the cover, repeated on the title-page, and further
adorned by colour. It has apparently been
executed with much freedom of handling and a full
pencil. The bride has a crimson body and a
flesh-coloured skirt; and there is a suggestion in
the manner of the execution that all the dabs of
red (in an edition or two) have been done first,
while that colour was in the brush, and that then
the green, yellow, and flesh-coloured dabs have
followed in due course. The artist having with
that noble impetuosity which is ever the
characteristic of true genius, scorned the limits of
outline, and suffered his brush, in imparting a
bright blue tint to the bridegroom's shooting-
jacket, to encroach at the cuff upon the limits
assigned to it by the engraver, in such wise that
this interesting personage shows us a hand that
seems at first sight to be decorated with an
indigo mitten. For the rest, it would be hard
to say what the work of art thus minutely
described has to do with the volume of which it
forms part; for the book itself is of a philosophical
and speculative rather than a matrimonial
character, and is called (not to keep the reader
longer in suspense) the Ladies' Own Dream-
book.

Of all those topics which it is the function of
thought to investigate, there are none perhaps
possessing a more universal interest for all
mankind than those in which the unseen and
immaterial world, the world of spirits, of omens, of
superstitions and dreams, becomes the subject
of our speculation. Who has not been troubled
by strange and inexplicable dreams? Who has
not been pursued by such dreams during the
day succeeding their occurrence? Who has
not longed to get some means of explaining the
vision by which he has been haunted? And
lastly, who has not felt how invaluable would
be the aid of some guide in such matters, on
which profound dependence might be placed.
Such a guide, confident, unerring, and
authoritative, is the Ladies' Own Dream-book.

In this precious volume the subjects on which
well-regulated persons may most reasonably be
expected to dream, are found alphabetically
arranged, so that the fevered victim of nightmare,
starting from his couch of suffering, has
nothing to do but to light a candle, and turning
to the subject of his dream, may put himself at
once out of his misery, or into it, as the case
may be; for it would be useless to attempt to
deny that, according to the opinion of the
Ladies' Own Dream-book, there are some topics
which it is by no means desirable to dream about,
and which augur all sorts of impending horror
to the dreamer.

The very first word in the list (adders) is an
instance of the kind. Let us see what we have
got to expect if we should happen to dream
about adders:

ADDERS.—To dream of these venomous reptiles,
are a bad omen, they signify you have enemies who
are endeavouring to do you some harm; if you are
bitten by them, it signifies you will experience some
misfortune, but if you destroy them you will triumph
over your enemies.

Under the head of " awning," let us see what
we have.

AWNING.—To dream that you are sitting under
an awning is a sign that you will shortly leave this
country most probably to Australia; if you seek this
shelter on account of the heat of the sun, that you
will prosper there.

The use of the word "to" in the above passage
is very remarkable, and seems to imply that
the dreamer will either abandon his country to
be seized upon and annexed by Australia, or
that he will be in such a position as to bequeath
his native land as a legacy to that portion of the
globe. This is, indeed, giving something like an
interpretation to a dream. If such results as
these are to follow all dreams upon the subject
of awnings, it will surely become necessary for
government to require Mr. Edgington and all
other tent-makers to keep their shutters up, and
not expose longer to the public eye anything
that might suggest the shade of canvas to the
British dreamer. But we have not done with
the letter A. Let us see what dreaming about
ale-houses may be expected to bring about:

ALE-HOUSE.—To dream that you are in an ale-
house is a sure sign of sickness, especially if your
dream happens about break of day.

This is a very rational interpretation; the
transition being easy and obvious from the
ale-house to sickness. It is impossible, too, to
name a time in the twenty-four hours when the
visitation is more likely to occur than at the
break of day.

We come now to a very remarkable announcement
indeed, the latter part of which, especially,
is environed with mystery:

ABUNDANCE.—To dream of abundance shows that
you will experience great prosperity; and that your
future husband will be true to you; and you will
have many children, who will be a blessing to you;
but if you sell any part, you will be crossed in
business.

Gracious Heavens! what does this mean?
"If you sell any part you will be crossed in
business?"

Let us approach this matter in a spirit of
humble inquiry. This is the Ladies' Own Dream-
book, and the lady here addressed is obviously
supposed to be in business. It would be
delightful to know in what branch. Is she in
the chandlery line, or is it tobacco? It might
be licensed victualling; but there is no end to
conjecture on the subject. She is in business,
she will be courted and won by an exemplary
personage, who will be true to her, and by whom
she will have many children; but if she sells any
part she will be crossed in business. Sells any
part! Any part of what? Her children obviously!
"Crossed," too, in business; we have
all of us heard of being crossed in love, but
never, surely, in business.

Business, however, is for ever in the mind of
the distinguished compiler of the Ladies' Own
Dream-book, which, considering the speculative
subject of the work, is rather remarkable.
The allusions, throughout, to business are
continual arid of very high value. We have