The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-19
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
A Good Deal, 1t Appears, When 1t Is
Not Properly Bestowed.
Eron1 Al the Year Found

n GOOA ACOblJ Az AAPCO1bAG % w AOl4 Az 40
Not Properly Bestowed.
From All the Year Round.
A name is certainly not the least import
ant factor in a mans career. How much
more difficult would it be for a Muggins or
a Finnigan to gain acceptance as a poet,
however great his talent, than for Tenny-
son or MiltOnl No matter how great a
mans energy, talent or courage may be, an
odd or ridiculous name will be a clog to him
through life and add immensely to his diff
culties in making his way upward. OF
what avail a mans aristocratic appearance,
correct dress, coat of the most fashionable
cut and satisfactory balance at the bank, if
| his visiting card condemns him to pity or
to ridiculei What q consolation it must be
to a lady afflicted with disagreeable name
to know that she may have an opportunity
of changing it for letter i'll way at once
gratifying to her pride and affections This
| privilege of the ladies has been assumed by
the Popes, who change their names when
they are chosen as successors to st. Peter
The introducer of this Papal custom, Ser
gius H., may well be excused for the limo
walton, seeing that his own name signifies
Hog's-mouth. Melancthon was not above
this weakness, and he adopted the Greek
form of his proper name, which signified
''Black Earth" and the learned Erasmus
made a similar transformation of his Dutch
name, Gerard.
In the time of Louis XIV a distinguished
writer who was a member of the Academy
a Councillor of State and a friend of Rich
ellen, had the misfortune to bear the name
of Gueux Beggar) Can we wonder at his
adopting the name of his patrimonial estate
and calling himself Balzacl Many other
in stances might be quoted Of men of talent
and eminence being dissatisfied with the
names that were borne by their ancestors.
Some people, in their anxiety to compen-
safe their children for the vulgar or ridicu-
lous family names which they have inner
tied, couple with them what they consider
aristocratic or euphonious Christian names.
Hence. we have such combinations as Gla-
dys Beatrice Higgs, Constance Aurelia Smith
and Victor Augustus Jones. One can sym
pathize with the fact that many pleasing
hours of consultation and discussion are
given to the young mother and her husband
in deciding what nameWill sound most mel
lfuously and assert most fittingly with the
sterling and attractive qualities which are
so perceptibly packed up in that little cherub
their first born.
The aucients had many superstitions as
to lanes, and even elevated the study TO
science under the title of Onomanta.
When the Romans raised an army or
numbered the citizens, they were always
careful that UDe HraL name TAKEN should he
an auspicious one More than one Emperor
owed his elevation simply to his name, and
Caesar, in his expedition 30 Africa, gave a
command TO obscure Scipio because the
people believed that the Scipios were irwin
chile in Africa.
Similar influences weighed with the
French ENJOYS, who went 10 negotiate
marriage between one OF the Spanish prin-
cesses and Louis VIII. Tley rejected Ur-
raca, tue elder and more beautiful princess,
who was intended for their royal master,
and preferred her sister, because her name,
Blanche had "a more musical sound.
A Spanish ambassador to the Court Of
Elizabeth considered his dignity sighted
when the Q cen appointed wealthy citi-
zen 70 receive him because his host bore the
very short name OF John Cuth He soon
found. however, that if Cuts had a short
name be had long purse and right royal
way of dipping into il for the sake Of up
holding the English name for hospitality.