M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-04-03

eN-AN NNsAAff9s ~ HANh oAehil ~ "
Grandmother says, "Call her Eliz-
abeth, after her mother" Well, Eliza
bethis fine name, and in its pet form
-Lizzy-how sweet to that fond lov-
er, husband, and proud father But
there is an objection to It in this case.
One Lizzy in a family is enough
There has been too much of this reit-
Grafton. Many aplain and unmelo-
dious name has thus been perpetua-
ted, to the disparagement of good
taste and the confusion of the geneal-
ogists. We sympathize with the Ia
ment Of bearer Of the ancient and
honorable but much abused name of
John, ofwhich tho following is one Of
the stanzas
"Why did they CALI John, Isay,
| Why did they call me joint
It's surely just the meanest nams
They could have hit uponi
Because my father had it, too,
| And suffered for the same,
10 that proper reason he
Should propagate The namei"
Grandmother's suggestion was very
well meant, but, with all due respect,
we must decline to entertain it.
"Martha is a good old Bible name"
suggests aunt Catharine. What says
the young mother, with her more mod
ern ideas, to this She thinks "it
sounds old-fashioned and looks rather
homely;" and we more than half
agree with her, though we are not
sure that this objection is wholly legit-
innate, since some of the best names
in our vocabulary are now mostly out
of use-old.f .fsshioned-and should be
restored to favor; but we have one
which is. Martha signifies bitterness.
There is no bitterness here-only
sweetness and joy. Such a name, If
used at all, should bo given to the
child of misfortune or sorrow. So
isis" shall not be called Martha.
Uncle George thinks that no name
can be better or more appropriate
than Ellen. perhaps he remembers
some quondam "hame" who graced
that prenomon, and made it with him
synonyme for beauty and goodness) }
This, he says, is euphonious, has no
"old,fashioned sound" !" is sweetly sig
nifcant-meaning tender or pitying
and does not belong to any grand
mother, or aunt. Uncle George, you
! have shown good taste and etymologi-
cal skill, and have almost made out a
+ case in behalf of your favorite name
But there is an objection, in this case
even to this name. We must look al
the name not only alone, ,.butin combi.
nation with the surname with which
it is to be associated. They must ac-
cord with each other. Apply this
test. Ellen Newtonl These two
words do not combine smoothly
Nell Newton is scarcely more har-
monious combination. Uncle George
feels the force ofthis objection, but ar
CUES that it should not be insisted up
on, since the little lady will probably
one day exchange her last name for
another which may accord better with
it. To this We reply that, in our opin-
ion, no such exchange should ever
take place-that she should keep
through life both her names, adding,
in due time, another, worthy to be
thus associated to them. -
blanche is a sweet name," cousin
John ventures at this juncture to re-
mark. "How will that dol" Blan-
che Newton. The names fit each
other well. But let US see! Blan-
che (fair) should Be q Monde-a fax
en-haired, blue-eyed beauty, while
our little pet will have the brown
cheeks and the dark tresses of her
mother. blanche is not the name
for this "bonny brunette"
"Is itso difficult a thing, then, to
name the babyP
BY no means. With the aid of a
few plain rules, little good taste,
and a list of the most beautiful names,
with their signifcations affixed, moth
ing can be easier. Thus we may call
the little darling of the Newtons Isa-
belle (Which we derive from the French
and distinguish from Isabella) Olive
complerioned or Jro,0n /; Lucy, LIKE
light or light bringer: Emma, tender,
affectionate Amy, 6elored;; CIaria,
clear or bright; Charlotte, queenly;
Grace, farOr, or any one of a dozen
other names which we might enumer.
ate, and still fulfill all tho conditions
insisted upon in the foregoing colo.
quies. But we will leave the New.
tons to name their baby according to
their own taste and judgement, and
proceed to state and briefly TO illus.