Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-10-04
THE BABY'S NAME.
An Episode of Country life

head, crowned with its Panama straw
hat. His sister Persis looked up inter-
negatively. She was pairing green ap-
pies for sauce and the sudden pause Of
her knife sent a small. indigestible
looking specimen spinning across the
floor.
You don't tell me-" she said.
Yes. we've named him" Lemuel
said. following the Panama hat into
the kitchen.
Wen. it's time you did-poor little
Teller"
Lemuel sat down and the pairing
knife again took up its peregrinatiOns
round and round an apple.
How'd you ever sit round to it,
Lem2"
AR. Ruggles whole bearing was tri-
Umphant There was unusual dignity
about the set of his Sunday clothes,
lurking i'm their Cr5ases and folds and
shining out of their buttons. Even his
Panama hat appeared TO have borrowed
extra luster. He crossed his legs and
sat up with unbending primness.
Let's have the story. Lem, Persis
said. smiling over at him. Il guess us
with hearin this time, anyhow. You
N Narthy have ben a powerful while
namin' that baby One time l Gale Ia
ted YOU was goin to let him name NM
self amt he nigh six months DID, II
he's q day2"
"Yes. he's moren six mOnths-hes
gCin' on seven. But he's got q name
now. He's all right fur's that goes.
Mr. Ruggles' c0ultenance assumed a
C0nJented aspect that sat oecomlnglF
upon IL. He hitched his chair nearer
to- Persis. and took up a green apple
and tossed it gently from one hand to
another. The limp cotton gloves at
tracted his sisters notice.
"Yes. I be consid'able fixed up, Per-
sis" Lemuel FASTENED 10 say IN apOl-
ogv. you see. it's q sort of holiday
an I'm celebratin'.'
The yellow almanac hung over the
table swayed little in the breeze from
the omen door, and Persis glanced up
at it,
"A holiday?' she Queried.
"vhv. YES. a sorter family holiday
rs fr were. You see, we named nm
this mornin' az q quarter 70 eleVen-or
mebbe twas twenty minutes OF.
come over to ask you to supper. Mar
thy sent me. She's all dressed up IN
her sacond-best weddin' dress. an We're
goin' to have preserved barberries an
ancel cake. The baby's got on his best
clothes. too ..-
ME baby's father took a tentative
hire of the green apple. and hastily ma
the WY face it 0ccasioned Oehlhu one
of the cotton gloves. He was not d
young father, and it was not easy 10
associnate him with the PROUD ceIe-
mony of baby naming. mere Wele
criss-cross Fuckers on his high Iote-
head and the beginning traces oI D"IU-
ness on top Of his head. CO..
lie settled back In his chair. lt Was
-ris rav. Persis. Narthy mes en-
terribly worked ND over fndin' a name
f1r he little chap We KEEP ruhnlh
OHIO new. ones an speculatn' over EN-
rim wa was more unsartain than we
vas before. Marchy. she was kinder
f-- -qUin' him caleb solomon. AFTER
Aotr 1fs prandfathers. but Caleb solo
man RuvEles didn't sound jest easy an
oo-fo 10 me noways I could pronounce
F. So we Civ that up. Then there was
Fnbriqm John. after MarJhy's uncle,
am lie Baron Wiggin an Guy Claude
We're 90 Vere-that comes out OF o story
f bo0k-an' Launcelot LemUle-that was
after book chap an me b0ch-an' q
quantity of ether real pretty names.
Bu- there didn't none of 'em suit. We
read books an books an hunted up
pile Of college programs of brother
4 er. T. ffnf- ON e9fI
/ all the names out loud, an experimental
! with 'em."
Porsis had TO go into the pantry for
q saucepan cover. and there was
/ slight hitch in Mr.. Ruggle's story. When
+ Persis came back she said reiectvely;
..Well. T didn't know twas such
I lob namn' babies. I declare it's
/ enough to scare folks out of marryin1
amt it?'
Mr. Ruggles nodded in solemn ac-
+ guiescence.
"But it amt q hurryin' matter
I You've got to put your mind on iJ an
+ keep It on a good long spell It's
mrribla responsibility, Persis. But
when you've once lit on the right name
+ IT'S q reglar delight"
/ His ewes shone with pleasure. This
T mo~nin'. after milkin'. I set down in q
roekin' chair an says 10 Marthy. I
saws. I'm going 20 set right i'm this
chair till that baby gets namedl lt
amt any wonder he cries 50 much
/ he's lonesome. He don't feel TO homo
| without KNOWN who he is. He won't
+ never feel acquainted an to home till
+ ne finds that out. So NIarthy she set
down I'm another rocker. an we went at
it h7rder'n ever. The baby laid in the
/ cradle an held his breath. so to speak
+ We got ont them programs aSatn. am
that's where we found his name. il
KEEP Occurriu' among all the Other
names. an we decided on il right ON
hen. 7 don't know why we hadn
never thought of it before. unless II
was because q was sort Of common
/ comm So often. But we both liked IT,
persfs. I declare 7 DO" he said.
CTS a real takin' name, an sounds
real kind of arist0cratic, an l ain %
. ever heard of anybody withit-not any
. where. 7 guess it warn'r common only
/ round that section where John went 10
[ college Tt appeared 70 he q fayori.e
name there Lemuel put on his hat
and went 20 the screen door
superb be ready at o'clock he
said looking back Persis hurried az
ter him.
"Bu. YOU amt told me what it was
vet Lem. she said. eagerly.
"What what VASE
"Why the baby's name
"Oi-why 20 De sure"
III