The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-29
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Il
remembered voice. a cross between deacon's
anu heavy tragedian's, our name, coupled
Win some member OF the opposite side, as
the two upon whom fell the honor of choos-
ing sides.
And what terrible suspense interyened
while the two pedagogues drew cuts to see
who should have the first choice preparatory
to selecting the chosen two dozen who were
to try and spell each other down.
Ii the leader of the 'other side'' happened
to be rival of ours in the suit for smiles
from the rosy-cheeked girl who apparently
had no thought for anything save the apple
she was slyly eating behind the stove, the ex-
element was doubly great, until it was decid-
ed that we Uust think of it y had drawn the
longest straw and were entitled to the FIRST
choice among all the bevy of young folks that
were scattered around the ROOM
How high we lifted our cowhide boots as
we stepped off to the corner of the room,
where the line of photographed battle was
to be formed Of course the first name cali
ed was that of our sweetheart, though Unjust
we say it?) she was the poorest speller in the
school, and her formation of words would
frighten the portrait of old Noah Webster
from the title-page of his first book. But
then she was the handsomest girl in school;
her cheeks were as red as a baldw in apple,
and her curls, which had been elaborately
twisted around hot poker, were natural,
and besides that, she had agreed to go home
from all the singing schools for a month
ahead with us, and when we had a stone
bruise on our heel in summer who but she
could tie rag so tenderly around the spot?
So, we repeat it, we chose her at once, and
while she was tripping to her place at our
side the other leader, as if to seek revenge
and pay court to Mars instead of Venus, Sc
lected for his choice the very best scholar in
school, girl who, though homely as Bar
.Jo hat sa ID ~.
spelling book like lightning, and was as much
at home among words of seven syllables as
those of two. Then the work commenced,
and the quota of spelling was soon filled,
though we must confess that our mind be-
came slightly confused while holding "our
girls" hand and choosing at the same time,
and our side was weak, mentally, compared
with that of Bill Jones.
After order was obtained among the schol-
ars, and those who were not in the lists had
brought their angry feelings under subjec-
ton, sold Jacket Duster," as we termed our
teacher, would pull out dog's-eared copy Of
Webster's Elementary, whose fy-leaves had
long since ascended heavenward in the form
of spit balls, and in a voice about three keys
higher than his ordinary tone, proceeded TO
put out the words alternately to the two sides.
The contest waxed warmer, and down went
all the small fry on the more simple words.
We were only allowed one trial, and the man
who hesitated was irrevocably lost, until at
last only half dozen were left on a side.
''Our girP' had come near going down on the
word ''coffee," (she always commenced it
with "k'') but we had set her right in
whisper, though Bill. Jones saw the prompt
ing, and would have informed the teacher
had he not at that moment received stun
Ier in the shape of ''phthsic," which occupi-
ed his mind to the exclusion of all else, but
which he would have mastered had not
wad of chewed paper struck him at that In
slant in the mouth and so affected his utter
ance as to lead the master to think he had
omitted ones'h b." and sat atdownswearing, ,andwe
had the satisfaction of seeing his ears slapped
with piece of rubber for his profanity.
There were now five on the other side and
six on ours, when the teacher of the other
school took floorth and dwe saw that there was
blood in his eyes the moment he said "we
will now proceed to spell bible proper
Names"
This exercise soon thinned our ranks.
Four of the enemy and one OF our forces
went down at one shot, on "Nebuchadnez-
zar." sour girP' let go of our hand and wilt
ed on ''Pharaoh" before we could inform her
whether it commenced with + or p, and fin
ally we keeled over en- the simple word Isaac,
and the champion was a small boy of ten
years, who was named after the son Of Abra-
ham, and the only word which he could spell
was that with which he had won the day.
But the sorrows and troubles of our youth
full days never lasted long, and we had soon
forgotten our defeat, in the happiness of hav-
ing the rosy-cheeked girl all to ourself In the
back end of the sleigh, and with three butfa-
Ia robes that we had stolen to conceal our
faces, and render uninteligible the whispered
words of sympathy and affection that we
poured in under the 'kiss-me-quick' hood
| that covered her curls, Two mittens held our
| four hands, and the few strong peppermint
drops that we had been boarding up for this
| occasion were dull and tasteless compared TO
| the condensed extract of sweetness that we
| daringly snatched from her lips when cross
| ing the bridge on our way home. She said
she had forgotten that there were so many
bridges ON that road" while we-well, gem
tie reader, you cannot have forgotten how
the old thing worked in those days before the
war.-Titusville Herald.