The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-04-04

erry, tartly.
Come over to show yer ign'rance?
No-to show yours ! said Jerry.
Huh ! was the sneering reply to
this. You Il have to do some tall
spelling if you don't want to sil
down at the first round. We've got
Third Reader spoilers that'll make
you open your eyes.
As we pushed our way into the
crowded school-house, | looked
around and did not see a person
from our district. whispered to
Jerry
don't believe you We much chance
with this crowd, Jerry. You d bet
ter not try to spell tonight, but wait
until the rest of our good spoilers
come over.
l shall spell if Pm chosen, replied
erry, stoutly.
A few moments later the teacher
of the school, a young man whom
we had never seen before, requested
all who we're willing to take part in
the contest to go to one end OF the
school room, while all not intending
to spell were asked to take seats and
keep as good order as possible.
Jerry, in response to this, walked
forward with the spoilers, and l fol.
lowed him, feeling very much out Of
place.
AS we walked forward, a boy l
knew said, in shrill whisper
You fellers had better sit down
We've got some brag spoilers here
from over in the Four Mile district,
and they'll beat you all TO pieces.
Perhaps, l said, with a show OF
confidence. But they'll find that
Jerry Lee can spell a little, anyhow
He spelled more than a little bit
Oh that memorable night. He sur
prised every one. Indeed, he told
me afterward that he surprised him
self.
The brag spoilers we're two ex-
tremely spruce young men and two
pert young ladies with pink and blue
ribbons futtering among their curls.
They were the noted spoilers OF the
Four Mile district, and it was easy to
see that they felt quite confident OF
their ability to spell down any school
against which thev might array
themselves.
They glanced superciliousl at
Jerry, when, after full hour OF
spirited spelling, they and Jerry
were all the scholars that we're left
standing of the fifty or sixty who
had first engaged in the contest
Indeed, | saw one of the young men
wink in derision at the other, and
one of the young women elevated
her eyebrows loftily while the other
one fell to tittering, when only Jerry
was left to spell against them.
But Jerry was a boy of remark
able self-poise. He had already won
quite a victory without losing his
head, and now he stood erect, calm
iy indifferent to the sneers of his
opponents.
| think that these sneers simply
caused Jerry to grid himself up
more firmly for the contest He
threw back his head, squared his
shoulders, folded his arms, and
faced his opponents in a manner
that won for him the admiration OF
even those who did not wish him to
win.
Perfect silence fell upon us all as
the spelling went on, although l was
tempted to pound the floor and
scream Hurrah when Jerry calmly
and distinctly spelled word after
word | felt sure that he would miss.
Finally the word procellarian was
given to one of the young women.
She gave her head a little toss of de-
fiance as she calmly spelled it with
but one |.
Next said the teacher.
Jerry spelled it correctly, and the
young woman flounced angrily into
a seat,
Then one of the young men and
the other young woman missed
sisymbrlum, and Jerry, TO my wild
delight, spelled it correctly, amid
breathless silence.
The defeated ones took their seats
with crimson faces, while the sole
survivor of the brag spoilers angrily
faced Jerry with a flushed and de.
hant face.
The next word was cylinder and
the remaining brag speller in his
nervousness made the glaring mis-.
take of spelling it with an IS" in,
stead of a &C." whereupon Jerry
amid the widest applause, spelled il
correctly, putting marked emphasis
on the &C." and spelling the whols
word in a pardonable tone OF tri
umph.
Loud and long were the shouts
that rang throughout the house, anc
even the teacher OF the defeated
Long Lane school shook hands
heartily with Jerry, and said he hae
spelled nobly, and richly deserved
his success.
So much praise was not agreeabl,
to Jeary, and he hurried out of th'
room as soon as he could, while
followed him to the tree under which
old Ned stood. Within three feet O
our cutter stood very fine sleigl
indeed. and one that quite put ou
home made turn out to shame.
was a light, graceful two. seateC