Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-05-13

'Gesrge Philips named his baby from
their successful flight from Babel. HI
called LondOA Babel
What did he name her?'
She was he He named the boy
'Zerubbabel,' which means 'oue who ha;
left Babel behind him.
Julia shuddered. Poor little thing
Dreadful that little, gentle, pink baby
should be named 'Zerubbabel.' Did be
die of it?'
Not much, think. 1 believe he i:
Wendell's ancestor. But we cannot name
PuSs Zerubbabel.' She is girl, and We
cannot call her 'Maher-shalal-hashba
George, you should not say suct
dreadful things. If you do l will go tC
church early, and take Gerald for a god
father. You shall come too late.
Let me begin, ,then,' be said penitently
'AliceY
The comments we're various. A per-
feet name, but too many just now. One
associates it with Alice Green or Alice
Jones.
And why should not we?'
True enough. But why not? Well,
Clara thrn?'
We'll, thought of Clara 1t is lit
tie grand. 1 like Clare
'DorotheaY
No. They would make that into Dol.
lie with an ie.' p
And all these nice people trembled
again.
'EvaBgeline?' Mr. Longfellow invent
ed that name. He told me so himself
There never will be but one Evangel>
ine.'
'Fausta?'
Too grand. Sort of Roman
| Gertrude?
Simply perfect. The least bit TOO
perfect
'Harriet?'
Perfect, if they could not make it into
Hattie
A general groan and shudder.
'Imogen?
Perfect also. But is it not too per-
| feet alsO?'
Perhaps. Well, then, 'Jessica %
Perfect, but 'Jessy' could be spelled
| 'KatharineY
Perfect; and Kate for short
'MaryY
Perfect but for Mol ie.'
We'll, then, 'Miriam?
Miriam is simply perfect
Nathalie? Now, that is legiti-
II ate ie.'
Yes. Nathalie is perfection
'Olive?'
Perfect; And do you remember Oh
i've E -?'
Il will not have names judged by peo-
pie. This Child is white paper
'PauIine?'
Yes, and Pauline - is so handsome
and so good
Hush! you are trespassing.
Rachel"
Perfect again.
Admirable but for the lie, in pesse.'
'Thyrzs?'
No; it is poky.
well, 'WilheImina? Just remember
that pretty Willie s., who married.
Who is bringing in personalities now?
Still. 'Wilhelmina' is d good name
'Ydolem?
you goosel that is not name. 1t is
the name of tune.
'Fiddlstickl 1t is only the word melody
backward
And L suppose said the mortified
George. that you will not let me have
'Xantippe.' either with an X or u?
Socrates spelled it each way, and never
| liked it
B ware lest 1 try an experiment in
that line
Gerald had been keeping the tally.
Here are ten perfect Names, he said.
w ithout any exception: Clara, Gertrude,
Imogen, Katharine, Miriam, Nathalie.
Olive, Pauline, Rachel, Wilnelmina. To
which should like to add Julia he
said, bowling to the hostess.
And you left out 'Berenice," said
Nahum, bOwing also.
No. said B<renice Hobbs, who was the
lady thus referred to; the name is good
name in itself, but the girls will call you
Berry Let me, if am to suggest, sub
stitute Beatrice"
Then there are Ruth and 'Lucretia,
and Emily and Ellen.
Il knew a girl who spelled it Emilie.' -
But she was French girl and had
right to-
These sixteen names were then written
on different lines by Gerald, who then
cut the paper into sixteen strips. With
the strips they went into the drawing
room. With no light but that from the
open door. they shutfled them, and then
! Gerald threw the slips all on the table.
Julia, with certain terror, seized one
and ran back with it to the tea table.
'Wilhelmina.'
A pause.
Whatever else the child is named,
said George, as they all gathered around
the drawing-rOOm fire, she shall not be
named 'Wilhelmina.'
L am so glad you say sO,' said Julia.
Il seemed not to care till that lot was
drawn
1T is not as if there were no other
names. Did you not say there were seven
thousand, and this is besides family
names? Now, We might name her from
your grandfather or mine, leicester, or
| Noble, or
George, be still. 1t is bad enough to
choose from seven Thousand. From
seven million l will not choose. Gerald,
would you be kind enough to bring the
other slips of paper from the breakfasts
room? They lie by my plate
Gerald brought them. Julia threw
more than half into the fire.
She gave one TO zach of the others and
reserved one. There was one slip left,
which she rolled into a little ball and
threw into the scrap jar.
Berenice read her slip: Gertrude A
dead pause.
The pause became painful. Nahum
smiled sarcaStically.
Gerald paused.
George looked at the chandelier.
The pause became intolerable. She
shall not be named Gertrude l shall
always feel as if l were sitting in the
castle of Otr0nta, and Mrs. Radcliffe
held u dagger at my side
am SO glad you say 90 said Bere-
nice.
They all held their papers still.
Nahum said George, you shall name
this child.
Il saw very pretty silver cup at Tif>