Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-09-16
A Spelling Match.

shadows in old FarmelIJobson's
kitchen; it 1iickered up and
down on the huge brown raft
ers, and on the great dresser
where the quaint willow-ware
dishes werearrangeI, and where
Mrs. Dobson's wonderful wealth
of tin-ware was arrayed in shin
ing ranks. A great far-corner-
ed, shadow-haunted kitchen
with a fireplace of the old-fa sh-
ioaed type, one ofthe generous,
provident, open-h3arted kild
that is passing away with the
woods it helped to devour.
We have more economical ar
rangements coming in fashion,
even in the old country-houses,
now, but there are none so full
Of evening witchery, so care-be-
quilting and hcartsome, as the
old wood fire.
What elfish pranks it playe d
that night! How it reddened d
old Farmer Dobson's smoking
cap, and shone on his good
wife's spcctacles, and tinted
jobs high cheek-bones ard
sleek black hair, as he sat in
the off corner bending obtusely
over his book, utterly absorbed,
as man might be who had so
little time to explore the mys-
tericS Of Webster, and who was
to take part in the spelling
match tonight.
JOB was Farmer Dobson's
farm hand-a tall, strong, pa
tient fellow, who had been so
quietly the butt Of Us all this
winter that we had got to using
him like big mastiff, who
might be dangerous, but under
ordinary circumstances could
be safely teased and tormented
to the top Of our bent. y mist
gathered in my eye as | looked
across the great kitchen to where
he sat unconscious, plodding a.
way at his task. [ thought Of
our glib and easily acquired
learning, and Of poor Jobs hard
struggle for life, and [ pitied
job.
Yes, I pitied him; but yet,
nevertheless, as | saw him stoop-
ing SO profoundly by the light
of the witching fire, needless of
the shadow, and shine of the
room, an imp of mischief-per-
haps one Of the pranksome elves
gesticulating in the chimney
corner-got possession Of me.
[ arose softly, and glided over
to where he sat, sprinkled the
absorbed student with a shower
of eau de Cologne, and putting
the vial quickly in my pocket,
walked demurely back to my
seat. The start Job gave, and
the flush on his face as he re-
turned to his book, were conf
cal. That Cologne was Abiiah
PIummer's present, and Il
shouldn't have wasted it, per-
haps, and perhaps job didn't
like Cologne. He shut the
book presently, and sat with
his shoulders stopped and his
head dropping, looking into the
fire.
Well, as l have said, we were
to have a spelling match that
night, not our first one by any
means; but the old folks had .
put their heads together to give
us a prize this time, beautiful
set Of gold-and-blue poets, six
dainty little volumes that stood
cleaning in the fre-light on the
round table, in the place of hon
or along with the great gilt-edg-
ed family Bible.
The young people dropped in
one by one, shaking off the snow
Is they came in, for there had
been a light snowfall that even
ng, which made us all the mer-
'ier. By-and-by the great
kitchen was filed up, the can
lies were lit, Farmer DobSon
aid aside his pipe the school
master Strengthened his neck
lie, and grabbed tine big Web
'ter before him, and we all be-
came properly impressed with
he Importance Of the occasion,
.hough there was a, general
of elbows and sly
grimace as big, shy Job joined
he class. But Job was used to .
,ur merry-making, and took no {
lotice of it.
Round and round went the
;pelling-big words and little
words, words with treacherous
Is and as lying in wait in un- t
places, and words
without as and words with odd