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DRUSK OR DYING. t

THE COMIO PAPERS.

SPELLING BEE AT BRISTOL.

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SPELLING BEE AT BRISTOL. A spelling bee has bien held at the Colston Haft, Bristol, which was crowded in every part. There were 90 I'ompet i I wis, from whom 40 were chosen—25 gentle- men and 15 ladies. Mr. E. S. Robinson presided, and lie was surrounded hy the referees. Behind these, in a double row, were ranged the 38 competitors. The rules were that the spelling was to be oral, and the stan- dalll of coriectness in all rases to be the new octavo edition of Ixichardson s English Dictionary. One word misspelt ruled the spe'L.r out, and any dispute had to be decided by the referees. The interrogator, in a loud voice, commenced with the gentlemen, and suggestively opened with the word conceit," which was° tcllowed by "believe," but the next word floored a gentleman who, amidst roars of laughter, spelt "piece" for peace (quietude). Shouldering his chair, lie miiruhed away as though he had won a battle in- stead of being worsted in a skirmish. The sixth word, "quean," brought another gentleman to "an early doom." Then that Kichardsonian eccentricity "lilach," disposed of a third gentleman, with whom, however,the sympathies of the audience were so strong that, the quoting of the spelling from Richafllson was liaik-d with quite a storm of hisses. One competitor rose and said in this same dictionary the word bun was spelt bnnn," and he asked if the book were to be ad- lieiedto throughout. Mr. HartUuid replied in the affir- mative, as it was so laid down in the bond." The word lodestone brought down the first lady, and, amidst much Jaugh ter. tho chairman presented her with a nosegay. "Bourn" and rabbet (a groove) proved fatal to two more competitors. B.ittalionslew a seventh an.I "withhold" sent the eighth tobreathe in repose. He only spelt it with one "h," and,on some of the auditors hissing, Mr. Hart'and provoked laughter by observing tliat,it was i'tl very (infor people to hiss "who dropped their h's. Knag," a projection, was spelt gnag by one discomfited young mar. and modellerbooked No. 10 amongst I hose hors de combat. A lady was seasonably cheered for spelling mistletoe," but the next fair one could not resist a gem in the shape of jacinth." "Aqueduct destroyed the ch mees of the twelfth com- petitor. A gentle nail next spelt anthropophagy "anthropopgy," and had to "hide his diminished head." Caudal discomfited one lady, and chicanery was too much for another, and sachel another—this mode of spelling it, however, eliciting a hiss from the auilience. The ladies who bad stood some of the most difficult words were falling fast, and secede got rid of another. Queue was spelt cue by one gen- tleman, who at once beat a retreat. The words leech an I libellous were got over amidst a peal of laughter. Court leet" dismissed the 10th competitor (a lady) —just one-half of them in one hour. The 20th fell with equipollent, the 21st with neophyte, the 22nd with igneous, the 23rd with intercalary, and the 24th (a lady) with "rln<e," which she spelt wrince. A gentleman failed to spell pcean the 25th (a lady) broke down with pannier (which she spelt panier). No. 27 was defeated by henison," the 28ili by janissary," 29th by arymmetrical, 30th (the veteran) by alltgeable, 31st by "cerecloth," and 32nd by connoisseur. There were now only six left -three ladies and three gentlemen—and a keen struggle was anticipated for the first prize. It must be confessed, however,that moit of the last half-dozen fell to simple words. The 33rd (a gentleman) was beaten by sibilant, the34th by "fewwarm (?) (spelt by the gentle- man "lukewarm"), the 35th, (a lady who had with- stood the attacks bravely) was cut down with "lily," and another lady fell to the word" 100," which tthe spelt low." There were now or.ly two competitors left-Miss Edith Mary Wallis and Mr. Holt. Be- tween this pair there was a gallant struggle— amongst other "posers" the gentleman getting over ochlocracy and the lady an isosceles triangle and re- cission, but ultimately the gentleman succumbed to his fair antagonist and broke his lance with picaroon— a robber whose name he spelt with two "c's." lie needed not, however, to be ayhamed of his defeat,seeing that the young lady, who is only twenty years of age, has successfully passed the senior local examina- tions of both universities, Oxford and Cambridge. The following was the prize list ;-lst prize- Beautiful tea service of BeIlcek ware, im- ported direct from the pottery in Ireland especially for this purpose, value 1:3 J03 Gd., Miss Edith Wallis; 2nd -Pair of lustres, with cut glass drops, value £ 2 5s., Mr. Holt; ",r(I-Eleti-ol)-itted teapot, new pattern, value £1 10s., Miss Mary Bawden; 4th- Cut and frosted glass butter dish, wi tli electro pi ated stand and cover, value £1 2s. Gd., Miss Kidd; 5th— Ilichly-cut glass sugar basin and ewer, value 14s. 9d., Mr. Mason 6th—Papier-mache inkstand, with two glass bottles, value 7s., Mr. Iliscox.

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