The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-01

NIL l lStD.
better furniture could be found in the
homes Of some of the poorest farmers.
Queer stories were told of old Jonas
keightly's generosity and Of his parsi-
mony. lie was always shabby in his
dress and lived in such seeming poverty
and discomfort, but when Margaret
Crane was left a widow, with five little
children, and was about 10 have the
mortgage on her home forccloscd, Jo-
mas keightly had come forward and
paid the thousand dollars due. and
would not even take the Widows note
for the money, saying briefly that she
could pay it when she got good and
ready"
When Cyrus and entered the school
house there sat Jonas near the teach
er's desk. with a tallow candle in his
hand, ready TO light when the spelling
should begin. Jonas never missed IL
spelling bee in our district or in his
own. 1t was his conviction that or
biography was the foundation stone
Of all education.
There were others who held 10 this
belief. and more attention WAS given
to spelling than 10 anything else in
the rural schools of that day.
The little SiN-Alie schoolhousc was
filed with pupils and their parents
when it came time for the spelling to
begin.
1, happened that Cyrus aud I were
the only persons present from our dis
trict, and had a feeling that we were
not very welcome, because, as Cyrus
had said, the "Six-Milers" had met to
practice up" for Il contest with our
school the following week.
However, when it came time for them
to choose sides, Cyrus and l were
chosen along with the others. and the
spelling began. First we spelled with
"trappers," then we "kcpt tally" and
spelled across" and then the teacher,
a sweet-voiced and pretty young wom-
an. announced that VIC would spell
down."
At this juncture of the proceedings
Jonas Keightly arose to his feet and
amazed, everyone by saying:
"There has been some good spelling
J done here tonight, very good. and I'm
delighted to see you improving so
much. But 1 want to see you DO still!
better. so just to encourage YOU and
kind of put you On your mettlc. III tell
you what I'll do"
He thrust his hand down into his
pocket and drew forth a twcnty-jollar
gold piece. Holding it on the palm of
his big. rough and toil-worn hard, he
said:
"l'll give that to the one who stands
up longest in the spelling-dowr con-
test were going to have now. Yes.
Twill! III hand it right over to the one
that spells all the rest of you down."
This unexpected announcement ere
, ated great excitement. Twenty-dollar
gold pieces were extremely rare in
the neighborhood, and it is certain that
not pupil of the Six-Nlilc school had
ever owned one, while Cyrus and new
er owned even five dollars at one time.
Jonas added before spelling began:
Pm doing this for the encourage
ment of the young. and ! don't want
anyone but those OF school age o come
fairer for the boys and girls
This caused n number of young men
and women and some older persons
to take their seats, rather unwillngly
and the contest began.
j, Now, was not very good speller
5 and, to my chagrin, I missed the first
word that came to me, and had to sit
down. Cyrus. by whose side stood
, giving me sharp poke with his elbow
indicative of his disgust at my stupid
ity. before took my seat.
= Cyrus was what some people called
| a "natural-born spcller." He seemed
to spell by intuition, and not because
, he studied harder or longer than any
: of the other boys. He could "ol-spcll
I almost any boy in the school. while
! on the other hand. he was lamcntably
I weak in mathematics and was helpless
in the face of amy problem involving
compound fractions.
Jonas Kcightly's offer certainly put
one boy on his mettlc. and that boy
! was Cyrus Drake. He spelled boldly
| and confidently. Twenty dollars in
= gold meant so much to him. His eyes
!, had sparkled and look of determine
ton had come to his face when Jonas
keightly had held the gold piece out
in his palm. Cyrus had whispered to
. me:
f. "I'm going to try for that"
The contest went forward amid SUP,
I pressed cNcitmcnt. No one whispered
and the silence was so intense that
, the lowest-voiced spcl!cr could be
heard in every part of the room.
. When all but six of the contestants
had missed the words pronounced TIC
them and had sat down. Cyrus was still
standing. Miss Ware. the teacher, now
began pronouncing the most difficult
: words in the book. and ten minutes
later every cont cstant had been spelled
down but Cyrus and his cousin. Louis
Drake, a boy about The age of Cyrus.
; This was rather singular coinci.
dence, and one with a sorrowful side
i to it, for, although Cyrus and Louis
were own cousins, they were al bitter
!, enmity and did not speak to each
other. Their fathers, who were broth.
). ers, had quarrelcd over the division OF
! their fathers property several years
before the time this story opens, and
: the quarrel had extended to the mem
j bers of both families. They he'd nc
: communication with each other, al.
4 1. Il.