The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-18
ODD PET NAMES.
An Addiction That Is Common TO Ava
Ranks of Life.


Ranks of Life.
From the New York Post.
Pet names are among those belong
ings of life that are quite independent
Of reason or excuse. There are few ar
guments in favor of them. Everybody
makes fun of them, yet they keep their
hold and fresh versions of them are
given to the world with every new
family that is founded. Enough of
them have been instituted since things
began to furnish a whole directory in
opposition to the regularly licensed,
proper names in the orthodox calendar
In some parts of the country boys
and girls and even mature citizens ara
so universally known by their pet, fa-
miliar names that when state occa-
sions necessitate a formal address the
baptismal name is scarcely recognized
either by the owner or his intimates.
MARY Blank. Edmund Brown,
Humphrey Jones, Gustavus Smith,"
called the awarder of prizes at a school
commencement lately. Mary and Ed
mund went forward, but Humphrey
and Gustavus did not bulge till sepa-
rate warning had been given them.
The one boy had been called Lump
the other Box" ever since they could
remember. and their Christian names
sounded to them as the names of
strangers, although they were alert and
eager for the honor that was coming.
so Adelaide Il. got married 2" is re-
marked to one familiar with the BIS
affairs.
"Adelaidel Who is she?" is the
wondering answer. Then as recollec-
tlon comes "Oh! you mean Tooziei
Yes, Toozie was married six months
ago You know 1 don't think l ever
heard her real name except that once
In the marriage ceremony, and it's odd
to hear her called by it,"
Down South especially pet names are
prevalent folly or feature, according
as they may be taken. Son" "Bub-
Der" Sis" Pet" Daughter" are ap-
pellations common to numerous house
holds, independent of either standing
or condition. Very few eldest daugh-
ters escape being called Sissy And
there are few eldest sons who are not
known as Rubber" in some stage of
family development. Young women
may have baptismai names quite high
sounding, and chosen with particular
care as to beauty and euphony, but
they go down in social history as Miss
Pet or Miss Daughter" their formal
names being so seldom heard as to
have left little impression. Many a
belle has been written Of spoken of
and courted as Sis" her admirers dis
daining any bnt her home name. And
Miss Sissy" is a perversion not un-
common In cases where oft reiteration
has so dulled sense that the speakers
take no account of the wording Oc-
casionally the eldest son will be called
Rubber" and the next eldest Little
Bubber," practice that in one in
stance resulted quizzically for Little
Rubber" grew up to be much taller,
stronger and more manful than big
Rubber.
1t is interesting to note what tricks
nature plays in this matter of pet
names. In certain family the eld-
est daughter, christened Ethel Eu-
genia," has been from infancy known
as "Missis." In some dotlng moment
when her father sought a caressing ep-
tibet by which to signify her absolute
rule over him and all his possession he
is to this day, but a young person of
small stature and not at all
the sort to be deferred to or
to want to be deferred to.
Her sister Constantia, Familiarity cali
ed "Shorta," on the other hand, grew
up tall and stately on the "nobly-
planned to- warn-to- comfort COM
mand" order. In fact, all of the four
younger daughters of the house are
bigger and more fearless than the lit
tie missis.
Although not a few names have thus
foundation either in personal char
acteristics or analogy others again are
given haphazard at the whim of nurse
or parent, the outcome of fatuous In
dsaloa OF hn f~1a ia
in any well regulated household.
BLESSING" Blossom" "Soukie," "Bes-
test" Pickle" and Countess" are
names in actual use by quite serious
minded people. Naturally the inheritor
OF such a handicap tries to put aside
the nursery title when she puts away
childish things. But habit is strong.
Old friends will revert to the famil-
lar appellation and she will answer to
II oftener than to her real name.
The tendency to let things take their
course in this regard is noticeable. A
certain youngster, healthily mischiev-
Gus, is called Judge" He has a
name, presumably, his father being the
sort of person to provide his children
with most things that the neighbors
provide their children with, but ii Is
never called, and Judge" the boy has
been for thirteen years, and is apt ever
to be, despite that other name in the
family Bible. Judge fraternizes with
a schoolmate called doc" and another
called Buster" And Busters sister
rejoices in the name Of Damage"
which title, in view of her personal
endowments. does not seem as far
fetched as the pet name "Sweetie."
which attaches to her little friend.
Sweetie was allowed to go without a
name until she was large enough to
choose one. She chose Isabella, but
meanwhile the baby name had got
fixed upon her.
The pet names scattered over the
earth. all silly and irrational as they
seem. yet have part I'm affairs as at
testing the human quality in mans
makeup. Nobody can account for
them any more than they can account
for the superfiuous nothings and oddi-
ties that distinguish lovers conduct,
or can account for those other lapses
from sane consistency that are by no
means the monopoly of silly people.
Pet names, however whimsical and In
consequent to the stranger without the
gates, are a feature of family life
never forgotten-rooted in with those
undercurrents of feeling that stir
strongly and persistently, even though
making little show on the surface.
President C. X. Adams Of Wiscon-
sin University, who went to Europe a
little more than year ago for his