Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-18
NJ Y N A NJ E


very great deal in mine. 1t is beyond my COM
Prehension how my parents, knowing that
,fe Sy the Surname OF 0pS eo1Id nave the S nre
meditated ferocity TO add thereto " Nehemiah
Bottletop:" The only apology they have been
in the Of
godfather, an eccentric old bachelor of good
fortune. But even to be called Nehemiah Bot
thereby had earned place in my eodfather's
affections and will, was denied me. We lived in
the East Riding Of Yorkshire, and Mr.. Bottletop
near the town Of Chester; and arrived at the
mature age Of twenty five years without having
had the pleasure Of even making his acquaint-
ance.
my name had never told severely on my youth
full spirits; among my sisters and brothers
went by the undignifed but obvious abbrevia-
ton of % Merry" and not until went to school,
at the age of nine, did il really dawn upon me
that my name was a terrible thing. I will en-
gage that no merely human boy at school or
college ever possessed such a collection of objec
tionable nicknames as were founded upon nv
unlucky cognomen. i believe the name Mere
miah is not Scriptural one-at least, have
never met with my namesake In the Bible-but,
needless of this, i was called Obadiah, Jere-
miah, Isaiah, Lamentation, Job, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob; the Prophet, the Seer, the
Patriarch; Moses, Mo, Cog and Magog, BOggy,
Bottle; jugs, Pots, Tops; the King of Bashan,
Sihon the Amorite, the Moabite, the Hivite, the
Hittite, and all the rest of the nations against
which the children of Israel carried on war-in
fact, longer string than can now remember;
but know that hardly ever meet an old school
friend who does not address me by some title
coined at my expense from his own eXuberant
fancy.
Still, as I fortunately possessed a tOlerably
good temper and the light heart Of my age,
these small annOyances became harmless
through their frequency, and l went through
life with youths careless serenity until fell
in love.
NV father was man of pretty good fortune
and NJ. p. for our little town OF Marlborough,
but as possess an elder brother and eight SIS
tiers. 1 was very reasonably expected to earn
some bread of my own. But most unfortunately
Il had no talents and less ambition, and felt
unaccountable dislike to every course of life
which was pointed out to me. The position
should have preferred, and probably adorned,
was that OF a country squire with big house
and garden, and a half dozen hunters; but these
good things are seldom attained-except by &C
cident-when a man is at an age TO appreciate
their blessings. had put OFF my decision until
was too old for the army or navy; had an un-
mistakable distaste to the learned professions;
and had no turn for art literature or sciences
and was not clever or business like enough for
mercantile career. 1t was at this unsettled
period Of my life that took it upon me to fall
The name of nv enslaver was Miss Geraldine
Montague, and if anything was calculated to
strike terror into the bOidest heart. il was the
question which haunted me-not, Does she love
me? Will she be mine? or even, How shall
support her if she will? outflow can ask her
to change that name for Miss Nehemiah Bottle
A horror came over me for my name upon
which now look back as a man recovered from
illness thinks over his rawlings. could not avoid
the dreadful necessity of knowing what she
thought of me (which she dd) by the name of
Mr.. Ogg, as had been introduced to her before
my mind gave way, or 1 feel convinced should
have added syllable or two to my surname, and
perhaps brought il out OgglethOrpe or Ogilvy,
ss subsequently committed absurdities quite
Imet Miss Montague and her mother at a
friends house in London, my own relations be-
ing safely at home in the wilds of Yorkshire, ex-
-<.<k. ~, n.
India. After three days acquaintance 1 had
seen a great deal Of tnI Montagues, having sys-
tematically dogged their fooisteps in manner
enes a. To- Where tbeg e Would sean5 tb after
noon or pass the evening, and invariably CON
triyed to turn up, greatly Of course to our
gan TO think the mamma was graciOusly dis
posed 70 me. After a fortnight began to hope
the daughter smiled upon me. became so
convinced about this latter and extremely i'm
portant part of the proceeding, that one even
ing IN the opera (when her mamma had duti-
fully gone TO Sleep I went to the desperate
and adding great deal more to the same effect,
unrebuked.
At this time had known them about month.
and was goaded into strong measures by the
knowledge that they were about to leave town,
perhaps going home to Lincolnshire the follow
ing week i can say now, after the lapse of
years, that Geraldine was pretty and charming;
but at times she appeared to my dazzled vision
everything that was beautiful, graceful and per-
feet, and worth every sacrifice and exertiOn a
man could make to win her. Not that in a pc
euniary sense 1 was called upon to absolutely
sacrifice anything particular. When 1 found
things were really serious and matrimony be-
coming imminent, wrote TO consult my father.
For reasons OF my own, much too absurd to
state to him, did not tell him the young lady's
name; (any English person of ordinary geo
graphical attainments will know that Lincoln
shire and Yorkshire adjoining counties;
my father might 20 To make a morning call on
Mrs. Montague next week, and say how fortunate
49, l.a.-a
possibly Nehemiah , but l told him that knew
on the best authority Il had il from Geraldine
herselfl that she would have f5ej year Of her
own when she came Of age, and she was now
twenty. Now, my father allowed me- $3.50
year, and i thought, III IL were possible that
could get some kind Of employ ment, that. with
well. My father wrote TO me very kindly
noticing that 1 had forgotten" to name the
lady-but saying that he would be very glad II
were happily settled m life, and that he would
must say that thought matters looked very
bright for me on this night in question, when /
T.o,, ,,a ..--ly Geraldine In the crush-room,
.he whispered when had put her dear mammi
into the carriage, "write ~ me tomorrow: tina
win be the best way, and then I ca, ask mamma
all tomorrow" spent . very restless night.
MY happiness was certain and decided, but tn
VISION Of that letter haunted me-. II would havs
send il by had In time to catch them before they
started for Chatham, and at that hour, above all
other periods, the mental faculties are at ehe
lowest ebb. ought to say, 1t was not the letter
that was easy enough; IL was nay ndns which dis
tracted me. had successfully kept from Geral
dine a knowledge Of even my initiais, and now
FELT the subterfnge of initials would not avail
me. Yet . thought imagined u then bright
one-hashed across me, not entirely Tor the nrss
time, had previously had slight see.rafions OF
reason on this point before. would sign myself
something else woud throw aside the hateful
clog Of my name, and assume (many men even
change their surnames) quite n new one.
4 became infatuated with this idea; and truly,
when, after careful rejection and . tub, I came
TO write II, found IL next 70 impossible 70 nntsh
on rhapsody Of q letter with the words 50 Know
ing how adore her, can my Geraldine bestow
one vord Of hope, OF life. Of iece ON her ever
devo1e<l.v Nehemiah BOttletop Ogg? The thing
was preposterous. Much might depend upos
ffi. letter; il might even be shown TO the NADER
nal power. why-oh! why-ye cruel parents