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ONE BOOK TO BE READ.

working its evil. A bad book is sure to do a boy harm-as -as much, and perhaps more, as a bad companion. So beware, my dear boys, of bad books.

"There is just one word more I wish to say, and that is, in all your reading forget not to read daily the ONE Book, in which God has written down what He would have us do, and how He would have us live. I sadly fear in this age of books it is not read so much as it ought to be. I am afraid most boys think it dull. This is a very great mistake; it is the most interesting book we have; and, when we consider how important are the truths it teaches, we should make it our daily study to try and understand it, and regulate our conduct and lives according. Read your Bible. precepts should be the wings of youth to aid it in mounting upward in the morning freshness of life, before the troubles and battles of the world overtake them; and they should be the staff of old age on which it rests while waiting to cross over the dark river. Read your Bible, my dear boys.

Its

"And now I will say good night, and I hope I shall never see you kicking a book about the road again. Remember what I said, that books are great blessings, and he who ill-treats a blessing does not deserve to have one."

CHAPTER XI.

"Fly!' cries light to darkness; and darkness echoes

back 'fly!"

"Most men stumble in the dark."

66

Ignorance is blind and cannot see.”

"Ignorance like a fool commits many follies."

"Folly grows without watering."

"Hold thy peace!' says wisdom to folly; Hold

thy peace!' replies folly to wisdom.

པ

CHAPTER XI.

ELIX, did you ever see a ghost?" inquired

Jem Mortlock one autumn evening, while a number of us were seated round the fire in Felix's cottage, enjoying the pleasant warmth, for the balmy airs of summer had given place to the chill winds of autumn, which had turned the leaves brown, and were now stripping the branches bare. "Felix, did you ever see a ghost?"

"No, lad; I can't say I ever did. I've seen a great many curious things, but I don't think I ever saw a ghost. Why? What makes you ask?"

"Oh, I and my brother George had a terrible fright last night as we came round the churchyard wall. We had been down by Parson Scaley's and through Hilly Gamp; and in coming back, not liking to pass through the churchyard, we skirted the wall, and came up by Martin's house and the Malton; but before we reached

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SEEING A GHOST.

the latter place, my brother caught me by the arm with a hard grip, and in a trembling voice whispered, 'Look there, Jem !'

"I did look, and what I saw made me feel shaky all over. It was nothing more nor less than a ghost! It was hanging over the wall, the two arms stretched wide apart, and every particle of it white. I own I was in a terrible fright, and my teeth chattered a bit as I, and George, stood watching it, and unable to stir a step. My brother George is no coward, I will say that; but even he shook. After a time, however, he gave over shaking, saying. Well, Jem, this will never do. I mean to go right up and see what it is.' I wouldn't stir, so away he went, as bold as a lion, and without once hesitating or turning back, marched straight up to it, and seized it with one hand, while I stood anxiously waiting the result. And what do you think it turned out to be? Why, nothing but an old shirt the sexton's wife had hung on the wall to dry and forgotten to take in. Still, I will own I was terribly frightened."

"I expect," said Lame Felix, "most ghosts turn out to be quite as harmless. It is in ourselves the fear lies. There is a proverb, which says 6 No man need be afraid, for he is sure to find nothing worse than himself,' but somehow or other men are afraid. Darkness maketh men afraid. A proverb says, 'Darkness maketh brave men cowards,' which is true to some extent.

"I remember while in India, and when serving in