The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-08
IMPORTANT SOCIAL EVENTS
A GENERATION AGO WE'RE THE
GATHERINGS AT THE COUNTRY
SCHOOL HOUSE.
IN THE CHOOSING OF SIDES
Great Skill and DiiIOrary Were Dis
pIayed-SpeIIing School RO-
mances.

Will the next generation of Ameri-
cans be a nation of bad spoilers? Are
the boys and girls of today going to
grow UP to be men and women who
will begin phthisic with a A." put a
Souble 20" in rheumatism and founder
helplessly when they try to write Po-
pocatapetl without the aid of a gazet-
teer?
These may be the unfounded fore
bodings Of an alarmist, for they are
supported by no statistics, but the fact
remains that we do not study spell
ing as we used to, and if we don't
study it how are we ever to know how
to spell? The spelling book, as we
once knew it, is unknown to the school
children of today. 1t has been ban
ished from the classroom by the mod
ern educators
The spelling class has gone by the
board, too. You remember that spell
ing class, don't you? When it was
called we ali took the places which we
had gained by our previous prowess.
boys and girls together, ranged in
long line with the blackboard for a
background. Then the teacher read
out the words Of the days lesson No.
l got the first word No. 2 the second.
and so on. unless the shrewd instruc-
tor picked them out at haphaZard.
When he didn't take this advantage of
us. the farsighted scholars who had
learned only the words which they
could figure as coming to them came
off with flying colors
This was only one of the strategies
OF the spelling class. There were others.
and one especially which probably ev-
cry boy has practiced. You remem-
Der how, when you missed a word and
the boy or girl below you spelled it
correctly, you had to "go down one"
Then, when you triumphed over some
one who had failed, you event up one"
Well, there was a little black-eyed girl
In my class. Her name was Rosie,
and somehow the name has always
seemed a sweet one to me. l suppose
L used more strategy in order to get
place next in line to Rosie and to
keep it than about anything else con-
nected with my grammar school days.
1t was problem that required thought
and l gave 1t cheerfully.
Unfortunately Rosie was not very
good at spelling, and there was only
one place in the line where l was rea-
sonably certain of being able to give
her plump little hand an occasional
sly squeeze That place was Just be-
low Rosie. If she missed a word, why,
L missed 1t, too unless it was such
palpable blunder that 1 couldn't do it
without exposing my tactics. Then
would spell it right and go above her,
but | took good care to make amends
for the modification I caused her by
missing the next word and letting Rosie
resume her old place
matters were complicated when my
best chum, Jack also took a liking to
Rosie and assumed the place in line
Just above her. But although he had
many other advantages over me I
was the better stTategist, for I ousted
him by waiting until Rosie missed and
planting myself between them. Both
Jack and | moved away and lest sight
OF each other and Rosie as we'll but
I'll venture to say that if he is alive
today he remembers those spelling
lessons as well as l.
There are no such chances for youth
full romances now. Instead of the spell
Ing class there are. where spelling is
taught at all, written spelling exercises.
VI to date instructors claim that the
oral method was great mistake and a
waste of effort Some even contend that
spelling is learned by the eye; that it is
the picture OF the way the word looks
and not the sound on which the memory
takes the better hold. That may be So
But the worst is yet to come. The
old-faShiOned spelling match is almost
thing Of the past. SO near is it to
passing away entirely that it is time
its requiem was written. Only in remote,
rural districts does it survive at all.
Occasionally it is revived at a church
sociable or a similar gathering, but as
rule these reviVals are mere bur
lesques of the or ginals
There was plenty of fun mixed UP
with the old spelling match, but it fiji
tered in incidentally. The spelling was
done in all seriousness. 1t was an or
thog. aphic jOust i'll which the clowns
were not allowed in the field, but were
banished outside the ropes. Generally
the event took place in the school
house, but sometimes the scene was
laid In the town hall The prelimina-
ries were few and simple The school
master was generally selected to give
OUT the words.
Old and young went to the spelling
matches, and gTaybeards often stood
next to youngsters in short trousers.
and matrOns of forty and over matched
their memories against those of their
daughters. Two captains were elected.