I Know he Is not Gone to Heaven.
I NEED not say a word about Scotland, so well known by you and most of your readers, but will give the following incident as it happened in that country. I cannot now remember the name of the city or the Scotch nobleman where it occurred, but his lordship was kind and affably disposed to all, but especially to those of his own household, not withholding in his daily associations that general good feeling to his servants who, in consequence, were much attached to him. It would seem that his lordship was much in the habit of taking a sleep in the day-time. On one of these occasions, he, as usual, retired for a short nap. He slept pretty sound and quiet; the servants thought more so than usual, but would by no means disturb him; his doze was so long that it began to work upon their prolific imaginations, and brought out their varied sentiments upon the subject. The circumstance of second sight and trance phenomena, with dreams in sleep, is not unusual in Scotland; and they could not help supposing that his lordship was not merely sleeping. One said that he was in a trance, another, dreaming some significant dream, but not being able to discern his breathing, while another said he was dead. Then, as with one voice, they all said he had gone to Heaven. But one of his men-servants, not full of what is called wisdom or knowledge of things in general, being rather deficient in some things, but pretty good in the witty and humorous, his lordship noticed him a little above the rest. On hearing what the servants had to say about his lordship's nap, and that he was gone to Heaven, he quickly said, I know, and am sure, that he has not gone to Heaven. They, looking with astonishment, asked him how he could think so—so good as he had been to everybody, especially to yourself. Well, says he, it is a long way and and a great journey to Heaven, and whenever his lordship had to go a journey, he would talk about and make preparations for it; talk about his luggage and have addresses upon it ready for the day of starting. But I have never heard him name Heaven, or make the least preparation for that journey; so I know and am sure that he has not gone there.—Golden Censer.