Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-04-20

A DANBURY SPELLING SCHOOL.

An impromptu spelling-school was in
augurated in Merrill's grocery. Saturday
evening. young man, who, last winter.
aided MIR. Couch in the management of
the North Centre school, conducted the
class, The first word he gave out was
Indian.
The first man said, 'In-in, d-i n,-Indin. :"
The teacher shook his head. "Well, l
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 earnest
ness. said, "In. indie, indie, u-n, un-In1
deun."
Then he sighed, and gazed anxiously al
the teacher, while an old party at 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 60 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, licked off the letters
with becoming solemnity, as follows: lin
in, d-d-d-a, inda-in-in in--Indain."
The old party on the end Of the bench,
who had been teetering on the precipice
OF laugh while this effort was being put
forth, snickered right out into loud
guffaw at its conclusion.
"Well, that's spell for ysu, | mus
say And then he laughed again. The
speller said nothing. but he grew very red
IA ?S fail
nounced, and cast a baleful glance at the
old party, whose turn had now come, and
who said:
"You people should keep away from
Oheo, you should. And now I'll tackle
that little word" and he smiled all over
his face, while his eyes twinkled with mer-
rimen:, and looking sideways from one to
the other, he rapidly spelled
''1-n in, gin gin, Ingin."
His smile deepened into broad grin as
tenance OF the other spoilers, who had
been misled all the time on wrong pro-
nunciation 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 young man look calculated
"Indian is the word. There is no such
words as Ingin," said the teacher.
80, there isn't hey (sarcastically) You
know. of course. You know all 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, any way, putting on
your airs about me? l could twist your
scrawny neck off OF you in two minutes.
you white -livered puppy"
But my dear sir, let me ex-"
lit isn't 'ingn,' is it ?" ground out the
old chap between his teeth. "It's some
thin else. suppose. o, yes! you know.
of eddication. Why don't your mother
send back them apples she borrowed
month ago?" and he looked around the
store with triumphant glare of sarcasm.
'But just hear me-"
''Hear you" Who are you, anyway?
What's your father; when's he drawed
sober breath, I'd like to know? An
where's your smart brother Ben? In
prism somewhere, I'll be bound. o,
know yer hull family like a 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. egregious ass.
Talk to me about spellin;" and the old
man, stamping his cane again. stalked pas
sionately out Of the store
The lesson was then postponed.