The master sat throned in his great chair upon a raised platform, with his blackboard behind him.
He was looking tolerably mellow.

Three rows of benches on each side and six rows in front of him were occupied by the dignitaries of the town and by the parents of the pupils.

To his left, back of the rows of citizens, was a spacious temporary platform upon which were seated the scholars who were to take part in the exercises of the evening; rows of small boys, washed and dressed to an intolerable state of discomfort; rows of gawky big boys; snowbanks of girls and young ladies clad in lawn and muslin and conspicuously conscious of their bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinkets, their bits of pink and blue ribbon and the flowers in their hair.

All the rest of the house was filled with non-participating scholars.
The exercises began.

A very little boy stood up and sheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect one of my age to speak in public on the stage," etc .-- accompanying himself with the painfully exact and spasmodic gestures which a machine might have used--supposing the machine to be a trifle out of order.