Mr. Stead's recital follows:
"I got into bed and was not able to go to sleep. I shut my eyes and waited
for sleep to come; instead of sleep, however, there came to me a
succession of curiously vivid clairvoyant pictures. There was no light in
the room, and it was perfectly dark; I had my eyes shut also. But,
notwithstanding the darkness, I suddenly was conscious of looking at a
scene of singular beauty. It was as if I saw a living miniature about the
size of a magic-lantern slide. At this moment I can recall the scene as if
I saw it again. It was a seaside piece. The moon was shining upon the
water, which rippled slowly on to the beach. Right before me a long mole
ran into the water. On either side of the mole irregular rocks stood up
above the sea-level. On the shore stood several houses, square and rude,
which resembled nothing that I had ever seen in house architecture. No one
was stirring, but the moon was there and the sea and the gleam of the
moonlight on the rippling waters, just as if I had been looking on the
actual scene. It was so beautiful that I remember thinking that if it
continued I should be so interested in looking at it that I should never
go asleep. I was wide awake, and at the same time that I saw the scene I
distinctly heard the dripping of the rain outside the window.
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