The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-03-19
oERSONAL NAMES


that publIcists have constantly eau
! toned parents to exercise taste and
discretion In naming their offspring.
The occasion Is doubtless momentous
and a warning not seldom needed.
Some parents have regarded nOmen-
cature as little else than an OppOr-
tunity for sorry jesting-the Frosts.
for instance, who had their son chris
tened "Hoar Frost" the Nobles-to
keep the real cases-who labelled
theirs Henry Born Noble" the par
pnts likewise Of "Arch Bishop" and
Sweet Organ" and the vet more
reprehensible Roses. who rashlv
named their daughter "Wild"-it
was afterward her fate to marry a
man called Bull. These culprits are
not 10 be "ondoned by citing the
SPORTSMAN who. eycusably enough.
ramed one OF his hunters glitter"
because IL was good at clearing
water. and another "Gehazi." be-
cause II was a snow white "lepper."
The English circus man Sanger. who
gave his son the forenames Lord
ness, as It proved, but what shall he
said Of the Scamp who had his child
baptized "Sanspareil" except that he
made the worst of lad Job? Praise
God Barebones had perhaps a more
serious but not more felcitous inn
pulse when he started his boy In life
under the handicap of "If Christ had
been damned" Barebones-the obvi-
Gus fate OF which name was its re-
duction to the two last words.
Yet even sensible. well meaning
parents may go astray through force
OF circumstances, as when they have
to consider some rich uncle or aunt
or more commonly through ignor-
ance OF the art OF nomenclature. In
deed, it Is not easy to enunciate any
clear principles of that art. though
attempts have been made. The great
difficulty is that parents cannot see
into the future.
It is evidently inappropriate to
name a future brunette Lily, and so
on, but OF what use TO offer TO par
ents mnemonic rhymes coupling
names with qualities-in accordances
usually disputable enough-as
Blanche is a blonde. with laughing eyes;
When Martha's mentioned, laughter dies
Lydia Is mournful. Agnes chaste:
Aud Hannah. to do good will haste;
Mabel is modest. Carrie rert
Eliza It's well known's a firt.
when it is impossible for them to
foretell the ethical future OF the
swaddled, inarticulate lump demand
ing an immediate name?
Parents may indeed manage TO
avoid disagreeable associations, such
as go with Judas, and ridiculous
combinations, as those imposed upon
Alfred Sidney Smith. They may also
aim at some rythm and euphony.
Several doctors Point out the effec-
tiveness OF a heXametrical ending. as
Ella Trelawney; others uphold the
virtues Of the trochee. But these de-
tails do not solve the problem, and
though reluctant to appear unpro-
gressive we must confess that we see
no better way out, all things cOnsid-
savage tribes. The Dakota Indians,
for instance. avoid the trouble arising
from human shortsightednes by Civ
ing the child to begin with merely
conventional name-a number, as il
were-and later on, when ii has done
something to distinguish itself. a new
name expressive of its peculiar char
acter and abilities. Elsewhere. with
real democratic instinct. the RESPONSE
bility Of deciding is shifted from the
parent of the babe. In New Zealand.
for instance. it was usual to read out
a list of names till the child sneezed
or cried at one, and in some Russian
ceremonies the CHILD was first pro-
voked to cry and tnen names were
recited till it showed its preference
by stopping.