The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-04-06
A SPELLING MATCH CAUSES A
ROW in THE BOWSER
HOUSEHOLD.

why husband and wife living in Iowa
attended a spelling school. 1t seems that
she spelled him down, and he was so mad
killed her."
SIS it possible?'
''If I'd been a neighbor of that man do
you know what | would have done? I'd
have seen that he was strung up to limb
before the officers of the law got hold of
him. Where's the dictionary"
son the lower shelf of the book rack in
the library What word do you want to
fnd?''
I just thought of something Wait a
minute. Now you take the book and give
me IA lot of words to spell. | don't claim
to be a way up in photography, but | can
scrape along with most of en-
"Please let it 20 until some other even
ing" replied Mrs. Bowser fully realizing
what would be the result.
"Never mind about some other evening
| feel particularly good to night, and I'll
bet two to one YOU don't down me on any
common word.
''But If do you won't
whats natter with you? Its come
to pretty pass when you and | can't sit
down together for half an hour without IA
row. Hold on. I'll give you twenty
words and then you give me twenty. |
shall beat you way out of sight. But We'll
only laugh over it All ready now. As a
starter III give you casuisery."
Mrs Bowser spelled the word correctly,
and he skipped about to ''feldspatrose, )"
''spagyrist," ''roundcau," 'quantitive,"
and various other words with ii catch in
them. When he had finished with the
twenty words, she had missed three but
he patted her on the head and said:
"You needn't be afraid of that record,
my dear Now, you take the book and
give me some regular sockdollagers and if
don't made old Noah Webster look pale
then Pm goat"
Mrs. Bowser looked all abound in help
less way, but as there was no escape she
turned over the leaves and gave out
''primordially. Mr. Bowser tackled it
with smile of self confidence, but missed.
She then gave him 'pleuritcol.' and he
missed again. He hit ''maneuver" all
right but went all to pieces on 'ineXplic-
ability"
''You have missed three out of four"
she said "but if you wish to"
"Three out of four, he shouted, as he
struck his favorite attitude. "Mrs
Bowser don't try to make out that | am a
dOlt got slightly mixed up on that first
word as | hadn't seen.it for three Or four
days, but | know | spelled the others
correctly"
She knew he didn't but she let it 90 and
gave him 'humectaton, ''fossiliferous"
and "cataclysm.'
"You missed them all, - she said, as she
closed the book.
What missed every one?'
eyes, dear. You missed six out of seven
words, but you needn't feel
Six out of seven words? Never" he
shouted, as his eyes grew fiery red. Il
may have missed the first word, but, as for
the others, | know | had EN- right. Why,
woman do you suppose | was born in a
swamp and brought up in a barn? That's
the way with you. If we ever start to
have a pleasant evening, you hunt for some
excuse to spoil it,. ~
"Nou don't want me to say you spelled
the word right when you didn't, do you?"
she asked.
'But did spell 'em right, he persisted
"You were simply determined to come out
ahead on the record. Mrs Bowser | am
thankful that | was not made with your
disposition"
a had to decide according to Webster"
she quietly replied.
"And who is Webster" he loudly de
manded. "Because old Noah Webster
went at it and collected a lot of words and
spelled them to please himself, does it
follow that his spelling is correct? Have
the rest OF us got to follow him like flock
of sheep? say spelled six of them right
Webster or no Webster"
"But you say | missed three. Why
don't say | spelled the whole twenty
correctly"
''As fact Mrs Bowser, as matter of
truth and fact, you missed about fourteen
words but | didn't want to hurt your
feelings If you hadn't betrayed your
jealous feelings | shouldn't have said "a
word about it. know, and you know,
that can spell forty words to your one,
but we III end the matter right here
"You might try again, think you were
little excited"
"Not another try. When you saw me
feeling good natured and happy, you made
up your mind osit down on me and spoil
the evening. You have succeeded. | take
back what said about that Iowa husband.
| can now understand that some sort of a
low down trick was played on him, and
the man struck home. Excuse me, Mrs.
Bowser but | have some writing to do in
the library. If shouldn't see you and