The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-10
NAMING The BABY.
The Prerogative of Woman, But
Papa Often Has His Say.

AAR& OAtO W. AA9
Since the day in which the mother
of the race cried over the head of her
little boy, Call his name Seth" nam
ing the baby has been the prerogative
of her daughters. Who does not sym
pathize with poor Katy, the heroine Of
stepping Heavenward ,"as she sighed,
II expected to call the baby Ray
mond, but it seems that there has
been a lothian in the family ever
since the memory of man?" 1t does
seem hard that relatives should insist
upon a young mothers handing down
the heirloom of an ugly name. Yet
it is quite as well not to offend the
powers that be, especially il the little
ones financial interests will suffer
thereby. The gratitude Of the hus-
band when family customs are kept
up rather than derided is of itself a
| sufficient reward for the sacrifice.
The next snare lying in wait for the
mother might be called extraordinary
combinations-the desire to atone in
| the middle name for the shortcomings
of the first. Miss Woolson gives us an
| illustration of this in the case of Miss
! Macks, whose name was Ethelinda
| Faith, Mrs. Macks having thus COM
bined euphony with filial respect
'the first title being her tribute to
aesthetics. the second her tribute to
the memory OF her mother"
In choosing the Christian name it is
well to consider the surname, its
length, significance and associations.
The first day at school has been made
more trying than need be because
! thoughtless parents have increased
| the conspicuousness of a peculiar and
uncommon name by adding to it some
unusual title, sure to be twisted into
an annoying nickname.
The poetical nomenclature of liter
| AZURE and the prose of college cata-
logues and visiting cardf do not har-
| monte. For this season, If for no
other, the custom of besto wing upon
| children the romantic titles of the
| heroes and heroines OF fiction is to be
| deplored. "UncleT TOMS Cabin" has
| stood sponsor for too many Evas and
| st. Clares.
Long ago the question was asked,
"What's in a name?' We answer,
revelation of ancestry and a sugges-
| ton of individuality. Looking I'VE
| the records in the family Bible, one
can discover if the tendency of the
race has been religious, political or
clannish, and what public characters
have been its ideals. The good sense
or the follow of the parents is *
hibited in the Christian names Of
their children.
Dickens often speaks of the effect
upon himself of the names of his as
sociates. We expect a Solomon to
know something, a Hercules to be
| strong, and are disappointed If a Lily
is not fair. For this reason it is quite
as we'll to avoid names that call Tor a
certain harmony of temperament,
physique and career.
Plain, manly and womanly names
that make no ~pretensions are always
| pleasant to hear and speak. 1t is de-
cidedly better to choose English in
preference to foreign titles, and no
matter how charming the President
and his wife may be, to shun noto-
riety in naming the baby.-Helen Jay,
in Ha2peT's Bazaar.
Clara Morris Realism.
Louis James tells that he once
PLAYED in miss Moulton" with Clara
Morris when her acting had not only
| Her duul6ICc, OOb hCI lCAiO W-dCtOIS III
an almost hysterical condition. In
the scene where the heroine filings
herself at her husbands knees, and
exclaims in broken accents "Mau-
rice, for Gods sake, let me see my
children." he could not speak for a
full minute. He looked down at her
and the tears were streaming down
her face. In that moment OF supreme
agony / heard her say: Il say, what
ails you up there? Are you dumb?"
The effect was like q shower bath.
This trait of Clara Morris has always
been we'll known in the profession.
In her early days, when n was a
member of the Union Square Com
pany, it is said that many an actor
dreaded to be on in a scene with her
when she was in a mood to guy, and
chat she was the terror of Charlie
Thorne's life, and he was no poor
hand at guying himself.
Christianity and the Japanese.
1t would be hard to say how Chris
tianity in name, as we mostly have it,
could improve the conduct or charac-
ter of the Japanese women, who seem
always to have been very good Chris
tians without knowing it, if we are to
believe Miss Bacon. Perhaps the an
swer to the conundrum is that Chris
tianity is not primarily a purifying
force, but is first an enlightening
force; that its ideal is virtue, not in
nocence; Gethsemane, not Eden. The
harmlessness of the dove will not
avail without the wisdom of the SER
pent; the impulse of our faith is
towards consciousness. knowledge.
No doubt this is what the Japanese
feel in it.; probably it is what
makes them willing to change their
civilization for ours. They really
seem a race of better and sweeter