THE MELBOURNE SPELLING BEE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 387, 8 September 1875, Page 3

THE MELBOURNE SPELLING BEE.

At Melbourne, a novel and very laughable entertainment was given, says the Argus, at the Assembly-hall, St Kilda, in aid of the local Ladies’ Benevolent Society. It consisted of a concert and a “Spelling Bee,” a game which has become one of the “ institutions ” of America, but is of very recent introduction to Victoria. The concert was an agreeable one. Mrs Charles Clark and Madame Johanna Lebens gave their assistance. The former played a pianoforte selection, which displayed her brilliant executive skill, and the latter sang twice. Several other lady and gentleman amateurs also sang. A gentleman gave the descriptive scena, “ The Progress of Madness,,’ which was regarded as a very comical ditty by the juvenile members of the audience, and applauded accordingly. The second part of the entertainment was introduced by a humorous explanatory speech by Mr J. Kingston, who prophesied that if the “ bee” was a success, it would be the initiation of a great spelling reform in Australia, By dint of the persuasion of friends, some twenty gentlemen and eighteen ladies were induced to go upon the platform as competitors. Mr A. Gillespie and Mr Kingston were appointed to be propounders of the words, and Mr Robertson and Mr J. D. St Piunock referees. Mr J. Wilks, mayor of St Kilda, presided. The words were proposed in the order they had been drawn out, the male class —which included some gentlemen of mature age and some youths of tender years, but chiefly consisted of young men—being first questioned. The first few words were spelt with easy confidence, but ere the round was completed one youth was compelled to take a “back seat.” He proved himself a stranger to the word “ alien ” by spelling it “ alient,” and retired discomfited. The second victim was also one of the male class. He tripped over the word “ goloshes,” or as the authority relied on—the “ Imperial Dictionary”—has it, golose-shoes,” by commencing the word “goo.” A little lad, too young to have made much progress in natural science, substituted an “ m” for a “ p ” as the primary letter of “ pneumatics,” and was hurried off the platform in consequence. A young man next failed grievously over “physiognomy,” which he tried to persuade the audience was spelt “ physiogmy." Up to this point the ladies had had much the best of it, but they soon made several mistakes which thinned their ranks. “ Rarify ” instead of “ rarefy,” “ dolerous ” instead of “ dolorous,” “ soley” instead of “ solely,” were average specimens of their errors. They were very diffident in their answers, and their spelling of the words had to be frequently repeated by their questioners. The audience, however, applauded them warmly. The male class was unquestionably inferior in spelling ability to the other. “Volies” for “volleys” by a little boy ; “accelarate” for “ accelerate,” by an old gentleman ; “ obstreperous ” for “ obstreperous” by another aged speller, were some of the mistakes which soon reduced their class to one member, who confronted his six lady opponents with a calm smile of selfconfidence. The interest of the audience was now keenly aroused, and each speller was warmly cheered whenever he or she got over a difficult word successfully. “Plagiarist” decided the fate of one young lady after a few rounds, as she evinced a preference for “ plagerestanother succumbed to “committee,” which she spelt with only one “ m.” The questioners proposed to ask the solitary member of the male class several words in succession, but the audience interfered to protect him. They loudly applauded him as he spelt “harassed” correctly. Some pity was felt for the young lady who was called upon to spell “ surcingle.” She pleaded ignorance of equestrian subjects, but the word was allowed, and she retired Another young lady succumbed to “ Utopian,” her idea of perfection apparently being “Eutopia.” The lists were now narrowed down to three competitors, and as there were three prizes, the

contest was simply continued to decide the order of merit. For several rounds all the words were correctly spelt, though some were ’’er puzzling ones, but at length Miss McCulloch failed at “tocsin,” which she believed contained an “x." The duel between Mr T. R. Thompson and Miss Bradney was kept up for some time. Great interest was felt in it, which was intensified by the knowledge that each of the competitors was engaged in tuition. At leugth the lady, who . had spelled throughout with great confidence and unerring accuracy, was caught by the word “abysmal,” in which she wished to insert a superfluous “ s.” She was loudly applauded, as was also Mr Thompson. The prizes were—Chambers’s “ Information for the People” (Ist), a Shakespeare (2nd), and a “ World of Wit and Humour” (3rd). It was announced that the second “ bee” would be held at the Assembly Hall that day fortnight, August 30th. The entertainment was undoubtedly successful, and with a little more experience in its management would prove still more effective. There was a large attendance.