The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-25


"Ill tell you bit of family history.
You see: we Marabons are of On old
North Carolina family of Huguenot de-
scent, and pretty we'll off. My fathers
Christian name was Algernon. He used
to say it should have been Issachar-
that he was an ass STOPPING between two
burdens, his wife and his mother-in-law
he was given to bitter speeches. When
was born there was some discussion
about a proper name for me. It was
regular family council. There were
Grandfather and Grandmother Marabon,
Grandmother Jenifer, father and mother.
Grandmother Jenifer was a rather i'm
portant 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 to receive re-
spect."
"Shc was one of your fathers 'bur-
dens,' 1 said when he paused.
"Exactly; but he didn't tell her so.
Well, they met. My grandfather voted
for Peter. Let us have one good, sensi-
BILE, substantial name. I let my son be
christened Algernon, to please his mother,
but one fool name is quite enough in
family Grandmother Marabon thought
he ought to be named after his father.
Mother timidly suggested-John!
"Then Grandmother Jenifer fared up,
'Peter is bad enough, she said, and Al
gernon worse; but John! Why, every
one will call him Jack'
"'Suppose they do,' said mother,
plucking up spirit. John is always
called Jack by those who like him. It
shows he is a good fellow
"'Or Johnnyr sneered Grandmother
Jenifer.
"'I didn't think of that, said mother,
appalled, at the possibility. what would
you call him, mammal
I" If I am to have any say il the mat
ter, said Grandmother Jenifer, Il should
suggest name of quite different kind.
The boy bids fair to grow up to be a fine
man with great head on his shoulders;
that comes from the Jenifer side of the
house, at least from the Setons, for he
has my fathers head to mold; and I
shouldn't be surprised if he. became a
great soldier or lawyer, or something. He
should have name with ring in it, a
something that will stimulate him to do
something to deserve it, a name to rouse
his ambition and strengthen his purpose.
Call him Napoleon Cesar
"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.
"They wrangled over the thing for
two days, when Grandfather Marathon
proposed compromise. Lets leave it
to the minister, he said. DR.. Curran is
sensible as we'll as a good man. Let
every one write down the name he or she
prefers on the same sheet of paper. AL
gernon can hand it to DR.. Curran and tell
him he is to select the one he thinks
best This was finally agreed to. Grand
father and Grandmother Marabon both
wrote what is called fine hands, and
Grandmother Jenifer bold hand. This
time she enlarged it until it rose to what
the boys at school called big hand,
and the Napoleon Cesar went two-thirds
of the way across the page. Father took
the paper. He did not care a straw
whether was called Peter of Algenon,
but he revolted at Napoleon Caesar. So,
before he handed the paper to the minis
ter, he wrote Jehosophat! in quite as big
letters as Grandmother Jenifer's, right
after hers. This was to call DR.. Curran' S
attention to the absurdity of the name
just before. Now you see how the thing
is shaping?"
~ can't say that do, as yet"
"Ah! But you must know that my
father was soft spoken man, and when
he said in low voice, You will find the
name on this paper, DR.. Curran, you are
to choose which The minister only
caught the first part of his remarks. Vie
looked at the paper. He was little
short-sighted; but he caught Grand
mother Jenifer's big letters and my
fathers after them and quite overlooked
the others. He thought the name queer,
but not exactly open to canonical objec-
ton, and it fixed itself in his mind. So
when the moment came had the name
of Napoleon Cesar Jehosophat fixed on
me as tightly as the church could do it. "
"Then your Grandmother Jenifer must
have been pleased3"
"But she wasn't, though. She de-
clared that father had done it on purpose
to make fun of her She left our house
and took up with Sam Martin, and when
she died she left to Felicia and her chill
dren everything she had"
"That was bad"
s'It wasn't bad for the Martins, and I
have enough. But how am I to break
the matter to Edith?"
''It is the easiest thing in the world,
my dear Joker. Napoleon Marabon'
sounds very we'll"
"But the Cesar and that abominable
Jehosophat9"
"Give them the go by. Follow the
example of men of rank abroad. There
isn't king, nor royal prince, nor the
head of noble house that hasn't from
three to thirty names given him at his
baptism, but he never uses but one.
There is no law here that forces you
to use more than one of yours. Drop the