The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-02-09
The Story of Yesterday Boiled Down.
Classic Confounder.


-. -, IS 4. o,,,;,,, io,Isona
ne was man Vi y OSD'' i0' NO auu
very profound cast oil countenanee-dressed
in ye,tments indicating more reverence for
A. ct ,,or res,act ~ tho rresent I,,vs of
Wv
laSl''A' we Ane" nun ~ w "'a" Vi oui-
ure rs veil as discernment, from the fact
that ne approached the desk OF the city
editor, whom he addressed as follows;
do you know, sir, that the English lam
guage is the Oldest now spoken or handed
down through the middle ages?n
The proposition, though interrogstiyely
put, was somewhat startling, and not know.
ing how its affirmation or denial was 10
operate, the city editor replied;
%"Proceedw
Tins being the very thing the distinguished
Unaunounced desired, he proceeded:
"Sir, | made the disc0very-I, strand
the kew to the whole i!nmensity is in the
etymology OF the proper names of their
historic leadersl" a
BY this time the thing didn't appear to be
q paying local, but Curiosity having been
aroused, the classic Absolom was directed
still further to proceed.
Said he. II am man OF but few
words. / poniard my subject and gdto its
vitals. ! have no time to elaborate, but
will give you illustrations of my convic-
tons that will satisfy the most inCredulous.
ADO you remember the great name in
Greece-Themistocle and Damocles?" The
reporter bowed his head with the dignity
of q hearse.plume. Well" said Absplom,
"they belonged TO family in Athens
named 0'cles-a very influential and large
family in the city. The custom OF Athe'
mans, Ike that OF our aboriginal popula-
ton, was TO name persons, not ut their
birth, but by some circumstance of strik-
ing character occurring IN their early youth.
Now, my tablets tell me that these
two plutarchiau heroes received the
names by which they have gone
down to fang by reason of events occur
ring in their you Eiul days, and which
chung 10 them through life.
ThemistOCies was Il bad boy aud ran away
from school. Al the battle OF Marathan he
doomed up, alter having eyaded the search
OF detectives, and vent into the fight with
two OF ms brothers. One was killed and
the other wounded, but THIS particular
O'Ulees was not found for several weeks, as
he also was lying wounded at the house of
Theocrtus, In the meantime he had been
referred to as the missed O'Clecs," and
his return Jailed to relieve him OF the SOU
briquet. He was ever after called The
mist-ocles, which is so near the name given
him by historians as TO dlspel all doubt Of
its authenticity
The name OF Damocles was as easily
traced back when. we were satis-
ned that he belonged TO the
same OClees family. Enquiry into the
family history Of old Athenians left no doubt
in my mind that the name came to, and
was fastened on the subject of our remarks
by the following Incident:
There was student attending private
school in the vicinity of Areopagus, by the
name OF Jones, but who was not well known
as such. lie was very much in love with q
young lady in the establishment, aud the
fact was well known TO the other scholars
The attachment was supposedto be mutual
but one day the young lady was observed
by beyy of girls to be in close communion
with one of the O'Cleeg boys, around the
corner OF the academy:. la fact, he was
seen holding her hand, with his arm around
her waist The girls recruited their mum.
Der and informed Jones oil the tact, when
be simply raised up IRON she pumpkin
pie he was eating, and calculated,
'D-n OUlees." This branded him
forever as the DdmoCles OF history,
Lycurgus got his name from similar in
ciaent. lie had no fixed name except Gus,
and his people and neighbors desired him
to marry Il girl in the neghborhood named
O'keeie. IL would have added much to
the happiness of the families OF botn con.
tracing parties, and Gus said he would wed
her L he could only love her. One evening
the young folks got up serenading party
and brought the two youths together when
they all, with great unanimity, exclaimed,
Like her, Gus Like her, Gus!" and he
did like and marry her. Henceiorth his
name was Lycurgus.
Cicero got his name from having begged
his muscular sister, IN rowing match, to
help him out when exhausted In picnic
contest he gave out of wind, and made me
OF the expression, Sissy row." and the
expression determined the future nomen.
clature of the renowned orator.
The family OF Ides was also large one.
Aristides was so called because of his ex.
IRENE mannerism. He was called the
"airiest ldes," and by that name, with in
considerable mutation, he has come down
tous.
Thucydides was rather q further depar-
ture from the application of English words
to Grecian .patronymics. He was a mem
per oil the ldes family, and at church fair
had an orange presented him as the hand
soonest youth in the room. He did not
know now TO use II, when one OF his COM
rades, Nho happened to lisp, shouted aloud:
folks laughed Thucydides got his NAME
Penelope, you know, got her name NJ q
spelling match. She was doubtful as to
whether a, b or . should commence a syla-