The Washington herald., 1908-07-26

championship at the recent session % the
National Educational Association. re
minds one of another girl who showed
her metJle against Ralph HartsOok. the
new schOoImaster Of the Flat Creek dis
trict. says the New York Evening Post
Who would not liked 70 have at
tended that spelling bee which Edward
Eggleston describes in The HoOser
SchcoImaster2
Every family furnished a candle
There were yellow dips and white dips,
burning. smoking. and haring- There was
laughing and talking. giggiing and siHa-
pering. and ogling. and flirting. and court
ms. What a full-dress party is TO Fifth
avenue q spelling school is 10 Hoopole
County. Il IS an occasion which is meta
Bhorically inscribed with this legend.
Choose your partners Spelling IS only a
blind in Hoopole County, as IS dancing
in Fifth avenue But as there are some
in society who love dancing for its own
sake so in Fiat Creek district there were
those who loved spelling for its own
sake. and who. smelling the latter from
afar, had come 10 Try their skill in this
tournament. hoping 10 freshen the laureis
they had won in their school days
7 low. said Mr. Means speaking as
the principal school trustee I low our
friend the Square is jest the man 10 boss
this ere COnsaTn tonight. Ef nobody
objects. III app'int him Come. Square,
don't be bashfuL Walk up to the trough
fodder or no fodder. as the man said 20
his donkey
The squire came 70 the front He wore
svaIIow-taH coat Of indefinite age. a
pair Of black gloves. a wig Of a waxen
color. q semicircular row Of wh!skers
hedging the edge Of his jaw and chin. a
pair Of spectacles with tortoise shell rims.
The 'Squire's speech.
Ladies and gentlemen he began.
Ladies and gentlemen, young men and
maidens- raIey I'm obIeeged 10 Mr- Means
fer this honor and the squire took both
hands and turned the top OF his head
round half an inch Then he adjusted
his spectacIes- Whether he vas obliged
10 Mr.. Means for the honor OF being CON-
pared 70 donkey was not clear. I feel in
the fnmosJ compartments OF NY animal
spirits a most happifying sense Of The
success and fUtility Of al my endeavors
70 sarve the people Of Flat Creek dees-
trick. and the people OF Tompkins town
ship, in my weak way and man
uer
' 7 feel as II I could be grandiloquen;
on this interesting occasion twisting his
scalp round. but TaIey 7 must fOrego any
such exertions- It is spelling you want
Spelling IS the CONVERSIONS, the grand
underlying subterfuge Of a good eddica-
ton put the speiling-book prepared BY
the great Daniel Webster alongside tbs
Bible I do. raIey. I think I may put il
ahead of the Bible. For Il II wurn't foI
( spelli1-5ooks and sich things as these
where would the Bible be- I should Ike
10 know. The man who got up. who COM
{ pounded this work Of inextricabIe valoC
was a benefactOr 10 the whole human
race Or any other.
90 7 app'int Larkil Lanhsm and Jeems
Buchanan fer Caprings.' said the squire
And the two Young men thus named took
q stick and tossed II from hand 70 hand
( 70 decide which should have the 'frst
| choice One tossed the stick 10 the
other. who held Il fast Just where hs
[ happened 10 catch il Then the first
/ placed his hands above the second. and
/ 50 the hands were alternately changed q
/ the top The one who held the stick las
: without room FOR the other TO take hold
I had gained the lot
/ This was tried three times As Lar
I kin held the stick twice out Of thre,
1 times, he had the choice. He hesitated
| moment Everybody looked toward jim
[ Philips. But Lsrk!n was fond Of & ven
[ Jure on unknown seas. and he said. :
Z take the master. while a buzz OF sur
| prise ran round the room. and the cap
[ tain OF the other side as If afraid h.
/ opponent would withdraw the choice. re
I tOTted quickly. and with a little SMACK
I Of exUItatioa and defiance in his voice
[ And take Tnau-s Erf1rf~s
Opposing Hosts.
And soon all present. except a few ot
( the old folks. found themselves ranged ir
/ opposing hosts. the poor spoilers tagging
[ in. with what grace they could. at N,
+ foot OF the two divisions. The SQUIRE
/ opened his spelling book and began tc
| give out the words 10 the two captains
who stood up and spelled against each
other Il was not long until LlarkiI
I spelled really with one ! and had Z
I sit down in confusion, while q mUmuul
I OF satisfaction ran through the ranks oi
/ the opposing forces. His own side BIT
! their lips
The slender figure Of the young teach,
er took the place OF the fallen leader
and the excitement made the house VERY
| quiet Ralph dreaded the loss OF pres.
I tige he would suffer If he should be easily
/ spelled down And al the moment OF
I rising he saw in the darkest corner tbs
I figure OF a well-dressed young man sit
/ ting IN the shadow. Why should his evf
! genius haun: him. But BY a strong ef-
I fort he turned his attention away from
/ Dr. Small. and listened carefully TO The
I words which the squire did not pro
/ nounce very distinctly. spelling then
Z with extreme deliberation- This gave
J him ~ hacfFa rfn- u-hfrh 1Feo~.
/ pointed those on his own side. They
wanted him TO spell with a dashing as
Z surance. But he did not begin a word
until he had mentally felt his way
/ through it
| After ten minutes Of spelling hard
words, Jeems Buchanan. the captain OF
! the other side. spelled 'atrocious' with ar
/ s instead Of a c. and subsided. his first
Z choice. Jeems Phillips. coming against
/ the teacher. This brought the excitement
to fever heat For. though Ralph was
I chosen first. it was entirely on trust. and
most OF the company was disappointed
I The champion who now stood up against
{ the schoolnaster was famous speller.
Jim Philips vas a tail, lank. stOOp-
! shOuldered fellow who had never distin-
I guished himself in any other pursuit thar
| spelling. Except in this one art OF spell
/ ing he was Of no account He could not
catch well or bat well in ball He could
not throw well enough 10 make his mark
( in that famous Western game OF bull-pen.
l He did not succeed wei in any study
/ but that Of Webster's Elementary But IL
/ that he wes-to use the usual Flat Greek
/ locution-in that he was a 'hoss.
Jim q Good SpeIIer.
This genius for spelling is in some peo-
Q Mo a efwrh sa-sa q r,o44a- oF fr4,rssfo-,