He stood before her in his worn clothes.

He always wore a collar and a black tie, and his haggard face was carefully shaven.
Andrew was punctiliously neat, on Ellen's account.

He was always thinking, suppose he should meet Ellen coming home from school, with some young ladies whose fathers were rich and did not have to work in the shop, how mortified she might feel if he looked shabby and unkempt.
"Guess, Andrew," she said.
"What is it ?" said Andrew.
"Oh, you guess." "I don't see what it can be, Fanny." "Well, Ellen has got the valedictory.

What's the matter with you?
Be you deaf?
Ellen has got the valedictory out of all them girls and boys." "She has, has she ?" said Andrew.

He dropped into a chair and looked at his wife.