The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-05-07
SPELLING MATCH.


An impromptu spelling school was in
auguarated in Merill's grocery on Sat
urday evening. A young man who, last
Winter, aided Mr.. Couch in the man
agement of the North Center School,
conducted the class. The first word he
gave out was Indian.
The first man said, T-n,in, din, din
-Indin." .
The teacher shook his head. "Well,
I declare, thot had it, /" said the spell
Ter, 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, SIN, in, de, de, Inde, u-n,
un-Indeun." NM ht
Then he sighed and gazed anxiously at
the teacher, while an old party al the end
of the bench, who was watching the eff
forts with derisive amusement, turned
the quid in his mouth and said:
"You amt in rod ont; but go on;
let's su' 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 hold
ing up one finger, ticked off the letters
with becoming solemnity, as follows:
"I-n, d-d-da da, Inda-i=n in-Indain.'
The oldparty ON the end of the bench,
who had been teetering on the precipice
Of a laugh while this effort was being put
forth, snickered right out into a loud
guffaw at its conclusion.
"Well, that's a 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 an
nouced, and cast baleful glance at the
old party whose turn had now come, and
who said
"You people should keep away from
Ohio, you should. And now I'll 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: r
'I-n, in, gin, gin, Ingin." .tt. F..
His smile deepened into broad grin
as he watched the chagrin flush to the
countenance of the other spoilers, who
had been misled all the time on a wrong
pronunciation of the word He was
grinning with all his might when the
teacher said;
''You amt got the right word"
"Wh-ah-ot2" and he bore down on the
brazen-faced young man a look calcu-
lated to freeze him to the bone.
"Indian is the word. There is no such
word as Ingin," said the teacher.
80, there isn't hey2 (sarcastically.)
You know, of course. You know all
about it you pimply-"
"But, my dear sir, I"
"You need'ntapologizeto me" shout
ed the old party, stampsug the floor with
his cane. "Who be you, anyway, put
on your airs about me2 1 could twist
your scrawly neck off of you in two min
utes, you white-livered puppy, you,"
"But, my dear sir, let me ex-"
'It isn't ingin, is itl" ground out the
old chap between his teeth. 'It's some
thin else, 1 suppose. o, yes! you
know, of course. And nice one you
are, with your dedication. Why
don't your mother send back them APP
pies she borrowed a month agol" and
he looked around the store with atrium-
phant glare of sarcasm.
'But Just hear me"
"Hear you! Who are you anywayi
What's your father; when's he drawed a
sober breath, I'd like to know2 An
where's your smart brother Benz In
prism some where, I'll be bound. o, II
know yer hull family like book. And
a wuss lot than they are can't be found
in this neighborhood, and you just put
that in your pipe and smoke it, you ag-
gregious ass. Talk to ME about spellin' Il
and the old man, stamping his cane
again, stalked passionately out of the
store. ...l ..u
The lesson was then postponed.