Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-12-11
MIS- ELL A n EO u S.
From the Southern Literary Gazette.
FEMALE NAMES.

FEMALE NAMES.
Mary, the sweetest Of female names, may
not inappropriately stand at the head of our
list. 1t is from the Hebrew, and signifies
erazied. Its French form is Marie. II is,
we hardly need say, famous name in both
sacred and profane history. The name has
literally been exalted. |, has been linked
with titles and power-wilh crowns and
coroneis, and adorned by goodness and beau
~. Mary has ever been favorle name
with the poets. Byron, as he assured us,
felt an absolute passion for it. II is inwoven
with some of his sweetest verses. The pea
SAINT poet. Burns, seems TO have been as
much attached to it as the author Of Childe
Harold II is still the theme Of bards and
bardlings unnumbered. We might fill
column or two here with songs, sonne,s,
and ballads, in the melody Of whose verse
the mos, musical sylIables are these which
form the charming name Of Mary. But
where so much presents itself, we can quote
nothing We need quote nothing, for
"The very music of her name has gone
Into our being
Let The motto, or the toast if yon will. be
the single line Of Bryan Waller Proctor:
"Here's health to thee, Mary
Sarah is almost as common name as
Mary, bu, it lacks the prestige which its
historical and poe,ical associations throw
around the latter. il is also from the He
brew, and signifies a princess. In poetry it
takes the form of Sally or .Salhe, and is
found in many love song and ballad. Sal
ly is sometimes contracted TO Sal, which is
neither poe,ical nor euphonious
"Laughing, sporting, prattling Sallie,
Now tell me what shall be
The tint of sky unlt or starry,
TO which Til liken thee!
The softest shades of heavens own blue
Those lusrous eyes seem melting through
Susan, another name of Hebrew origin,
signifies lily. In poetry j, is usually seen
in it's contracted form Of Sue. it is pref
,y name, and is immortslized in Gays we'll
known ballad. The signifca'ion IF the
name is very happily introduced IN the clos
ing line:
"Adieu, she Cried and waved her lily hand"
Ralph Hoyt,, in very graceful poem, en,i-
tied "My Sue,'' has The following lines:
"And how often have I strayed
With the lads along the lea,
And with many pretty maid,
Yet, ah none of them for me,
For if she whom | love best
In the groups could not be seen.
No contentment in my breast,
No delight upon the green;
But there was garden nj gh,
With its bower just in view,
And still craved my heart and eye
That sweet lily there-my Sue."
Mabel is probably derived from ma belle,
sIgnlIylng my fair, though some suppose that
it is contracted from amabiWs, lovely or a.
miable. il is a good name in either case,
and worthy Of being perpeluated. Mary
Hewitt has ballad commencing,
"Arise, my maiden Mabel"
which is the only poem we now Tecolecl
in which the name occurs.
Ursula, name associated in our mind
with homeliness of face and goodness Of
heart concealed under the veil Of nun, is
from the Latin, and signifies nothing more
amiable than female bear! Who, know
ing this, will give the name to child
Blanche, one of the sweetest names ever
borne by woman, is from the French, and
signifies white or fair. Mary Hewitt makes
the orange flower its floral type;
"Ah, Cousin Branche, let's see
What's the flower resembling thee
With those dove-ike eyes of thine,
And thy fair hairs silken twine,
With thy low broad forehead white
As marble, and as purely bright;
With thy mouth calm and sweet,
And thy dainty hands and feet;
What's the flower most like to thee,
Blossom of the orange tree. 2"
Lucis, in its French Lucie, signifies lu-
cid, and comes from the Latin
"Lucia is golden gir,''
says Bryan Proctor and many will echo
the line Lucy is a favorite name with al
most every one. Wordsworth has made j.
one Of the
"Names welded unto song"
And lovely indeed is the maiden bearing
that Fweet name, whom nature proposes 10
mould a! will, TO her own taste