Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-12-23
THE
NAMESAKE

the letter neT husband naQ given ner
to read. what a shame to saddle an
innocent child, who can't defend him
self, with such name as Ebenezer!"
Yves, but when you think of the
goods that come with Ebenezer 1t
seems improvident to spurn the offer
of Uncle Eb." he re plied. IF our son
is at all like his dtddy he'll be glad
to get those dollars Uncle Eb men
lions so casually"
well, l suppose he'll have to be
Ebenezer Henry Arnold Hammond,
for of course your Uncle Eb will want
his name to be first, but l shall al
ways call the baby Henry"
wen call him anything you say,
but name him Ebenezer we must.
Don't be downhearted about it, dear.
Ebenezer already begins to sound
quite distinguished as l reflect upon
the glory of the bank deposit that goes
with it,"
That evening when the father stole
into his wife's room he found his wife
gazing at the baby with a countenancc
of smiles and tears.
Jack" she said, 81 want to intro
duce you to Ebenezer Nathaniel Henry
Arnold Hammond"
"Ebenezer Nathaniel! What a COM
bination! Why Nathaniel?'
why, you haven't forgotten Uncle
Than?"
81 never associated Than with Ma
thaniel"
1--WE always been Uncle Than's fav-
orite niece, and when he called up on
the long-distance to-day and asked
what the baby's name was to be, as
he wanted to know on account of the
alteration in his will made necessary
by the new member of the family, of
course / couldn't help asking him If
baby could be his namesake."
"Ebenezer Nathaniel" repeated the
dazed father.
81 can hardly keep from crying when
think of it. I hope he will be for
giving when he grows up, and will try
to realize that we did it for the best.
You know Uncle Than's free to leave
his money any way he chooses. l al
most wish, though, that we didn't
nave any rlcn felatlNeS.
"Well, l suppose we'd better take
the goods the gods provide" said Jack
Here's letter | found in the hall as
l came in. It's from Grandmother
Hammond. Let's see what she has to
say about her great-grandchild. Here,
what's this?" A pink slip of paper
fluttered out as he opened the letter.
"a christening present. How do you
feel, Sue? Could you stand a few
more names?'
What, more of them?" she cried,
aghast.
d" I'm a very proud old woman.
writes granny. Tt is with the great
est pleasure that l make out my first
check for John Henry the fourth, for,
of course, the great-grandson of my
dear husband will bear his name, as
do his son and grandson"
"Ebenezer Nathaniel John Henry
Arnold Hammond" burst forth the
young mother. why, Jack, it's i'm.
possible!"
Nothing appears to be impossible
in the naming line, dear. Our boy
will have as many names as a crown
| prince"
perhaps Pm foolish, but / want to
| give up the christening party we had
| planned. l couldn't bear to invite
people to hear us burden our child
with that awful list of names. When
I'm strong enough to travel, let's take
baby and the nurse and go up into the
country where l lived when l was a
little girl and have our old clergyman
Mr.. st. John, baptize him."
"Just as you say, DEAR" answered
Jack.
A month later, when Jack, with the
baby in his arms, stood with Sue by
the baptismal font in the little country
church, he said in answer to the ques
ton of the old minister, "Ebenezel
Nathaniel joni Henry Arnold"
whats that? I'm little hard o.
hearing" said the minister, as he tool
the child from its father
"Ebenezer Nathaniel John Henry
Arnold" repeated Jack, bringing ou
the last two words strongly in an en-
deavor to make himself heard above
TIC Sul pl ASAhGAg luoLy ely VI Tue udDy
Smiling into the distorted little face
the clergyman gently touched tn,
small forehead and said, 81 name the'
Henry Arnold"
A little later, when the young par
ents found themselves alone with theI
son on the church steps, they gazed a
each other with astonished and dc
lighted eyes,
well, what do you think Of that?
asked Jack.
81 think he is the dearest old min
lister in the world" replied his wife.
But, Sue, what about all those as
sets that young Henry Arnold her
has gathered in on false pretenses?
"Well, we're not to blame becaus
poor old Mr.. st. John is so deaf, ar
WEI"
,,oA $1,000 T,.I