.t: 4 . - 7 , 2 , -C.:•- ,4, ... , _........:". -4,. .. 7 : -. ,',..--,,,*,- --. ,--, -...-. .....„.....,,. ..- ... . i TH • • .. . _ . . i f . ia . , . , . • . . . :,.. ,_ . . • . . . . ;.. . . • . . . , a. . . . 1 ,t . . tir If . .A .• " .. _I, .. .. 1, . . ,_..........,_,.... _ . . . . .. . .. its . • ...... . _.......,........, _ ... li , .. ~ . L.- . -_ I" S .. . .. ~ . . . • ... . .. . • . . , 4 :SAMUEL WRIGHT, Editor and Proprietor. VOLUME XXXIII, NUMBER 46.] .PUDLISRED EVERY SATURDAY MORNING Office in Carpet Irzll, 117trth-toesteorner of Front and Locust streets. Terms of Subscription. Ore Copyperanr.um . ,i f paidin advance, I r not paid within t hree month ifromeommencementoftheyear, 200 Glessa.tes Q. csa=o2=w3r. - Not utiscription received /or a lees time than nix swaths; undue paper will be discontinued until all Arrearageaarepaid,unlessat the optionof the pub. . irr•Monerna yb yem ittedb ymail It hep Wish er a risk. Bates of Advertising. qua i t[tl ines)one week, 6 three weeks, encl.° lisequentinsertion, 10 [l2' inesioneweek, 50 • three weeks, 1 00 euelmi bsequentinsertion. 25 ; ihargertd vertisemenui n proportion. i ibera I Itscouniwillbe made to quarterly, half e. ,Iv o.ve•trlyulvertiaere,who are strletllconfined ,stireir business. Utirtvg. The Breeze in. the Church a sunny day, and the morning psalm We sang in the church together; We felt in our hearts the joy and calm 441 the calm and joyous weather. The Haw, and sweet. and sacred strain, Through every !nation stealing, Checked every amuck that was light and vain, And waked each holy feeling. We knew by its sunny gleam, bow elea'r Was the blue sky smiling o'er us. And in every pause of ihe hymn, could lent The wild birds , happy chorus. And lo! from its hauntv by cave or rill, IVlth a 'widen start awaking. breeze came fluttering down the hill, Its kagrattt pinion,. shaking. Through the open windows it bent its way, And down the chancel's centre, Like it privileged thing that at will might stray, Ant: in holy places enter. Prom niche to niche, from nook to nook, With a lightsome castle dying, It lifted the leaves of the Holy Book, On the altar cushion Iyisg• It fanned the old clerk's hanry hair, And the children's bright young laces; Then vanished, none knew how or where, Leaving its pleatant traces. It left sweet thoughts of summer hours Spent on the quiet mountains; And the church reined full of the scent orflowers, And the trickling WI of fountains. The image or scenes so •till and fair, With our manic tweedy blended, While it seemed their whispered hymn took share In the praise that to heaven ascended. We thought of him who had poured the rills, Mu'through the green mountains led them. Whose hand, when He piled the enduring With a mantle of beauty !Tread them. And a purer passion was borne above, In a louder anthem swelling, An we bowed to the visible spirit of love On those calm SUMlllit4 dwelling. Dreams. There iv it dream of ear:). youth, And it never come.; nguin— A vision of life, and light and truth, That flit. aeroen the brain; And love ig the theme of that early dream, So wild, no warm, 4o new, That in all our ancoyeare, I deem, That early dream we rue. There is a dream or messier years, More turbulent by far— A vision of blood and of woman's tears, And the theme of thot dream is war; And we toil in the field of danger and death, And shout iu the beetle array, Till we God that tome is a bodiless breath, That venisbelli away. There is a dream ofhonry age, A vision of gold in store, Of EMIR noted down on the figured page, To be counted o'er and o'er; And fondly we trust in that glittering dust, As our refuge front grief end pain, Till our limbs are laid on that last dark bed, Where the wealth of the wand is vain. And is it thus, from man's birth to his grave, In the path which all are treading? 74 there nought In that long career to save From remorse :tad self-upbraiding? Oh, yea! there's a Dream no pure, 1.0 bright, That the being to whom it is given, Huth bathed in a sea of living light. And the theme of that Dream is—(leaven. —.Blackwood's Ar4gaz int. gretsztiono. A Chapter on Names. "What's in a name?" Love is a sophist, and the implied but false answer to Juliet's impassioned query is "Nothing!" Everything, rather, in thy Case, 0 "White Dove of Verona!"—enough at least to raise a barrier between thee and the Romeo of thy heart worship which even love cannot surmount! Such, it seems to me, is the teaching of Shakespeare, in the play, and the world's experience confirms it. The ancient Greeks attached great impor tance to names. Plato recommends parents to be careful to give happy ones to their children; and the Pythagoreans taught tha the minds, actions, and success of men were according to the appellations which they bore. The Romans seem to have been equally impressed with the same idea, Bo la= nomen, bonier; omen became a popular maxim among them. To select bona nomina was always an object of solicitude, and it was considered quite enough to damn a man that he bore a name of evil import. Livy, speaking of such an appellation, calls it ahem/wadi ominis namea. A. similar belief prevailed among all the nations of antiquity. It embodied a truth which has not yet lost its significance or its Importance. To a man with the name of Biggins or Snooks, no amount-a* talent or genius is of any avail. lie cannot possibly 'raise himself above a vi s rillminble'epitere of asefulness, - Or let an anfortanatekbiped hale attached telina the:_appalhstioa of Gotobed, a nante,vishich has boar borne by 13W + Worth,' 11,41714' ual, and he . may quite innocently sleep all day! hie walking efforts can effect nothing to elevate him to any position of honor or , distinction. lie bears about him "the doom of everlasting mediocrity." John is a most .excellent name, and Smith is a surname which is worthy of respect and honor, but wo to the man on whom they are conjoined! For John Smith to aspire to senatorial dig nities or to the laurel of the poet is simply ridiculous. Who is John Smith? lie is lost in the multitude of John Smiths, and individual fame is impossible. All names were originally significant, and were always bestowed by the ancients with reference to their well understood meaning. Sometimes they were commemorative of some incident or circumstance connected with the birth of the individual bearing them as, Thomas, a twin, Mains, May. (applied to one born in that month;) Septimus, the seventh. In other eases, they were expres sive of the aspirations, desires, or hopes of the parents; as, Victor, one who conquers; Probus, truthful; Felix, happy; Benedict, blessed. Not unfrequently they were de scriptive of personal qualities; as, Macros, tall; Pyrrhus, ruddy; Rufus, red-haired. Names are as significant now as they were in the days of Plato, and as important, but we ignorantly or carelessly misapply them, making of them the most absurd misnomers. "A. man with the name of George or Thomas," as Leigh Hunt very justly ob serves, "might as well, to all understood purposes, be called Spoon or Ifat-band!"— Blanche is now anything but the flaxen haired blonde which her name indicates.— Isabel is no longer brown. Cecilia (gray eyed) belies her name, and "lets fly the ar rows of love" from orbs of heavenly blue.— Rebecca, who ought to be somewhat embon point, "rounded with beauty," as the poet hail' it, is perhaps a slender, lily-like maid en, better suiting the name of Susan. As thus misapplied, our personal nomenclature is worse than meaningless. We should deem the person either hopelessly insane or un pardonably ignorant, who should, in science or in business, thus misuse well-understood terms. 4150 EMI I am not disposed to enter the domain of the abstract, and show, as I might, that there is an inherent fitness in names for per sons and things; a correspondence between the word symbol and the object which it was originally intended to represent, intuitively recognized by the soul, though perhaps not fully comprehended. My design is a more practical one. I propose to present here some of the personal names now in use in this country, etymological, historical, and poetical, as may occur to my mind while I write. If what I may offer shall prove in the humbleit way instrumental in restoring our individual nomenclature to its original significance and importance, I shall not have written in vain. Ada is well known as the name of Byron's only daughter. It is from the Saxon, (Edith, Badith, or Eado, Ada,) and signifies happy. '•ls thy face like thy mother's, my fair child , Ada?"—Byron. Adelaide is of German derivation, and has the meaning of a princess. ...A little maid, Golden-tresses Adelaide."—Proaar Adeline is only a different form of the same name. "What aileth then? whom wnitent thou, With thy softened. shadowed brow, And those ‘l , rw-lit eyes of Thou faint Adeline" —Te nnyson Agatha, good, is from the Greek. To be worthy of this name, indicative as it is of all the virtues, is an object which may well enlist the highest ambition of the fair ones who boar it, whether maidens or wives. Agnes, chaste, is also from the Greek, and is ono of the best names in use among us.— None but pure, gentle, and loving beings, it would seem, should bear it; but in one case, at least, it has belonged to one in whom the heroic predominated over every gentle sentiment. Black Agnes of Dunbar, who, as the reader of history will recollect, kept her husband's castle, like a lioness, against his enemies: "Twine ye rote., PM the brow Of the lady anti vow, My Ague, fair:" Alfred is Saxon, and signifies all-peace. It is a good name, and should be a favorite among us, boasting as we do of our Saxon or Anglo-Saxon descent, and tracing some of our free institutions to the great and good king who bore it "in the olden time." Alicia, or Alice, is from the Latin, and has the meaning of noble. It is one of the sweetest of our female names: "Olt shat I were beside her now: Ohl will she answer if I call! OW would sbe give me vow for vow, Sweet Alice, if I told ber all!"—Tosnylon .Alphonso is said to be the Spanish form of the ancient Gothic Elfuns, our help. It is a euphonies name, but is now seldom u ed. Byron damned it to everlasting ri diculousness in one of his inimitable rhymes: “Ungraterul, mja red, barbarous Don Alphonso, I really vroncler bow you can go on eor" Amelia, or Amelia, (French, Aimee,) sig nifies beloved. Amy, or Arnie, and Emily, harp the same derivation and meaning.— Our vocabulary contains no sweeter or more loveable name, Happy is she who bears a name pregnant with such snared significance and happy the- man who is privileged to whisper it in her ear as the highest word of wideimaeon Aimee, beloved! The reader will recollect, iq conneption with this name that dark page, romance of history which records the sad fate of.. Amy Anna., orAnnin, (Rebrew, Ilanuak)` sig nigiss kind or gracious, ' . • "NO ENTERTAZYMENTIS SO CHEAP AS READING, NOR ANY PLEASURE SO LASTING." COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA, SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 14, 1862. Arabella, (French, Arabelle,) is a Laitn derivation, and has the meaning of beauti ful altar. Before no place of sacrifice bend clevouter worshippers: "Belle, Arabella, belle, Fairer than my verve can tell; Well I love thee, Arabella— EMSI Augustus, increasing, is from the Latin, and rignifies that those who originally born it continually grow in power and honor. It has been a favorite name in kingly and princely palaces, but princes have no mo nopoly of it. Its feminine form is Augusta. Baldwin, a bold winner, is a fine name of the old Saxon song. Barbara is of Latin derivation, and rigni fies strange or foreign. Its mention recalls to our minds the melancholy fate of Jemmy Grove, of ballad memory, who died at Scar let Town of a broken heart, (poor fellow!) "For love of Barbara Allen:. Basil, kingly, is of Grock origin. It can hardly be a popular name in these republi can times: Beatrice is one who blesses or makes hap py. Blessed (Benedict) is be on whom she smiles. No name can be mare appropriate for a lovely and affectionate woman. Dante immortalized it, and Shakspeare and Shel ley have thrown around it the charm of their numbers. It is derived from the Latin. Why is it not more frequently used? Benjamin, son of the right hand, is a fine old Ilobrew name, and his been borne by men of renown, among whom were Jenson and Frauklin. Bertha, bright or famous, is a fine name of Greek origin, and should be more common. Bianca is the Italian form of Blanche, which, as I have hinted, has the meaning of white or fair. It is a sweet name in both forms, but should bo fittingly bestowed. Calista (Greek) is beautiful. Catharine, or Katherine, is derivel from the Greek, pure or chaste, and is one of the best of our female names. In the Irish it becomes Kathleen, and in the Flemish, Kat aline. A pretty diminutive of Catharine is Katharine; but I like it best in its familiar ized form of Kate. Who ever know a Kate who was not frolicsome, mischievous and saucy? What rays the poet? 'Tnte•a a ,weet but saucy creature, With a li i of scarlet bloom; Woodbine, sipping golden sun-light, Roses drinking rich perfume? Voice s, dainty an the whisper Founts give in their crystal shrine. Sauey Kate, so full of Would that I could call thee mine?" The shrew-taming Petruchio, in the play, thus harps upon the name: "You are called plain Kate, And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the cross; But Kale, the pretileat Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate-Hall, my super-dainty Kate, For all eaten are dainties." The name of Catherine, disgraced by her of Medici, was honored by the noble but un fortunate queen of Henry VIII, whom the pen of a Shakspearo and the voice of a Sid dons have immortalized. Charles. Some etymologists derive this illustrious name from the German karl; An glo-Saxon ceorl or churl, a term denoting rusticity, and quite opposed to every idea of nobility. Its real origin may probably be found in the Sclavonic krol, a king. Thus: Krol, Korol, Karolus, Carolns. Charles.— Krol may have come from the Latin corona or corolla, a crown. Charles, then, is a king, or one who is crowned. This seems an appropriate signification for a name which has been borne by so many kings and emperors. Charles sometimes occurs in this country in the Spanish form, Carlos. Char lotte is one of the feminine forms of Charles, and if we accept the foregoing etymology, signifies a queen. Those who derive the name from the German. give it the signifier'. tion,of prevailing. I have no quarrel here with the etymologist. All Charlottes may be queens of love, and being queens must prevail over the hearts of men. Charlotte Corday will be remembered as one not un worthy of so brave a name. But 4, My Charlotte eonquern with a Mile, And reigneth queen of love." In the home circle, and among her compan ion, Charlotte lays aside her queenship, and becomes gentle Lottie. Caroline is the femi nine of Charles in another form, and of course has the same meaning as Charlotte. It is another noble and queenly name, and has been borne by many a noble woman.— Caroline assumes the familiarized or pet forms of Carrie, Collie, Caro and Cal. “Oh! a thing of earth, but half divine, I rite, my fair young Caroline.. Clara, clear or bright, is from the Latin. It is a very pretty name, and is immortal ized in one of the best of Soott'e novels, St. Ronan's Well. Clarissa is from the same root as is Claribel, bright and beautiful, Diamonds bright shall Clara wear Woventinid ber shining hair. Daniel, a judge, is from the Hebrew. David, also from the Hebrew signifies, as I have already said, well•beloved. Deborah, signifying a bee, is another good but rather homely name from the Hebrew stock. Earine, vernal, a name immortalized by Ben. Jonson, should certainly be revived. Edward is a truth-keeper. The name is of Saxon derivation, and is surrounded by rich historical associations. Its French form is Edouard. Edwin, happy winner, (bonum nomon, bonum omen,) is also from the Saxon. Eleanor. (Frenoh Eleanore) is of Saxon derivation, and signifies all fruitful. qi:lessoro., A maw far angels to =wow o'er.* Emma, tender, affectionate, (literally one who nurses, cares for, watches over anoth er,) is of German origin. Who could desire his mother, sister, or his beloved, to bear a sweeter or a better name? Under the form of Imma, it was honored by Charlemagne's fair daughter, whose love history in connec tion with Eginhard, her father's secretary, forms one of the prettiest episodes in the chronicles of the time. Emeline is simply a diminutive of Emma. Ernest, earnest, is derived from the Ger man. Its feminine form is Ernestine. Eugene, nobly descended, is of Greek deri vation. In the feminine, in which it ought to be oftener used, we give it the form of Eugenia. Everard is a good name from the German stock, and has the meaning of well reported. Francis is of German origin, and signifies frank and free. It is one of our finest names. Frances, of which Fanny is the familiarized or pet name, is the feminine. Frederick, rich peace, is another German name of historical importance. Frederick, the grenadier king of Franco, was not par ticularly well named. Georgo, a farmer, is from the Greek. It should be a very common name in agricul tural communities. It ha's been borne by kings, and by one at least, who was greater than any king—Washington. Georgia, Georgetta, and Georgians, aro its feminine forms. Gertrude is from the German, and accor ding to the etymology usually given, signi fies all truth; but Jung Stilling, in his Phen matology, gives it a very different meaning. Span'ling of the Druids he says—"into this mystelious spiritual order, old women were also received, who by this means attained to considerable rank and became priestesses.— Such individuals then received the title of Iroxa—Druitless. Both these names were at that time honorable appellations; they are now the most disgraceful terms of reproach. The name of Gertrude or Gertrudis, is prob. ably derived from this source, and ought reasonably to be disused, for it has the same meaning as the word ha= or hese, a witch." Well this may be true, for Gertrudes are generally very bewitching. Grace, favor, is from tho Latin. Well may it be a favorite name. Commend to me the Graces: You may loan Your charming , Sue, Praise your Itlnry's eyes of Wee, Choose whatever name you will Your fancy or your verse to fill; In my hoe no name has place But the sweetest one of Grace. Helen (Latin, Helena; French, Helene) is of Greek origin. Tho true signification of it seems to bo one of those rarzta , Tres- Ilona which abound in etymological discus sions. According to one it has the mean ing of alluring; another makes it signify, a taker, or one who seizes; while a third de fines it as one who pities. lam inclined to endorse the last. Many a poor unfortunate lover has found Helen alluring, and has fin ally boon taken, seized, conquered by the prestige of her bright eyes and sweet voice. Happy is ho who finds her one who pities, for pity is akin to love. Ellen is only a dif ferent Corm of the same name. It is often contracted to Nellie. and Nell, and is a fine name in all its forms. Henry, rich.lord, is of German derivation. It has been borno by many kings, noblemen, and patriots. In its familiarized form it be comes Harry. Its feminizations are Henri etta, Henrica, and Harriet, who, since they cannot be rich lords, should he rich ladies. Isabel (French, Isabelle; Spanish, Isa bella) signifies olive complexioned or brown. This is just the name for a bonny brunette; for such a one as the poet praises when he singe: "Give me the brown girl with a bright, Runny glow: , There is a silvery, bird-like music in the, name which is exceedingly attractive, and which has made it a favorite with the poets. One says: 'Tull many maidens' names there. be, Sweet to thee, Fair to me, And beautiful exceedingly; But none on my ear no sweet doth swell As the name of mine own Isabel , .Mary ttowitt, in her Flower Comparisons, has the following melodious lines: "Now for mod cap Isabel; What shall suit her, p rlythee tell! Isabel Is brown and wild; Will be evermore a child! I. all laughter, all vagary, Has the laughter of a fairy. • O • a • Isabel Is short and brown, Soft to touch as eider-down , Tempered like the balmy SOW h, With a rosy, laughing mouth: Cheek• just tinged with peachy red, And a graceful Hebe-head; Hair put op in some wild way, Decked with heige-rote's spray. Now where is the bud or bell That may match with Isabel?" James (in the French, Jacques; Spanish, Jnyme; Italian. Giacomo; Scotch, Jamie;) comes from the old Hebrew stock, and is generally supposed to be the same as Jacob, and to signify a supplanter. John is generally supposed to be from the Ilebrew, and to signify gracious; but Talbot traces it, as ho thinks, to the Latin 'amnia, a young man. In the Italian it is Giovanni; in the Spanish, Juan; and in the French, Jean. It has been borne by some of the greatest men that the world has ever pro ducted. It was the name of Milton, Moils den, Locke, Dryden, Lloward, Moliere. Doc caocio, Liam:oak, Adams, Calhoun. Shake pear. bestowed it upon one of his best char acters, the-fat knight -who was wont to sub scribe himself, "Jack Fallstaff with my familiars; John with my brothers and sis ters, and Sir John with the rest of Europe." The name is a great favorite with the very respectable and somewhat numerous family of Smiths; and probably the most noted of all the Johns, ancient or modern, is John Smith. The commonness of the name is the only valid objection to it. It has ceased to be sufficiently distinctive, and one sympa thizes with the lament of an unfortunate bearer of the ancient and honored but much abused name: "Why did they call me John. i say Why did they call me holm? It's surely ja.t the meanest name They could hare hit upon! Deenure my father hail it too, And suffered for the same, Is that a proper reason he Should propagate the name?" The English are prone to convert John into Jack, and the Scotch into Jock, neither of which is either elegant or genteel. Judith, from the Hebrew, signifies prais- Julius, soft-haired, is of Latin origin.— Julia, Julietta, Juliet, and Julianna, are feminizations of Julius, and should wear on their queenly heads "soft and silken tresses." Julia needs no eulogist, since she is one whom the poets have immortalized. Juli etta, or Juliet, is a diminutive of Julia, "but has," as Talbot remarks, "apparently united itself with another name; Joliette, the di minutive offolic, pretty." Letitia, joy, is ono of the happiest as well as the sweetest of names. The woman we love should be "a joy forever" to our hearts. It is a good old Roman name. Leonard is from tho German, and signifies lion-like. Mabel is probably froin ma Leila, my fair' though some think it a contraction of ama bilis, lovely or amiable. The fair ones who bear it have no reason to complain of either derivation. Madeline, (Syriac:, Maydalene,) magnifi cent, is a noble name and a favorite with the poets. It often occurs in the French form of Madeleine: "Thou art not steeped in golden languors, No traneed summer calm is thine, Ever•varying Madel finer,—Tenn yson. Margaret, a pearl, is from the Latin mar. garita. Another, and if possible, a more beautiful signification has curiously enough attached itself to this name. 'The German word, madg, a maid, was anciently written magete and magliet, which words were easily confused with Madge and Maggie, and thus with Margaret. Daisies were also called magnets, maid, or margarets, whence we have the French margueri tes ,daisi es. Mar garet, then, may be a pearl or a daisy, as she chases; or she may, if she will, combine the beauty and purity of both, in bar life and character, and thus prove herself wor thy of her doubly significant name. But maidens are something mere than pearls or daisies, and well may tho poet ask: uWliere enn the bright flower bo met That can match with Margaret?" Martha is a pleasant name from the He brew, but is unfortunate in its signification, meaning bitterness! Mary. This sweetest of all female names is from the Hebrew, and has the meaning of exalted; a truly appropriate signification. It is a famous name both in sacred and pro fane history. In all stages it has literally been exalted. From Mary the mother of Jesus to Mary the mother of Washington, the glory has not departed from the name. It has been linked with titles and with power, with crowns and coronets, and adorned by goodness and beauty. It has ever been a favorite with the poets. Byron, ns he as sures us, felt an absolrte passion for it. It is enwoven with some of his sweetest verses. It is still the theme of bards and bardlings innumerable. "The very music of the name has gone Into our being." In the French, Mary becomes Marie. Maria is another form of it. "Is thy name Mary, maiden fair? Such should, methinks, its mu.ie be. The sweetest name that mona's bear 1- but befitting thee!" Matilda is from the Greek, and signifies noble or stately. Miranda, admired ! is from the Latin.— Prince Ferdinand, in "The Tempest," ox claims: "Admired Miranda: indeed the top of admiration:, Nancy, it is believed, may be traced to the same source as Anna and Liannah, which have the same signification, kind orgracious• Oliver is from the Latin word oli 7a, an olive tree, and is thus significant of peace. Olivia and Olive aro its feminine forms. Phcebe is a bright and beautiful name; one full of the happiest significance. Phcebe, light of life! What more or better can a lover or husband desire? Those who have read Hawthorne's "House of the Seven Gables," (and who has not?) will here re call to their minds the sweet-tempered, oheerful and warm-hearted country maiden who brought the sunshine and the fra grance of the fields with her, to enliven and purify the dark, damp and mouldy old man sion .of the Pyncheons. She was rightly named, Phcebe. Philemon is one who kissed. It is I think, of Greek derivation. Philip, n lover of horses, is from the Greek Rose, (Latin, Rosa,) a rose, is sweet enough for the name of a fairy or On angel. There is a veritable fragrance in it. It calls up visions of garden arbors, and embowering shrubs and vines. It is poetical as well as euphonic: $1,50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE; $2,00 IP NOT IN EDVANCE "Where the Juniata flows. And the forest shades repose, DweHeat she, my lovely Rose In rural grace , Rosabel (Italian, rosa-bella,) is from the, Latin root, but comes to ns through the Ital ian. It signifies fair or beautiful rose.— Rosalie, (French, rose et list) rose and lily combines the fragrance and beauty of two lovely flowers: .1 love to forget ambition! And hope in the mingled thought Of valley, and wood, and meadow, Where, whilome, my epithet:night Affection's holiest breathing; Where under the skies with me, Young Rosalie roved, aye drinking From joy's bright Cnctaly." Rosalind. It is enough to say of this name that its one of Shakspeare's immortalized appellations. The termination, lind, may have been coined by him simply for the sake of euphony, or it may have been derived from the Spanish linds, neat or elegant, (rosa linda, elegant rose.) "From dm east to western Ind No jewel is like Rosalind." Rosamond is ono of the prettiest names cf the rose family. The derivation of the last part of the word is somewhat doubtful.— Perhaps it is from Mundi, (French, monde,) and perhaps from the German mund, the mouth, so that Rosamond, may have origin ally been Rosen-mund, or rosy-mouth; but Talbot thinks that it is from the Spanish rosa monies, rose of the mountain, that is, the pceony. Richard is from the Saxon, and signifies rich hearted, or, according, to another ety mology, richly honored. Robert, otherwise Rupert or Ruprecht, ap pears to comp from the old Anglo Saxon words ro or ru, red, and bart, beard, red beard; so says Talbot. Romeo, a pilgrim, from the Italian. Ruth is from the Hebrew, and signifies a trembler. It is a pretty name, but is sel dom used. Sarah, a princess, is from the Hebrew.— In poetry and in familiar address it takes the form of Sally or Sallie, and is found in many a love-song and ballad. Sophia, wisdom, is from the Greek. "Wilt thou be a nun, Sophie? Nothing but a nun?'—Proctor. Susan is of Hebrew origin, and has the meaning of a lily. In its familiarized or pet form it becomes Sue. It is a very pretty name, and is immortalized in Gay's well known ballad, in which its signification is very happily introduced into the closing line: "Adieu," she cried. and waved her lily hand." Theodore is a fine euphonic name from the Greek, and signifies if of God. Its feminino form is Theodora: "Since we know her for an angel Bearing meek the common load, Lei ua call her Theodora, Gift of God:, Viola, a violet, is derived from the Latin. For a pure, moist, bashfulo maiden what name could bo fitter? • Walter is of German origin, and signifies a woodman. William is of German derivation, and sig nifies defender of many. "This name," says Vorstegar, the distinguished French anti quary, "was not given anciently to children but was a title of dignity imposed upon mon from a regard to merit. When a German had killed a Roman, the golden helmet of the Roman was placed upon his head, and the soldier was honored with the title of Gildhelm, or golden helmet, and was hailed as a defender." With the French the title was Guildhaume, since Guillaume. The Ger man form of William is now Wilhelm.— Willie!mine and Willamette are feminine forms of the name. Those who bear them, since they cannot be expected to occupy the post of defenders, may well take, as the sig nification of their names, worthy to be de fended. . "What's in a name?" "Imago animi, valid., vine, nomen via" Suttee in China. The Chinese Suttee, when it occurs, is the eolf sacrifice of widows, who are also orphans and childless; who consider themselves use less, and, as it were, lost in the world; and who seek death, not only as a means to show their affection for the deceased husband, but of eseapefrom the evils of a very wretch ed and isolated position. It is commonly a suicide of the desperate, put forth as a pub lic and glorious net of devotion. flighty praised by Chinese moralists, both ancient and modern. many instances of this kind of solemn self-destruction are recorded in his tory and romance, though of late years there has been scant resort to it in practice. I will proceed to show how a sacrifice is managed in our own times, by relating the facts of the tragedy enacted before my eyes in the neighborhood of Foo-Chow•Foo. The first notification I bad of what was about to take place, was tbo parading of n handsome wedding chair about that suburb of the provincial capital in which our foreign settlement is situated. The chair was ac companied by all the pumps and gaitios of a wedding—music, g,ny streamers and so forth. There was, however, one thing most unusual in this procession. The occupant of the chair was exposed to public gaze, instead of being, as in weddings is invariably the case, closely screened. Oa waking inquiry among our Chinese servants as to what this extra ordinary departure from established customs might portend, I was informed that the lady was no bride. bat a disconsolate widow, re cently bereaved, who, _finding herself unpro vided fur and unprotected, and having, more over, neither-father nor mother, son nor daughter, father-in-law, nor mother-in-law. [WHOLE NUMBER 1,660. was determined upon following her husband to the unknown world, where -she might serve and wait upon'him as became his duti ful and loving wife. Having accordingly made known her fate on to her friends, and having fixed the &Trot. departure, she was now taking leave of all she knew, and parading the streets as a pattern to her sem. The object of her death being to rejoin 'hes husband, the ceremony was a sort of Wed ding; she was arrayed and adorned as a. bride, and seated in a wedding chair. I ascertained the time and place appoint ed for tho closing ceremony, and on the morning of Wednesday, the 13th ofJanuary, proceeded, accompanied by twcariends, to a spot some four miles distant from Nantae, the seat of the foreign settlement and south ern suburb of Poo-Chow-Foo. ,Everybody we passed appeared as well acquainted with the object of our journey as we ourselves wore. As wo approached the scene of action wo found ourselves in a stream of people, chiefly women and girls, the greater part of whom wore small footed, and were hobbling along leaning one against another for support, or assisting their tottering footsteps by means of the shoulders of dutiful eons or brothers. Wo arrived only just in time to seo the chair of the victim carried on the ground. and herself ascend the scaffold which had been prepared for her. Tho chair was the bridal chair in which sho had been carried about the streets; and the scaffold consisted of two stages, one raised a few feet from the ground, and the other about a foot higher. The whole was covered with a dark cloth canopy, supported by a frame work of bam boos, within which was set a gallows of ono very thick cross-piece of bamboo, fastened at either end to a strong upright pole. From this bamboo, under the canopy, and exactly in the middle of the scaffold, hung the fatal rope, covered with a red silk napkin;• be neath it was set a chair to enable the devotee to roach the noose. On the lower platform was a table of choice meats and vegetables, at which she was to take her last meal in the land of the living. The table was sur rounded by the woman's friends, dressed in holiday costumes, and wearing tho red cap of Chinese officials. In former times it was the custom for two district magistrates to be in attendance ou all those occasions; but since the higher authorities were hoaxed, some years ago, by a lady whose courage failed liar at the last moment, they have re fused to bo present at such exhibitions, and now despatch an inferior officer to superin tend tho arrangement. Tho scaffold was raised in the midst Df a largo expanse of fields, at tho time lying fallow, and was surrounded ty a crowd num bering some thousands. Benches from which a better view could be had, wore so much in demand, that we were obliged to pay a dol lar (four and nine•pence) before wo could obtain one for myself and another for my companion; I use the singular number, be cause we had lost the third membersof our party in the crowd. The chief actress in this extraordinary scene appeared at first to bo far less excited than any ono in the vast concourse assem bled. Sho was dressed in red bridal robes. richly embroidered with colored silk„strul her heal was adorned with a handsome gilt coronet. tier decidedly plain face betrayed not the slightest emotion, and she sat down at the table with as much apparent good will R 3 if it had been her bridal, rather than her funeral feast. While she was eating, we made some inquiries among the crowd. and ascertained, in addition to the fact of her being childless, that she was twenty-five years of age, and that her only surviving re lations were a brother in poor circumstan ces, and his infant child, her nephew. We were further informed that she lied resided in a village which was pointed out to us at a little distance from the spot. After the lapse of about half an hour, the poor woman having apparently satisfied her appetite, rose from her seat, and, still stand ing on the lower platform, addretsed tho sur rounding crowd in a set speech, thanking them for their attendance, and explaining why she acted as she did. When sho bad finished speaking, she took from a bowl on the table several handsful of uncooked rice. which sho scattered among the crowd,' and eager was the scramble to get a few grains as her virtuous blessing. This done she fondled her baby nephew, and bade an af fectionate farewell to her brother, who stood by her on the scaffold; then stepping upon the upper stage of the platform, she bowed gracefully to the surrounding multitude. and addressed to them a few last words. It struck me at this moment that she might•be under the influence of opium, for her laugh ing countenance and rapid gestures were too highly excited, to be natural, except under the influence of some such stimulants. It is right to add, that the gaiety was clearly not assumed. Sho was helped to mount the high chair placed under the rope, but the rope proving to bo still beyond her reach, her brothersteP ped forward and held her up in his arms, while she with her own bands passed the noose over her head and adjusted the cruel slip-knot to the kick of her neck. Thera silk napkin was then placed over her facie ands handkerchief fastened to her-right hand. At a signal given by herself; her brother stepped back and left her saiPerided in mid air. She then, eltakingber joined hands -before hOr biaast, '"ohirkbinnedif the crowd; her Own weight causingliir turn round and round, so that persons on Eli
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