The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-12-06
"A Phase Of Breeding

not have written these words. My mothers
maiden name was Lillibourne and my faith
er's family name Rosebury. 1t was de-
cided to give me Lillibourne for a baptism
al name. This made me 'Lillibourne Rose
bury.
What possessed my parents to prefix a
family name combining that of flower by
one that would suggest another flower l
cannot conceive. Doubtless, being prosy
matter of fact couple, it did not occur to
them that they had subjected me for life to
the mercy of the punster. My schoolmates
called me either Lilly or Rosie. And every
one of them who did so grinned satisfactory
| ly, supposing himself to be the originator of
the idea.
Now, l was born husky. There is not
nor has ever been bit of effeminacy in my
makeup. My frame is stalwart, my voice
deep and resonant. Iearly took to athletics.
All of these traits being in contrast with the
lilly and the rose suggested by my name,
only tended to call down upon me the more
the ridicule of the punster.
My first effort to counterfeit the disposition
of the boys to show their wit by the use of
my name was by thrashing every boy who
thus offended. This stopped the matter
| within a limited circle, but was constant
ly meeting new boys who were not aware
of the penalty they must pay by ironically
linking me with lilies and roses, and was
obliged to administer punishment to fresh
offender at least once a week. This was
discouraging.
Besides, could not thrash the girls, and
found them more prone to trespass upon
my good nature than the boys. The con-
sequence was that / at last settled down to
bear the imposition without resenting it. 1t
was suggested to me by an intimate friend
that change my baptismal name, but
mother had been pleased to bestow upon
me.
A taste for arms led me to enlist in the
National Guard. l was nominated for pro-
motion in the noncommissioned line, but
the captain of my company feared that the
play upon my name would deprive me of
that unapproachablenes required in one
who is to command others, and was not
even permitted to be a corporal. Therefore
so long as we were state soldiers remained
| private.
But the time came when the National
Guard was made part of the army of the
United States, and not long after that my
regiment was sent with others to the Mexi-
can frontier for its protection and to capture
General Villa.
Active service put very different COM
plexion on the regiment. The colonel,
who had for years held his position from
the fact that he was millionaire and could
donate funds to the regiment and give din
ners to the officers, was disposed, and the
lieutenant colonel, born soldier, was pro-
NOTED to the command. We had no SOON
er arrived at the frontier than the first SER
geant of my company, being of too DELI
cate physique to stand the hardships of a
soldiers life, fell i'll, and was put in his
place.
While in the National Guard l felt dis
gruntled al no promotion. This move,
however, gave me renewed courage and a
determination to rise yet higher.
Well, we had hard campaign after Viii
la, and when we returned from it there had
been fine shaking up among the officers.
l had risen from Lilly Rose to be Major
Rosebury, and not soldier or an officer
dared to refer to me, as one young miss had
done, as IT'S but little faded flower" or
in any other way. Nor did have occasion
to bring about this result by personal digni-
ty. My services on a hard campaign had
deprived my comrades of the privilege of
treating me Familiarity.
Nevertheless socially still continued
to suffer, especially with my feminine COM
panions. 1t was excruciating to be called
Major Lilly Rose by pretty girl who as
sumed that she was the first to think of a
connection between my name and the two
delicate flowers. A girl who thus offended
seeing look of reserve on my face, follow
ed up her witticism by saying that she pre-
sumed had heard that dozen times be-
fore.
ooh, no." replied; ''not dozen.
"a thousand?''
ono, not a thousand-more likely ten
thousand
Soon after my return from Mexico met
young lady with whom l was greatly
pleased. l believed that as soon as she came
to know me we'll enough she would perpe-
trate some witticism on my name. But
week after week passed, and although we
saw great deal of each other, she never
offended.
| The reason for her not offending became
apparent from the fact that in other respects
she did not offend. She had been bred not
to offend, to think of how her words to
others would effect them and to see-though
this was instructive in her-whether they
would pain or please. Those who had
| Al %ho:r op NM Dapoo upon