New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-11
A Danbury Spelling Match.

| DnuUuTy SpcIuu8
| An impromptu spelling school was lnau'
| gurated IN Merrill's grocery Saturday even
| ing. A young man who, last winter, aided
| Mr.. Couch in the management of the North
| Centre School, conducted the class. The
hrst word he gave out was INDIAN
| The first man said, "1-n in, DIN, din
Indin.'
The teacher shook his head. "Well,
clare, 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, ON, in, d-a, de, indie, u-n, IN
Indeun."
Then he sighed, and gazed anxiously at
the teacher, while an old party at the end
| OF the bench, who was watching the efforts
with derisive amusement, turned the quid
in his mouth and said:
You amt within a rod ont; but 90 on;
let's some more try
The teacher told the second speller that
he also had failed, whereupon he sighed
again.
Then the third man took hold. He
squared himself upon his seat, and holding
up one finger, licked off the letters with
becoming solemnity, as follows: I'm, in,
d-d.d-a, da, india. in. in-Indain.'
The old party on the end of the bench,
"A.O AAssA OOOu tOOtOAAuS oh tAO PAOCAplCO VI
laugh while this effort was being put
forth, snickered right out IN loud guffaw
at its conclusion.
''Well, that's spell for you, mus say"
And then he laughed again. The speller
said nothing, but he grew very red in the
face when his failure was announced, and
cast baleful glance at the old party, whose
turn had come. and who said:
"And now I'll tackle that little word"
and he smiled all ovar his faca yUhilo his
eyes twinkled with merriment, and looking
sideways from one to the other, he rapidly
spelled:
"In in, g in gin, Ingin"
His smile deepened into broad grin as
watched the chagrin flush to the counte
nances of the other spoilers, who had been
misled all the tilAe on wrong pronuncia
all his might when the teacher said:
you amt got the right word
"Wh-ah-st 2" and he bore down on the
brazen faced youth look calculated to
freeze him to the bone.
"Indian is the word. There is no such
word as 1ngin," said the teacher.
80, there isn't, hey! (sarcasticallyj. You
know, OF course. You know all about it.
You pimply-"
"But, my dear sir Il
"You needn't apologize to me-" shouted
the old party, stamping the floor with his
cane. who be you, any way, putting on
your airs about mel l could twist your
scrawny neckioff of you in two minutes,
you white llvered puppy, you!"
But, my dear sir, let me ex-"
at tisn't ingin. is it." ground out the old
chap between his teeth. ''It's somethin'
else, suppose. Oh yes! you know, of
course. And a nice one you are with your
eddication. Why don't your mother send
back them apples she borrowed month
ago." and he looked around the store with
triumphant glare of sarcasm.
"But just hear me"
"Hear you! Who are you any way!
What's your father? When's he drawed
sober breath, should like to know9 An
where's your smart brother, Ben! In prism
somewhere, IN be bound. Oh, know yer
hull family like book. And wuss lot
than they can't be found in this neighbor-
hood, and you just put that in yorr pipe
and smoke it, yon egregrious ass. Talk to
me about spellinr and the old man, stamp
ing his cane again, stalked passionately out
OF the store.
The lesson was then postponed