The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-26
SiGiGNhOAOGi6iGi6lDlLliGE
8: HER POINT OF VIEW ::
NMNM MMMNNS

A young girl who signs herself
May" asks whether it is proper to
change her name or the spelling thereof
if it does not suit her. Now if there
is anything which the world with
common consent aCcords woman the
right, it is the privilege of changing
her name when an acceptable op-
portunity is presented. 1t isn't impera-
tive that the name shall be as good
even as her own, but if it belongs to
the man she expects to marry, the
change is considered perfectly correct.
Indeed in some cases it seems eminent
ly desirable to make such a transfor-
nation at the earliest possible moment.
For instance there is that daughter
of Governor Hogg, Of Kentucky. The
Governor explains her name combina-
tiOn by stating that her mother was
somewhat romantic in her tastes and
had been reading a book in which the
fascinating heroine bore the somewhat
| unusual appellation of lima" The
young mother thought it would be a
pretty name for the baby daughter and
IL was not for some time after the
baptism had taken place that the pop
ular Interpretation of lima Hogg"
dawned on the fond parents. That
young woman will be pardonable for
| changing her parental name without
| delay.
This, however, is not precisely the
| meaning of Mays" question. She
probably wishes to know if ;he Christ
ian name can be altered to suit her
taste or the taste of some one else
who follows fads.
Names are so thoroughly a Whim of
| fashion that the matter of proprlety
or logical conclusion scarcely enters
| into the subject Years ago the dimin-
utives were much in vogue. Jennie
Nellie, Annie, Sallie, Nettie. Allie We're
| in fashion. They have disappeared
| from the face of the earth as complete
! ly as if a tornado had Overtaken them
| at the brow of the sea. Now it is
Janet" "Jeannette," or even in some
uncOmpromisingly faddsh families
| plain serViCeable "Jane" which has a
| quaint Mary wilkins flavor not at all
| unpleasant. The others are trans
| formed into Mildred which sounds
| white and tall to my ears. "Olive," or
| "Olivia"-cool and self contained
| lively Annette" or "Antoinette." 1t is
| but rarely that one now hears Nellie.
| or Winnie, or Fannie. Even the older
| women who once rejoiced in these ten
| der little names have acquired the
more dignified modern version and will
| froWn if husband or father forgets the
| stately Helen, or Winifred or more
| elegant Frances, all of which is
more in keeping with their added years
! but which sometimes in the intimate
| life Of home and long kept friendship
| seem remote and cold. This fact was
apparent beneath the surface the other
| day when two fashionable matrons met
| after a separation of years. In the
| course Of the conversation, which was
| Just a tribe embarrassed and formal,
the names Eleanor" and "Elizabeth'
were occasionally interchanged. Later
| the chat swerved backward to far off
years and the do you remembers "
| began to hutter like faint brown
autumn leaves. THAT was the day |
first met John" and you were married
| in the house which was burned last
| year" and finally as THE morning
| your baby died in my arms" Swiftly
came the "Oh, Ellie!" and dear
Bessie" and the barriers Of time and
distance and fashion were down.
As to the changing of spelling, there
! is no more reason why girl who was