The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-10-26
Tht Gastaliau cfunnt.
From the Cincinnati Timesl
THE SPELL-DOWN.
BY rRIAR GRAY.

The lengthy term draws closely to its close
The teachers weary spirit seeks repose;
She who before was eager for the chase,
O'ercome by dull monotony, now yields the race.
Her numerous charge, chat know the many swoet u
The fragrant fields afford, now fdget in their
seats
Released their efforts, fresh employment seek
Dry books lack luster, and the flesh is weak.
Attention class" the weary teacher sighs;
"My darling scholars, whom love and prize
As fellow mortal should, I'll now commute
Your stated lessons, that you may recruit
Myself also relieve" Silence the teacher gains,
Then tells her wearied scholars for their pains
They shall have due reward-a welcome treat
Almost as good as something good to eat.
"What can IL be ?" at once the eager guess
But not with words the open mouths express
"a spell-down" at the close. Prescribed the page,
And each as victor hopes the unequal war to wage.
Battalion, rank nor file escapes the anxious gaze
|, E-E, I-E, A, and double h,
And S with Y is compared, and this with Y,
Until the tender brain, already spent,
Is taxed beyond the Sovereign Gods intent.
"But what of that2 Our fathers schooled us so
The teacher demands pay, and we the quid pro
quo"
The class is called-tne leaders eager burn
To have first choice; the rest respond in turn
~ tne pdTtldl SuInlnOuS-lOln tue opposing uueS,
Aud try to spell the words that none defines
Or, If some genius should definition seek,
The definition, like the word, to him is Greek.
But, luckless fate the obscure Indian tale
Contains the word Pdppoose. Who can prevail
To spell so hard word The leaders beat
The rest, though pale with shame, essay the feat.
1t takes the heat from this side, now from that ;
Remorseless passes Mary, Georgia, Kate;
Each yanquished speller cancelled p or o,
Or added % or let il go"
At length an urchin, who the rest had heard,
Had only one way left to spell the word.
His bushing honors thro' the school resound,
And as the King of Spoilers he is crowned.
Thus in our schools injustice early lends
A cheap advantage to the twg she bends.
There, fed on husks instead of natural food,
The mind appreciates only husky good.
The truly great; nor yield the praise they earn
How crafty men will watch what wise men do
How first to publish il and CLAIM il, too
A dext'rous power to cast up l, 2, 3,
To analyze or to compound A, b, G,
Is the chief lure and aim in building schools,
Till mere expediency DER the conscience rules
While selfshness and crime swarm all around,
Most powerful when with education found
And "educited" gentlemen will forge our notes ;
And statesmen "eloquently" lie for votes.
The worlds high honors now deck not the man,
But him who, Floyd-like, with the secret plan,
In secret c1nclave made to snatch the reins,
Controls the nation and divides the gains.
Husk education gives the scoundrels sense
To plunder, yet destroy the legal evidence.
The Nations fault it is that in their youth
Ignored the God-like attribute of man, the Truth.
The world is rife with wrongs the fruits of this
OF wrongs in politics, wrongs in households,
creeds.
Code plan IN Mature now excites small wonder
The thing that sells is brag, sensation, thunder
The man of science asks, What good frcm SO
much trash 2"
And every STRIPPING answers" Truth means cash. >
And why does Truth moan cash." bat that while
young.
The dollars, dimes and cents engross the tongue.
Engross the tongue, the eye, the heart, the mind
Till Nature, Beauty, Truth, small place can find.
We praise the boy who sharply trades his knife,
And teach him thus to estimate his life,
As meant for nothing more than clutching pelf.
What wonder, then, if SOULS entombed in SELF?