ng to have his last cent at their disposal. A man so
thoroughly bad could not fail to be a pitiable coward, and it is
not at all surprising that he was somewhat startled to suddenly
perceive, between himself and his scandalously-comfortable bed, Mr.
Pepper's Ghost!--the very same ghost once in full blow at all our
moral temples of the drama. 'Unreal Novelty!' exclaimed old
Pursimmons, chewing the strings of his night-cap, 'hie thee away to
thy native footlights; or, if thou must keep somebody awake all
night, betake thee to some great tragedian when Shakspeare's murder
lies heavy on his soul.' Mr. Pepper's Ghost winked with great
archness as it replied: 'Ghosts have no terrors for the sons of
Thespis, who are even merry with a ghost--of a chance to get their
salaries. My mission is to you, to whom I must a wholesome lesson
teach. Behold!'

"The spirit waved its hand, and lo! one whole side of the vile
banker's chamber fell magically away, disclosing to view a room
entirely destitute of velvet carpet and pictures by the Old
Masters. On a sofa reclined a middle-aged young girl, whose poor
dress of braidless merino was so inclemently low in the neck as to
suggest for its down-trodden wearer a purse too scanty to procure a
sufficiency of material. The daughter of penury had just reached
the hundred and fifty-second exciting page of the cheap but
excellent work of fiction she was reading, when a door opened and
her crushed husband entered, smoking his meerschaum.

"'Old boy,' said the Ghost, 'do you remember that man?'

"'Yes,' responded the banker, sadly; 'he came to me yesterday for
some money to keep him from starvation; and as he would not take
'greenbacks,' I did not help him.'

"'Listen,' said the Ghost.

"The crushed husband threw himself into a chair which was not
covered with Solferino satin, and ate a peanut.

"'Well, what luck?' asked the daughter of penury.

"'Old Pursimmons has refused, and I'--

"'And you!!'--

"'Must'--

"'Must?'--

"'_Support myself!!!_'

"It was too much. The daughter of penury fainted, the crushed
husband sniffed aloud, and the landlady knocked at the door for the
week's board.

"As this agonizing picture of human misery faded away, old
Pursimmons turned with an inaudible groan to Mr. Pepper's Ghost:

"'And