Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-09-29


able for a wealth Of ripping curling
hair. Some one gave her the name OF
FRI" and it still sticks to the digni-
fed matron. Wit. or would-be wit. de-
lights to exercise itself after this fash
ion. but child's name is too precious
a thing to be ridiculed.
Fanciful names are neither always
pretty nor prudent. Parents had need
of the gift of prophecy who call theiP
children Grace. Faitn, Hope, Fortune.
Love, etc. II is possible that their att
er-life may turn such names into bitter
irony.
For the sake of conciliating rich
friend never give a child a disagreeable
or barbaric name. 1t will be thorn in
his side as long rs he lives. and afterall
he NAV miss the legacy.
A child, too. may have such an as
sembly of unrhythmical names that he
and his friends have to go jolting over
them all their lives. Suppose boy is
called Richard Edward Robert. The
ear ip a moment detects tumble OF
sounds of which it can make nothing.
II many Christian names are decided
upon, string them together on some
harmonious principle; names that are
mouthfuls of cOnsonants cannot be borne
without bad consequences to the owner.
The euphony Of our nomenclature
would be greatly improved by judi
cious adaptation of the Christian name
to the surname. When the surname is
monosyllable the Christian name
should be long. Nothing can reconcile
the ear to such curt names as Mark
Fox, Luke Harte. Ann Scott; but Gil
bert Fox, Alexander Harte. and Cecilia
Scott are far from despicable-
A variety of excellent Christian
names, it is astonishing that so few
should be in ordinary use. The die
tionaries contain lists of about two hun.
dred and fifty male and one hundred
and fifty female names, but out of these
not more than twenty or thirty for each
sex can be called at all common.
Yet our language has many beautiful
names both male and female worthy OF
popularity they have not yet attained.
Among the male, for instance
Ambrose. Bernard, Clement. Christie
pher, Gilbert, Godfrey, Harold, Michael.
Marmaduke, Oliver, Paul, Ralph, Ru-
pert. Roger, Reginald. Roland. Syl.
vester. Theobald, Urban. Valentine,
Vincent, Gabriel, Tristram, Norman
Percival. Nigel. Lionel, Nicholas,
Eustace, Colin. Sebastian. Basil, Mar.
tin, Antony, Claude, Justus. Cyril, etc
all Of which have the attributes oil
euphony, good etymology, and interest.
/ ing associations.
And among female names why have
we not more girls called by the noble
or graceful applications of Agatha,
Alethia, Arabella. Beatrice, Bertha
Cecilia, Evelyn. Ethel, Gertrude. lisa
bel, Leonora, Florence, Mildred. Mill.
cent. Philippa, Pauline, Hilda, Clarice,
Amabel, Irene, Zoe, Muriel. Estelle
Eugenia. Euphemia. Christabel. The
-esa. Marcia, Antonio. Claudia, Sibylla,
Rosabel, Rosamond, ETC.?
There are some curious superstitions
regarding the naming OF children,
which, as matter of gossip, are worth
a passing notice. The peasantry o.
Sussex believe that if a child receive
the name of dead brother or sister, il
it also will die at an early age. In some
parts of Ireland it is thought that giving
the child the name OF one of its parent.
abridees the life of that parent. 1t i
generally thought lucky to have the
initials of Christian name and surname
the same. and also TO have the initial,
spell some word. IN the northwestern
parts of Scotland a newly named infan
is vibrated gently two Or three time.
over a flame. with the words: LET thu
flames consume thee now or never
and this lustration by fire is common
to-day in the Hebrides and WesterI
Isles. There is widespread supersti
ton that child who does not cry at it
baptism will not live; also one which
considers it specially unlucky if any
thing interferes to prevent the baptism
at the exact time first appointed. Ii