The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-01-09
THE GAME OF PROGRESSIVE
SPELLING.

udmes tnaI are DISK. played without
cards or other material aid, and suited
to groups of dozen or more, are 80 con.
staniIy and urgently in demand that
need make no apology for presenting
to you an account of game which is
played, l think, in a few localities. and
should be more widely known. As the
game has no name, TO my knowledge,
have ventured 10 chrlsten it Progress
sive Spelling, met with it at a very
pleasant little party up in Canada, al
the Cardington's where l was visiting
You may learn it, as did, by watching
sharply while game is being played,
Young Doctor CardingtoD, a tall youth
with spectacles, took his stand before
were arranged in long row. This was
the order they stood
The minister.
Miss Wlloughby.
Willy Cardington.
The Schoolmistress.
The Professor.
Miss Cardington.
Master John Pallows,
Miss Simpson.
The Organist
Miss Lucy.
Miss Wilson.
The minister began by saying s."
thinking, possibly, of the word SOAP"
Miss WIloughby at once said, ct" hav-
ing in my mind the word stay" Next,
young Willy Cardington snapped out
r. adding aloud, with a chuckIe, the
word he was thinking of-"strap.'
THANK you, said the Schoolmistress.
though it is against the rules of the game
to think out loud. And so she ADDED
the letter "a" The Professor did not
dare add p" because that would have
finished the word, and have sent him to
the foot of the class. 81 he said Il,
thinking luckily, of strain"
But Miss Cardington was thus placed
in trouble, "S-t-r-a-i," she murmued
perplexed, and fell TO thinking. There.
upon the Doctor, in front of the row.
began to count deliberately. He count
ed ten, and Miss CardingtOn had to 20
to the foot, being unable to add letter
without finishing the word.
Master John FallOws then made all
sorts of faces, while the Doctor counted
ont his ten, and at last cried in despera-
ton. L."
Miss Simpson was astonished.
''S'tr-a-l-l y she cried, in amazemeni.
John, | challenge your word Eyes,
sir ~ said the Doctor. Il don't believe
you have any word |" And John was
obliged 10 confess, with much giggiing.
that he had none, and to take his place
hsa 81 k,,. 81
really had a word, Miss Simpson, the
challenger, would have had to 20 to the
foot, explained the d lctor to me.
But Miss Simpson herself failed to add
a letter in the allotted time, and followed
John to the foot. The Organist, how
ever, promptly said &C." having i'm.
proved this little interval In thinking Up
the word straight"
III, said Mics Lucy, whose bright wits
saw the word al once, and she clapped
her hands as she turned to Miss Wilson,
who was compelled, of course to put on
a final "'r' aid to go to the foot, because
she had finished the word.
By this time | had seen enough to
warrant me in joining, and the Doctor,
too, was added to the row, still assum
ing the duty of counting. when neces-
sary. took my place next to Miss Will
son, and the Doctor next to me, at the
foot.
1t was my turn, of course, to introduce
a new word, 80 started with -. ""E,"
quickly added the Doctor, crying at the
'ame time to the Minister at the head of
The row, you are caught Come down
here ~ IT" said the Minister, innocent
y, and was sent to the foot, haying COM
pleted a word, in spite of his protesta.
ions that he was thinking of ''jetsam."
"Y," began Miss Wilough6y, o.
aid Willy Cardington. Then the
unable to think OF any
hing but ~" went silently to the foot, |
lfter the Doctor had counted ten. The |
uckless Professor, thinking of young"
Idjed the fatal ~" and went down |
midst much merriment. "He should |
rave added II for 'yoIk,'" said the or
yanist, quietly.
Here there was great amusement at
he discovery ofthe Professor and School
Mistress together at the foot, aud, by
scit agreement, the Doctor and enter
ID into a conspiracy to keep them there.
The interest Of the game was greatly in
ireased by the struggles of these two
couples to bring each other TO grief by
he introduction OF words which must
with an opponent,
Twas found necessary to rule out prop.
II nouns, slang words and contractions,
md to ordain that In case a player, when
combination of letters ike "y-a CHI"
anne to him. in preference to adding
ne obvious ~ went silently to the foot,
bus forcing his neighbor to 90 to the
DOT as well, that trick should be played
'nly twice. The third player sbouli
nd the word.
1t must further be added that any one
nay challenge" word Who suspects
hat the person who made the last add
ion is under misssppI ehension 90 to the
orrect spelling Of The word IL the
vord thought Of lie rightly spelled, the
hallenger goes TO the foot. II the Der
on challenged has made a mistake, he
himself goes to the foot, and his IL zee is
AIKEN by the challenger. or course, a
,erson at the foot having no plsition to
use. may venture TO challenge freely, 10
IoJ0 OF an advance; but person at the
must head be cautious. and only Oh Il
enge when he sees an impossible comb
ia ion of t1rs coming dangerous ear
inns, II.
/ found the GIN ! ve'np i, on ao-
uaintance, in'oa very bright and in
tructIve amusement. Try it yourself
he next time the neiphbors come in for
n evenings fun, Union.