TWILIGHT TIME

Dream of Helen Luke, age 81, recorded in her journal:

In my dream I was walking up a hillside in twilight. I had come to the bottom of the hill in my VW, bringing with me a small suitcase, since I was, I thought, going to stay overnight in a house which I was now looking for, knowing it was on the top of this hill and that one could not approach it by road. I was being 'led,' as it were by a black dog (a border collie?) which ran ahead. My heart was light as I walked on the springy turf like that of the South Downs. There were dark bushes around. The sun had set and the light was going, and I wondered if I would be able to return to the car to fetch the suitcase as I had no flashlight, but thought perhaps someone from the house would come with me to help. Anyway, it did not seem very important, and as I walked on and up my body felt lighter, stronger, and the air grew fresher, cooler. I drew deep breaths and my spirit rejoiced. I could scarcely believe in the extraordinary life-giving quality of that cold, invigorating air and the lightness of my body moving steadily without effort and without haste up the steep hill on the firm and quiet turf. It was sheer wonder.

Then I saw without surprise the outline of a large house ahead against the darkening sky. The bushes and some trees near the house were black now. The dog still ran ahead towards it. The house itself was square, I thought, and several stories high-- almost a cube. It was not a stone 'keep,' as in a castle, but an old house, I guessed (perhaps a sort of gatehouse) of dark and weathered brick, and I came now in near darkness to the door. Then I heard voices coming from inside, from the depths of the house. They were deep but somehow musical voices-- I 'saw' as well as heard them in a strange way (but not strange to me in the dream itself)-- and these voices brought to me still greater joy and delight and spoke to me of welcome. I stood on the threshold and woke. There was nothing in the least eerie in this dream and absolutely no anxiety.