The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-06-30
Ehrnemnrrat-S Star
NAMES o CHILDREN.

New Orleans States,
A correspondent a. the Washington
Post calls the attention OF that paper
10 the absurd custom OF giving fancy
and ridiculous names to boys and girls.
lie says:
II noticed in the published lists of
graduates In n OF our public schools
the usual number OF Maymes and
Edythies-and even Bessyes. One girl
Is actually named Lulu Louise-which
names are synonymous. The recording
OF nlcknames has very properly been
stopped in the public schools in other
cities, where, II parents had not sense
enough togive their Children the proper
name or misspelled the same, the
teachers promptly supplied the def
cheney. There is a story that in Phil
adelphia recently a girl gave her name
10 the teacher as Bessie Isabella Eliz-
abeth.' The teacher promptly cor
rectcd matters, and as she had no au-
thority to drop any one of the three
names given in baptism she recorded
the girl as Elizabeth Elizabeth Eliza
beth Jones. THIS is, Of course, an
extreme case treated heroically. In
the same category is the absurd Gus.
tom of giving boys titles, such as Don
Portuguese for mister, Baron, Earl,
etc, and a woman by the time she gets
to hc an old maid is apt TO find such a
name as Birdie, Blossom or DewdrOp
somewhat out of date. 1t is a great
pity that through ignorance or snob.
bishness, or vulgarity, whichever the
case may be, proper Christian names
are going out OF fashion and mis-
spelled OF manufactured names are
foisted on children who. when they
arrive at the aye Of discretion, cannot
help themselves"
Inc Post very properly replies that
this Is a free country and parents
have the right to inflict upon their
innocent and helpless babes almost
any names that may occur to their
maudlin minds" This is true and the
result is thousands of children at the
cooling age when they are absolutely
powerless to protect or defend them
selves are trundled into a church and
afflicted with names, which, in after
years, make them ridiculous and prove
such a banc to their existence that
they become miserable misanthropes.
In this way the world gets a large
assortment Of Lilies, Brides, Sweet
les and Niolcts. The name of Birdie,
for instance, may appear to be very
appropriate for a lite girl baby re-
clining in a cradle blissfully gurgling
and sucking her toes, but it does not
perch well on her when she becomes a
woman and devolopes an unmistaka
bic squint in both eyes and a waist
almost as broad as that Of a Dutch
frigate. Then it is that people have
an irresistible desire to indulge i IN a
loud ha! ha! laugh when they hear
the delicate creature called Birdie,
lightsome little Birdie.
How, contrary to the fitness of
things is it for a woman with hair as
red as a ripe tomato, Il long stringy
neck and a nose like a ice pick to wear
the name of Lily, or to call one Sweet
lie who has a.cavernous mouth, frcck-
les on her face the size Of army beans,
and as a whole ugly enough to stop Il
freight train at a range of three thou
sand yards. Such names certainly be.
come IA burden and ailliction to these
unhappy souls and they cannot be
blamed for deploring the fact that
they were eve born. 1t is well for
parents to ponder a moment before
they christen their helpless young
sters, and be sure to select names
which will lit them with some degree
OF grace in after life.