The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-05-18
Shark Twain on Spelling.

There was spelling match at the
Asylum Hill Congregations Church,
Hartford, Conn, and Samuel l..
Clemens MARX Twain) being called
npon for a rev preliminary remarks,
spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen 81 have
been honored with the Office of in
Producing these approaching ortbo-
graphical suiemuitieS with Il few re-
marks. The temperance crusade has
swept the land long ago, that is,
the vast portion Of the land where
it was most needed, but it skipped
Hartford. Now comes the new spell
hing epidemic, and this time we are
stricken. 80 ! suppose we need the
affection. don't say we do need it.
tor tlOD't see any use IN spelling 4
word right, and never did. | mean
don't see any use in having a uni
form and arbitrary way of spelling
words. We might as we'll make ali
clothes alike and cook all dishes
alihe. Sameness is tises0me; variety
is pleasant, have correspondent
whose letters always are a refresh
meAU to me; There Is such Il breezy,
uuiet;erea originality about his or
biography. He always spells how
with a large X. Now that is gust as
good as To spell it with small one.
II is better. 1t gives the imagina.
tiun a broader heid, "a wider scnpe.
II suggests to the mind grand,
Vague, impressive, new kiudof "a cow.
foHpefb effects can be prndnced by
variegated spelling. The old times
people spelled lust ais they pleased.
That was the right idea. You had
two chances at IL stranger then.
You knew strong man from u weak
one by his iron clad spelling, and
his handwriting helged him to
verify yoar verdict. Same people
have an idea that correct spelling can
he ta0gat-aud Taught 90 anybody.
rlaG is a mistake. The spelling
faculty is born in man, like poetry,
music and art. Il is gilt; It isla
talent. People who have this giIt
in IA higher degree only need to see
d world once IN print and 1t Is for
ever photographed upon their mem
Dry. They cannot forget it. PeO-
pie who haven't must he content to
spell more or less like like tbun
der--and expect to splinter tie dc
tiopary wherever the orthograplical
lightning happens 10 Strike. There
ale iIi.D0J words in Tie unabridged
dictionary. / know a lady who can
spell oHiy ioO of them right. She
Stears clear eli all she rest. She can't
learn anymore. 80 her letters al
WAYS consist of those constantly re-
curing i50 words. Now and then.
when She Ands herself obliged to
write upon subject which uec,asSi-
tates tile use uf some other nnfls.
she-weil, she don't write on this
subject. have relative in New
York who is almost sublinelv gifte3.
She cant spell any word right.
There is game called Verbaliam.
4 dozen people are zach provided
with a sheet oi paper, across the top
OF which Is written hong word like
kaleidD>Vonical. or something like
tiat. and the game is To see who
can make up the Innst words of that
ia t.nee minutes, always beginning
with the Initial letter 0f the word.
Upon the occasion the word chosen
WAS cOiicrddm. Nv hen the time was
called rybody had built from five
to twenty words except this young
lady. She only had one word
Caif. We all studied a moment and
then said, "Why, there is no I ia
cof,eidam = Hheu we. examined
her paper. To the eternal honor of
chat uninSpired. unconscious, sub
.imely-independeut soul be it said,
she had spelled that word "caif' r
Ii any body here can spell calf any
more sensible tlian thai, let him step
to tie front aud get his milk. The
insurrection will now begin.
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