Jim was ten years old when he was transferred from Webster Street School in the East End of the city to Central School on Main Street. This transfer was the culmination of a long series of misdemeanors on his part and many untactful methods employed by his teachers. No species of juvenile mischief remained untried by him. He went into each room with a scarred record from his former teacher, and was not allowed to forget the fact that he always did the wrong thing. He was scolded daily, sent into the hall to stay for hours and gaze benignly upon the works of art that decorated the walls, which of course he didn’t do, not being deeply engrossed in art study. More naturally he spent the time in mischievous pranks. He was whipped, threatened, and denied the advantages of less energetic and less talented pupils. But with the transfer came a change in the boy’s nature. When he entered Central School, Miss Burns grasped his hand and said, “Well, Jim, I’m glad you’re going to be in our school. I know we’re going to get along finely.” She treated him as if he intended to do the right thing, and before long he actually thought he did so intend. She had him go on errands for her when she saw he was getting restless, or erase the blackboard for her after an exercise, which he did with great dispatch, and before the end of the first day she had completely won his respect and gratitude. One morning on his way to school Jim heard his classmates planning Christmas presents for their teacher. Immediately he began to contrive ways and means for securing a beautiful necklace he had seen in the jeweler’s shop—a necklace of gold and pearls. This was the only gift that his active little brain could conceive of as being worth giving to Miss Burns. Only, he hadn’t the money to buy the necklace. His parents were far-seeing in a financial way, and did not believe in bestowing unlimited amounts of coin upon their children. So it was that Jim found need to do something unusual in order to secure the coveted present. He was not long in working up a paper route. He would rise early in the morning and spend long hours delivering his papers. In connection with this work he took orders for Christmas wreaths, then secured a large quantity of holly from a wholesale man on market; his little sister, Ruth, bought a supply of fluffy, flaming ribbon at the Ten-Cent Store. Together they made the wreaths, Jim paying Ruth for her artistic advice and time. In this way the wreaths cost less than the ready-made wreaths, and Jim was able to secure a better price for them. Thus Jim saved enough money to buy the necklace and also some lovely presents for those at home.