The Origin Of Spelling-bees

ÍRcccntly Discovercd Addenda, to tlie Lost Tales oí v BfiMetus.) To Jo ve, Olympus-throiifd, from lunch refraining- ftnhróülfl oer - Minerva carne, eouiplaining ; 'JlyGracioue LLege!" Bhe sild, " this is myxndssion - To bring you to a sense of yr ur poaitkm. Your over-lenirncy, dyftpepMa breeding, Allows tho goda too lunch of over-feedlng, By which their púlalos chock Üieir bralns' progrcsiion, And dull thoir intellects by retrogression, nd seelng t!is, o Jove, I crave perniiseion fo oonnteract it by direct attrition ; 'n order thus their inte Uects to Btrengthen, rheir ininds to polish, and their mciuorios lengthen." Penalselon glven. Birsighi Minerva took Out of her pocket Webst r'H Spelllng-Book. A round the clrcle test-words qulckly hled, Wliieli rach Inmior1fl misscd aa soon as tried. On "troussean " Juno weakened ; Mars on "fora," While pouting VenBfl camc to grief tbrough "beaux ;" On " occult," Phito ; Vulcan on " crescendo," pVkilc gray-beard Neptune caved on innuendo." tftOohtiB with ' reeling " mode a perfect funk, At whiuh Minerva tartly cried, " You're drunk !" One " s " in "uicsseïxper " gave üleroury (rouble, Lnd Cerea, weeping, bit the dost on " stnbblc ;" Apollo fetoutly tried hie luck on " root-r." And then, ap'pealing, said he spelled by Vorcester ; m whioh the Gracesheld. u refereee, He was M so nice " he might spell as he picaeed. Tove, last oi' UI but than the rest no better, n spelling " einpty " lost a needed letter. Then the wholc circle begged her to give o'er ; The goda all called her BpeUing-bfte a boro. The ladies sftid " blue-stnckinK I" and " a frlghl !" ud tlie tluee Jodges held suoh lannagc- riglit. Muto said, " Nervy, let's to Hades go, And try this latest torment down below." traightway Minerva rope, and closed lier book, And 'round the, circle cast a withering lonk ; ' lmmortal Gods '. ' ' ehe eaid, ' ' henccf orth the schools Sliall better cali you all lmmortal I'ools! Hynxpua," here ehe wept, " o glorious oöce, h now fit only for Ihe dulkst (Uine. Jown to the earth l'll go, and quickly mass !"lie sulïering nations in aspelling-class. "hun I!ll reform the wnrld, and u for you, Regenérate Deities, for ftwbüe, adieu! ahfikU r-;iurn, and til] that time- ah, well ! '11 leave Olympus fora little ipell." So Bftying, bjm turaed, uor kmger deigned to stay, But glided swiftly down the milky way. Minerva thus her parthward jouruey took, And from her pocket drew her awful bonk. tanrkMl soon gave th# chance she sought, Vinl a uew " lïattle of Lexicon " was fought ; Tiercé grew tbr conflict, quiek the test-words fifiW, I ?onderous six-syllablen and puzzling two. And thus we wrestle, while, serene and still, Minerva site eutiironed on jUearnlng'fl HUI. And, till ehc weaxles, thus, I fear, f hall we Still bo a-spelling at a spelling-bee ! - Soibiier fvr August.