Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-23
TASTE AS TO NAMES.
CONDITIONS ON WHICH HEIR GRACE
AND BEAUTY DE- IND.

How n Commonplace Sur Ims May he
Transhgured by q Hap. Prehx-Pa-
rental stupIdIty-Initiale Selection OF
Names for Children.
Tastes differ as TO names, Of course, and 1t
Is impossible to draw a line, with all the
sheep on one side and all tho goats on the
other. Some people think that John and
James are excellent names, while others con-
sidor them ugly and commonplace. Names
like Charlotte and Clarence are admired by
some and detested by others But whatever
Disagreement as to particular names may
exist, it win be found that there is very little
difference Of opinion az to the pleasant or un-
pleasant sound of any ones full title, be the
same double, triple or quadruple in its con-
struction.
The grace and beauty of a full name or
title depend on certain uncompronL ing con-
ditions 1t should DO rhythmical; 1t should
not be Pathological; it should contain a suffi-
Gent quantity Of vowel and consonant
sounds; it should be easily pronounceable; it
should not suggest unpleasant associations
For example; a. Three long monosyllabic
names In succession, like "John Paul JONES'"
are not as desirable as a combination of long
Holmes" 2l Pathological Names like "John
johnson" or civilian Williams, - are an abo-
mination 81 ELLA Ellis" is too monoton-
Gus; It would be better to name the child
Kate" or MARIAN" ~ "Henry Wads-
worth Longfellown satisfies all the foregoing
conditions, but it Is not easily pronounced
The words do not run together smoothly, as
in flames Russell Lowell" g. Benedict
Arnold" sounds well. but no one would be
apt to give that name to an infant.
soFTENED ny PREFIX,
Since these conditions are SO obvious and
so easy of fulfillment, and since the choice of
names is 80 wide, the prevalence and per-
sistence of harsh, awkward names must be a
constant source Of wonder and disgust. Even
when the surname Is commonplace, as In the
case of the noble army of "Smiths" and
Browns" or even hopelessly uncouth, as In
Potts" or "Hogg," 1t can DO softened and
TRANSPORTED by happy prefix, just as ingen-
ious decorators beautify bare walls and un-
lovely articles of furniture. Thus Sydney
Smith" and Goodwin Smith" and Ballard
Smith" are good names at least in this, that
the ''Smith" part is overshadowed and as it
were, eliminated by the prefixes, which are 80
uncommon that they engross the attention.
But many parents are SO stupid about this
that one would think they were hardly older
than their babies 1t is incredible that any
Christian should be baptized "Judas Iscar-
iot," but read the other day that one of
Roscoe Conkling's ancestors rejoiced in the
name "Ananias." What could have possessed
the parents of that unfortunate Individual to
name him after the typical liar of all timeR
As well might they have called him "Apol-
lyon" or "Beelzebub"
Again, the matter Of initials comes in for
consideration as feature Of minor, but still
appreciable, Importance No matter how
smooth or high sounding ones name may be,
1t will dull the edge of his self satisfaction If
the initials spell some offensive word. The
composer of "Pinafore" has very pretty
name-"Arthur Seymour Sullivann-but he
always drops the second of the three words,
and a very brief investigation will show the
reason why.
EUPHoNIoUs AND WELL BALANCED.
By all means let the children have eupho-
NOUS, well balanced names II the surname
be short and abrupt, the baptismal names
should be pollysyllabic and flowing, and vice
versa A true ear and a just sense of proper
tion will insure a wise decision in every case
Keeping In mind the five conditions already
mentioned, one will find, on further and more
critical examination of the subject, that the
best possible triple combinations, rhythmi-
lowed by a trochee Tor spondee> and a dactyl,
or o. dactyl, followed by a trochee Tor spon-
dec and long monosyllable. In other words,
If the surname be a monosyllable, it is well
for the first name to be of three syllables and
the second name of two syllables; but if the
surname be a dactyl it is best led up to by a
monosyllabie first name and dissyllabic
second name. OF the second combination
"Oliver Wendell Holmes" is a splendid ex-
ample, coinciding with all the requisite con-
ditions. while excellent specimens of the first
combination are found in Ralph Waldo
Emerson" and "John Greenleaf Whittier"
which may be considered practically perfect
names, satisfying the demands of proportion
and rhythm, containing an agreeable variety
of vowel sounds, and being sufficiently smooth
in pronunciation, while not deficient in
strength, which should pertain to every
Masculine appellation.
Trochaio surnames which are the most
numerous of all, are not SO easily balanced as
the foregoing. Three trochees In line Is a
frequent combination, and not bad one, by
any means Thus, Edmund Clarence Sted-
man" is a very good name, viewed from all
points; but rhythmcally Frank Dempster
Sherman" and George William Curtis" may
seem a little more satisfactory. Certain COM
binations are conspicuously awkward, as, for
example, the three successive monosyllables
already alluded to, in the case of John Paul |
JONES'" dactyl followed by an iambus, as
Frederic Eugene" and a dactyl followed by
q monosyllable and a troGhee, as Theodore
Dwight Woolsey." 1t will be found desirable
as general thing, by the way, to select
word of two syllables for the middle name
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