A tall girl with a high forehead and very short dress gave a modest and abashed glance at the wandering visitor, blushed, courtesied very low, and thus began the rhythmic exercise of spelling the word in the old-time way: "I-n, in; there's your in. C-o-m, com, incom; there's your incom; incom. P-a-t, pat, compat, incompat; there's your incompat; incompat. I-, pati, compati, incompati; there's your incompati; incompati. B-i-l, bil; ibil, patibil, compatibil, incompatibil; there's your incompatibil; incompatibil. I-, bili, patibili, compatibili, incompatibili; there's your incompatibili; incompatibili. T-y, ty, ity, bility, ibility, patibility, compatibility, incompatibility; there's your incompatibility; _incompatibility_." The girl seemed dazed after this mazy effort. Mr. Crawford bowed, and Jasper the Parable looked serene, and remarked, encouragingly: "Extraordinary! I never heard a word spelled in that way. This is an age of wonders. One meets with strange things everywhere. I should think that that girl would make a teacher one day; and the new country will soon need teachers. The girl did well." "You do me great honor," said Mr. Crawford, bowing like a courtier. "I appreciate it, I assure you; I appreciate it, and thank you. I have aimed to make my school the best in the country. Your commendation encourages me to hope that I have not failed." But these polite and generous compliments were exchanged a little too soon. The next word that Mr. Crawford gave out from the "Speller" was _obliquity_. "Jason, make your manners and spell _obliquity_. Take your hands out of your pockets; that isn't manners. Take your hands out of your pockets and spell _obliquity_." Jason was a tall lad, in a jean blouse and leather breeches. His hair was tangled and his ankles were bare. He seemed to have a loss of confidence, but he bobbed his head for manners, and began to spell in a very loud voice, that had in it almost the sharpness of defiance. "O-b, ob; there's your ob; ob." He made a leer. "L-i-k, lik, oblik; there's your oblik--" "No," said Mr. Crawford, with a look of vexation and disappointment. "Try again." Jason took a higher key of voice. "Wall, O-b, ob; there's your ob; ain't it? L-i-c-k, and there's your lick--" "Take your seat!" thundered Mr. Crawford. "I'll give you a _lick_ after school. Think of bringing obliquity upon the school in the presence of a teacher from the Old World! Next!" But the next pupil became lost in the mazes of the improved method of spelling, and the class brought dishonor upon the really conscientious and ambitious teacher. The exercise in manners partly redeemed the disaster. "Abraham Lincoln, stand up."