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

SSpdl dDlC WIG We WIZ ~ De 49,
fathers farm Joined my father S. We
were almost the same age, studied
the same books, and sat together at
school. Our tastes were similar.
Both of us intended to be farmers
when we we're men.
Jerry was not exactly a handsome
boy. He was small, shock headed,
freckle, faced, and poorly dressed,
for his parents we're far from rich.
Some people thought he had a
stupid look but he was not at all
stupid, and was a healthy, excellent
fellow.
As companions Jerry and went
to and from school together, and to-
gethe- to the spelling and singing
schools or to the literary societies
held in the school houses in our
neighborhood.
The winter we were fifteen years
old we made something that | sup
pose can be correctly called a
vehicle, in which to ride to and from
these winter evening entertainments,
and to use when we went to town on
Co+,.J
There was generally good sleigh
ing from December until March in
the region in which we lived, and
Jerry and | we're very proud of our
cutter, as we called it, when it was
done, although | do not think either
OF us would care to be seen in it to-
day on the streets OF the cities in
which we live
But now, after the lapse of years,
when Jerry and | are boys no longer,
it is a pleasure to think of the
merry, free from care times : e had
in the clumsy, uncouth old sled,
then so dear to our bayish hearts.
The runners of the cutter had
been hewn out OF solid oak plank,
while the upper part was made of a
large dry goods box painted red
and green, with an attempt at a
border of yellow roses around the
centre of the box.
When Jerry and | we're seated in
this elegant and certainly striking
rn-out, the tops of our heads were
Just visible above the top OF the box,
which was somewhat lower in front
than behind.
With foot or more of clean, dry
straw in the bottom of the box, and
three or four buffalo skins and
blankets wrapped around US, Jerry's
fathers old horse Ned would drag
us along the road, across frozen
streams and through long lanes,
much to our delight. l am sure
our laughing and singing must have
been heard in many farmhouse on
those cold winter evening rides.
One evening, after school, as we
were about to separate at our gate,
Jerry said:
Let's go to the spelling school at
the Long Lane school house to-
night. Can you?
Yes if fathers willing, | replied,
with the readiness with which | al
ways fell in with Jerly's sugges-
tions.
The sleighing is fine, and there is
full moon. 1t will be just the night
for a ride. Besides, we will show
those Lane boys and girls how to
spell, and stop their boasting.
Jerry was what is sometimes called
a natural speller that is, he seemed
almost intuitively to know how to
spell the most difficult words. for he
never spent much time in the memoir
izing them. Indeed, he could in an
hour commit to memory list Of
words | could not perfectly learn in
several hours of patient and careful
study.
He was the best speller in our
school, and had had the honor of
spelling down half dozen schools
in our neighborhood.
But the Long Lane school had not
vet been added to Jerry's list OF
victories.
The Long Lane district was new
one, made by dividing a large dis
t1ict. A school house much hand
somer than any other in our town
ship had been built, in consequence
of which the Long Lane boys and
girls were very proud, and had done
a deal OF boasting that was not
pleasantly received by the pupils in
other districts.
The spelline-school to be held this
evening would be the first in the new
school-house, and was likely, or
that account, to be of unusual in
terest.
A saucy message had been sent
to our school in the morning tc
come over and try our hand al
spelling the Long Lane school down.
if we wanted to be beaten all hollow
There were several reasons why
our school did not care to accept the
challenge at that time, although we
intended to make the trial little
later.
| was, therefore, surprised wher
Jerry proposed that we should &c
alone, since he knew we'll that
would quite likely mss the frs
word | was asked to spell, and he
would have to engage single handed
in the contest.
Seven o'clock found us bounding
over the smooth roads, a myriad o
stars twinkling overhead, and ful