American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-07-03
Spelling WOmen's Names.

MANY, if not ajority, of the names
of the eight or nine hundred girls from
the public schools who have been ex-
amined for admission to the Normal
College give us the impression that
they belong to mere household pets
rather than to young women who are
approaching maturity, and who are en-
gagged in serious work. These girls
apparently prefer the nicknames by
which they are known in the family
circle and to intimate friends to those
with which they were christened, and
therefore take pains to adopt them in
their signatures.
In SO doing the public-school girls
are not exceptional among our
young women, for it is quite the fashion
nowadays for them to grow so enam-
ored of their nursery appellations that
they cling to them as their fixed and
proper names. They may even be Of
Tended when they are addressed by
their correct names, which they imag-
inc are less pretty than these pet di-
minutives; and some grave grown-up
women will put Hattie or Gussie, Ma
mic or Sallie. on their cards as if they
were in pinafores still.
The fashion is American, but our
patriotism cannot make us grow fond of
it. The nicknames which appear in SO
large share of these public school
girls signatures would do very well for
the pets at n dog show. When they are
used to express the affectionate regard
of near friends and relatives they also
may be pretty and appropriate. but they
look very silly in a formal signature,
and surely do not befit the dignity of
womanhood.
We find, for instance, among these
eight hundred names scores of Minnies
and Mamies. and only here and there a
Mary, much more euphoniOus as well
as dignified name. Jane is transformed
usually into Jennie, Caroline into Car
rie, Ellen into Ella, Elizabeth into Liz
zie and Bessie. Katherine into Katie,
Martha into Matte, Margaret into Mag
gle, Anne and Anna into Annie, and
Harriet into Hattie. Such absurd names
as these appear quite frequently Chat
tie, Lidie, Mile, Tillie, Kittie, Rosie,
Nettie. Bibbie, Aggie and Margie.
The great aim seems to be to manu-
facture a name which ends in lie, and in
accomplishing it the finest appellations
for women we have, names renowned
in poetry and in history, and of a sweet
and melodious sound. are chopped W
into childish diminutives. They convey
| an idea OF pettlness, and DO not rlghtl }
belong to girls of dignity and character
girls like those who are going to the
Normal College, so many Of whom viii
have their living to earn. And YET
these girls think It is pretty to be known
by such pet names, and so discard a.
ugly and old-fashioned the names by
which they are christened. What would
they think to see a college register
which gave the young mems names IA
Jimmie, Billie, Bobbie, Tommie, Char
lie, Sammie and Dickie?
This fashion is extending among wo
men, and girls are even named will
nicknames only, as if they were Away!
to be nothing more than nursery pets
And yet this is period when womer
are contending for higher consideration
as rational beings, and when the rang'
of their occupations, outside of the do
nestle circle, is constantly widening
and growing in importance.-New Yorl
S1n