Episode 192 - LTOP - Literaries

Every time Laura passed the bureau at the head of the stairs in Ma's room, she thought of the book and the poem that she had not finished reading.

Courage, he had said, and pointed toward the land.

This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soon.

She had thought of the same thought so often that it was stale, and no longer looking forward to the book for Christmas was no longer exciting." Oh, I don't know, Laura said in despair.

I am so tired of everything.

I want something to happen.

I want to go west.

I want to just go and play.

And I know I am too old.

She almost sobbed at things she never did.

Suddenly the door opened and Pa burst in saying, Put on your bonnets, Caroline and girls.

There's a meeting at the schoolhouse.

Whatever in the world, Ma said.

Everyone's going, said Pa. We're starting a literary society.

the seats were filled and the men were standing thick behind them when mr clewitt called the room to order he said that the purpose of this meeting was to organize the literary society for a minute no one knew what to do next clewitt said we haven't got any program for this meeting some men suggested They answered, shucks, we aren't going home yet.

The barber suggested singing, and someone said, you got pupils that can speak pieces, how about a cluit? A voice said, how about a spelling match? Several chimed in, that's the notion, that's the idea, let's get a spelling match.

first he gave out the primer words fo lo wo ro ro hero he caught mr barclay confused mr barclay spelled hero h e e r o e ro hero and the roar of laughter surprised him he joined in it as he went down to the seat the first one to sit down a great burst of applause rose up and some man shouted good for you foster mr foster had taken off his thick jacket and stood in his check shirt smiling sheepishly but there was a glint in his eye no one had guessed that he was a brilliant speller xanthophyll said pa it seems impossible now that any one could spell that dreadful word But Laura thought, he can, he must, he's got to.

X-A-N, Xan, said Pa. T-H-O, Tho, Xantho, P-H-Y.

He seemed slower, perhaps, than he was.

Double L. Mr. Cluett slapped the spellers shut.

There had never been such thunderous applause as that applause for Pa.

He had spelled down the whole town.

So just a few things to talk about this chapter.

Laura mentions in The Frozen Ground was furry white hoarfrost.

And hoarfrost is a white deposit of intricate needle-like ice crystals that form on surfaces like trees, grass, fences, etc.