The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-30
MIR. COFFlN's SPELLING MATCH.
THE OLD LADY PUTS HIM DOWN WITH ONE OF
HER SPELLS STRIKING EFFECTS.
from the Detroit Free Press. j!

from GN0 DetEOiC cTee 1FebS.
The other evening Mr.. and Mrs. Coffin
who live on Brush street, sat in their cos,
back parlor, he reading the paper and sh
knitting, and the family cat stretched out I'm
der the stove, and sighed and felt sorry TO
cats not SO we'll fixed. It was happy, con
tented household, and there was love in hi
remarked:
II see that the whole country is becoming
excited about spelling schools"
"Well, it's good to know how to spell, re
piled the wife. ~ didn't have the chance
some girls Lad, but pride myself that car
spell almost any word that comes along"
"Tll see about that" he laughed. "come
now, spell 'buygy.'"
"Hu nph! that's nothing - buggy
buggy she replied.
"Missed the first time-ha ha ~ he roared
slapping his leg.
''Not much-thst was right"
cit was, Ell? Well, I'd like to see any
body get two g's in buggy, would"
''But it is spelled with two g's, and any
schoolboy will tell you SO, she persisted.
"Well, 1 know q durn sight better than
thstr' he exclaimed, striking the table with
his fist.
II don't care what you know" she
buggy"
''Do you mean to tell me that I've forgotten
how to spell?" he asked.
sit looks that way"
at does, Ell? Well, 1 want you and al
your relations to understand that I know
more about spelling than the whole caboodle
of you strung on wire"
''And want you to understand, Jonathan
Coffin, that you are an ignorant old block
head, when you don't put two g's in the word
buggy-yes you arew
''Don't talk that way to mer' he warned.
"And don't shake your fist at mer' she re-
piled.
"Who's a-sbaking his fish,
"You were! !"
"That's lie-an internal lie :"
"Don't call me a liar, you old bazaar I've
PIT up with your meanness for forty years
past, but don't call me liar, and don't Law q
hand on me -
ado you want divorce?" he shouted.
springing up; ''you can go now, this minute :"
''Don't spit in my face-don't you dare do
it or I'll make dead man of you 80 she
warned.
II haven't spit in your freckled old visage
yet, but may, if you provoke me further !"
"Who's got freckled face, you old turkey
That was little too much. He made a
notion as if he would strike, and she seized
him by the neck-tie. Then he reached out
md grabbed her right ear and tr ed to lift
Ter off her feet. but she twisted up on the
Ieck-tie until his tongue ran out.
"Let go of me, you old fsnd }" she
creamed.
Cit down on yer knees and beg my par
lon, you old wild cat r" he replied.
They surged and swayed and struggled, and
be peaceful cat was struck by the overturn.
ng table and had her back broken, while the
lock fell down and the pictures danced |
round. The woman finally shut off her hus-
and's supply of air and Topped him, and as
be bumped his head up and down on the
oor, and scattered his gray hairs, she
houted:
You want to get up another spelling
shool with me, don't you?"
He was seen limping around the yard yes
'rday, stocking pinned around his throat,
nd she had court plaster on her nose and
ne finger tied up. He wore the look of q
artyr, while she had the bearing of victor,
i'd from this time out "buggy" will be
)elled with two g's in that house.