Jessie

The twentieth of May at length came, and the academic term closed with a searching examination of the several classes. It went a little deeper than faces or dresses, and revealed to the assembled magnates of the town something of the daily habits, the intellectual standing and the private character of each pupil. The result, as a whole, was quite favorable to the institution, and there were very few of the scholars who positively reflected no credit upon it. It was evident enough where the blame lay, in these cases—the school register told the story.

Mr. Upton invited his assistants, Marcus and Jessie, to take tea with him, at the close of the examination. They accepted the invitation, and after an hour or two, passed very pleasantly with their friend, Marcus proposed to return home, as he had business to attend to. Mr. Upton said that, as he had been closely confined through the day, he thought the fresh air would do him good, so he proposed to walk home with them. As soon as they came in sight of Mrs. Page’s house, an unusual display of lights attracted attention, and set them to conjecturing what it could mean. On entering the house, however, the mystery was quickly explained. All the scholars of the academy were there, and, with smiling faces and words of welcome, pressed forward to greet the new comers. The trustees, too, were soon discovered in the background, quietly enjoying the scene.

“Why, how secret they have kept this!” whispered Jessie to Marcus, as soon as she found an opportunity. “They didn’t even let me know anything about it—I’m as much surprised as you are.”

“They are pretty good for keeping a secret,” replied Marcus, smiling.

“And who would have thought of seeing the trustees here, too? Why, I think it is quite a compliment to you,” continued Jessie.

“Do you suppose there is to be any presentation?” whispered Marcus, with a look of concern.

“I don’t know,” replied Jessie; “but I shouldn’t wonder if there was—you’d better prepare yourself for a speech.”

After a season passed in games, and conversation, and pleasant social intercourse, the party were invited to the tables, which had been bountifully spread with good cheer by the scholars. The feast was despatched without any speeches or other formalities, but not without a merry interchange of good feeling, and a little of that “flow of soul” which, according to the newspaper reporters, is seldom wanting when a company of hungry people gather around a well-filled table, on any public or special occasion. After the collation, the company adjourned to the front rooms, and seemed unusually quiet, as if waiting for some expected performance. Pretty soon Marcus arose, and, with a roguish twinkle in his eye, said:

“Soon after I came in here, this evening, our friend, Miss Hapley, whispered to me that there would probably be a presentation, and advised me to be thinking of my speech. She was right, in her prediction. Here is a beautiful paper box which has just been put into my hand—though, I am happy to say, without any speech-making. If agreeable to the company, I will examine its contents.”

No one objecting, Marcus, before opening the box, proceeded to describe it. It was covered with exquisitely tinted blue paper, ornamented with a rich pattern in gold. On the cover was a beautiful colored engraving, represented on the opposite page. The picture bore an inscription selected from the last chapter of the book of Proverbs, as follows:

Marcus then opened the box, and found within it another box, similar to the first, which bore this inscription, from the same book and chapter, with an appropriate illustration, similar in style to the first:

On opening this, a third box appeared, with a device illustrating this motto:

This contained a fourth box, corresponding with the others, and bearing this motto:

Within this Marcus found another box, which bore an engraving illustrating this verse:

Opening this, a sixth box disclosed itself, with this verse illustrated:

There was still another box, within this, with its engraving, thus inscribed:

And within this another box appeared, with this for its motto:

Marcus opened this box, and found within it yet another, with a vignette illustrating this verse:

Within this, a tenth box was found, on the cover of which was inscribed:

As Marcus opened these boxes, and read the inscriptions to the company, he freely gave expression to exclamations of surprise, mingled with running comments on the pictures. All present watched the proceedings with much interest, but none more than Jessie, to whom the whole affair was an enigma. She even asked a young lady at her side what Marcus could do with all those little boxes. She could imagine that a lady might find them useful, but the gift did not strike her as particularly appropriate for a young gentleman. It was not until the opening of the tenth box, that Jessie began to understand the matter. On opening this box, Marcus took from it a piece of paper, and read aloud the following:

“The trustees, teachers and pupils of Highburg Academy beg Miss Jessie Hapley to accept of this trifle, as a slight token of their appreciation of her many virtues, and of her faithful labors as a student and assistant teacher in the institution. ‘Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.’”

“The box contains a porte-monnaie,” continued Marcus, “which, from the weight, I should judge contained something more substantial than promises to pay. Here, Jessie, step this way.”

On hearing her name read, in the note of presentation, Jessie suddenly darted towards the entry, but was arrested by several of her school-mates, who led her back, covered with blushes, to Marcus. She whispered a few words to the latter, who immediately arose, and said to the company:

“Miss Hapley requests me to say that she is too much overcome by this unexpected token of your kindness, to make a suitable acknowledgment in person; but she desires me to express to the company her grateful thanks for the gift and the compliment bestowed upon her.”

As soon as Marcus had finished, there was a general clapping of hands, after which Mr. Upton started the Grade of Honor song, and the whole assembly joined, singing:

Those who lived at a distance began to depart, soon after these ceremonies, but the festivities were kept up by others for an hour longer. Jessie, on examining her porte-monnaie, found within it ten bright golden dollars,—a gift as timely, appropriate and acceptable to her, in her straitened circumstances, as it was well deserved on her part, and honorable to those who bestowed it.

Tears of gratitude and joy moistened Jessie’s eyes, long after every other eye under the roof was closed in slumber; and as her sleepless and busy thoughts lingered around the exciting scenes of the day and evening, ever and anon darting back over the eventful months that were past, or flitting forward into the unknown future, she felt that she had reached a point where it was meet that she should “thank God and take courage.”