Jessie by Walter Aimwell

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.