子浪小说

第12部分（第3页）

us；　and　we　bee　as　great　as　our　aspirations。　I　daresay　we　return　to

the　little　world　of　our　daily　activities　with　as　distorted　a　half…memory

of　what　we　have　seen　as　that　of　the　African　who　visited　England；　and

afterwards　said　he　had　been　in　a　huge　hill　which　carried　him　over　great

waters。　The　prehensiveness　of　our　thought；　whether　we　are　asleep　or

awake；　no　doubt　depends　largely　upon　our　idiosyncrasies；　constitution；

habits；　and　mental　capacity。　But　whatever　may　be　the　nature　of　our

dreams；　the　mental　processes　that　characterize　them　are　analogous　to

those　which　go　on　when　the　mind　is　not　held　to　attention　by　the　will。

A　WAKING　DREAM

XV

A　WAKING　DREAM

I　HAVE　sat　for　hours　in　a　sort　of　reverie；　letting　my　mind　have　its　way

without　inhibition　and　direction；　and　idly　noted　down　the　incessant　beat

of　thought　upon　thought；　image　upon　image。　I　have　observed　that　my

thoughts　make　all　kinds　of　connections；　wind　in　and　out；　trace

concentric　circles；　and　break　up　in　eddies　of　fantasy；　just　as　in

dreams。　One　day　I　had　a　literary　frolic　with　a　certain　set　of　thoughts

which　dropped　in　for　an　afternoon　call。　I　wrote　for　three　or　four　hours

as　they　arrived；　and　the　resulting　record　is　much　like　a　dream。　I　found

that　the　most　disconnected；　dissimilar　thoughts　came　in　arm…in…arm……I

dreamed　a　wide…awake　dream。　The　difference　is　that　in　waking　dreams　I

can　look　back　upon　the　endless　succession　of　thoughts；　while　in　the

dreams　of　sleep　I　can　recall　but　few　ideas　and　images。　I　catch　broken

threads　from　the　warp　and　woof　of　a　pattern　I　cannot　see；　or　glowing

leaves　which　have　floated　on　a　slumber…wind　from　a　tree　that　I　cannot

identify。　In　this　reverie　I　held　the　key　to　the　pany　of　ideas。　I　give

my　record　of　them　to　show　what　analogies　exist　between　thoughts　when

they　are　not　directed　and　the　behaviour　of　real　dream…thinking。

I　had　an　essay　to　write。　I　wanted　my　mind　fresh　and　obedient；　and　all

its　handmaidens　ready　to　hold　up　my　hands　in　the　task。　I　intended　to

discourse　learnedly　upon　my　educational　experiences；　and　I　was　unusually

anxious　to　do　my　best。　I　had　a　working　plan　in　my　head　for　the　essay；

which　was　to　be　grave；　wise；　and　abounding　in　ideas。　Moreover；　it　was　to

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