The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-06-20
" What's in a Name 2"

He sat in the hammock, doing moth
ing in particular. He had a stick of
red-and-white candy in his hand, but
was not eating it, for the simple reason
that he had already eaten so much sweet
stuff as to be conscious of an uncom-
Portable feeling in the region of hi,
stomach, but he did not like to put
the candy out of his sight. A side
door, belonging to the house near at
hand, opened and woman's voice was
heard:
swat, run and see if there are any
eggs in the nests"
Yes'm," said the boy in the ham
mock. Wait a minute and l will"
But he did not stir from his place.
Watt" shouted the voice of his
brother from the distant bayfield,,
bring us a pitcher of fresh water,
can't your"
elf you'll wait till I've hunted the
eggs for mamma l will" shouted back
the boy, and sat as still as mouse,
candy.
Some minutes passed and his Aunt
Sarah appeared in the doorway: "Wait,
are you there? Can't you run to the
grocery and get me some lemons? l
need another, and they are all out"
Why, if you can wait little while
/ will" answered the boy. I've got
two things to do first" But he sat still.
Under tree just behind the ham
mock sat the new teacher, who boarded
at the house from which the calls had
come. 1t was Saturday, and he liked
to bring book and sit under the great
old trees. He was not reading now,
but was looking at the boy with Gu
rious smile on his face. My boy"
he said at last, chow do you spell your
name?"
"Our name?' was the brisk reply,
4" B-r-y-s-o-n.'
"Oh! but mean the first name. /
know how to spell the other one."
why, there isn't but just one way
to spell my first name; it is John.
That's all there is to it; no middle name
nor anything.
"Johnv' said the teacher, in sur
prised tone; "why, how in the world
do your friends get Wait out of that?
have been here week and l have
never heard you called anything but
Wait" Then the boy in the hammock
had some red cheeks. He laughed a
little and looked foolish and wished he
had gone at that first call, then he
would not have had such troublesome
question to answer.
"Why, you see they just call me that
for nickname" he explained at last.
Everybody does, and l don't think
they ought to, do you? 1t isn't my
name any more than its yours"
" But how did they get into the habit
in the first place? Mechanics gen.
orally mean something. There was 6
fellow in college whom we called Solo,
mon, because he was always giving us
the benefit of his wisdom. Why dc
you suppose they took up the fashion
of calling you Waltz"
"Why," said the boy, looking down
at his feet and wishing he was in the
bayfield,, "The way of it was, s'pose,
I-or-well, they said l was always
saying 'Wait minute when they
called me; and so they began to call
me Watt and after while they
couldn't help it."
sob! and the name doesn't fit you
now and yet they keep using it? That
is pity. should say if you had quite
given up the habit that prompted the
name, it was no more than fair that
they should give up its use."
Just then they were interrupted; the
side door opened again and the moth
er's voice was heard:
"Wait Bryson, haven't you gone tC
hunt for those eggs yet?"
-. do
from his hammock. "I'm going this
minute!" And as he walked away he
said, " 1t isn't exactly fair TO make him
think that I've given up saying it, but
| didn't tell him any such thing. | Won
der if he heard me say it every single
time this afternoon and is kind of
making fun of me? l wish they didn't
call me Wait. | mean to give it up
and see if they can learn what my name
is."-The PanSy.