Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-31


Stories of Funny Things That Have Hap
penrd at Bnptismal Fonts.
Loudon Tid-bts.
Tho principal person at q christening
is generally too young to take any
active part in the ceremony beyond
crying loudly-without which, in some
localities, tho christening IS not con-
sidered lucky" the baby's likelihood
of good fortune being measured by the
vigor of his crying. But as the very
first service of the kind at which the
writer olliciated the recipient Of the
baptismal name distinguished himself
and brought confusion on the bashful
and inexperienced young parson of
those long ago days; for it was not until
long after that memorable first baptism
that lost all fear of dropping the
infant and notion that baby is kept
together by its clothes and may at any
moment full to pieces il not very care
fully handled. 1t was double event !;
that is to say, two children of the same
family were presented for baptism to-
gether.
In another case we'll known to me
eight children Of one family had been
saved up, and seven were marched to
church as an escort to the eighth, and
all were baptized together, the father
afterward intimating that the vicar
ought to 'knock summat off" the fees
on the usual principle of "a reduction
for quantities, like. In my case
there we're only two, and | found one
of them ono too many for my peace of
mind, for he-a boy of some 3 years of
age-startled and amused the congre-
cation and COMPOUNDED me, when in the
act of sprinkling the water on his brow,
by Justify singing out, Here, drop it,
will yer" Perhaps tho protest was
natural, but 1t was highly discomfort
ing.
Generally, however, the recipient of
the name is quiescent-ex except IN the
matter of irresponsible yelling but
the parents occasionally furnish much
amusement, and especially is the de-
mand made to them, Name this
child" sometimes prov ocative of very
queer responses, indeed.
l am not now referring to the extra
ordinary combinations of high-sounds
ing names with which some ambitious
parents burden their offspring, though
now and then they are sufficiently
mirth-provoking. particularly when
prefixed to an ultraplebeian surname.
FLORENCE Bertha Madelaine Victoria
Snaggles" the homogeneous title rings
in my memory after many years---is q
case in point. The surname, by the
way, was not 'Snaggles, /" but it was
quite as full of pathos as that.
| have it on the authority of an en-
tirely veracious clerical friend that on
one occasion ne was staggered, on say
ing Name this child,'' by the re-
Spouse, 'Lucifer''-as he thought.
WHAT" he asked. "Luthy, sir, q
repeated the lisping and now blushing
mother; and this time my friend
grasped the situation and dealt with
the infant Lucy accordingly.
One child was actually christened
and registered Robert Honly," in
of his mothers anxiety to prevent the
addition of a second name. The clergy
man had not quito caught what she
said, and asked for repetition.
Robert" said the parent; then,
fearing lest the parsons defective
hearing should result in error, she
hastened to say Robert Honly. I"
The "Hn made all the difference.
One curious case came under my
notice in the Midlands many years ago.
When asked for the child's name the
village matron replied, ''Senna-t tea, -
or what sounded like it. The as
tonished cleric asked for repetition
of the name. Again came more dis
tinctly than before, ''Senna-t tea. y
There was a pause and general bewil-
derment. At length the pew-opener
hit on the solution, and, bending toward
the perplexed Clergyman, she whispered,
''She means 'Sinnetta, sir; - and all
went we'll.
The explanation was simple-and
romantic. Sinnetta was the name of a
gypsy buried in neighboring church
yard. The handsome gypsy girl had
been wooed and won by an autocrat,
but had pinned away and died. Her
heart-broken husband had her buried
near his hall and placed over her q
plain white marble tomb bearing the
simple name, "SiDnetta. - Possibly
moved by the romance, certainly
attracted by the unusual name, the
good woman wished her child to be SC
called.
The following is almost too strange
to be believed; it actually happened,
nevertheless:
The baby was proudly borne, amid
admiring relatives and neghbors, to
the font and duly presented for bap.
tism.
Name this child.'f
"Beelzebub. T"
"Whatf''
"BeeIzebub.
But my good woman, you can't cal
the child that
It's ScriEtur' name, sir, amt it?''
Yes, but do you know what il
means? 1t is impossible to Gull ths
child Beelzebub.' Give him good,
sensible name. Call him John. say. y
| As no protest was Immediately made,
John the child was duly named
and the parson congratulated the bab,
on having gained plain, honest name
and himself from having saved thu
poor mite from being saddled with {
title which would have become in
| tolerable.
But his satisfaction was short-liyed
and he was speedily shaken out of hi
congratulatory mood by the hurried
return of the mother. Fastening dow
| the aisle, she brought her baby bacl
to the font before the parson had hat
time to leave it, and exclaimed in con
sternation, as if the disconcertinl
anomaly had only just struck her
Johns weneh, STRIP Sure enough
the baby was girl, and another nam
had to be found and conferred.
Lightning Played Franks.