The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-02-28
Two Ways-A Suggestive Dialogue

MAY sits at a table with an Unabridged Dictionary
open before her. Nan walks to and fro, study.
ing aloud.
Nan. (Spelling pidly.)-B-e-l-t-ge-r.
emit. b-e-l-i-g-e-r-e-n-t. Going to
May.) Oh, be good to me, May, and
hear this spelling-lesson-this dreadful,
dreadful spelling-lesson.
May.-How many words have you?
Nan.-Only six, but they are so hard.
l have spelled them over and over twen-
ty times, and ought to know them.
May have the same six words. l
am studying them now.
| Nan. What story. You are read
ing the Dictionary.
May. (Taking the book.) I'll hear
your words now, and mark them right
or wrong. Spell belligerent.
Nan. (Rapidly. .)-B-e-l-i-g-e-r-e-'a-t !
wag'n' war.
May. (Marking.)-What does that
mean?
Nan.-Oh, l don't know. l give the
definitions as they are in the book.
Wag'n' war? Paying the soldiers their
wages. ] guess; don't know.
.--Bacciuorous.
Nan.-B-a-c--s-i-U-e-r-o-u-s: subsist-
ing on berries.
May.-Why don't you say eating ber-
ries?
Nan.-Because the book says subsist;
and 1 don't know what that means.
May.-Suppose it said subsisting on
roots would you think that was right?
Nan.-Of course should. How could
I tell?
May.-Pn tell you by-and-by. Spell
belladonna.
Nan.-B-e-l-l-e-r-d-o-n-m-e-r /: deadly
night-shade.
May.-What is that?
Nan.-I'm sure don't know. Does
it mean darkness?
May.-Not exactly. Spell benevolent.
Nan.-B-e-n-e-U-o-l-d-p-t: kind.
-Circatnlocution.
Nan.-S-i-r-c-u-n-l-o-c-n-t-i-o-n: cir
cult, or compass of words.
May.-What is that?
Nan. Ompatiently. Its the defni-
tion-that's what it is; and that's what
we are marked on, and learn them as
they are in the book. told you so be-
fore.
May.-Don't be vexed, Nan.
Nan.-No; but how many did spell
correctly?
May.0Not one, Nanny, after all
your spelling them over and over and
over again.
Nan.-Too bad! Well, let me have
the book; I'll try them again.
May.-No, Nan, come and sit here
and study them with me, my way, since
you see your way has failed.
Nan. (Going to the table .)-Where is
your spelling-book?
May.-I don't need it. copied the
words carefully from my spelling-book
into my blank-book. Now I'll show
you my way. Turn to Belltgerent.
Nan.-Here it is.
May.-What is it from?
Nan.-Do you mean this: from bel
luns, war, and gerentts, waging?
May.-I mean just that. Now, how
many Us in bel-luns? See that it is
gerentis, not gerantis. Now say BEL
luns. Now say ge-rentis. Now say
Bel-hg-eremt, slowly. (Nan does as
bidden, each time.) Now spell Bellig-
erent. (Nan spells it) There, young
lady, you will meuer misspell that word
again; you can never forget hoaO it is
spelled, now that you know why tits SO
spelled. Now turn to BacciUorous.
Nan. Turning. )-From Bacca. ber-
ry, and vorare, to devOur. That seems
like strawberry time, doesn't it?
May.-Now. look carefully at the two
c's in bacca, and see that it is Vo-ra-re
Now spell.
Nan.-Baccirorou Good!
May.-Now for Bella-donna.
Nan.-Bella-donna, beautiful lady!
that's pretty.
May.-Now, never spell her beller
again; and, Nan, don't you remember
the bushy plant by the road-sides. with
the purple blossoms and poisonous scar
let berries? that is night-shade.
May.-And SO you will find with all
the other words, in this and other spell
ing-lessons, that the best way to learn
them is to become acquainted with
them. You will find that Bease-U0lent
means to wish sOell-which is, of course,
to oEsssak.mlnknd ss klndki c.reus1oca,,on.
May,-You will find that that is from
circun, around, and locutio, speak
ing, and that will help you to remem-
ber not only the meaning OF, but the
way to spell the word.
Nan.-It is just elegant! I'll learn
all my spelling-lessons your way, IN
future 1t seems little like work, at
first, but when remember my way OF
spelling over and over and over, it re-
minds me of the old proverb, Lazy
| folks take the most trouble"
May.-And good proverb for my
way is, Whatever is worth doing, is
worth doing well. National Journal