The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-03-29
Spelling.SchOols.

were gathering to the log school
house, with its huge fireplace yaw.
ming like the main entrance Of
Avernus. How the sleigh-bells,
big in the middle of the strings.
and growing small by degrees and
beautifully less, toward tn G
broad brass buckles, chimed in
every direction long before night
the gathering of the clans, Then
came one to school, "the Master
give him capital NJ, for he is
entitled to it-Master and all bun
died into one huge, red, double
sleigh, strewn with an abundance
ofst.aw, and tucked up like a
Christmas pie, with half a score Of
buffalo robes.
There are half a dozen cutters,
each with young man and maid
en-, they two and no more. And
there again q pair Of jumpers,
mounting a great outlandish-look-
ing bin, heaped up, pressed down,
and running over-Seripture meas.
ure-&ith a small collection of hu-
manhy picked up en- route from a
dozen homes, and all as merry as
kittens in a basket OF wool. And
the bright eyes, ripe red lips that
one caught glimpse of beneath
pink-lined, quilted hoods, and the
silvery laugh that escaped the
mufflers and fur tippets they wore
then---who does not remember?-
Who can ever forget them?
The school-house destined to be
the arena of the conflict, had been
swept and garnished; boughs of
evergreen adorned the smoked,
stained and battered walls. The
pellets of chewed paper have all
been swept from the ceiling, and
two pals of water have been bro't
from the spring, and set on a bench
in the entry, with an immemorial
tin-cup---a wise provision, indeed,
for warm is that spelling-room.
The big boys have famed and
replenished the fire till the old
chimney fairly jars with the roar
ing flames, and the sparks fly out
from the top like a furnace, an orr
famine Of the battle.
r. Tke two Masters" are there, the
two schools are there, and such a
hum, and such moving to and fro!
Will they swarm?
The ferule comes down upon the
desk with emphasis. What the roll
of the drum is to armies, that 'rule'
is to the whispering, laughing
young company.
The challengers are on one side
of the house, the challenged on the
other. Back seats, middle seats,
low front seats, all are filled. Some
Of the fathers and grand-fathers,
who could, no doubt, upon occa-
sions,
"ShOulder the crutch,
Al d show how fields were won;'
occupy the bench of honor near
the desk.
Now the preliminaries the best
speller on each side chosen. "Su-
san Brown, "out comes round-eyed
little creature, blushing like a peo-
ny. Such little thing!
"Moses Jones'" Out comes Mo-
ses, an awkward fellow, with a
shock of red hair, shockingly har-
vested, surmounting his broad
brow. The girls laugh at him, but
what he doesn't know in the Ele-
mentary isn't worth knowing.
"Jane Murry." Out trips Jane,
fluttering as a bride, and takes, her
place next to the caller. Don't
you hear the whispers around the
house9 "Why, that's Johns sweet
heart" John is the leader, and a
battle lost with Jane by his side
would be sweeter than a victory
won without her.
And so they go Scaling Names" !"
until five or six companions stand
forth to do battle, and the contest
is fairly begun.
Down goes one after another, as
words of three syllables are follow
ed by those of four, and again by
words of similar pronunciation and
diverse Specification, until Moses
and Susan remain.
the spelling-book has been ex-
hausted, yet there they stand
Dictionaries are turned over, men,
ories are ransacked for
.Words of length and sound"
until, by and by, Moses comes down
like a tree, and Susan fatters there
still, little leaf ahoat, that the
frost and the fall have forgotten.
PolysyIlables follow, and by and