A Matter Of Spelling

It is one of the curious facts that many of the brightest writers spell atrociously. That in itself goes a long way in the practical demonstration that illiteracy does not connect itself with the art of spelling. An it article that reeen tly passed through ei.itorship in this office contained the words "villiage, " "Chinéese," "prarie, " "paralell," "failiure," "Portugese" and "loose" for"lose." It was au admirable paper of choice literary quality, and yet had it been printed as it was written the proofreader would have been open to suinmary discharge for obvious and hopeless incompetence. That humble minister would have been declared too illiterate to read proof . Goiug backward one step, the copy reader that let such manuscript pass without alteration wovild also be open to discharge. Why? For illiteracy. And yet the literary quality of the illiterately written article was fine and evident. People are very sensitive about their looks and their spelling. Next in gravity to the charge of being homely is the charge of being unable to spell. That seems to carry with it a sort of proof that bad spelling is discreditable. And yet the people whom the charge most ] hurts are those of whom it is truest. To be able to write without being able to spell is like being able to run without being able to walk. Those who do it are a wonder to those who look on. -