Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-04
THE SUGGESTIVENESS OF NAMES.

the cat some milk. then pumps into =
chair to fix hat over, and begins
about IL o'clock in the morning to get
ready for the Saturday afternoon matinee.
4 =
Heloise is socially ambitious Her moth
er was socially ambitious before her
that's the reason she named her daugh
ter Heloise. Helolse quite believes the
legend that her family .gUes back to
the crusades. She reads the s.cIe,y news
with the greatest absorption, aud she
practices most indus,rious.y at saying
CANT ana 'snann t. and 'aniter
noon.' She makes a somewhat too much
use Of the word common in desc, ioIng
folks who have no social amoitionS
whatever, and she strives after that in
dennable thing called elegance" as one
polar explorer strives to prove his rival
q Munchausen. helo.se likes to have
her little parties described as 'func-
tions," and she is exceedingly ANXIOUS,
when, she gets married, t. have all hands
know that her wedding dress is trimmed
her great-grandmolher wore-maype.
The names of men suggest similar trains
Of ideas.
Bin is rollicking, substantial, good
natured chap. fellow with a god deal
of character despite his rol.hcKi..g..ess,
a man who is leaned upon for advice
and comfort by less forcerul friends.
Jack Is good deai the same as Bill.
Jack, however, is liable to SOW, Or to
have sown already, rather more than
the normal share of wild oats. Jack Is
d fine. bully fellow, and it's hoped that
he'll settle down some day. 'B.ys will
be boys'-that'S what is said about Jack.
Without being in the least conceited
about it. Jack is a good deal of a hit
among the women. He hasn't the least
idea Of the value of money, is q spender
from away back when he has IT, and
you'll always find some Jack or other
in the poker game; in fact, the Jack In
the poker game generally is the chap
who stands pat Oh pair Of sevens and
runs you out of your own jackpot wher
you're there with three large, lovely aces.
Algernon, Percival and Reginald are an
abused lot. 1t is perfectly natural that
we form erroneous ideas as to them, be
cause the comic papers have been making
butts of them for so many years. We
have known Reginalds, Percivals and Al
gernons who were so broad shouldered
that they could hardly get through the
ordinary door, who would rather fight
than eat pate de foie gras, who were des-
peradoes among cowboys and miners, and
who were essentially, wholly, almost bru-
tally masculine from their top cowlick 10
hear those names, don't we naturally
think of inconsequentialities, SO to speak?
We do, we do. What's the use of deny
ing it?
Willie is far different from Bill. Willie
has never been called Bill because he
doesn't look the Bill part. Willie has
never been very strong" his mother tells
folks, and she can't abide the thought OF
his ever leaving home, no matter how
many promising offers he has had from
other cities; and you may leave it 10
Willie's mother that he has had slews
and slathers Of promising offers. Willie is
called Willie even up to the time he's
forty. Willie is Willie. The name fits
him.
John is entirely different from Jack.
The chap whose personality never per-
mits of his being nicknamed Jack. even
by his ntimates-suppOsing he has any
studious sort of a fellow.
lacking a good deal In the matter OF
imagination; very Industrious; quite with
out even a symptom of the sense OF
hr1nor He is secretive as to his affairs,
and you never can quite figure him; but