an address before a benevolent
institution, and being pressed amid the daily business cares which
surrounded, I was fearful I should not be able to command sufficient
time for preparation of the task. Returning home, I retired to my bed,
my thoughts still keeping themselves in active motion in their endeavor
to "think out" what I should say. In this state of mind I fell asleep,
and soon was in dreamland. I dreamed that death had taken place, and
as I approached the gates of the unseen world, I was met by an angel,
who kindly tendered his services in escorting me through the realms of
Heaven. Being a stranger there, I gladly and gracefully accepted his
kind invitation. Proceeding along the pearly streets, enraptured with
the beauties which surrounded me, I saw a multitude of people, the
number of whom figures fail to compute; but I noticed there were
dividing lines, and they were gathered in companies. Observing a
beautiful body of water in the distance, and a gathering of one company
by its banks, I inquired of my escort who they were. He replied they
were Baptists, and said "they always keep near the water's edge." Just
beyond was another company, which my faithful attendant informed me was
a Presbyterian band, and that their infant baptism views still clinging
to them was one of the causes of their "corralling" together. Just
then we heard loud and prolonged shouting and singing of the hymn
"Shall we gather at the river," and, pointing to the spot from whence
it came, near a beautiful stream not far off, the angel said: "Those
are the Methodists. They never cease shouting, and so loud are they at
times that they annoy the Episcopalians, whom you see on the opposite
side of the stream, in their discussion of the doctrine of apostolic
succession." Seeing still other gatherings farther on, I was anxious
to go thither and mingle with them; but my guide remonstrated, saying:
"You can see from this standpoint the representatives of all churches.
There, said he, are the Catholics and the Jews, the Universalists and
the Congregationalists, the Unitarians and the Moravians, all with
their varied 'creeds,' and if you go that way you will be surrounded by
them, each trying to prove that you got to Heaven through their
peculiar doctrine or faith."

Turning to the right, we moved on, only to pass to more gorgeous and
beautiful apartments, where the streets were golden. Here I observed
another multitude, but it was one