The spirit of Christmas…
I know lots of you don’t like scary stories, but not all ghosts are bad. This tale, taken from the collection Chill Tidings, features a ghost who would surely be welcome at any Christmas party…
Old Applejoy’s Ghost
by Frank R Stockton

For many years old Applejoy’s ghost had wandered freely about the grand old house and the fine estate of which he had once been the lord and master. But early in that spring a change had come over the household of his grandson, John Applejoy, an elderly man, a bachelor, and – for the later portion of his life – almost a recluse. His young niece, Bertha, had come to live with him, and it was since her arrival that old Applejoy’s ghost had confined himself to the upper portions of the house.
Old Applejoy’s ghost had had the freedom of the house because any time his grandson saw him, he dismissed him as a dream. The house has become dull indeed in the grandson’s time, but now young Bertha has brought youth and beauty back to the hall, and the ghost doesn’t want to inadvertently scare her away. However, one night the ghost realises Christmas is coming…
“Winter has come,” he said to himself. “And in two days it will be Christmas!” Suddenly he started to his feet. “Can it be,” he exclaimed, “that my close-fisted grandson John does not intend to celebrate Christmas! It has been years since he has done so, but now that Bertha is in the house, will he dare to pass over it as though it were but a common day? It is almost incredible that such a thing could happen, but so far there have been no signs of any preparations. I have seen nothing, heard nothing, smelt nothing. I will go this moment and investigate.”
He descends to the kitchen…
….“Let me see what the old curmudgeon has provided for Christmas.”
….So saying, old Applejoy’s ghost went around the spacious pantry, looking upon shelves and tables. “Emptiness! Emptiness! Emptiness!” he exclaimed. “A cold leg of mutton, a ham half gone, and cold boiled potatoes – it makes me shiver to look at them! Pies? there ought to be rows and rows of them, and there is not one! And Christmas two days off!”
Old Applejoy’s ghost is determined that Bertha shall have the Christmas she deserves, but how to achieve it? He wanders to his grandson’s room…
….There lay the old man, his eyelids as tightly closed as if there had been money underneath them. The ghost of old Applejoy stood by his bedside…
….“I can make him wake up and look at me,” he thought, “so that I might tell him what I think of him, but what impression could I expect my words to make upon a one-chicken man like John? Moreover, if I should be able to speak to him, he would persuade himself that he had been dreaming, and my words would be of no avail!”
He considers talking to the old housekeeper, but…
“It would be of no use,” he said. “She would never be able to induce old John to turn one inch aside from his parsimonious path. More than that, if she were to see me she would probably scream – die, for all I know – and that would be a pretty preparation for Christmas!”
He looks in on Bertha, sweetly dreaming in a room lit by moonlight, and quietly murmuring the name “Tom”. Then suddenly she wakes…
….The maiden did not move, but fixed her lovely blue eyes upon the apparition, who trembled for fear that she might scream or faint.
….“Am I asleep?” she murmured, and then, after turning her head from side to side to assure herself that she was in her own room, she looked full into the face of old Applejoy’s ghost, and boldly spoke to him. “Are you a spirit?”
Delighted that she seems unafraid, old Applejoy’s ghost promptly hatches a scheme that she should speak to her uncle…
“When you have told him all the events of this night, and when he sees that they must have happened, I want you to tell him that it is the wish and desire of his grandfather, to whom he owes everything, that there shall be worthy festivities in this house on Christmas Day and Night. Tell him to open his cellars and spend his money. Tell him to send for at least a dozen good friends and relatives to attend the great holiday celebration that is to be held in this house.”
And will Tom be one of those guests?
* * * * *
If you want to know the answer to that, you’ll need to read the story – here’s a link.
Charming and fun, bit of humour, bit of romance, lots of cakes and mince pies, wine and plum pudding – a sweet little Christmas story. Wish I had a ghost to arrange Christmas for me!
(The porpy wishes you all a Very Merry Christmas!)
What a great holiday story, FictionFan! I love it! And Bertha sounds like a good character, too, and not the all-too-common ‘shrinking violet’ of far too many stories of this time. And, if there’s pie in the mix, too, well, then… Please tell the Porpy Merry Christmas!
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Yes, Bertha was fun – no screaming or swooning! And I do like the occasional friendly ghost, especially at Christmas! The porpy thanks you and returns to his rummaging… 😉
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This sounds absolutely delightful!
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Christmas seems to make even ghosts nicer! 😉
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John and Scrooge have a lot in common! 😉 Glad Porpy was not frightened but instead was delighted.
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Haha, yes – A Christmas Carol with all the heavyweight stuff stripped out! The porpy thanks you and gets on with his rummaging… 😉
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Merry Christmas, Porpy!
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Sounds absolutely perfect for the season–lots of warmth and plenty of food.
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Yes, even ghosts are on their best behaviour at Christmas! 😉
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This sounds like a fun read and I love the title 😁 Merry Christmas to porpy…and you of course 😉
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Yes, you couldn’t really be an evil, scary ghost with a name like Old Applejoy! The porpy thanks you and gets back to rummaging under the tree… 😀
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I love the sound of this one and your festive post is beautiful! Merry Christmas to you too!!
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Thank you! Even ghosts take time off from being scary at Christmas! 👻🎅
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What a sweet ghost! But I’m not sure about the mincemeat and plum pudding….they sound pretty ancient. I’m pleased that the old man relented, though. And Bertha and Tom will live happily ever after. Reminds me a bit of Fezziwig’s party. Merry Christmas!
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Haha, yes, I did wonder if plum pudding really would survive that long! I bet Uncle John is glad he only had to contend with one ghost though, unlike poor Scrooge… 👻🎅
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What a fun story for Christmas. Merry Christmas to you and Porpy! Hope you get lots of chocolate from Santa!
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Thank you – you too! The good thing about chocolate is the porpy doesn’t like it… 😉
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Wishing the Porpy a Merry Christmas, too! I’m glad you didn’t frighten him with this ghost story! A shame mince pies aren’t part of my diet anymore. You’ve left me with a hankering for one…
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It seemed only fair to show the porpy that some ghosts can be nice! Oh no! I must admit I’ve started on the mince pies already – seems a shame to save them for Christmas Day when we’re all too full to enjoy them properly… 😉
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How *did* you get Porpy to pose with all those Christmas goodies?? You’re simply amazing, FF! And this sounds like a good story — not too scary. Hope you and Porpy have a very Merry Christmas!
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Hahaha, it wasn’t easy! Hiding porpy treats below the tree is a risky business… 😉 The porpy thanks you and has now gone back to his rummaging… 🦔🎅
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Ahh, this sounds lovely! Merry Christmas to you and Porpy, FF!
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It seemed only fair to give the porpy a Christmas break from being scared! The porpy thanks you and has gone back to his rummaging under the tree… 🦔🎄
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The perfect Christmas guest, I mean ghost! Wishing you and Porpy a joyous holiday season!
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Haha, yes, I wouldn’t mind having a ghost like that around the place – no clanking chains! The porpy thanks you and has gone back to his rummaging for Christmas presents… 🦔🎄
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I read this in an anthology of Christmas ghost stories back in the 1990s. As I recall, the cover illustrated this story! Thanks for posting!
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I hadn’t come across this one before – I love all these anthologies for keeping these older stories alive! And it’s nice to have a non-scary ghost for Tuesday Terror once in a while… 👻🎅
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Did a little calculating: the story was published in 1900 but it feels like it’s taking place a couple of decades earlier, so Old Applejoy’s heyday must have been around the end of the Revolutionary War.
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Haha, I’m surprised he wasn’t shocked by Bertha’s modernity then! It must be hard for ghosts to keep up to date with the changes in society… 😉
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I’m not convinced that fruit mince and plum pudding lasts as long as Appljoy says, but the story was lovely. Thank you for the link 😀
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Haha, yes, I’m hoping my plum pudding hasn’t been on the supermarket shelf for quite that long… 😉 Glad you enjoyed the story! 😀
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I reviewed this book just today! I thought this story was quite sweet rather than scary – an anomaly in the collection really.
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I enjoyed the collection too and thought there was a good range of stories in it. And this one seemed like a perfect Christmas ghost! 😀
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Is that a picture of a porcupine opening Christmas presents? It’s sort of cute actually…
This story sounds really cute too – sort of a Charles Dickens Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future vibe going on here. I like to think that ghosts are trying to help us, not just haunt us, that kind of thought gives me comfort.
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Haha, it amazes me that there are so many porcupine pics on the internet – who knew?? Yes, there’s a definite Christmas Carol vibe to this one, though with all the heavyweight stuff stripped out. I’ve never understood why most ghosts are evil – seems unlikely! 👻
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that is funny that there are so many porcupine photos hah
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There must be a porpy fan club out there! 😉
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What a lovely Christmas story. Although I’m late to the party, I did manage to read it within the traditional twelve days!
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Isn’t it perfect for the season? I don’t see why all ghosts have to be scary and evil, and I really would like one who organised a Christmas party for me each year… 👻😀
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