. Finally I fell asleep, and

'Sleeping I dreamed, love,
Dreamed love of'----

seeing six cats, each with two tails, and each tail eight feet long,
and afterwards a seventh cat with a bob-tail. When I awoke in the
morning, I attempted to interpret my dream, and I readily found a
meaning. I put the figures together in the order above--that is to say,
six cats, two tails, eight feet long, one cat bob-tail, which latter, I
thought, was equivalent to a nought, and I had the following result:
62810. I concluded that this was the lucky number which was to get the
farm. I posted off immediately to the office of the gift enterprise, and
called for number 62810, and laid down my dollar. The dollar was
accepted, and the ticket was handed me, done up in an envelope. I was
confident of having the title deeds to the premises given me as soon as
the drawing should take place, and as that event was set down for the
next week, and there was no time to be lost, I contracted for thirty-two
head of cattle, and all the necessary farming utensils, in order to be
ready to commence a life of ease and luxury, at the earliest practicable
moment, after the said real estate should come into my possession. I
also advertised for two stout farm-hands, to assist me in following the
prospective agricultural pursuits. I had some three hundred and
sixty-eight answers. I finally engaged two athletic Irishmen, who were
recommended by their late employer as being excellent farm-hands, and
who, in addition, possessed this virtue, that, when drunk, they were
satisfied to abuse one another, and never their employer.

[Illustration]

"The day of the drawing at last came, and I went to the office to get my
deed, for I never doubted a single instant that I had drawn the big
prize. I entered the office, and told the clerk that I would take the
documents.

"'What documents?' said he.

"'Why, my deed of the magnificent country mansion and farm in New
Jersey, with three hundred acres of land, and a house with all the
modern improvements.'

"Gentlemen, I have been, in the course of my life, kicked by a horse,
knocked into a cocked hat by a threshing-machine, and had my hair singed
off by chain-lightning, but neither one of these occurrences so
astounded me as did that red-haired clerk, when he informed me that my
ticket had drawn a gold pen, with a silver holder, and a place in the
top to put pencil-leads in.

"Gentlem