The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1854-04-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE SPELLING SCHOOL.

ydWHeu lIhe Tue main entrance 10 aver
nus. How the sleigh bells, the old-fash-
ioned bells, big in the middle of the string,
and growing "small by degrees and beau
tifully less towards the broad, brass
buckle-chimed, in every direction, long
before night-the gathering Of the clans.
There came one school, "the Master"--
give him capital NJ, for he is entitled to
Iit-Master and all, bundled into one huge,
red, Double sleigh, strewn with an abun-
dance of straw, and tucked up like a
Christmas pie, with half score of buffa-
10 robes. There half dozen "cutters''
each with its young man and maiden, a.
gain, pair of jumpers, mounting a great
outlandish looking bin, heaped up, press.
ed down and running over, Scripture
measure, with small collections of human
| ity, picked up en- route, from a great many
homes, and all as merry as kittens in a
basket of wool. And the bright eyes, the
ripe, red lips, that one got a glimpse of,
beneath those pink-lined, quilted hoods,
and the silvery laughs that escaped from
the woolen muflers and fur-tippets they
wore then--who does not remember .
who can ever forget them?
The school house has been swept and
garnished; boughs of evergreen adorn
the smoke stained and battered wals.--
The little pellets of chewed paper have
been swept down from the ceiling, and
two pals Of water have been brought
from the spring, and set on the bench in
in the entry, with the immemorial tin.cup
"a wise provision indeed, for warm work
is that spelling!
The "big boys have famed and re-
plenished the fire, till the old chimney
fairly jars with the roaring flames, and
the sparks fly out of the top like fur
nace-the oraamme of the battle.
The two "Masters" are there; the two
schools are there; and such a hum, and
such moving to and fro Will they
swarm
The oaken ferule comes down upon the
desk with emphasis. What the roA of the
drum is to the army, that "ruler iAto. this
whispering laughing, troop.
The challenged are ranged on one side
of the house; the chalIengers upon the
other. Back seats, middle seats, low
front seats, all filed. Some of the faith.
ers, and grandfathers who could, no doubt,
upon occasion
Shoulder the crutch, and show how fields were won,
occupy the bench of honor near the desk.
Now for the preliminareS the reputed
best spoilers on each side choose 'Su-
san Brown J. Out comes round eyed
little creature, blushing like a peony =
Who d have thought it? Such little
thing, and chosen first
Moses Jones !" Out comes Moses,
an awkward fellow, with a shock of red
hair shockingIy harvested, surmounting
his broad brow. The girls laugh at him
but what he doesn tknow in the "Elemen-
tary,' isn't worth knowing.
Jane Murry' Out trips Jane, fut-
tered as bride, and takes her place next
to the caller. She pret girl, but
sorry speller. Don't you hear the whis-
pers round the house? "Why that's
Johns sweetheart John is the leader.
and battle lost with Jane by his side,
would be sweeter than victory won,
without her.
And so they go on ealing names,' un-
til five or six champions stand forth ready
to do battle, and the contest is fairly be-
gun.
Down goes one after another, as words
of three sylables are followed by those of
four, and these again, by words of similar
pronunciations and divers Specifications,
until only Moses and Susan remain.
The spelling-book has been exhausted,
yet there they stand. Dictionaries are
turned over-memories are ransacked, for
"Words Of learned length and laundering sound "
until, by and by Moses comes down like
tree, and Susan hutters there still, like
leaf aloft that the frost and the fall have
forgotten.
Polysyllable follows polysyllable, and
by and by Susan hesitates a breath or two,
and twenty tongues are working their
way through the labyrinth of letters in
Cwinkling. Little Susan sinks into the
chink left for her on the crowded seat, and
there is luIl in the battle.
Then, they all stand in solid phalanx
by schools, and the struggle is, to spell
each other down. And down they 60,
like leaves in winter and the victory is
declared for our district, and the school is |
dismissed
Then comes the hurrying and bundling,
the whispering and glancing, and pairing
off and tumbhng in. There are hearts
that hutter not hearts that ache; Unit
tens" that are and are not worn, secret
hopes that are not realized, and fond looks
that are not returned. There is jing- |
ling among the bells at the door; one af-
ter another the sleighs dash up, receive
their nesting freight, and are gone.
Our Master covers the fire, and snufs
out the candles don't you remember
how daintiIy he used to pinch the smo
king wicks, with iorefnger and thumb,
and then thrust each hapless luminary,
head first, into the tin socket ?-and we
wait for him.
The bells ring family in the woods,
over the hills, in the valley. They are
4 .. 4 Il. ~.