Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-11-06

And J-well, is for Jehosophat.
Now every one nearly mis-pronounces
my name any how. and put it to you,
as friend, if l can go through life as
Napoleon Cesar Jchosophat Marrow
bone.''
had to laugh-I couldn't help it
not so much at the name as at the /
intense misery and despair in the coun-
tenance of Marathon. When l recovered /
myself l asked:
How in the name of goodness did |
you come by such a queer collection of |
names?"
''I'n tell you bit of family history.
You see, we Marabons are of an old
North Carolina family of Huguenot de-
scent, and pretty well off. My fathers
| Christian name was Algernon. He
usel to say It should have been ISsachar
that lie was an STOPPING between
two burdens, his wife and his mother
in-law-he was given to bitter speeches.
When l was born there was some dis
cussion about a proper name for me.
1t was regular family council. There
were Grandfather and Grandmother
Marabou, Grandfather Jenifer, father
and mother. Grandmother Jenifer
was rather important parsonage. She
was richer than the MarabOns,
widow, and could leave her property to
whom she pleased. My mothers
younger sister, Felicia, had married
with Sam Martin against her consent,
and she declared none of the Martins
should be the better of her money.
There was no one else for her to leave
it to but mother or me. So her views
in the matter had 10 receive respect"
''She was one of your fathers bur
den, - said when he paused.
| SET-NapIly. bnt ba Hi6nst oil ha,
Well, they met. My grandfather voted
for Peter. Let US have one good, SEN
sible, substantial name. let my son
be christened Algernon, TO please his
mother, but one fool name is quite
enough in a family Grandmother
} Marabon thought he ought to be named
after his father. Mother timidly sug-
gested-John!'
Then Grandmother Jenifer flared
up, Peter is bad enough. she said, and
: Algernon worse; but John! Why,
= every one will call h III Jack!'
Suppose they do said mother,
plucking up spirit. John Is always
| called Jack by those who like him. 1t
, shows he is good fellow
"'Our Johnnyp sneered Grandmothg +
Jenifer.
"'I didn't think of that said
, mother, appalled, at the possibility.
1 What would you call him, mammal
If L am to have any say in the
matter said Grandmother Jenifer, Il
should suggest name of quite differ
4 ent kind. The boy bids fair to grow
t up to be fine man with great head
S on his shoulders; that comes from the
. Jenifer side OF the house, at least from
D the Setons, for he has my fathers head
: to mold; and l shouldn't be surprised
r if he became a great soldier or lawyer,
l or something. He should have a name
4 with a ring i'll it, something that will
e stimulate him TO do something to de-
d serve it, a name to rouse his ambition
n and strengthen his purpose. Call him
;, Napoleon Cesar
V Mother agreed to this, she ALWAYS
: gave in to her mother at last, but the
= others demurred. There was tie vote
!. for father seemed to be barred out.
s ''They wrangled over the thing fOl
: two days, when Grandfather MarabUI
g proposed a compromise. Let's leave
it to the minister he said. DIR. Cur
: ran Is a sensible as well as good man,
b Let every one write down the name he
T or she prefers on the same sheet o
}. paper. Algernon can hand it to DIR
a Curran and tell him he Is 10 select tile
n one he thinks best This was finally
:. agreed to. Grandfather and Grand.
h mother Marabon both wrote what il
5 called fine hands, and Grandmothel
e .Jenifer a bold hand. THIS time sht
l. enlarged it until it rose 10 what tn,
k boys at school called big hand ant
II the Napoleon CB,ar went two-th ri
l. of the way across the page. Fd'ns
II took the paper. lie did not car
n straw whether I was calle Peter o
n Algernon, but he revolted at NdpO
IF leon Caesar. So, before he handed
d the paper to the minister, he wTot
d JehoSophatl in quite as big letters a
= Grandmother Jenlfer's, right after hers
e This was to call DIR. Curran's attention
to the absurdIty of the name just be
e fore. Now you see how the thing /
e shaping?"
1 II can't say that l do, as yet"
"a "Ahl But you must know that m,
II father was "A soft spoken man, and whel
l. he said in d low voice, You Will fine
the name on this paper, DIR. Curran
d YOU are to choose which, The ministe
ID only caught the first part of his re
T, marks. He looked at the paper. IL
ot was a little short-sighted; but he caugh
at Grandmother Jenifer's big letters ant
my fathers after them and quite over
|. looked the others. lie thought tn
i. name queer, but not exactly open l.
Is canonical objection, and it fixed itSel
in his mind. SO when the moment cam
L had the name OF Napoleon Case
u Jehosophat fixed on me as tightly a
the church could do it,"
Then your Grandmother Jenife
ee must have been pledsed?'
Y, "But she wasn't though. She de
ht clared that father had done it on pun
pose to make fun of her. She left ou
m house and took up with sam Martin
rs and when she died she left to Felici
and her children every thing She had.
~ "That WAS bad"
ne s'It wasn't bad for the Martins, an
~ 1 have enough. But how am l to breal
the matter to EdlthT''
'.It is the easiest thing in the world
We my dear joker. Napoleon Maraboi
sounds very well"
or But the Cesar and that abOmlnabl
. Jehosophat?''
i'd Give them the go by. Follow th
v. example of men OF rank abroad. TheI
ks isn't a king, nor a royal prince, nor I'll
tie head of a noble house that hasn't frOl
three to thirty names gwen him at b
er baptism. but he never uses but on'
all There is no law here that forces yo
rel to use more than one of yours. DrC
wv the Cesar and the JehOsOphat, at lea
the .JehOsophat, and with the braveI
nv inherent to the name itself, march
matrlmOny as Napoleon Marabon."
on y. &. J., as y. c. J. no more, toe
gu comfort and my advice. was Il
| gToOm's best man when Miss Edit
he Keteltas became Mrs. NAPOLEON Mar
he bon, and tie gratitude of my frieI
Is. seems to know no bounds. He not on
IV,s