The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-01
SOME WELL KNOWN
MONS DE PLUME
EARLY Writers Are Timid About Using
Their Right Names.
SOME SIMPLY USE THEIR INITIALS
Some Of Them, However, Assume
Fictitious Names..SOme Men Who
Write Under a WOman's Name.
How the Compliment Has Been Re.
NoA
From the Philadelphia Times.

of his career knows a trepidation and
timidity that makes him glad to hide
behind a "soubriquet," or, as the
French usually call them, mons de
guerre." 1t might be thought that
these are chosen haphazard. Though
this may be SO in some cases. 1t Is usual
ly otherwise. AS much thought is Of
ten expended in their construction as
was ever devoted to the title of book.
Some adopt a nom de plume" because
of innate modesty; others through
mortal fear OF the public and critics;
yet a larger class find satisfaction in
writing over a name more suggestive
it may be- or romantic than the orig
inal family name. Sometimes the style
and kind Of work done by an author
suggests or decides the pseudonym,
while, in the great majority of cases
Is simply that euphonious or fancfful
name is desired.
The simplest form-and these cOnSti-
tute goodly number-consist of the
initials of the authors real name, such
as IL. f. L." CLetitia Elizabth Lam
dom; &c. A. s." George Augustus
Sala), and "B." (the late Lord Bram-
welD, or some transposition of the real
name, such as "Dalmocand" (used by
George Macdonald), and Draw" which
Is simply Ward, written backwards
AS another example might be mem
toned the famous prima donna, Mad
anne Trebelli, whose real name was
"Gillebert." her nom de theatre being
her surname spelled backwards, with
the initial "G" omitted
1t has been a favorite fancy with au-
fhnrS 70 Rot
the initials Of their own. Thus, Anne
Bronte wrote as Action Bell, Charlotte
Bronte as "Currer Bell" and Emily
Bronte as Ellis Bell" In all the wide
field Of literature can three other such
illustrious names be found belonging
to one family? 1t Is a scarcely known
fact that Robert Burns was u nom de
plume. the Scotch poets real name be-
ing Robert Burness. but Is has by right
Of usage become the family name. as
in the case Of Sir Henry Irving and
Henry NJ. Stanley.
NAMES THAT MIsLEAD.
1t is not unusual for lady writer's Who
desire to cultivate q masculine style Of
writing and who feel that a good mas
culine name would carry conviction. to
adopt names Of the opposite sex. Mrs.
Henry Wood used to write as Johnny
Ludlow" Mrs. Cross immortaliZed her.
self as George Eliot" Madame Dude
want, who was no mean factor in the
literary and social circles of the last
century, as George Sand" and Mrs.
Stannard, who delights the reading
world with the bright military tales
of "John Strange Winter"
This is undoubtedly compliment to
the sterner sex and was gracefully re-
turned by Algernon Swinburne when
he adopted petticOat for his standard
and signed himself Mrs Horace Man.
ners.' This was probably occasioned
by Thackeray's comment upon Swim
burne'S initials. 1t Is related that
Swinburne wrote some verses in a
young lady's album, to which Thack-
cray was asked to contribute. Thack-
cray simply wrote "Two-thirds Of the
truth" under Swinburne's initials, a.
s." Sir Arthur Sullivan. the eminent
composer, has dropped his middle name.
Seymour, owing to the awkward COM
bination of the initial letters of his full
name. Some special circumstances is
the origin of many well-known names;
when his line marked two fathoms OF
water, suggested to Samuel NJ. Clemens
his world-famous nom de plume, Mark
Twain" and the fact that Mile de la
Ramee's baby sister could not pro-
nounce the name Louisa, calling II
"Ouida," furnished the great author
ess with the popular sobrquet. Oulda' s
first works We're written and published
unknown to her father. who was strict
moralist, and, unlike his daughter, did
not believe in portraying life in fiction
as it really exists.
On one occasion he was reading an
exhaustive review of one of Ouida s
early novels, which for the most part
did justice to the genius of the writer.
TO the authoress herself. When he had
finished reading the criticism he eX-
claimed: Louisa. never bring another
book from the pen Of that miserable
woman 'Ouida' into the. house," At
this moment the little sister came
bounding into the room crying "Ouida,
Ouida." Between the lady's bushes
and smiles occasioned by the flattering
tone of the review and the child's so ad-
Ncrtently or inadvertently calling out
the new authoreSs' name, Monster de la
Rance was undeceived and his daugh-
ter had to confess that it was she who
had set the English-speaking public by
the ears because of her original and au-
dccious novels.
FANCIFUL NAMES.
Many names, however, are chosen by
individual fancy Such for examnla