The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-01
The "SpeII' at Six-MiIe
BY J. L. Harbour

NYRUS DRAKE had come over to
u our house to see if would GO with
HIN 10 "the spell at SiN-Mile."
Cyrus was IL and was about the
same age.
We lived at this time, which was long
ago, in the west, in rural neighbor-
hood. Cyrus and | walked two miles
to school together four months Of the
year. That was all of the schooling"
we could get, because our fathers We're
poor men, with large families to sup
port, and We were needed at home.
Few boys of our age ever attended any
but the winter term of the school.
The Drake farm adjoined my ia
theirs, and Cyrus and l were bosom
friends. We sat together in the little
old brick schoolhouse in one room, in
which As or SO boys and girls, of from
five to nineteen years Of age. were
crowded together during the winter
term of the school.
The school district next to ours was
called the "Six-Mile district" hard
ly know why it was given this name,
but it may have been because it was
about six miles from the nearest town.
Our social opportunities were eX-
tremely limited. Indeed, there was SO
little going on" at any time that
spelling match or singing school at
the schoolhouse partook of the nature
OF a social gathering, and was hailed
with delight by the entire district.
Ii was seldom that anything more
exciting occurred than Il spelling con-
test between the pupils of SiX-Miie and
those Of our district. There had, been
a good many of these contests, and
the honors had been about equally d.
vided
They're going to have a spell over at
SiN-Mile," said Cyrus, when he came
over to our house. 1--WE just heard
about it. guess it's for hem to kind
CT practice up so they'll have Il better
chance of winning when when they
come over to try and spell us down
mex, week. But that's no reason why
we shouldn't go il we want to-
Nor was the fact that we lived four
miles from the Six-Milc schooIhousc
and the night. WAS singing cold any
reason why two sturdy. country-bred
bays should stay away from the spell
IN" school. although we would have to
walk both ways.
Father said mi2ht.go. and he added:
81 have to go away over to Squire Il;-
gan S tonight OF a matter of business.
and LII try to come by the schooIhonsc
at about the tim> the spell is over with.
and YOU can ride home with me in he
pGng."
So Cyrus and | set out on foot in the
Light of a full moon. The snow lay
smooth and white on the almost level
stretches of prairie. and it was t!rifted
high in the long lanes through which
we passed. a wind with an edge like
Q. blade swept up from the mort h, and
we were glad when we came to the long
stretch of wood on the other side Of
which lay the Six Mile schoolhouse
Homemade candles set in the win
dows sent forth CHEEKY light when
we reached the schoolhouse A num-
Der of sleds and sl"iehs stood outside
the schoolhouse yard. the bIanketed
! horses emitting vnpor from their nos
trils.
81 think. there's good many here"
said Cyrus.
"I think so, too, judging from the
eighs and. slcds outside. There's Jo-
mas Kcightly's queer old CUTTER
"Oh you may be sure that old Jo-
mas is here" said Cyrus; "catch him
missing spelling bee! We'lLfnd him
inside in his old black coat, with his
ancient blue backed spelling book in
his hand watching and listening as
if the result were matter of life OF
death"
Jonas Keightly was one of the "odd
sticks" of the neighborhood in which
we lived. Hew an eccentric old man,
who lived entirely alone in small
frame house on the finest farm in the
neighborhood. He was reputed to be
very wealthy. although his manner Of
life would indicate that he was a poor
man. The four ,r five rooms of his
cheap little house were carpetless. and
John M. Gleason undertaken, 81 Sew
n