The morning call., 1894-06-16
SMITH FAMILY MISFORTUNES.
"HeIlo. Freddie 7"

This was the style in which men who
knew him accOsted President Hyde of the
Board of Education yesterday. In fact it
looks as if the enthusiastic denouncer OF
pet names had acquired one himself which
will stick to him for life. 1t used to be
Fred; now it is Freddie" The question
. Mr.. Hyde asked himself of how it would
look TO sign himself Freddie is being
answered in the questions put to him every
hour of the day. 1t does not sound very
dignified and Mr.. Hyde does not seem to
care about being called Freddie" but the
name has come to stay.
The pet-name question is agitating the
teachers immensely. All the literature on
the subject is being eagerly devoured and
the twisters of youthful twigs know more
about the descent of diminutives now than
they ever did before. Genealogical trees
= are being carefully studied to see if grand
mothers and great-grsndmothers were
called "Aggie" or Susie" or Daisy"
or whether these are pet names for
Sopbanisba. Mary Ellen and Mar
guerite. Those teachers who were
christened by misguided parents with such
names jessie" Lille" "Dottie," are
wondering how they shall follow Mr..
Hyde's rule. for if they haven't got any
other name and the School Department
Insists on the dropping of such names
there is going to be a serious deadlock in
such instances which will be hard to
straighten out There are in fact lots of
Mays, Daisys and Lotties who were
cbristened that way. What they are
going to do about it they do not know.
II wish Mr.. Hyde would tell me how |
an going to drop my name," said Miss
Jessie Smith of the Denman School. IL
was christened Jessie. 1t is my name, aud
how on earth can 1 change it? This is one
of the names Mr.. Hyde calls a dlminutive"
why can'tyou sign your initial ?" asked
the reporter, feeling that he had made
point in putting such poser.
Because my sisters name is Jennie
Jennie Smith," replied Miss Jessie Smith.
III sign myself Miss J. Smith no one
will know whether 1t is Miss Jessie or Miss
Jennie Smith Besides that my brothers
initial is j also. We are all Us you see.
Outside of the fact that l was christened
Jessie l must use that to distinguish nv
self from my sister. OF curse [ don't
believe in signing ones name Birdie
when the name is really Blanche, but do
say that there are many teachers who have
been christened such names as mine is
such rule Of the board.
Miss Jennie Smith is principal of Long
fellow Primary School on Silver street,
She lives at 3O4 Bartlett street. Unlike
her sister. she was not christened Jennie.
but just Jane. Jennie is the diminutive
for jane, and Miss Jennie Smith was
quite willing to tell how she came to be
called Jennie. You see," said she.
I il
Miss Mary Smith there. To distinguish
US our friends said Miss Jennie or Miss
Mary. as the case might be. When l took
charge of the LOngfellow School some of
the old pupils were there who knew me as
Miss Jennie Smith and they called me
that. and now every one calls me that l
am the only one IN the school that signs
her name in the diminutive. But | shan'r
do SO any more. really think the discus
sion has had good effect. 1t will educate
people in the matter. l really think it is
more dignifed that teachers should sign
their full names or initials and not pct
names as diminutives. But l think that
if the matter is sifted it would be found
that many of the teachers who are named
Carrie and Hattie and Jessie were christ
ened that way"
principal of Denman School. She is a
bright and popular teacher. and did not
hesitate to say what she thought. INV
name is Eta, but that is not diminu.
:tive," she said. "l was christened Eta
but l generally sign my initials There is
no teacher in the Denman School that
signs her name with a diminutive or pct
name. There is Miss Jessie Smith, but
"a oh icfa
help it. / was thinking over this name
business, and L believe it is very absurd to
let oneself be called by pet name. The
men don't do it. For instance, how ridden
lous and undignifed 1t would be to call
. ME- Denman Jimmie Denman. or the Su-
pelintendent Johnny SWEET, or MIR. Mann
Any Manu." and the thought of the
decorous and prim Mr. Mann being called
"AZzy Mann" made Mrs. Baumgardner
laugh heartily. It may be stated, by way
Of explanation, that Mr.. Mann's front
name is AFRO. 1--WE are very dignified in
the Denman School, can tell you," went
on Mrs. Baumgardner, land sign ourselves
in full. But I have had lots of difficulty with
names of the pet kind l remember a girl
named Pansy Grubb. Of course the COM
bination was rather funny. Then [ had a
girl who took one gold medal. Her name
was Ninanna, and was called for short
''Ninny." When 1 heard it 1 said won't
have any nipnies in my school and called
her by the full name. There was teacher.
too, who weighed something like 200
pounds. and she was called Dot. just i'm
agine Dot of 200 pounds 1t was too
ridiculous. AS for me, with my small front
name and my long surname, it always
strikes me like small portico to a very
extensive establishment"
Miss Daisy Jesse of the South End
School is an instance of what Mr.. Hyde
would. consider misplaced christening.
Miss Maggie Curry is another, but Miss
Margaret Curry, who always signs that
way, will not be bothered by the rule.
81 think those pet names are weak" said
Mrs. M. Prag of the Girls High School de-
cidedly. Used for young girls they are
bad enough, but when it comes TO big wo-
men they are ridiculous. Why, l know
woman, VINO is the mother of three chill
dren, and they still call her Baby Can
you imagine anything more absurd?
II have always impressed on the girls
that they must give their full, strong names
in class. and for their diplomas. Quite
lately one Of my pupils was MORALLY Of
Tended because I called her Matilda ip-