Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-04-29
Danbury Spelling.

An impromptu spelling school was inaugu-
rated in Merrill's grocery store Saturday even
ing. A young man who, last winter, aided
MIR. Couch in the management of the North
| Center School conducted the class The first
word he gave out was Indian.
The first man said: ''1-n, in. din. din.
Indin.'
The teacher shook his head. ''Wcll. /
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 carnestness,
| said. SIN, in. de, de, indie, u-n, un--Inde-
un.
Then he sighed, and gazcd anNiously at the
teacher, while an old party at the end of the
bench, who was watching the efforts with
derisiye amusement, turned the Quid in his
mouth, and said:
''You ain't within rod ont: but go on !;
let some others try"
The teacher told the second spcller that he
also had failed, whcreupon he sighed again.
Then the third man took hold. He squared
himself upon his seat, and, holding up one
finger, ticked off the letters with becoming
solemnity, as follows: SIN, in, d-d-d-a-da,
india, in, in-Indain.
The old party Oh the end Of the bench, who
had been tcetering on the prccipicc of laugh
while this effort was being put forth, snick-
cred right out in 4 loud gutfaw at its con-
clusion.
''Wcll, that's spell for you; must 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 a
baleful glance at the old party, whose turn
had now come, and who said:
''And now Ill tackle that little word,' and
he smiled all over his face, while his eyes
twinkled with merriment, and looking side
ways from one to the other, he ranidly
spelled
''I-n, in, gin, lngin.'
His smile deepened into II broad grin as he
watched the chagrin flush to the countenanccs
of the other spoilers who had been misled all
the time on wrong pronunciation of the
word. He was grinning with all his might
when the teacher said:
'sYou amt got the right word
"Wh-ah-ot?" and he bore down on the
brazen-faced youth q look calculated to freeze
him to the bone
"Indian is the word. There is no such
word as Ingin,' said the teacher.
30, there isn't, hey? (sarcastically.) You
know, of course. You know all about it.
You pimply"-
''But, my dear sir, T.
"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 me? could twist your
scrawny neck off of you in two minutes. You
white-livered puppy, you"
''But, my dear sir, let me eX"-
''It tisnt 1njin, is it?" ground out the old
chap, between his teeth "Its somethin' else,
suppose. 0, yes you know, of course.
And nice one you are, with your eddication.
Why don't your mother send back them ap-
piles she borrowed month ago?' and he
looked around the store with triumphant
glare of sarcasm.
''But just hear me-"
'Hear you! Vino are you, any way?
What's your father? When's he drawcd a
sober breath, I should like to know? An |
where's your smart brother, Ben? In prism |
somewhere, I'll be bound Oh, know yer |
hull family like book. And wuss lot than
they are can't be found in this neighborhood,
and you just put that in your pipe and smoke |
it, you egregious ass. Talk to me about |
spellin'," and the old man, stamping his cane
again, stalked passionately out of the store.
The lesson was then postponed. -Danbu1y |
Neacs.