River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-04-30
A Danbury Spelling school.
[Danbury News.l

An impromptu spelling school was in.
augurated in Merrll's grocery, Saturday
evening. A young man, who, last winter,
aided Mr.. Couch in the management OF
the North Centre school, conducted the
class. The first word he gave out was
Indian.
The first man said, 'I.n, in, din, din
-lndin.
The teacher shook his head. swell,
declare, thot had it, said the speller,
with keen disappointment; but he picked
up when the second man started, and
eyed him with considerable anxiety.
The next man, with desperate earnest
ness, said. "I.n, in, de, de, indie, u-n un
-Indeun."
Then ne sighed, and gazed anxiously at
the teacher, while an old party at the end
oil the bench. who was watching the
efforts with derisive amusement, turned
the quid in his mouth, and said:
You amt in rod ont; but go on
let's sum more try
The teacher told the second speler that
he also had failed, whereupon he sighed
again.
Then the third man took hold. III,
squared himself upon his seat, and hold
ing up one finger, licked off the letters
with becoming solemnity, as follows
I'm in, d.d-d.a da, inda---n in--Indain. >
The old party at the end of the bench
who had been teetering on the precipice
of laugh while this effort was being put
forth, snickered right out into a loud
guiiaw at its conclusion.
"Well. that's spell for YOU. mus
saw. And then he laughed again. The
speller said nothing, but he grew very red
in the face when his failure was an
nounced, and cast baleful glance at the
old party, whose turn had now come, and
who said:
''You people should keep away from
Oheo, you should. And now III tackle
that little word" and he smiled all over
his face, while his eyes twinkled with
merriment, and looking Sideways from
one to the other he rapidly spelled
''I-n in, gin gin, Ingin.'
His smile deepened into a broad grin
as he watched the chagrin flush to the
countenance of the other spoilers, who
had been misled all the time on wrong
pronunciation of the word. He was grin
ming with all his might when the teacher
said:
You amt got the right word"
"Wh-ah-ot?' and he bore down on the
brazenfaced young man look calculated
to freeze him to the bone.
"lndian is the word. There is no such
word as lngin," said the teacher.
''Oh, there isn't hey (sarcastically {?
You know, of course. You know all
about it, you pimply-"
But, my dear sir, ="
"You needn't apologize to me-" shout.
cd the old party, stamping the floor with
his cane. "Who be you, any way put.
ting on your airs about me !! / could
twist your scrawny neck off you in ten
minutes, you white livered puppy, you"
"But, my dear sir, let me ex--''
at isn't 'ingin,' is it :" ground out the
old chap between his teeth. "It's some
thin else, ! suppose. o, yes you know.
Of course. And a nice one you are, with
your eddication. Why don't your
mother send back them apples she Dor
rowed month ago?' and he looked
around the store with triumphant glare
of sarcasm.
''But just hear me -
Hear you! Who are you, anyway /
What's your father; when he's drawed
sober breath, I'd like to know! An
where's your smart brother Ben! In
prism somewhere, I'll he bound. o,
know yer hull family like book. And a
wuss lot than they are cant be found n
this neighborhood, and you just put that
in your pipe and smoke it, you egregious
ass. Talk TO me about spcllin )" and the
old man stamping his cane again, stalked
passionately out Of the store.
The lesson was then postponed.