The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-09
THE SPELLING BEE AT Angels.

REPORTED BY TRUTHFUL JAMES,
Waltz in, waltz in, ye little kids, and gather
And drop them books and first pot-hooks, and
hear a yarn from me.
L kin not sling a fairy tale of Jinny's fierce and
wild,
For l hold it is unchristian to deceive simple
child;
But as from school yer driftin' by thowt yed
like to hear
Of a" Spellin' Bee at Angels that we organized
1t warn't made up of gentle kids-of pretty kids
like you.
But gents ez he'd their reg'lar growth, and some
There woZ Lanky jim, OF Suffer Fork, ana Dill
son, of Lagrange, -
And Pistol Bob who wore that day knife by
You start you little kids, you think these are not
But each had man behind 1t, and-my name Is
Truthful James.
Thar was Poker Dick. from Whisky Flat, and
Smith, of Shooters Bend,
And Brown of Calaveras-whlch want no bet
ter friend.
Three-fngered Jack-yes, pretty dears-three fin
gers-y0H have five.
Twas very wrong. indeed, my dears, and Clapp
Likewise was Jack, in after years, for shootin of
that same.
The nights was KINDER lenRtnellln OUT, JIe Illils
had Jest begun,
When all the camp came up to Petes TO nave
their usual fun;
But we all sot kinder sad-llke around the bar
room stove
Till Smith got up permiskiss-like, and this re-
mark he hove:
Thar's new game down in Frisco, tibet eZ Tar
Beats euchre. poker and van-toon, they calls the
Spellin' Bee.
Then Brown, of Calaveras, simply hitched his
chair and spake:
Poker is good enough for me-" and Lanky Jim
SEE, " Shaker
And Bob allowed he warn't proud, but he : must
say right thar
That the man who tackled euchre he'd his educa-
This brought up Lenny Fairchild the school-mas-
ter, who said
He knew the game and he would give instructions
on that head.
For instance take some simple word SEE he
" like separate,
Now who can spell 1t! Dog my SKIN, ct thar
was in eight.
This set the boys all wild at once. The chairs
was put in row,
And at the head was Lanky Jim, and at the foot
Joe,
And high upon the bar itself the school-master
was raised.
And the bar keep put his glasses down, and sat
and silent gaZed.
The first word out was parallel" and seven let
it be-
Till Joe Waited in. his double "T' betwixt the
. "a and "e;
For since he drilled them Mexicans IN San ia
cinto fight,
Thar warn't no prouder man got up than Pistol
Till "rhythm'' came. He tried to smile then
said they had him there"
And LankY jim, with one long stride, got up and
took his chair.
O little kids! my pretty kids, twas touchin' to
These bearded men with weppings on like school
boys at their play.
They'd laugh with glee and shout to see each 9TH
er lead the van.
And Bob sat up as monitor with cue for a rat
tan,
Till the chair gave out incinerate' and Brown
If any such blamed word as that in school was
ever learned.
When phthisis'' came they all sprang up and
vowed the man who rung
Another blamed Greek word on them be taken
out and hung.
As they sat down again l saw in Bilsons eye
flash,
And Brown, of Calaveras, was a-twistin' his mus
tache,
And when at last Brown slipped on g gneiss, and
Bilson took his chair,
He dropped some casual words about some folks
who dyed their hair.
And then the Chair grew very white, and the
Chair said he'd adjourn,
But Poker Dick remarked that he would wait and
Then with a trenholm voice and hand and with
wanderin eye,
The Chair next offered eider-duck," and Dick
began with L,
And Bilson smiled Bilson shrieked. Just
how the fight begun
| never knowed, for Bison dropped and Dick he
moved up one
Then certain gents arose and said I" they'd bust
ness down in camp
And or rat HnrE and or tba
night was damp,
They'd"-here got up Three-fngered Jack and
locked the door and yelled
No, not one mothers son goes out till that thar
word is speledr'
But while the words were on his lips, he groaned
and sank in pain,
And sank with Webster on his chest and Worces-
ter on his brain.
Below the bar lodged Poker Dick, and tried to
look ez he
Was huntin' up authorities tibet no one else could
see;
And Brown got down behind the stove allowin
Till it upset and down his legs the cinders freely
rolled,
And several gents called Orderr' till in his sim
Poor Smith began with 20" RI" or"-and he
was dragged away.
o, little kids, my pretty kids, down on your knees
and pray!
You've got your eddication in peaceful sort of
way;
And bear in mind there may be sharps ez sings
thar spellin' square,
But likewise slings their bowie-knives without
thought or care
You wants to know the rest, my dears? Thets all!
In me You
The only gent that lived to tell about tibet Spell
lin Bee
He ceased and passed. that truthful man; the
children went their way
With downcast heads and downcast hearts-but
not to sport or play
For when at eve the lamps were lit and supper
less to bed
Each child was sent with tasks undone and les
sons all unsad
No man might know the awful woe that thrilled
their youthful frames
As they dreamed of Angels Spelling Bee and
thought of Truthful James,
Bret Hdrte. in November Scri6ner.
THE OLD MAN ALWAYS RIGHT.