The Ring between the Footprints under the Swing

" Upwards of twenty-five years ago I was residing on the banks of the Delaware river, in Sullivan Co., State of New York. Before I left home my only sister had presented me with a gold ring and told me never to lose it. In a beautiful little grove near the bank of said river a lot of us young folks had fixed up a scup, or swing, among the trees, and we indulged in that pastime to that extent that the land immediately under the swing became so lively that my foot would make a deep impression. One beautiful moonlight night, after getting tired of swinging, I had seen my best girl home, as in duty bound, and was returning along towards morning, as usual, when I missed my ring. It gave me quite a shock when I made that discovery ; the first impression I had was, there, I've lost that ring, but it must be found, and that I would find it. Went home and searched round my room and went to bed. Had a hazy sort of dream about the ring, but nothing definite. Got up early and searched before breakfast. After breakfast followed the direction we had taken the night before to the swing, and from there to the young lady's home ; but found it not. In fact, I searched diligently all day, and went to bed thinking very seriously of the ring. Along towards morning had a very impressive dream. I saw the ring, covered by a little ridge of sand, between two footprints under the swing. That dream was so vivid that on awaking I could see the road, buildings, fences, trees, swing and sand, with the footprints therein, the same as in the dream, and as soon as it was light enough to see I started for that swing, not attempting to look for it on the way. On arriving at the swing I walked deliberately into the sand until I reached the before-mentioned ridge, between said footprints, and with the toe of my boot removed a little sand from the top of the ridge, and out rolled the ring. The birds were singing overhead in the trees, the river was rushing on its way to the sea, a train of cars on the York and Erie R.R. across the river passed along. I banged my head several times with my fist to make sure I was not still in the land of dreams ; no, I was there, standing in the sand, and there lay the ring. There was no hallucination about that, but a good, square, honest, useful dream. I picked up the ring and went home, and ate more for breakfast than I had in the last twenty-four hours, and I kept up an awful thinking, and am thinking yet. I would state I was about nineteen years of age at that time, enjoyed perfect health, and thought I knew more than all creation ; but don't think so now. My sister was also living at that time.