Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-01
A WOMAN'S NAME.
Awkward Girls Should Not Be Grace
Nor Brunettes Blanche.

From the Boston Herald.
Out of AIS names sent in to some COMPETE
ton the most popular one was Helen. Next
stood Mary or its variations, Marie, May
etc. The old-fashioned and sprightly Susan
was not found once, nor was Deborah"
Names, whether they be of family, or
Christian or pagan, are of singular interest
to the thoughtful, who can well appreciate
the consolation and JOY that the mere sound
of Mesopotamia brought to the old woman
listening devoutly to every word of the
preacher. There is no science to them more
fascinating than that of onomatology. The
ear of one is charmed by Rosseti's lines:
we, two," SHE said, will seek the groves
Where the lady Mary Is.
With her five handmaidens, whose names
Are five sweet symphonies ..-ss''
Cecily Gertrude Magdalen
Margaret and Rosaiys.n
+ He appreciates the exquisite art with
which Claude Debussy found music for this
verse from THE Blessed Damozel;' he also
remembers the poem made up almost
lessly graceful Catulle Mendes; and he
hears the dying Meleager apostrophizing
"Atalanta, the pure among women, whose
name is as blessing to speak" Another is
delighted with the quaintness of the fact
that daughters of farmer on a New En-
gland hillside are called Jemima, Kezia and
keren-happuch. We know a family In
which the daughters are named Vashti.
Abigail and Clarissa. Another, a lover of
the paradoxical. is pleased at the sight of
the dark-skinned and beetle-browed
Blanche. painfully clumsy Grace, reck-
less Prudence, a coquettish Mercy and a
giggling Victoria. 1t would be wiser not to
give a daughter a name before her figure
and character are fully developed.
The whimsical DR.. Dove never called any
woman Mary, though he thought Mare, the
sea- in too many respects embematicaI of
he DrafarrpH Molly h0inP soft.
Nor would he change Sarah into Sally, for
the latter woman reminded him of rovers.
Susan was always Sue, because women are
to be sued. But the doctor, we fear, was a
punster and a pun is the abomination of
desolation. A woman of dignified character
or stately carriage should never bear a
name that may easily be made flippant by
the abbreviating irreVerent. Hannah is
spoiled forever by the coarse inquiry as to
what's the matter with her Priscilla Is
still romantic, chiefly through association
with the courtship of Miles Standish. No
mother acquainted with the classics would
name her daughter Sappho. Lais, That's.
Phryne, MesSalina-yet they are pretty
names, and no doubt they were given to
pure and radiant women of old before GER
tain bearers of them became too famous
The New England parents went for years
to the Bible or they followed old English
precedent Look over the genealogy of any
New England family of long line-say nine
generations-and there are names that now,
unfortunately, are uncommon: Eunice
Bathsheba RoXana, Esther, ThomaSine-
though we prefer the name without the
final "e'-Susanna. We would not name a
girl Judith, for there is the recollection of
bloody and decenful woman; nor do
Apphia, Druslla. Roccina. Callia, Retire,
Lucinda commend themselves.
To name a daughter is an act of great
Importance, to be undertaken only after
fasting and prayer. The daughter will
probably change her family name. but the
Christian name sticks unless the girl goes
on the stage and seeks apt alliterations
and fascinating Yet Sarah is the first
name of Nine Bernhardt, and the hand
some Nine Hading is plain Jane