The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-03-10
VOL. XXIX.-NO. 10.

ers. MY brother was very peculiar
man, Mr.. Lympet He had risen from
nothing, and he was proud of it. He was
also proud of his name, and rightly so, for
it was-ay, and still is-a power in the
tallow-candle line. 1t was his chief regret
that he had not a son to inherit his fame
1t pained him to think that on his daugh-
ter's marriage the name of Slugg would no
longer be associated with the fortune he
had made, that it would soon be forgotten
the money came from Slugg, and that
his grandchildren might pass their lives
in ease, and yet be ignorant of the very
source from which their portions came.
All this, say, panied him. He looked
upon himself as the founder of family.
'Monstrous! !" calculated, 'monstrous p
"And he did not want his descendants
to forget their obligations. His best plan
would have been to leave his money to his
daughter on condition she married her
cousin, who some day will be head of the
house he helped to found, but he did not
want to fetter her choice. think he was
mistaken, but let that pass We are CON
sidering what he actually did, not what he
ought to have done To be brief, alter
sundry legacies, he left his fortune to his
daughter on these conditions; if she mar
ried, her husband was to take the name of
Slugg, or the money passed To her next of
kin, save an allowance of five hundred a
year for life"
"What = | yelled, starting to my feet
Moreover, he continued paying no
attention to my Outburst, ';she cannot touch
her capital. The full income is hers for
life, but, had she died unmarried, it would
have passed to our side of the family, as it
will do should she die without issue. OF
course, any children she may have will
inherit the whole fortune at her death, but
they must keep the. name of Slugg'
II don't believe it = [ stammered, sink
ing back into my chair.
Here is the copy, he replied, handing
it to me you'll find it all there, though
possibly not in such plain English,
Alas it was too true, Amid all the
tanele of verbiage one fact stood distinctly
out the husband of Belinda would have
to adopt her name or forfeit her fortune.
What was l to do Abandon the name
Of Lympet, which loved, and assume the
name Of Slugg, which | loathed? Impos-
| sible Yet what was the alternative?
Genteel poverty. My pride pulled one
way, my prudence the other; and prudence
won. | had my wife to think Of could
not rob her of her fortune and drag her
down from affluence to indulgence for a
mere sentiment, however noble. For her
sake resolved to subdue my pride and
sacrifice my name. To parody Gibbon, |
sighed as Lympet, | obeyed as a hus-
band after all, - I concluded, not know
ing that spoke aloud, "by the aid of
hpphen it may be made endurable Lynn
pet-Sluggl 1t is at least uncommon"
''If you look on the other page, broke
in an unsympathetic voice, lyon will see a
clause which provides for any such attempt
at evasion. In it the testator declares that
he will have no tompering with the fine
old Anglo-Saxon name of Slugg, that he
will not have it linked to hyphen, and
converted into hybrid compound The
plain old-lashioned name of Slugg must not
be spoiled by any unnecessary additions
My brother loved his name you see, sir,
and as told you, was uncommonly proud
of it.
"Confound lis pride y cried, throw
ing down the will and stamping on it.
"Come, come" said Mr.. Slugg, .you
need not give way So You are not COM
PEELED to take cur name OF course you
mean to refuse No one whose privilege
it is to be called Lympet would like to be
called anything else /"
Had l been wavering, the mans gibes
would have decided me. By accepting the
name of Slugg, | kept his hands from the
fortune for which they were itching; and
this knowledge considerably lessened the
pain my decision cost me.
THAT will do said coldly. Il think
there is nothing to detain us here longer.
Let us 80 up stairs. No doubt you are
anxious to congratulate your niece, Mrs :
Mrs Slugg"
And that is how | came to be called
Slugg. All, if had known the contents
of that abominable will when | made my
choice between Miss Merriek and Miss
Slugg, | would certainly have chosen Miss
Merrick. 1t would have cost me twenty
thousand pounds, but the name of Lympet
was well worth the sacrifice As it is. I
have won fortune, but l have got to 90
through life ticketed with the price l paid
for it. Nor is that all have children,
but | can take little interest in them, for
they are not Lympets, but Sluggs My
father is much annoyed with me, and can
hardly bring himself to recognize Slugg
as member of the family; Cumberground
chaffs me numerically, and my sisters call
my wife "that creature, and compare me
to Esau- But perhaps my greatest cross is
the prosperity of the Slugg candle business,
which has become tremendous concern,
The hated name flames on every boarding,
aaunts on the backs of novels and maya
zines, and has become familiar to every ear