San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-04-26
THE SWEET NAME OF NELLIE.
II has Been ImmOrtalized and Cher
ished In Prose and Poetry.

ished In Prose anu fOetry'
Chicago Mail.
Considerable inteyest and discussion have
been caused recently among the young peo-
pie of the city by the action of young
lady residing on the north side in changing
her given name from Nellie to Helen
Quite naturally the chief interest has been
aroused on the part of the young ladies to
whose name the appellation is pretixed, but
the young men have also some feeling IN
regard to the subject, and was shown in the
letter written by young man on the west
side who had sweetheart by the name, as
printed in the Mail The name Nellie Is
sweet and gentle in sound, and it cannot be
said that it is not beautiful.
When abbreviated into short "Nelr' 1t
gives one an idea of romping, kittenish
young lady, whom young men seem at all
times delighted to meet. However, Nellie
changes her into young lady OF sweet ana
gentle disposition. To abbreviate hef
name by calling her Nell, even after mar
riaee and by her husband, would appear al
most to be O. sacrilege. There are other
reasons that might be urged against its
adoption, and they might prove quite a
serious one. The first verses in which the
name Nellie appeared, and which were SET
to music were at about the time of the
flood, so the young man behind the inuslc
counter says, and they had been sung OF
in various and sundry kinds of metre ever
since that time New verses with more or
less melodious music continue to come
with frequency which leads one to think
that the young ladies by that name are not
ON the decrease, notwithstanding the fact
that one Chicago young lady did have her
name changed.
From the story which may be gathered
from the tenor of the verses the young
ladies with that name are like the good
little boys-they always die young, or else
are about to receive proposal of marriage
The songs seem to have been written by
bereft lovers to commemorate the death OF
some 10 we'd one, or else charm and fascinatt
some young woman while he tells his tale
of love to her. They were always young
women of surprising charm and beauty,
adorned with all the gifts that nature could
endow them with.
Another pertinent feature of the song is
that the Nellie always seemed to live IN the
country by babbllng brook, by the noun
tam side, or else she raked the hay. She
was in all things the embodiment of rura
simplicity.
Everyone has he ard the song ''Nelli'
Gray"
This one song proves the three foregoing
statements Nellie lived in pleasant cot
tage beside a gentle streamlet. Merrill.
the birds warbled in the willow tree which
stood near by. But one morn she said she
was "going," and now beneath the bending
willows the gentle streamlet's waves moisten
the flowers that bloom DER Nellie's grave
OF her the loving swain sang:
She grew in form and beauty,
Her counsel was the guide
OF all who were in sorrow,
And many tears she dried;
Whenever the sun was shining
Der fow'ry meadows gay,
daily went a-roaming
With charming Nellie Gray.
She called me her own Willie,
And 1 was happy then,
Ny life seemed full Of sunshine
While in the willow glen;
She often spoke OF home above,
listened long each day
To the sweet voice, those words Of loYe,
From charming Nellie Gray.
Then comes a host Of others, and many
famous among them are ''In the Haze
Dell Ny Nell is Sleeping" 'Nellie Lost anC
Gone" "Bright-Eyed Laughing Little Mel
of Narragansett Bay" Nellie Lost ant
Found" Nellie, I'll Be True to Thee,
Nellie, Darling. DO Say Yes" ''NeIli'
Brown" Nelly Gordon"
Nellie Biz has a voice like a turtle dove,
hears Il il de meadows and hears IL il
de grove.
Nelly BLY, Lab heart warm A. a cup Of tea
And bigger dan de sweet-POtato down Il
Tennessee.
when Nelly Was Raking the Hay"
r.srhsrs the hates; eIusion of this kind, a.
frsf ver=e q which runs
wIlen Nelly sss rskinc she hay.
50 often ] think q the day,
S-eh lifflf bare ffft
Ard hl1e e. - 30 sweet
Ans -h.gts Ike tie ruslr e Nay,