NAMING CHILDREN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2989, 24 January 1881, Page 4

NAMING CHILDREN.

The bible has decided the nomenclature of tho north of England. In towns like Oldham, Bolton, Ashton, Blackburn, the , clergyman's baptismal register is but a record of Bible names. A clerical friend of . mine christened twins Cain and Abel the other day much against his own wishes. Another parson on tho Derbyshire border ■was gravely informed at the proper moment, that the name of baptism was KamothGilead. "Boy or girl, oh?" he asked m a somewhat agitated voice. The pareats had opened the Bible haphazard according to the villago tradition, and selected tho first name the eye fell on. It was but a year ago a little child was christened Tellno, in a town within six miles of Manchester, at the suggestion of a cotton spinner, the father, a workman of the name of Lees having asked his advice. " I suppose it must be a Scripture name ? said his master. " Oh, yes, that's of course. " Suppose you choose Tellno ?" said his omployer. " That'll do," replied the other, who had never heard of it before, and liked it better on that account. The child is now Tellno Lees (" lees " being the Lancashire way of pronouncing lies"), the father, too late, finding that he had been hoaxed. " Sirs," was the answer given to a bewildered curate, after the usual elemand to name the child. He objected, but was informed that it was a Scripture name, and the verse, " Sirs, what must I do to bo saved ?" was triumphantly appealed to There is again a story of a clergyman making the customary demand as to name from a knot of women around the font. "Ax her," said one. Turning to the woman who appeared to be indicated, he again asked, " What name ?" "Ax her," she replied. The third woman, being questioned, gave the same reply. At last he discovered the name to be the 'Scriptural Achsah, Caleb's daughter—a name, by the way, which was rather popular with our forefathers.—Harper's Magazine.