deserving of ridicule!"

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.

When Bill got home he found the household busy with a much more
practical subject than that of ghosts and haunted yew-trees. Bessy was
ill. She had felt a pain in her side all the day, which towards night
had become so violent that the doctor was sent for, who had pronounced
it pleurisy, and had sent her to bed. He was just coming down-stairs as
Bill burst into the house. The mother was too much occupied about her
daughter to notice the lad's condition; but the doctor's sharp eyes saw
that something was amiss, and he at once inquired what it was. Bill
hammered and stammered, and stopped short. The doctor was such a tall,
stout, comfortable-looking man, he looked as if he couldn't believe in
ghosts. A slight frown however had come over his comfortable face, and
he laid two fingers on Bill's wrist as he repeated his question.

"Please sir," said Bill, "I've seen--"

"A mad dog?" suggested the doctor.

"No, sir."

"A mad bull?"

"No, sir," said Bill, desperately, "I've seen a ghost."

The doctor exploded into a fit of laughter, and looked more comfortable
than ever.

"And _where_ did we see the ghost?" he inquired in a professional voice,
as he took up his coat-tails and warmed himself at the fire.

"In Yew-lane, sir; and I'm sure I did see it," said Bill, half crying;
"it was all in white, and beckoned me."

"That's to say, you saw a white gravestone, or a tree in the moonlight,
or one of your classmates dressed up in a table-cloth. It was all
moonshine, depend upon it," said the doctor, with a chuckle at his own
joke; "take my advice, my boy, and don't give way to foolish fancies."

At this point the mother spoke--

"If his father knew, sir, as he'd got any such fads in his head, he'd
soon flog 'em out of him."

"His father is a very good one," said the doctor; "a little too fond of
the stick, perhaps. There," he added good-naturedly, slipping sixpence
into Bill's hand, "get a new knife, my boy, and cut a good thick stick,
and the next ghost you meet, lay hold of him and let him taste it."

Bill tried to thank him, but somehow his voice was choked, and the
doctor turned to his mother.

"The boy has been frightened," he said, "and is upset. Give him some
supper, and put him to bed." And the good gentleman departed.

Bill was duly feasted and sent to rest. His mother did not mention the
matter to her husband, as she kn