Evening star., 1896-10-24
I. AN OLD EXPERIMENT,

The Inhuence Of . Christening Must
Have It's Limits.
Mr. Twittles had been poring over the
dictionary for some time.
Can't you find this word yeu wahte" his
wife inquired.
Il don't waht any word," he answered.
Tho troubls with half the people oeua-
days IL that they have more words than
they Know what 10 do with. They start
out to tell you something and they get IL
80 tangled up in d luxuriant vocabulary
that 1t takes hours to tell what ough. to
be said In ten minutes. don't want any
more words. I was just seeking diver
sion"
,,a That. haar.!,, rather unusual way OF anus
That's That. no sign II isn't q sood way. It's
chance to have a good time when rs right
DeIore them and go hunting around for
what doesn't amount 10 anything after
they've secured Il. When fesl the need
that contains facts IN the brtefest form.
l can get more enjcyment out Of ths back
Of the dictionary than I can out Of q
politics for awhile. But there's no use
the front. even IN the dictionary.
II don't see how that can he. What
The part that tells the meaning Of
Christian names. II has set me TO think
Ing about the way destiny steps In and
interferes with our plans. I think I've
found out what makes Junkers 80 kind Ct
cynical ara morcse. He was married
three times and had eight children. I
locked up the meanings Of their names,
as I've no doubt he did before the christen-
ing. His first child was named 'AIger-
non.' That means with whiskersr A.
gernon Is versfng on old age, and he hasn't
any more beard than a china egg. The
next was girl"
est, stupidiest woman ever knew"
DO you know what Vivian mesns7' ks
inquired. referring to the dictionary.
That means lively Then there was
Evanssiine. whose name means bringing
glad newA'"
Il never saw such a person As she Is
for going around and telling things that
she knows Will make trouble" hts wife
.Thsn there was Alvin. Alvin means
I've seen a whole street fun Of children
ground the corner. He's very different
from his brother Walter He's the nost
amiabie man / ever knew fn some ways
What does Walter meanT'
inaf means a ruler Of ho1ts'"
stand around"
Yes. His wife Is named Wind wini-
frsa; That means "A lover Of peace"
Yes. Here 1t 70: 'Charles-strons: man.
~: noble-sptrited.' He was 90 basheuI
ned forget what his own name was N you
asked him real quick. And Felix trans
lated happy: prosperous) was 20 unlucky
that one tine when a flood threatened they
gave him his own odds to bet that there'd
De another shower. II cleared I'D inside
OF two hours. And there's George That's
Greek for lahd-holder or husbandmanI'
Ever since George was sixteen years Old he
mas Travelled with a circus"
Still" his wife said pensiveIy, Il don't
see what you mean when you say that
this kind Of reading doesn't take your
mind of politics. It seems to me thar
there couldn't very well be anything more
remote"
That's because you haven't been follow
Ing the same train of thought that have
All these examples illustrate a truth in
political economy. as well as in domestic
economy. You can name the baby what
ever you choose, but you haven't the
slightest assurance that it'll live up TO the
title. It's your privilege. with the proper
formslities. to give any designation that
suits your fancy, but that designation
doesn't make any difference in the long
run. And the same way. may be pos
sible to take fifty cents and call II q dol
lar. There's nothing to prevent a gov
ernments deciding to give IT that appella-
ton II the highest powers agree to II. But
its nature will be 80 cents, just the same"