Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-04-07
Dnnbury smelling.

FROM the Danbury News.
An impromptu spelling school, was
inaugurated in Mcrrips grocery Sat-
urday evening. A young man, who,
last winter, aided Mr.. Couch in the
management Of tho North Center
school, conducted the class. The first
word hc gave out was Indian.
The frat man said: SIN, in, din
din-Indin."
The teacher shook his head. "Well,
l declare, thot l had it" said the
speller, with keen disappointment !;
but he picked up when the second
man started, and eyed him with con.
siderable anxiety.
The next man, with desperate ear
nestness, said, w-n, in, de, de, indie,
u, un-Indeun."
Then he sighed, and gazed anxious.
ly at the teacher, while an old party at
the end of the bench, who was watch
ing the efforts with derisive amuse-
ment, turned the quid in his mouth and
said:
"You ant within rod ont; but 60
on; let some more try"
The teacher told the second speller
that he also had failed, whercupon he
sighed again.
Then the third man took hold. He
squared himself upon his seat, and
holding up one finger, tickled off the
letters with becoming solemnity as
follows: Nm, in, d.d-d.a da, india,
i'm, in-Indain.
The old party On tho end of the
bench, who had been lettering on the
precipice of laugh while this effort
was being put forth, snickered right
out in loud guffaw at its conc lu.
sion.
"Well, that's spell for you, must
say" And then he laughed again
The speller said nothing, but grew
very red in the face when his failure
was announced, and cast a baleful
glance al the old party whose turn now
come, and who said
"And now I'll tackle that little
word" and he smiled all over his face,
whilc his eyes twinkled with merri-
ment, and looking sidewise from one
to the other, he rapidly apelled--
"I.n in, g-i.n, Ingin."
His smile deepened into broad grin
as he watched the chagrin and flushed
countenances 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:
"You amt got the right word"
"Wh.ah-ot?' and he bore down on
the brazen-faced youth look calcula.
tod ~ fraoyo hin, 20 aho l,ono
"Indian is the word. There is no
such word as Ingin," said the teach.
or.
30, there isn't, hey? (sarcastically. ;,
You know, of course. You know ali
about it. You pimply-"
"But, my dear sir, l."
"You needn't apologize to me-
shouted the old party stamping the
floor with his cane. Who be you,
anyway, putting on 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--"
at tisn't injun, is it'll" ground out
the old chap between his teeth. sits
something else, l suppose. 0, yes
you know, OF course. And a nice one
you are with your eddication. Why
don't your mother send back them
apples che borroweda month ago p
and he looked around the store with a
triumphant glare of sarcasm.
"But just hear me-"
"Heor you'll Who are you any way !
What's your father! When's he
drawed sober breath, should like
to know? An where's your smart
brother, Ben? In prism somewhere,
I'll be bound. Oh, l know yer hull
family like book. And w"ss lot
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 pas,
sionatcly passed out of the store.
The lesson was then postponed.