Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-05-19
The Spelling School.


ed, and the performers certainly were.
The hall was filled at eight o'clock, and
the Montpelier Band gave some of their
excellent music to start with. Mr.. Fred
E. Smith then called the school to order
and summoned the first class to the stage,
where seats had been prepared for their
temporary accommodation. There was
some delay in finding volunteers, and
portion of the class would come perhaps
under the head Of drafted. Twenty
seven victims finally arranged themselves,
conscious that the process of disarrange
ment would soon follow.
Mr. J. f. Miller. the enunciator, then
the work Of demolition began, after a state
ment of the rules governing the contest.
Once around on easy words, and then Mr.
A. o. Cummings made a strike for the
first prize but didn't get it, us it was de-
cided there was another word Of the same
pronunciation rs the one many supposed
him to have failed on. But w. A. Lord
was more successful Immediately after,
for selling word that was altogether too
sizeabIe for him, Mr. Miller struck his lit
tie bill and the subsequent proceedings Of
the evening interested Mr.. Lord as a spec
tator rather than Il participant, until the
moment came for distributing prizes.
Walter Smith was puzzled by too many
naotos, and retired, but he had spelled well
for his age. The winter has been Il severe
one and its effects are still apparent in the
case of Mr.. Emerson, who had 4 fearful at
tack Of pluricy.
such proceedings were evidently too
discordant for the cultured ear of w. A
Briggs. and he left the stage, 4 carilar, to
slow music. Miss Patterson thought she
would suggest to Mr. Miller that suchariue
was orthographically correct; she left the
stage in consequence. Charles H. IIeaton,
to the surprise of the audience, rs he had
exhibited no signs of i'll temper, in an in
slant became almost Jlasphenans, and was
hustled off. Capt. J. O. Livingston fol-
lowed with the uchlermcM of the evening
it was but Il step to the ante-room where
he hid about seven feet of himself.
Mrs. +. Z, Jewett thought l0dgenlent was
right. but she had to walk off the stage I'M
til the Judges found that Worcester held the
same opinion. Mr.. Wright said he could
bear testimony that Mrs .Jewett had studied
Worcester Mrs. ,Jewett's return was
greeted with applause. An arciuchc took
Frank kin>man by surprise and swept him
away. Hyde Foster strange to say, would
have found a rttrl0us optic Of more use
than the bright eyes nature gave him, and
he walked off, leaving none but "grown
people on the stage. Mrs. Hutchins tried
ScllOglSnl. and the logic of events forbade
her further continuance among the con-
te>tant>. An uafringmctA of the au' horiz-
ed version of English words relieved the
audience of the fear of any more Lull in
the proceedings.
Rev. J. f. Wright showed himself a
liberal in photography is well as other
things, and his too generous treatment of
tdccln1ate was pronounced unorthodox. To
right the wrong Wright left. Mahlon Tap
I'm thought a new way of spelling might
Superccdc IN old one; he discovered his
mistake. IL. A. IIusc thought he would
try the sound Of Il mortice, and was sur
prlsed at the metallic ring it gave out: a lit
tie Ice Will enable any one to slide down
out of Il spelling school with great velocity.
and 1t was but Il moment after his expert
encing this that Mr. IIuse was musine on
the fact, 4 Test-Speller is no execution
to the rule that all is vanity He never
learned trade,' is suggested as a fitting
memorial inscription.
l.. G. Cummings had a struggle with
Stssaparillu that would have done the orr
sinal DR.. Townshend's soul good lfanv
thing could revive the sale of a deflnct
patent medicine, such sassy spelling Is
that would. Miss Arms was discovered
lost in abarinM, but easily found a way
of escape to the ante-room. Mrs. C. w.
Willard, by following a 1,araUeU course
reached the same destination. \. O. Cum
mings was put out for the most scurrillous
remarks of the evening. Mr. Miller refused
to entouOratc J. NJ. Poland from blame.
although Mr.. Poland made him fair offer
to throw ont the h.
Miss Gerte Emery WAS told to step
down on aerie, but the judges decided that
she be restored as it was an allowable
spelling.
At this point the band enlivened the pro-
ceedings by a welcome interruption of mu-
sic, and Mr. Miller laid aside the paper
from which he had been pronouncinr, took
off his overcoat and produced a harmful
looking little book which evidently meant
business.
When the contest was renewed Mrs.
Jewett's good judgment did not allow her
to appeal from Mr.. Millcrs declaration
that jeciness would not do at all judge
n. A. Chase, though he may know some
thing about both rhyme and reason was
not sufficiently acquainted with doggerH to
remain longer with the contestants.
Mr. |. II. p. Rowell had the word {" re-
naissance' given him, and was under
stood to put but one - in it-he appeal
ed however, and on his statement that he
had put in two, was restored. Miss Mary
l.. Nuts good taste had kept her a stranc-
er to anything Jrousy and put her on the
retired list. Mr.. Miller gave the word
''pomaee" defining it as ground apple or
fruit, and Mrs. Wells gave punaice; after
wards changing to ronnaacc She was
ruled out but restored. Miss Gertie Emery
had some trouble with the word spinach.
but was allowed to remain, we believe, on
a misunderstanding of the word. Fred
Bancroft departed on the plea that his fur
Their attendance was not cOmpcUiJle. Mrs
+. +. Merrill was given the word "di-
eresis,' but declined to guess at il and
went off the stage. She was the last of
those who had remained without dispute