The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-08-27
Bible Names in England.

If we look over the pages of the direc-
tories of West Yorkshire and East Lam
cashire, and strike out the surnames, we
could imagine we were consulting an
oiently inscribed registers of Joppa or
Jericho. It would seem as if Canaan
and the West Riding had got inextrica-
bly, mixed.
What a spectacle meets our eye!
Within the limit of ten leaves we have
three Pharaohs, while as many Hephzi-
bahs are to be found on one single page.
Adah end Zillah Pickles, sisters, are
milliners. Jehoiada Rhodes makes saws
not Sololnan's sort-and Hariph Craw-
shaw keeps farm. Vashni, from some
where in the Chronicles, page is rescued
from oblivion by Vashni Wilkinson coal
merchant, who goes to Barzillai William
son, on the same page, for his joints,
Barzillai being a butcher. Jachin,
known to but few as situated in the Book
of Kings, is in the person of joachim
Firth, a beer retailer, familiar to all his
neighbors. Heber Holdsworth on one
page is faced by Er Illingworth on the
popular, while Abner, Adna, Ashael,
Erastus, Eunice, Benaiah, Aquila, Elihu
and Philemon enjoy fair amount of
Abednego, having been rescued from
sChald@an fire, have been deluged with
baptismal water. I have lighted upon
name after name that did not know ex-
listed in the Bible at all till looked into
the Lancashire and Yorkshire direc-
tories.
The Bible has decided the nomencla-
ture of the North of England. In towns
like Oldham, Bolton, Ashton and Black
burn, the clergyman's baptisma1 register
is but record of Bible Names A cleri-
cal friend of mine christened twins Cain
and Abel, only the other day, much
against his own wishes. Another person
on the Derbyshire border was gravely
informed, at the proper moment, that
the name of baptism was Ramoth- Gilead
Boy or girl, ell ?" he asked, in some
what agitated voice. The parents had
opened the Bible haphazard, according
to the village tradition, and selected the
first name the eye fell on.
It was but year ago little child was
christened Telln0 in town within six
miles of Manchester, at the suggestion of
a cotton spinner, the father, workman
of the name of Lees, having asked his
advice. ST suppose it must be Scrip
ture name" said his master. "Oh. yes,
that's of course" 'sSuppose you choose
Tellno," said his employer. .'Thatll
do" replied the other, who had never
heard it before, and liked it the better on
that account. The child is now Tell no
Lees (''Lees" being the Lancashire way
of pronouncing .'Lies'' the father, too
late. finding that he had been hoaxed.
sSirs, was the answer given to a be-
wildered curate, after the usual demand
to name the child. Heobjected, but was
informed that it was Scripture name,
and the verse s'Sirs, what must do to
be saved?" was triumphantly appealed
to. This reminds one of the Puritan
who styled his dog Moreover, after the
dog in the Gospel: Moreover the dog
came and licked his sores"
There is, again, story of clergyman
making the customary demand as to the
name from knot of women round the
font "Ax her," said one. Turning to
the woman who appeared to be indicated,
he again asked, 'sWhat name?' FAX
her." she. replied. The third woman,
being questioned. gave the same reply.
At last he discoyered the name to be the
Scriptural Achsah, Caleb's daughter
name, by the way, somewhat popular
with our ferefathers.- Cariosities Of Pu-
s.itan Nomenclature.