National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-01
SCHOOL, MASTERS ABROAD.
tcOHffaHsd from First Psqs.)

W seDUIng little notes, every few minutes, TO the
presiding ofhcer, requesting him 70 make the
sehoolmaster change his position.
Probably all vino entered the lists had some
idea Of trotting home with quarto dictionary or
gold medal, and It was observable that almost
every enc WHO missed closed his mouth, while his
Adams apple hoped up into HIS throat as though
he was choking down some secret grief
From the moment the first word was pro-
nounced until the hnai settlement the opera
glasses were in constant requisition. Itwa very
pleasant for the contestants when they were hest
Eating and rsnsacking their brains for word to
think that these mHgnihers were making them
out about twice as big as they really Were and
bringing them down right before the gaIers,
where they could remark upon the state OF theiI
wardrobe, and make guesses as to the probable
origin Of the blotch on the Of the speller,
may be 90 into profound reverie over an embryo
boil on the unfoftunate's neck.
1t is curious to observe the different manner
and bearing Of contestants. Some would let their
eyes wander all over the hall, holding their hands
behind them until they had uttered the last let
ter, when they would Anxiously scan the face Of
the pedagogue, as If they would read their doom,
and their spelling was pronounced correct one
anxiety in the world by the tidal
WAVE OF GRINNIEs JOY
that would sweep over their faces. Another
would look the pedagogue squarely in the eyes,
and pronounce each letter as If II was q serious
charge against the audience and he felt awful
mad about it. and when he finished, II his spelling
was correct, be would look as though 1t was Just
what be expected. Another would shit his hand
from his coat pocket to his breeches pocket and
lean FIRST Oh one foot and then on another and ID
his eye first on the policeman who was standing
near the main entrance and finally rested It upon
the centre Of the landscape picture the back OF
the stage, and when the verdict was pronounced
would look II he was glad that 1t was over with
and then sit down and wipe the perspiratiOn from
his face and try to rid himself Of the feeling that
everybody was laughing at him.
In the audience could be seen some who would
lean far over the seat in front of them and spell
the words in highly aspirated key as they were
pronounced for the Ueneht OF the nnenlig htened
around them. Others would go A. 'gh all the
motions, and pucker and twist t. - .Ouths into
thousand shapes, but fortunately for those
about them, lett 1t to the imagination to decide
what they were trying to do. There were sturdy
old men who sat back in their seats and tWilled
their thumbs and laughed when a word was
missed, and stamped their feet when word was
spelled correctly.
There were young men with greasy hair who
sucked the ends OF their canes and appeared to be
very much affected when the pedagogue cracked
q Joke, and yaWned occasionally and cast a Ian
gushing look upon some young lady in the vi
cinity.
Perhaps the only two contestants who will look
back upon the occasion with feelings Of unmixed
pleasure are those who carried of the prizes. The
others will either think what fools they were, or
what fool somebody else was, or every one was
and may be put on long faces as they think how
easily they might have won a dictionary or a