FEARFUL FANCIES.
Old Matthew and his young neighbour Joe were coming home from the fair, one night, loaded with some things which they had bought. It was a lovely moonlight night, and the air was soft, and the dew was cool upon the turf on which they paced. They walked on stoutly, speeding the time with droll stories and merry chat, till they came in sight of a house that had long stood empty and was half in ruins. All at once, Matthew became grave, and Joe silent, and they passed the house as quickly as they could. When they had quite passed it, "I wonder why you are so grave, all of a sudden, Matthew!" said Joe. "And I wonder why, all at once, you are so silent, Joe!" said Matthew; and both made believe to laugh and be merry, but both cast a look behind at the house, and both began to walk quickly, and almost to run. A sort of crackling noise was heard: "Dear me," cried Joe, "what a horrid sound!" Soon after, a kind of twitter was sounded: "Mercy upon us," cried Matthew, "what dreadful notes!" Cold, trembling, aghast, afraid of they knew not what, these two stout men, who would have braved the cannon's mouth, quaked, and tried to run away. Just at this moment, the clouds lightly floating away, the moon shone in a flood of glory, and all around was clear as in a sunny noon. The panting men stopped to take breath, and threw a fearful glance behind. Matthew beheld a scathed oak, the dry and leafless boughs of which swung and crackled in the breeze. "Ha! ha!" he said, and laughed; "your brittle sprays, Mr. Oak, have made this fine brave fellow shake and tremble thus!" and he jeered poor Joe. Matthew's loud laugh scared a bird from its secret bower, and as it flitted past them, it sounded again its soft low notes. "Ho! ho!" cried Joe, "it is your strains, Mrs. Bird, that have frighted this gallant hero, this merry Matthew!" The friends now both laughed, and owned the folly of their fancies. "What a sad thing is fear!" said Matthew; "when once we let it come over us, how quickly it masters us! Fear made a tender oakspray seem to crackle with horrid sound! Fear made a timid bird seem to utter dreadful notes! Well, we shall be wiser the next time: and think, and look, and feel, before we yield ourselves to fear, and on such a glorious night too!"