The wisdom of such a contest is
questionable to me now, but it was the fashion then, and I was too young
and self-distrustful to set myself against the current in such matters.
The contest was an exciting one--two boys, Robert A--and Jonathan R--,
and one girl, Annie P--, leading all the school. Jonathan suddenly fell
behind, and was soon distanced by his two competitors. Lowry, who was
his teacher, asked him what was the reason of his sudden breakdown. The
boy blushed, and stammered out:
"I didn't want to beat Annie."
Robert won the prize, and the day came for its presentation. The house
was full, and everybody was in a pleasant mood. After the prize had been
presented in due form and with a little flourish, Lowry arose, and
producing a costly Bible, in a few words telling how magnanimously and
gallantly Jonathan had retired from the contest, presented it to the
pleased and blushing boy. The boys and girls applauded California
fashion, and the old man's face glowed with satisfaction. He had in him
curiously mingled the elements of the Puritan and the Cavalier--the
uncompromising persistency of the one, and the chivalrous impulse and
openhandedness of the other.
The old man had too many crotchets and too much combativeness to be
popular.
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