Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-10-29
D0&trp.
The Spelling Bee at .Anges,s.
REroRrED m TRUTHFUL JAMKs.

near g warn rom mo.
1 kii' not 'bnS sairy tale of Jinny's ferco and
For holi it is unchrisiian TO deceive a simple
child.
But as from school yer driin' by lhOwt ye'd like
ora ,sPel'in' Bee at Angel. that we organized
last ycar.
I'woT1J made up OF gentle kids-of pretty kids
Ike you,
But gents 81 he'd their reg'lar growth. and some
enc1gh iar two.
There woz Lanky Jim Of suffers Fork and Bilson
oi Lagrange.
And pistol BoO,r who wore That tiay n knife BY
way oi change.
lou stars. You Ati,c Kids. you think these are not
pretty names.
But each had man behind IT, and-my name is
Truthful James.
Thar was Poker Dick from Whisky Flat and Smith
OF Shooters Bend.
And Brown Of CAlaVeras-which want NO better
trcai.
Three fingered JacS-yes, pretty dears-three I'm.
gcr~- soa have i've.
Clapp cut of tWO-it's sing lar too that Clam alnt
uow Slvc.
Iva, yery wr~nS iadeed my desrs, and Clspp
was W-ch % blame,
LiScWi-@ Vas Jack, IN after years for shootin' of
ihat same.
The nights Was kinder lensthenin' out, the rains
When All ise camp came mp to Pete to have their
usua. Ton.
But We an SO, Kinder sad.liko sround the bar.room
TIL Smith sOs up, PcrmisIiss.l,le, AMI this remark
hc hove;
Thar, a new game down IL Frisco, thet ol far el
kin see,
Rest euebre. pcker and van-toon, they calls the
Speiiln Bee
Then Brown % Csl4yeras simply hi;ched his chair
Poker is good enough Tor me-" and Lanky Jim
scr, shake"
And Bob allowed he warn't proud, buthe mus,
Tha, ,ae man who tackled cuchrc he'd his educa
Con SOAR
This brought up Ieauy Fairohud, tho school-mas.
lie knew me game and he would give instructions
or tlst head.
'For instance ;aSe some simple word sez he
'Nc~ wto car spell Is" Dog my skine thar was
enc iu eight.
ral, E, 'hc 10y. al Wild a, once. The chair. was
And AZ tn, head was Lanky Jim, and 81, the zoo,
was Joe,
And high Oron me bar itself The scAOolma-,cr was
raised.
And tac aar-S".p IN, HE glasses down. and sA,
4at s.lcL. sazeG.
The f-s; wc-. 'u' was parallel, and seven le.
mJ5e va,'1,l IN his double %" botv.Nt The ~
Fog, .'oge 3 e drilled them Mc1Icans in san Jaciu.
Thar ,ysra't ~ prouder man got up ih4n Pisto!
Joe ,hat night
TIL "rhy,hu" c.me He ;ricd 70 smile then sand,
AMI Lanky jim, with one long stride got up and
Vook his chair.
o A'.e kids' my pretty Kids, .was touohu' 20
These hearie men with wcppings on like school
BOYS 81 their play.
They'd laugh Wan sIee. and shout % see each 9th.
A. Bob ss- r ~ monitor ,gi,h Acuc tor a rattan
TIL ile chair gave out "incnerAte," and Brown
said he'd De dUrncj
10 AIRY suct hlSmcd word ~ that IA school WAS
ever learned.
when 'pG'hisi-' came they sl sPTang up, and
vowed the .gr VINO runs
Another blamed Greek worio ON them De taken out
and hung
A. tbey sa. down ssain / saw in BHsOn's eyos
lash
And Brown or Calay,ras was a-twi.tin' his mus
taCdC.
And when s., last Brown slipped on "gnciss" and
Btison took Ais chair,
lie dropped some casual words about some folks
wlu dyed their hair.
And then the Chair grew very white, and the
Chair s1il he'd atiluru.
But Poker uicS remarked thSt &c would walt and
get hi- turu;
Then with q trrmhhn' voice and hand, and with a
NNWIlHfIu eve.
The 1 hair next offered 'eidcr-1uck - aud Dick
began with -I',
And El-ou sunei-anG Bllson snrlckcdi Just
how The hSht begun
] never kuowCd, Tor bllsOn dropped and Dick he
moved UP one.
Then certain gents arose and said they'd business
down ir camp,
And "ez tie road was rather dark, and e. the
nigh. was damp,
They'd'' here sot up Three fingered Jack and
locked -he door and yelled;
NO, not one mothers son goes ont ill that thar
But while ne words were on his lips, he groAned
and sank in pain
lie sank with webster on his chest and " Norcester
on Lis brain.
Below ue O,r lodged Poker Dick and tried to
look he
Was huutiu' up authorities the; no one else could
see.
Ard Brown got down behind The stove allown' he
swA- coll.N
TIL, i, up-ot ami iowa his legs the ciDders freely
And several gent, called "Orderr tin in his sim.
pie way
was dragged away.
o, u.yle bids, my pretty kids. down on your knees
and pray
You've 60; your eddicstion in a peaceful sort OF
And bear In uind thar may be sharps ez slngs
th,Ir -pei.n sIUare,
But likewise sl,nPs their bowie knives without =
thought Of carr
NOl wants 20 know tho ICss,i0- III a-r That's all
tn me yOu Eee
The only gent that lived to tell about tibet spellin'
Bee
He ceased and passed that truthful man the chill
lrcu Nent their way
With iowncssi heads and downcast hearts-but
rot % sport or play,
For when at eve the lamps were liz, and supper
less % bed
Each child was sen, with tasks undone and lessons
az ur- id,
No man might know the awful woe that flled their
Youthful frames,
As they dreamed of Angels Spelling Bee and
though; Of Truthful James.
-Br,i Harte IN NOrember scribiler.