Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-02
DICKENS MASTER HAND
AT NAMING PEOPLE
Put the Accent on the Obvious
in Providing Names for
His Characters

We are reminded Of n subject which
mas long been of interest to us. This
IS the subject of the name--the fit, APP
propriate, natural and essential name
suggested by physical appearance, by
spirit, by mind, by all that we mean
when we speak Of personality. We have
paid some attention to this--not scien-
the. of course, but attention neverthe-
less-and have even made 1t a game.
she agreeable and stimulating game of
taggins our friends and even certain
strangers, with the name which we think
to be appropriate. One friend, for ex-
ample, whose name is very stern. Is
really "Cecile" or Elise" Another
whose name is "valeria," should by
rights ibe called only Lucy; and a
third, who bears the name of Mary"
", tofour certain knowledge, Helena"
There is nobody in all the world of
ierature who can play this game so
Wonderfully as Dickens. Never again
, never-shall we hear such sonsummatc
naming Consider them a moment
M. ,Gradgrind,"' the "Cheerybles" and
! Grandfather Smallweed";' "Mr Guppy"
old "JoeyrB" and Uncle Pumblechook" !:
"Peggotty," "Micawber' and Betsy
Trotwood" "Sir Leicester Dedlock,"
.Nofumnia, "Estella" and Little
Emily! We might go on and on. rang
y ing. through all is novels, but this
short list is sufficient There will he
bomebody, to be sure, who will offer ,his
obJections. These names, he will say,
are quite obvious. Why, heaven bless
you. man SO they are! As obvious as
!, daylight, as plain as the nose on your
efacel And that Is precisely our point.
4 In the case of Charles Dickens nobody
comes from Missouri. We do not have
q TO be shown-for there 1t is! "Carica-
fsttre " Yes certainly. Is he not the
"a greatest caricaturist of the English
y speaking world? And is not the essence
(, of caricature an accent on the evident,
1.-The obvious? '.
IA Sir Walter Scott, too Uhough far be-
Xhind Dickens at the game), was by
{tno meansi'a n feeble performer "Jeanie
4''Deans" Isn't that Scotch Presbyte-
tian And Diana Vernon Don't we
H-Bet' the girls vivid dash and fire? And
about 'Ivanhoe" and "Rowena"
!. and "Rebecca'? There was Thackeray,
X too. with Amelia" the Essence of the
& feminine with Becky sharp" whose
itname is a veritable portrait with Beat
(. rice. y! the warm incarnation of beauty
land luxury and sprightliness. Later on
not so much later-and We get
kftitia," whose romantic tale is hanging
ktnot only on her eyelashes and We get
5.in the story OF Richard Feverel, "Bes-
szjete," who is all round plumpness and
81 una shamed fatness.
~ The modern men, however. are not
Uhalf so good. There is Benefits Ed
&}vin ClayhanGer" and his wife "Tiilda"
<<they might as well be Hillary" and his
wife "Edwina." There are Constance
nu sophia" of The Old Wives
fales"; they might as well be 'Adel-
tle" and; Louisa" on the contrary
here 10 Annesley's Susan Yellam"-a
erfect name, IL ever there was one-and
Tippy." of The Stucco House." who
Il named beyond peradventure.
The ancient Greek. we remember, wa.
aot bad hand at this pastme. "Iecuba'
Rthe name Is royal and large, with g
sIwel like splendid robes 'Perscphone'
eA-that's delicate and lovely: and "Hy
'1as"-we know the nymphs loved him
"a But here, in truth-beng no Grecl
h scholar and wisely afraid Of our ignO
81 ranoe--we stop the game and declar'
that we are tired of it. Kings Excuse
anyhow! Perhaps we will play another
dSime -