THE SURPRISE PARTY.
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.”
[Illustration: WHO CAN FIND A VIRTUOUS WOMAN? FOR HER PRICE IS FAR ABOVE
RUBIES.]
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:
“WHO CAN FIND A VIRTUOUS WOMAN? FOR HER PRICE IS FAR ABOVE RUBIES.”
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:
“SHE SEEKETH WOOL, AND FLAX, AND WORKETH WILLINGLY WITH HER HANDS.”
On opening this, a third box appeared, with a device illustrating this
motto:
“SHE RISETH ALSO WHILE IT IS YET NIGHT, AND GIVETH MEAT TO HER
HOUSEHOLD.”
This contained a fourth box, corresponding with the others, and bearing
this motto:
“SHE GIRDETH HER LOINS WITH STRENGTH, AND STRENGTHENETH HER ARMS.”
Within this Marcus found another box, which bore an engraving
illustrating this verse:
“SHE LAYETH HER HANDS TO THE SPINDLE, AND HER HANDS HOLD THE DISTAFF.”
Opening this, a sixth box disclosed itself, with this verse illustrated:
“SHE STRETCHETH OUT HER HAND TO THE POOR; YEA, SHE REACHETH FORTH HER
HANDS TO THE NEEDY.”
There was still another box, within this, with its engraving, thus
inscribed:
“STRENGTH AND HONOR ARE HER CLOTHING; AND SHE SHALL REJOICE IN TIME TO
COME.”
And within this another box appeared, with this for its motto:
“SHE OPENETH HER MOUTH WITH WISDOM; AND IN HER TONGUE IS THE LAW OF
KINDNESS.”
Marcus opened this box, and found within it yet another, with a vignette
illustrating this verse:
“MANY DAUGHTERS HAVE DONE VIRTUOUSLY, BUT THOU EXCELLEST THEM ALL.”
Within this, a tenth box was found, on the cover of which was inscribed:
“GIVE HER OF THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS; AND LET HER OWN WORKS PRAISE HER IN
THE GATES.”
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:
“Who are these, with honors decked?
The faithful, good and true;
They are spirits choice, select,
A brave but noble few.
Scorn they whatsoe’er is base,
They act no double part;
Honor’s written on their face,
And Duty in their heart.”
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.”
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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
● Typos fixed; non-standard spelling and dialect retained.
● Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
● Enclosed blackletter font in =equals=.