The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-03-28
WHOLE NO. 493.
Spelling Schools.

Have you forgotten them7 When from al
the regions about they were gathering to tn,
log schoo-housc, with its huge firepac,
yawning like the main entrance Of Avernus. -
How the sleigh bells, big in the middle of tho
strings. and growing small by degrees anc
beautifully less, toward the broad brass buck
les, chimed in every direction long before
night-the gathering Of the clans. Then come
one to school, "The Master"-give him cap
ital N. he is entitled to it-Master and all
bundled into one hugh, red, double sleigh
strewn with an abundance Of straw, and tucked
up like Christmas pic, with half score oil
buffalo robes.
| There are halfa dozen cutters. each with a
young man and maiden, they two and no more.
And there again pair Of Jumpers, mounting a
great outiandish.looking bin, heaped up pressed
down, and running over-Scrip.ure measure
with small collection Of humanity, picked up
{" ,eufe from q dozen homes, and all aa merry
40 kittens in a basket of wool. And the
bright eyes, ripe rcd lips that one caught a
glimpse Of beneath pink.lined; quilted hoods,
and the silvery laugh that escaped the muflcrs
and fur tippets they wore then-who does not
remember2 Who can ever forget them7
The school-house, destined to be the arena
OF the conflict. had been swept and garnished
boughs Of evergreen adorned the smoke stained
and battered walls The pellets of chewed
paper have all been swept from the ceiling,
and two pals Of water have been brought from,
the spring, and set on q bench in the entry
with an immemorial tin cup-a wise provis
ion, indeed, for warm is that spelling room.
The big boys have famed and replenished
the fire till the old chimney fairly jars with the
roaring flames, and the sparks fly out from the
top like furnace, an oriAamne of the battle.
The two "Masters" are there, the two
schools are there, and such hum. and such
moving to and fro! Will they swarm7
The ferule comes down upon the desk with
| emphasis What the roll Of the drum is to
armies, that "rule" is to the whispering, laugh.
ing company
The challengers are on one side of the
house, and the challenged on the other
Back seats, middle seats, low front seats, all
are filed. Some OF the fathers and grandfa
thers, who could No doubt, upon occasion,
"Shoulder thecrutch,
And show how fields are won."
occupy the bench Of honor near the desk.
Now the preliminaries; the best speller on
each side choscR. "Susan Brown" Out
comes roundeyed little creature, blushsg
like peony. Sucn little thing!
"Moses Jones'" Out comes Moses, an
awkward fellow, with shock of re, hair, shock.
ingly harvested, surmountins his broad brow
The girls laugh at him, but what he doesn't
know in the elementary isn't worth knowing.
"Jane Murry." Out trips Jane, Anttering
as bride. and takes her place next to the
caller. Don't you hear the whispers around
the use? ''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 scaling Names" until FIVE
or six champions stand forth to do battle, and
the contest is fairly begun
Down goes one after another, as words Of
three syllables are followed by those of four,
and again by words Of similar pronunciation
and diverse Specification, until Moses aud Su.
san remain.
The spelling book has been exhausted, ye:
there they stand Dictionaries are turned over,
memories are ransacked for
swords of length and sound"
until, by and by, Moses comes down like a
tree. aud Susan futters there still. little loaf
aAoat. that the frost and the fall have forgot.
ten.
POlysyllables follow, and by and by, Susan
hesitates, just breath or two, and twenty
tongues work their way through the labyrinth
of letters in twinkling. Little Susan sinks
into the chink lett for her in the crowded seat,
and there is Il lull in the battle. Then they
all stand in solid phalanx by schools, and the
struggle is to spell each Othe, down. And
down they so like leaves in winter weather,
and the victory is declared for our district, and
the school dismissed
Then comes the hurrying and bundling, the
whispering and glancing, and preparing off
and tumbling in. There are hearts that hut-
ter and hearts that ache; "mittens" that can
not DO worne. and hopes that are not returned.
There is jingling among the bells at the door,
one after another the sleighs dash up. receive
their nesting freight and are gone
sour Master covers the fire and snuffs the
candles-don't YOU remember how he used to
psch the smoking wick with his torefnger and
thumb. and then thrust each helpless luminary
head first into the socket?-and we wait for
him.
The bells ring family in the woods, over the
hill. ia the valley. The school-house is dark
and tenantless, and we are alone with the
night.
Merry care free company! Some OF them
are sOrrowing; some are dead; and all, we
fear, are changed! Spell! All! the "spell" has
come over that crowd of dreamers-over you,
over Us. Will it ever be dissolved7 In the
"whte radience Of eternity!'-B. F.. Taylor.