Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-03-07
Spelling Match in the sowser Family.

that was exclaimed Mr.. BoWser as
he looked up from his paper the other
evening.
"What is it, dear?' asked Mrs. Bow
ser.
"Why, a husband and wife living in
Ohio attended a spelling school. 1t
seems that she spelled him down and
he was so mad about it that after he
got her home he killed her.
as it possible?"
"If Id been neighbor Of that man
do you know what l would have done?
I'd have seen that he was strung up
to a limb before the officers Of the
law got hold of him Where's the
dictionary?"
"On the lower shelf Of the book
rack in the library. What word is it
YOU want to find ?
Il Just thought of something. Wait
minute. Now, you take the book
and give me lot of words to spell
l don't claim to be way up in orthog-
raphy, but scrape along with most OF
EN-"
"Please let me go until some other
evening" replied Mrs. Bowser, fully
realizing what would be the result.
Never mind about some other even
ing. l feel particularly good tonight
and I'll bet you two to one you don
down me on any common word.
"But if l do, won't you"
Whats the matter with you? It's
come to pretty pass when you and
I can't sit down together for halt an
hour without row. Hold on. Ill
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 starter
III give you 'casuistry.'
Mrs. Bowser spelled the word cor
rectly, and he skipped about to
'feldspathose, 'spagyrist, 'roundeau'
'quantitive, and various other words
with catch in them. When he
had finished with the twenty words
she had missed three, but he patted
her on the shoulder and said
"You needn't be afraid Of that rec
ord, my dear Now you take the
book and give me some regular sock
dollagers, and if | don't make old
Noah Webster look pale, then I'm a
goat.
Mrs. Bowser looked around In a
helpless way, but as there was no es-
cape she turned over the leaves and
gave out 'primordially.' Mr. Bowsei
tackled it with a smile of self-confi-
dence, but missed. She then gave
him 'plsutrical, and he missed again
He hit 'maneuver' all right, but went
all to pieces on 'inexplicability.'
You have missed three out oi
four" she said, "but it you want to
"Three out of four" he shouted as
he struck his favorite attitude. Mrs
Bowser, don't try to make out that
am dolt. / may have got slightly
mixed up on that first word, as l haC
not seen it for three or four days, bu'
l know I spelled the others correctly.
She knew he didn't, but she let II
go and gave him 'humectation, 'fos
siliferous' and 'cataclysm.
You missed them all, she said a
she closed the book.
What l missed every one?'
"Yes, dear. You missed six out o
seven words, but you needn't feel
"Siz out of seven words? Never J
he shouted as his eyes grew fiery red
al NAV have missed that first word
but as for the others | know haC
'em right.
"Why, woman, do you suppose
was born in swamp and brought u
in a barn? That is the way with you
| If we ever start TO have a pleasan
evening, you hunt for some excuse 4
spoil it"
"You don't want me to say yo'
spelled the words right when you di'
not, do you2" she asked.
"But I did spell EN- right" he per
sisted. "You were simply determines
to come out ahead on the record
Mrs. Bowser, l am thankful that tn
Lord did not make me with your dis
position"
II had to decide according to Web