The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-03-02
Country Spelling school.

The school in the Quaker neighborhood have
sent challenge, in due form, to this district, to
spell tonight 1.-The war of words is to be
waged in the white school-house on the hill.
There Is great over haullng or old Element
aries, and wonderful Furnishing up of 'front.'
ispeees, and turning over of clean collars, pre-
paratory to the grand melee.
Spelling schools! Have you forgotten them?
When from all the region round about. they gath
cred into the old log schoolhouse with its huge
fireplace that yawned like the main entrance to
avenues. How the sleigh bells-thc old fash
growing small by degrees and beautifully less,
toward the broad brass puckle-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 tot-Master and all
bundled into one huge red, double sleigh, sirewn
with abundance of straw, and tucked up like a
Christmas pie, with half score Of Buffalo robes.
There half dozen cutters, each with its young
man and maiden, those two, and no more.
And there. again, pair Of jumpers, mounting
a great, outlandish locking bin heaped up, press
ed down and running over, with small sections
of humanity, picked up en- route. from great
many homes, and all as merry as kittens IN a bas-
ket of wool And the bright eyes, and ripe. red
lips, tha. one caught glimpse of beneath those
pink lined quilted hoods AID the silvery laughs
that escaped from the wooden muffles and fur tip
pets they wore then-who does not remember?
who can ever forget them?
The school house destined to be the arena for
the conflict has been swept and garnished;
boughs of evergreen adorn the smoke stained
and battered walls. The little pellets Of chewed
paper have all been swept down from the ceiling.
and two pals of water have been braught from
the spring and set on the bench in the entry,
with the immemoral tin cup, wise provision,
indeed. for warm work is spelling.
The "big boys have famed and replenshed
the FIRE, till the old chimney fairly jars with the
rearing flames, and the sparks fly out OF the top
like furnace.
The two Masters are there; the two schools
are there and such hum, and such q moving to
and fro, The baten comes down upon the desk
with emphasis. What the roll Of the drum is to
armies, that the .'ruler is this laughing, whis-
pering, young troop. The challenged are ranged
on the side of the house; the challengers on the
other Back seats, middle seats, low front seats,
are filed Some Of the fathers and grand fathers
who could, no doubt upon occasion,
ASholder the crutch and .bo~ how as.d- were *on,
occupy the benches Of honor the desk.
Now for the prelininaries; the reputed bes
speIler on each side chooses" Susan Brown
Out comes a round eyed little peony. Who
would have thought il! Such little thing, anc
chosen first.
Moses JONES' Out comes Moses, an awk
ward fellow, with shock ot red hair, shochIngil
harvested. surmountng his broad brow Th
girls laugh at him. bu: what he does'no- know j,
the Elemen;rv isn't worth knowing.
Jane Murry'" Out trips Jane, futtered as
bride, and takes her place next to the callar.-
And as they 60 on. calling names until FIVE or 81
champions stand forth 10 DO battle. and the con
test is fairly begun. Down goes one after anotf
err as words OF three syllabies followed b
those Of four, and these again By words ofsmila
accommodation and divers sIfruiflca.ious mt
only Moses and Susan remain
The speling-book has been exhausted, ye
there they stand. Dictionaries are turnd over
memories ransacked
Word. Of learned length and laundering sound
until, BY and by, Moses comes down Ike tree
and Susan fuiters there still, Ike little leaf aof
that the frost and the fall have forgotten.
Poly.yIlable follows poly syllable. and, by an
by. Susan hesitates just breath or two m