St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-04-19
How Janet Taught
Him Spelling
BY L. N. BURNS.

ERMAN always went first to his
cousin Janet. He was buoyant
youth, whose woes and joys were
much alike, but Janet was serious
minded. She did his worrying for him.
This time he found her packing her
books. Vacation was almost over.
"Well?" she said. She liked to talk
to Herman, but not when there was
an unfinished task in hand. That was
the difference between the two-she
focused her energies upon one thing,
accomplished it, and was happy; he
diffused his over dozen, accomplished
nothing, and was happy also. swell,
what is it?" she demanded.
'I'm superseded" he confessed, dole
fully.
"What? O ACKNOWLEDGMENT"
Herman made'a gesture. "Ah, Janet,
you have such IA direct manner of
speech! Why, even Mr.. Steinmetz
didn't use that word! Mine young
frent,' he says, you will pc prite
young gentleman when you learn pet
ter how to spell, but yoost now, you
make us reediklus.' And he showed
me letter he'd got from a firm he'd
been complaining to about lot of
damaged goods. They'd got tired, 1
guess, and written with a good deal
more humor than Mr.. Steinmetz could
appreciate-he's not a witty man-all
because / spelled shipment Ship
meant and "a dozen white collars
a dozen white c-o-l-o-r-s.'"
20 Hermann" groaned Janet.
Herman laughed. "You taught me
how to spell meant yourself" he ar
gued. "You ought to take it as COM
pliment that applied the lesson"
"And "a dozen white colors!'" she
sighed, despairingly. "Why don't you
learn? I'll do anything to help you!
You never can make a success while
YOU spell like that. Oh, I know-but
It isn't enough to be the fastest type
writer in town-it's accuracy they
want, a thousand times more than
speed! You must learn, Herman! I'll
send you lists of words from your let
tiers, and lend you my old speller. Will
you study it, Hermann
Herman's eyes were twinkling as he
took the book. 81 will, faithfully, re-
liciously, as would my catechism," he
said, with a laugh. at shall be my
proud duty to report to you every
week my progress"
Janet's eyes dropped in disappoint-
ment mo need" she murmured. "If
you learn to spell, your letters will
show it"
Herman smiled. "I'H be on hand
at time tomorrow with-a box
of chocolates?"
mo. thank you!" said his cousin,
decidedly.
"Flowers, then?"
"You'd better save your money"
Herman laughed outright. Didn't
] mention it? Why, SO ! didn't! I've
got another position. with Span & Co.
They fairly jumped at me-
you'll lose it," she said, prophetic
allv, and he laughed again.
Herman did lose it, and for the same
old reason Janet had felt ashamed
of herself when she came to thinking
over the interview. She might have
been more hopeful. more sympathetic.
she IT1cu W 1HdhC up IoA IL III lCI
letters to him. Perhaps it was, as
he had so often explained, a physical
failing; some people are form-blind.
Just as others are color-blind, and
with such photography is doubly diff |
ficut. She tried to shut her eyes to |
mistakes, and to believe that he was
improving. She sent him lists of
words, and forbore to criticize. But |
as time passed, and the old errors re-
CURED again and again, his light-heart- |
ed epistles that had once given her
such keen delight became merely
source of dread and dismay. Her eye
ran on from one mistake to another,
losing sense and substance. When by |
any chance he fell into the correct
spelling of word that she had listed,
she felt it like a personal victory, but
every repeated blunder was a Water
loo. She waited feyerishly for the