The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1911-05-17
NAMING THE
BABY
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press

situated on the shores II Lake Michi-
gan. II Is Also thriving place but
there was time in its history. and not
SO many years ago. that II had IA ter
rible fight for Its life. and that fight
was precipitated by a ten pound boy
baby.
Mr.. James Pond. young man Of
twenty-five. fell in love with Miss
Edith Brown He bought and ship
ped butter. eggs. potatoes and the like.
and she was schoolteacher. II II
not on record that one single person In
Pentwater had an objection TO the
courtship. Marriage followed. and
still no objection, It was congratua-
lions instead But when time had
passed and a little Teller of baby
jumped into the arena there was
sudden and awful change. The father
had become II Sunday school superin-
tendent. and within TWO days after
that II was to be named Levlticus.
Mrs. Pond was a very good woman.
indeed. but she wasn't good enough to
stand for such name as that. She
announced that the boy was TO he
named Leon. and right there the row
began Both had relatives. and the
relatives were dragged into H. II you
trace the record of I.eviticus back you
will find that he was very good man
and that his name was all right for the
age in which he lived At that time
no one used nicknames. No one
thought OF shortening his cognomen to
Leave" or Levi" II was always
pronounced In full.
Mrs. Pond and her adherents held
that the name had served Its purpose
and should not be.dug up for the bene-
at of her son. When the two names.
"Leviticus" and Leon" were writ
ten side by side the odds seemed to
Be ten to one In favor OF the latter.
The boys might cut 1t to Lee and
still leave pretty name.
at shall be Leon. little darling. and
don't you worry" murmured the moth
o. AZ she held the kid closer to her
bosom and her relatives said they
would back her up In II to their last
ton of hay.
But there was the father to deal
with. He mad not been known as a
desperate or determined man. but now
Il appeared that he was He vowed
BY the beard Of his father that the
baby should be baptized under the
name OF eviticus or not at all. and
he begnn using the name at home aud
abroad. There were those who con
graduated him and told him that he
was doing great thing for Pentwater.
II cannot he said that business came
to q complete standstiil. but II was
certainly affected Several houses that
were to be erected were not begun be-
cause the interested parties quarreled
over that baby.
When the kid had reached the age of
six weeks md was just beginning to
take an interest In the questions Of the
day Its father insisted that baptism
should take place Tears were shed
and protestations made. but In vain.
Then he rame home to supper one
night to find that wife and baby had
ded to her mothers He ordered them
back. but they refused to come rs
mother and Leviticus. Then Mr..
Ponds minister and his two deacons
stepped In. They hadn't done 30
before. hoping the affair would he set
tied in the family. The trouble that
faced them now. however. was that
they were all for Leviticus They pro-
nounced the name as softly as they
could and had much good to say as o
the character OF the man. but they
made no Roadway. There were other
ministers and deacons In the village.
but they kept hands on. Tin peddlers
and lightning rod men visited Pent-
water. and those who were wise
enough not to butt In did good busi-
ness: those who shifted ut Leon" and
called 1t a novelish name or those who
giggied at 'Leviticus" and called him
q back number got themselves into
trouble.
Months went by. but both sides re-
manned firm.
But there must come a climax to all
things. and Pentwater finally had q
climax. II was being proposed by
citizens OF sense to have a fre. cir
Gus or an earthquake to kill OF the
old question when a good old man
came to the town and heard all about
the matter He was selling a home
made IMMINENT. good for man or beast.
1t could be used externally or Internal