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    The Hoosier Schoolmaster by Edward Eggleson The Hoosier Schoolmaster by Edward Eggleson    

Chapter 2: A Spell Coming

Performer: Librivox - Bridget Gaige


There was a moment of utter stillness; but the magnetism of Ralph's eye was too much for Bill Means. The request was so polite, the master's look was so innocent and yet so determined. Bill often wondered afterward that he had not "fit" rather than obeyed the request. But somehow he put the dog out. He was partly surprised, partly inveighed, partly awed into doing just what he had not intended to do. In the week that followed, Bill had to fight half a dozen boys for calling him "Puppy Means." Bill said he wished he'd licked the master on the spot. 'Twould 'a' saved five fights out of the six.

And all that day and the next, the bulldog in the master's eye was a terror to evil-doers. At the close of school on the second day Bud was heard to give it as his opinion that "the master wouldn't be much in a tussle, but he had a heap of thunder and lightning in him."

Did he inflict corporal punishment? inquires some philanthropic friend. Would you inflict corporal punishment if you were tiger-trainer in Van Amburgh's happy family? But poor Ralph could never satisfy his constituency in this regard.

"Don't believe he'll do," was Mr. Pete Jones's comment to Mr. Means. "Don't thrash enough. Boys won't l'arn 'less you thrash 'em, says I. Leastways, mine won't. Lay it on good is what I says to a master. Lay it on good. Don't do no harm. Lickin' and l'arnin' goes together. No lickin', no l'arnin', says I. Lickin' and l'arnin,' lickin' and larnin', is the good ole way."

And Mr. Jones, like some wiser people, was the more pleased with his formula that it had an alliterative sound. Nevertheless, Ralph was master from this time until the spelling-school came. If only it had not been for that spelling-school! Many and many a time after the night of the fatal spelling-school Ralph used to say, "If only it had not been for that spelling-school!"

There had to be a spelling-school. Not only for the sake of my story, which would not have been worth the telling if the spelling-school had not taken place, but because Flat Creek district had to have a spelling-school.

It is the only public literary exercise known in Hoopole County. It takes the place of lyceum lecture and debating club.

Sis Means, or, as she wished now to be called, Mirandy Means, expressed herself most positively in favor of it. She said that she 'lowed the folks in that district couldn't in no wise do without it. But it was rather to its social than to its intellectual benefits that she referred. For all the spelling-schools ever seen could not enable her to stand anywhere but at the foot of the class.

There is one branch diligently taught in a backwoods school. The public mind seems impressed with the difficulties of English orthography, and there is a solemn conviction that the chief end of man is to learn to spell. "'Know Webster's Elementary' came down from Heaven," would be the backwoods version of the Greek saying but that, unfortunately for the Greeks, their fame has not reached so far.

It often happens that the pupil does not know the meaning of a single word in the lesson. This is of no consequence. What do you want to know the meaning of a word for? Words were made to be spelled, and men were probably created that they might spell them. Hence the necessity for sending a pupil through the spelling book five times before you allow him to begin to read, or indeed to do anything else.

Hence the necessity for those long spelling-classes at the close of each forenoon and afternoon session of the school, to stand at the head of which is the cherished ambition of every scholar. Hence, too, the necessity for devoting the whole of the afternoon session of each Friday to a "spelling-match." In fact, spelling is the "national game" in Hoopole County. Baseball and croquet matches are as unknown as Olympian chariot-races. Spelling and shucking are the only public competitions.

So the fatal spelling-school had to be appointed for the Wednesday of the second week of the session, just when Ralph felt himself master of the situation. Not that he was without his annoyances. One of Ralph's troubles in the week before the spelling-school was that he was loved. The other that he was hated. And while the time between the appointing of the spelling tournament and the actual occurrence of that remarkable event is engaged in elapsing, let me narrate two incidents that made it for Ralph a trying time.

    The Hoosier Schoolmaster by Edward Eggleson The Hoosier Schoolmaster by Edward Eggleson    

Chapter 2: A Spell Coming

Performer: Librivox - Bridget Gaige

Directions

Study the chapter for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read and/or listen to the chapter.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

Ralph overcomes the doubts of the parents and students of Flat Creek and does fine as schoolmaster until the spelling-school, the 'national game' of Hoopole County. Young and old alike participate in the spelling-school, where how to spell words is far more important than knowing their meanings. Some, such as Mirandy Means, come more for the social experience than the competition. The week before the spelling-school Ralph begins to suffer from two problems - the first is that he is loved and the second is that he is hated.

Vocabulary

Magnetism: Power of attraction; power to excite the feelings and to gain the affections.
Corporal Punishment: A form of punishment achieved by inflicting blows to the offender's body.
Van Amburgh (Isaac A.): A trainer who created the first wild animal circus act.
Thrash: To beat mercilessly.
Lick: A stroke or blow.
Alliterative: In the form or style of the repetition of consonants at the beginning of two or more words immediately succeeding each other (e.g. racing rabbit, daring dingo).
Lyceum: A public hall designed for lectures or concerts.
Debate: An argument, or discussion, usually in an ordered or formal setting, often with more than two people, generally ending with a vote or other decision.
Orthography: The study of correct spelling according to established usage.
Spelling: The act, practice, ability, or subject of forming words with letters, or of reading the letters of words; orthography.
Shucking: Removing the shell or husk, especially of grains (e.g. corn).

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Book Information

  • Recite the name of the author, the title of the book, and the title of the chapter.

Activity 2: Narrate the Story

  • Narrate the events aloud in your own words.

Activity 3: Study the Story Picture

  • Study the story picture and describe how it relates to the story.

Activity 4: Speak in the Hoosier Dialect

Edward Eggleston wrote this book in the Hoosier dialect of mid-nineteenth century Indiana.

Recite the following sentences in Hoosier dialect with great feeling and emotion.

Feel free to move your body along with the words for emphasis.

  • Don't thrash enough. Boys won't l'arn (learn) 'less (unless) you thrash 'em, says I.
  • Lickin' and l'arnin' (learning) goes together. No lickin', no l'arnin', says I.

Activity 5: Discuss the Story

  • In the story, the spelling-school is a big social event in Flat Creek. Everyone in town participates.
  • Today, we often call them spelling bees and they typically target children as participants.
  • Why don't you think entire towns participate in public spelling events any longer?

Activity 6: Map the Story

  • The story of 'The Hoosier Schoolmaster' takes place in the state of Indiana.
  • Find Indiana on the map of the United States.
  • Which state borders Indiana to the north?

Review

Question 1

Why doesn't Mr. Pete Jones believe Ralph will do as the schoolmaster?
1 / 6

Answer 1

Mr. Pete Jones believes Ralph won't do as the schoolmaster because Ralph doesn't do enough thrashing and licking.
1 / 6

Question 2

The chapter states that Ralph does fine as schoolmaster until which event?
2 / 6

Answer 2

Ralph does fine as schoolmaster until the spelling-school comes.
2 / 6

Question 3

Why does Mirandy (Sis) Means enjoy spelling school (as she is not a great speller)?
3 / 6

Answer 3

Mirandy (Sis) Means enjoys the social aspects of spelling school rather than the actual spelling competition.
3 / 6

Question 4

Does it matter to most if pupils don't know the meanings of words, as long as they spell them correctly?
4 / 6

Answer 4

No, it does not matter to most whether pupils know the meanings of words as long as they spell them correctly.
4 / 6

Question 5

What is the 'national game' of Hoopole County?
5 / 6

Answer 5

Spelling is the national game of Hoopole County.
5 / 6

Question 6

What were Ralph's two troubles in the week before the spelling-school?
6 / 6

Answer 6

Ralph's two troubles before the spelling-school were that he was both loved and hated.
6 / 6

  1. Why doesn't Mr. Pete Jones believe Ralph will do as the schoolmaster? Mr. Pete Jones believes Ralph won't do as the schoolmaster because Ralph doesn't do enough thrashing and licking.
  2. The chapter states that Ralph does fine as schoolmaster until which event? Ralph does fine as schoolmaster until the spelling-school comes.
  3. Why does Mirandy (Sis) Means enjoy spelling school (as she is not a great speller)? Mirandy (Sis) Means enjoys the social aspects of spelling school rather than the actual spelling competition.
  4. Does it matter to most if pupils don't know the meanings of words, as long as they spell them correctly? No, it does not matter to most whether pupils know the meanings of words as long as they spell them correctly.
  5. What is the 'national game' of Hoopole County? Spelling is the national game of Hoopole County.
  6. What were Ralph's two troubles in the week before the spelling-school? Ralph's two troubles before the spelling-school were that he was both loved and hated.

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