The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-11-21
THE sPELL1rG BEE AT ANGELS.



waltz in. waltz in. 70 little kids. and gather
round my knee.
And drop them books and first pot-hooks. and
hear yarn from me.
kin not sling fairy tale Of Jinnys fierce and
For I hold 1t is unchristian to deceive a simple
child;
But IS from school yer driitin' by thowt ye'd
like to hear
OF "spellin' Bee" at Angels that we organ
lied last year.
1t wasn't made up Of gentle. kids-of pretty kids
like you.
enough for two.
There WOE Lanky Jim of Suffers Fork and Bill
son of Lagrange,
And "Pistol Bob" who wore that day knife by
way Of change.
You start, you little kids. you think these are
not pretty names,
But each had a 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 1 want no bet
ter friend
Three-fnsered Jack-yes pretty dears-three
hngers-you haye five.
Clapp cut OF two-it's sing'lar too. that Clapp
amt alive.
Twas very wrong, indeed. my dears. and Clapp
was much to blame;
Likewise was Jack, in after years, for shootin'
Of that same.
The nights was kinder lengthenin' out. the rains
had jest begun.
When all the camp came up to Pete's to have
their usual fun;
But we all sot kinder sad-like around the bar
room stove
Till Smith got up. permiskiss-like. and this re-
mark he hove:
'Thar's a new game down in Frisco. thet ez far
ell kin see,
Beats euchre. poker and van -toon, they calls the
Spellin' Bee.'"
Then Brown of Calaveras simply hichted his
chair and spake:
Poker is good enough for me-" and Lanky Jim
sea "ShakeP'
And Bob allowed he won't proud. but he "must
say right thar
That tho man who tackled euchre he'd his edu-
cation sqar.''
This brought up Lenny Fairchild. the school
master. who said.
He knew the game and he would give instruc-
tions ON that head.
Z" For instance. take some simple word. sez he.
like separate.'
"Now who can spell it?" Dog my skin. ef thar
was one in eight
This set the boys all wild at once. The chairs
was pat in row.
And 1t the head was Lanky Jim, and at the foot
was Joe.
And high upon the bar itself the school master
was raised.
And the baT-keeper put his glasses down. and
sat and silent gazed.
The first word out was parallel" and seven let
itbe,
TIN Joe waltzed in his double ''r' betwixt the
"a"and ''e";
For. since he drilled them Mexicans in San ia.
cinto's fight
Thar warn't NO prouder man got up than Pts
tol Joe that night
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 littfe kidsi my pretty kids. twas touchin' to
survey
These bearded men. with weppings ON. like
school-boys at their play.
They'd laugh with glee. and shout to see each
other lead the van,
And Bob sat mn as monitor with cue for rat.
tan.
Till the chair gave out "incinerate,' % and Brown
said he'd be burned
II any such blamed word as that in school was
ever learned.
when aphthisis' 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 saw in Bilsons eye 8
flash,
And Brown of Calaveras was a-twistin' his
moustache.
And when at last Brown slipped on "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 adjourn,
But Poker Dick remarked that Ae would wait
and get his turn;
Then with q tremblin' voice and hand. and with
awanderin' eye,
The Chair next offered "eider duck and Dick
began with 81,
And Bilson smiled-then Bilson shriekedI just
how che fight begun
never knowed. for Bilson dropped and Dick
he moved up one.
Then certain gents arose and said they'd busi-
ness down in camp"
And ez the road was rather dark, and ez the
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 spelledI''
But while the words was on his lips, he groan.
ed and sank in pain,
And sank with Webster on his chest and Wor-
cester on his brain.
Below the bar lodged Poker Dick. and tried to
look ez he
Was huntin' up authorities tnet no one else
could see;
And Brown got down behind the stove allowin'
he "was cold,''
Till it upsot and down his legs the cinders free
ly rolled,
And several gents called .Orderp' till in his
simple way
Poor Smith began with 80" "R"-"or"-and he
was dragged away.
O, little kids. my pretty kids. down on your
knees and prayI
You've got your eddication in peac. ful sort OF
way;
their spellin' square.
But likewise slings their bowie-knives without
thought or care
You wants to know the rest, my dearsr Thet'.
ALI In me you see
The only gent then lived to tell about then Spell
lin BeeI
He ceased and passed. that truthful man; the
childrrn went their way
With downcast heads and downcast hearts-but
not to sport or play.
For when at eve when the lamps were lit, and
supperless to bed
Each child was sent, with tasks undone and les
sons all unsaid.
No man might know the awful woe that thrill
ed their youthful frames,
As they dreamed Of Angels Spelling Bee and
thought OF Truthful James.
BRET HARTE. in Scribner.
HOMEMADE ANTIQUES.
From the Virginia City (Nev) Chroniclc.l
The general stagnation of business