The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-02-13


| ever remember. The stars shone
like bright lamps in the sky. The
sleighing was good and the air sharp
enough to stir the blood, and if pos.
sible still more to stimulate the BOYS
and girls. A lot of the boys had bor-
rowed pair of sled runners and put
a big wagon box on them. Then
plenty of straw was put in the box,
and about twenty of us, boys and
girls, piled in, with lots of quilts and
buffalo robes and warm shawls.
Il had my first beau that night.
His name was Azraiel Whitehead,
and of all the awkward boys he was
the awkwardest. | think it was the
first girl he had ever asked to ac-
company him to any gatherin'
Anyhow, | know he fell fiat on his
back tryin to help me out of the
sled, and he let me go head first into
a snow bank.
II remember that his handker-
chief was wet with cinnamon drops,
and that he gave me a handful OF
peppermint and cloves.
81 remember, too, how we all of
us went up and down hills and
through long white lanes, singin'
and laughin' at the top of our voices.
We made the old woods and the
valleys ring. Yes, and the sled up
set, too, and we were all thrown out
in ditch.
Il remember how the edge of the
wagon box caught my beaux big
feet under it, and | thought should
cry from modification when he lay
there and actually bawled and snii-
fled. | was so put out about it that
| would not sit by him after we got
into the sled or speak to him after
wards.
when We got to the school house
we found it packed so full that We
could but just crowd in. Young and
old were there, and some of the Wis
itors had come as far away as ten
miles. Most verybody had brought
a candle to stick up on the logs.
There were four different teachers
there, and well known spoilers from
all over the township.
"Lecta Plumb and | chose up |
got first choice and took Harriet
Hepner, She was pale as death, and
took Abimelch Abers, the leadin'
speller from the Red Haw school,
and | took Cindy Patch, the best
speller from Jack Oak.
"Then We chose everybody in the
room who would spell at all. | think
we had more than fifty on side
We stood in long rows on both sides
of the house, against the wall, and
much to my disgust, | got my hair
full of tallow from drippin candle.
I'VE were about ready to com
mence spellin', and ev'rybody had
become quiet, when the people who
sat near the door made way for some
one who had come late, and in come
little Sam Waitely on his crutch,
with his mother behind him, in a
poor, thin, patched, old and faded |
calico dress, and a thin Gotten shawl, !
with faded old red hood on her
head.
She hadn't any gloves or mittens,
and saw a hole worn in her shoe
as she put her foot up on the stove
hearth.
''Sam was then about fifteen years
old, but not as tall as some boys of
nine years. He was verv thinly /
dressed for such a sharp night, and /
they had walked fully two miles.
81 felt sorry for them, they looked /
so pitiful in their shabbiness, for
everybody else in the school house
was at least warmly dressed, and a
good many had bright ribbons and
hats and founced dresses.
"Old Squire Hepner was sittin in
a chair on the teachers platform,
and | saw dark frown on his face
when Mrs. Waitely and Sam came
in. But | spoke up at once, and
took Sam on my side. 1t happened
to be nv turn to choose, and | was
bound the poor fellow should not be
sighted, whether he could spell or
not.
'He had half mind not to spell
out | saw his mother reach out her !
1and and gently push him and !
hen he hobbled down to the end of I
he line and stood within a foot of ,
lis Uncle Hepner ,
Then the spellin' commenced. |
blush to tell it, but actually missed
he very first word given to me, and 8
hat was mermaid | spelled it |
MUIR, mer.' | knew better, but | !
vas so nervous | could not collect q
by thoughts. So | had to take my ;
eat. and OF course | had little cry : !
ii to myself. 6
But | nearly laughed so as to be
leard all over the room when Az
aiel Whitehead missed goose He
PEELED it 'guse, and he had told me
n confidence that he half expected ?
o get the prize, and had been stud ?
in his speller for weeks. '
"Electa missed 'emanate' She 9
PEELED it with an 'i,' instead of an {
A. i
"Cindy Patch missed 'tranquilize. e
think she knew how to spell it, q
'ut she was excited because seven 4
II eight missed it before her. The y
aek Oak scholars looked very sober II
Fhen Cindy had to sit down. =,
But you ought to have seen old =
Squire Hepner's eyes twinkle and I
lis grim face look grimmer when Il
Abimelech Abers, the best Red Haw n
cholar, missed phytochimy,' and !.
Harriet spelled it without hesitation. u
Bimelech got confused, and thought e
be last letter was 'e' instead of v. Q
The Red Haw people did look "
mortified, and the Four Mile folks s.
7ere highly pleased, and showed it, g
90; for all the best spoilers were out c.
n both sides, and only Harriet Hep u
er and five or six Others were left. D
'our of them missed 'micaceous' and .
Harriet was just going to spell it +
ihen Mrs. Waitel y, in scared ,timid n
oice that could just be heard. t
aid: I