Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-05-12
Our First Difficulty.
JULIA u. RoBRRTa.

JULIA u. ROBERTS.
Married life is seldom Withoat its trials, yet
Robert and had bsea married eighteen months
betore we seriously disagreed In anything. Our
life during that time had not been q season Of
perfect bliss as some would have 1t, but We csr-
talnly had been happy-as happy l think, a. any
can be before reaching Paradise, and when our
baby came, 1t seemed as il our cup was full to
OVERLOOKING. 1 like, even now, to dwell on the
Joy Of those days when l was hrst mother.
aud as for Robert, l think there WAS never a
prouder and more atfectionate father than he
well. Esther" he would say when he came in
at night, :" Wa are not rich houses or lands, as
some are, but We are rich In our daughter sho
Is like wisdom, Tor she Is more precious than
rubies." But l know that the fond praise OF
dotlng parents s bat emptiness to others, so
will not tire you by repeating all be said. IL
was not idle talk to me, however, no praise TO
my imagination vas too great for my little one,
my May blossom, as called her. for she came to
US la the merry month OF May. Never, We both
I'D, was there q child 30 wonderful as ours,
and before the little stranger had BEEN with ns
q month, We had laid many brilliant plans Tor
her fature.
But 1 am wandering from my story.
We were living III Kansas, far away irom
both Roberts relations and my own. We had
not therefore, as ia generally the case, host OF
aunts. ancies and cousins " urge that the child
| should be named according TO their fancy. SO 1t
old before ths subject had been debated. But one
day, how we'll Iemember 1t, Robert sand, as he
toe ssd her in his arms for final goodbye before
returning to the store, Esther, don't you think
il is about time this maiden OF ours had name
OF her own. Wilson was asking me- this morn
ing what we had decided TO cali her, and told
HIM that supposed We both thought her good
enough without name, for we had never spoken
| OF It."
"Mr. Wilson's child was named before he was a
AAk Al1 n ,tarf . hat tn Nktt. b
| rather tardy," said l.
"Well, what shall it be, Esther2 Rcsamond or
| Rachelr Bridget or Joanna! Kate or Arabelay
Or haven't you thought Of the matter yett''
"Our child's name was decided In my own
mind long ago." answered, and then for
some reason l cannot account for. hesl-
tated, though 1 certainly had no idea of
"Weli, let us hear 1t. 1t Is something ex-
traordinary, suppose nothing less would
suit onr darling"
ut is Mary" I said.
MARY! surely you must lie joking. You
can't mean il, Esther!"
why not?" / ask ed the blood rushing TO
my face involuntsrily.
$50 you have Byronic passion for the
name Of Mary. Well, must ack now ledge
that am entirely free from it. But ser
iously, Esther, you cannot thinx OF calling
our daughter by that name!'
Il 4
cannot Imagine what objection you eau
have. for almost every one agrees that there
Ia no sweeter name"
My husbands lace grew dark. "Any
name but that, Esther you might as wei
not name the child at all. Hardly family
OF any size In the country, but has Mary
among Its members. But can't talk any
longer now. shall be late as 1t is. Look
In the dictionary and lind something else
that suits you. and tell me NJ tea"
And ne kissed both baby and me and wa.
gone.
were during the long hours OF that after
noon. 1t is true that my husband and
had differed before about matters Of taste ol
Iopinion, but 1t had been comparatively easy
to yield them. My child's name, however
was different matter. / could not remem
ber the time when l had not looked forwarC
to calling my oldest daughter by the nam,
OF Mary. My doli.babies, one and all hat
been called by 1t. II was dear 10 me sbov,
every other name and now to give II up
I.Never, ] cannot, and shall noiv" l saiG
firmly to myself.
ed = variety oftopics, but both avoided, q
Iif by common consent, the one subjec
nearest our hearts. When the. meal wa
lover, however. and We sat nsar our littl,
ones cradle, Robert commenced:
II "WsIl, Esther. have you found any nam,
/
thinking the matter over, aud I've come Il
the conclusion that I.au tn and Evelyn sui
me very we'll. Laura Eveiya Spencer. How
do you like h2"
~ like both Lames we'll enough" answer
ed coldly, "but there is one name for our daugh
Ter, and that have told you; it ia my mother
name as you know, Robert, and have Away
; said that my first daughter should bs my moth
er's namesake, but never dreamed that yo
J would feel 80 about it," / coatinusd, ready /
: cry, yet keeping the tears back by great etfor
nj your mother were not living. Esther, ther
would be some reason for your feeling 50, but q
il is
'Ifmy mother was dead, l would not care 8
much about it, for then it could afford her u
pleasure" cried.
"If it were any name but Mary. l would cor
sent, sven though it did not noS please mi" sal
Robert Come, Ea,hsr, be reasonable, lhsr
\ are 90 many pretty names, and Mary, beside
. Iplsinnesa.h
MI but my mind was made up. aud woald NJ
b listen.
y "She is your daughter, a. we'll as mine. Rol
2 sH," / said. "And. Of course, you vii laAms hs
10 suit yourself, but to me. shs can never be an
, other than what have said"
u How our conversation would have ended
cannot tell, but fortunately for us both, Il wa
interrupted by callers who spent the eveuin
with ", and for tho time bang our dispute an
its cause were forgotten.
Al breakfast The next morning, the subjs,
was not ones alluded TO in even the most rsmoi
way. and al noon and in the evening it was h
same.
Another day came aad went. and still anott
4 er, and yet not word was said Our table-tai
: was NO lonasr the pleasant pastims il had ono
!. been, for We found il difficult to sustain cor
a varsaiian on tonics of minor interest Whiia N