s_ singular, that is
certain,' and I could never get another word out of him about it, but
you may know he thought it was a serious matter, for the very next time
he went over to the village he brought me home a much nicer jar than the
old one, without me as much as reminding him of it, and most always I
have to tell him half a dozen times before I can get him to remember any
little thing of that kind." They went on with their work for a few
moments in silence, when the Widow Green, sinking her voice almost to a
whisper, said: "I will tell you, Mrs. Waters, but you mustn't mention
it for the world, we had two warnings over at our house of Grandma Adams'
death. It's better than a month ago, I dreamed of bein' over here,
helping to make up all kinds of finery for a weddin', and you know to
dream of a weddin' is a sure sign of a funeral; and the next mornin' I
said to my daughter Matilda Ann, there will certainly be a death over at
Nathan Adams' before long. I didn't say nothin' to any one else, but kept
kind o' ponderin' it in my mind, and then one night, about sunset, last
week, our dog Rover went over on the hill and sat with his face toward
here and give the mournfulest howls I ever did hear. I sent my boy
Archibald to call him in, for I couldn't bear to hear it. The dog
wouldn't stir, and the boy dragged him into the house by main strength,
and I shut him up in the back-kitchen, but the first time the door was
opened he sprung out, in less than a minnit he was over on the hill
again, and set up them awful howls a second time, and if that wasn't a
warnin' I don't know what would be one." The widow had a very
appreciative listener in the person of Mrs. Waters, and I know not how
many experiences of a similar kind might have been related, had not the
entrance of my aunt put a sudden check upon their conversation; for they
both knew her sufficiently well, to be aware that a conversation of this
kind would not for a moment be tolerated in her hearing. It was something
entirely new to me, and it kept me awake for a long time after I retired
to rest. Can it be, thought I, that an All-wise Providence makes known by
such means, events which are not revealed to the wisest and best of
mankind: and young as I was, I banished the idea, as an absurdity, and
to quiet my mind, I began repeating to myself what had been grandma's
favorite psalm, and before I reached the close fell quietly asleep. In
after years, the conversation between