Peter: A Novel of Which He is Not the HeroSmith, Francis Hopkinson
General
Peter: A Novel of Which He is Not the Hero
Smith, Francis Hopkinson
Bank tellers -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Wall Street (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction
As the blissful day approached Geneseo was shaken to its centre, the
vibrations reaching to the extreme limits of the town. Not only was
Moggins who drove the village 'bus and tucked small packages under the
seat on the sly, overworked, but all the regular and irregular express
companies had to put on extra teams. Big box, little box, band box,
bundle, began to pour in, to say nothing of precious packages that
nobody but “Miss Grayson” could sign for. And then such a litter of cut
paper and such mounds of pasteboard boxes poked under Miss Felicia's
bed, so she could defend them in the dead of night, and with her life
if necessary, each one containing presents, big and little; the very
biggest being a flamboyant service of silver from the head of the house
of Breen and his wife, and the smallest a velvet-bound prayer-book from
Aunt Kate with inter-remembrances from MacFarlane (all the linen, glass,
and china); from Peter (two old decanters with silver coasters); from
Miss Felicia (the rest of her laces, besides innumerable fans and some
bits of rare jewelry); besides no end of things from the Holker Morrises
and the Fosters and dozens of others, who loved either Ruth or Jack, or
somebody whom each one or both of them loved, or perhaps their fathers
and mothers before them. The Scribe has forgotten the list and the
donors, and really it is of no value, except as confirmation of the fact
that they are still in the possession of the couple, and that none of
them was ever exchanged for something else nor will be until the end of
time.
One curious-looking box, however, smelling of sandalwood and dried
cinnamon, and which arrived the day the ceremony took place, is worthy
of recall, because of the universal interest which it excited. It was
marked “Fragile” on the outside, and was packed with extraordinary care.
Miss Felicia superintended the unrolling and led the chorus of “Oh, how
lovely!” herself, when an Imari jar, with carved teakwood stand, was
brought to light. So exquisite was it in glaze, form, and color that
for a moment no one thought of the donor. Then their curiosity got the
better of them and they began to search through the wrappings for
the card. It wasn't in the box; it wasn't hidden in the final bag;
it wasn't--here a bright thought now flashed through the dear lady's
brain--down went her shapely hand into the depths of the tall jar, and
up came an envelope bearing Ruth's name and enclosing a card which made
the grande dame catch her breath.
“Mr. Isaac Cohen! What--the little tailor!” she gasped out. “The Jew!
Well, upon my word--did you ever hear of such impudence!”
Isaac would have laughed the harder could he have seen her face.
Jack caught up the vase and ran with it to Ruth, who burst out with
another: “Oh, what a beauty!” followed by “Who sent it?”
“A gentleman journeyman tailor, my darling,” said Jack, with a flash of
his eye at Peter, his face wreathed in smiles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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