FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49  
50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>   >|  
t the two "preposterous names," as he called them, which in a moment of eccentric impulse he had given to these children of nature. He ventured to hint as much to Mrs. Hopkins. The good dame was vastly surprised. She thought they was about as pooty names as anybody had had given 'em in the village. And they was so handy, spoke short,--Sossy and Minthy,--she never should know how to call 'em anything else. "But, my dear Mrs. Hopkins," Master Gridley urged, "if you knew the meaning they have to the ears of scholars, you would see that I did very wrong to apply such absurd names to my little fellow-creatures, and that I am bound to rectify my error. More than that, my dear madam, I mean to consult you as to the new names; and if we can fix upon proper and pleasing ones, it is my intention to leave a pretty legacy in my will to these interesting children." "Mr. Gridley," said Mrs. Hopkins, "you're the best man I ever see, or ever shall see,... except my poor dear Ammi.... I'll do jest as you say about that, or about anything else in all this livin' world." "Well, then, Mrs. Hopkins, what shall be the boy's name?" "Byles Gridley Hopkins!" she answered instantly. "Good Lord!" said Mr. Gridley, "think a minute, my dear madam. I will not say one word,--only think a minute, and mention some name that will not suggest quite so many winks and whispers." She did think something less than a minute, and then said aloud, "Abraham Lincoln Hopkins." "Fifteen thousand children have been so christened the past year, on a moderate computation." "Do think of some name yourself, Mr. Gridley; I shall like anything that you like. To think of those dear babes having a fund--if that's the right name--on purpose for 'em, and a promise of a legacy,--I hope they won't get _that_ till they're a hundred year old!" "What if we change Isosceles to Theodore, Mrs. Hopkins? That means _the gift of God_, and the child has been a gift from Heaven, rather than a burden." Mrs. Hopkins seized her apron, and held it to her eyes. She was weeping. "Theodore!" she said,--"Theodore! My little brother's name, that I buried when I was only eleven year old. Drownded. The dearest little child that ever you see. I have got his little mug with Theodore on it now. Kep' o' purpose. Our little Sossy shall have it. Theodore P. Hopkins,--sha'n't it be, Mr. Gridley?" "Well, if you say so; but why that P., Mrs. Hopkins? Theodore Parker, is it?" "Does
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49  
50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Hopkins
 

Gridley

 

Theodore

 
minute
 

children

 
legacy
 

purpose

 

moderate

 

computation

 

Fifteen


whispers

 
suggest
 

mention

 

thousand

 

christened

 

Lincoln

 

Abraham

 

Drownded

 

dearest

 
eleven

weeping

 

brother

 
buried
 

Parker

 

hundred

 

promise

 

change

 
Isosceles
 

burden

 
seized

Heaven

 

Minthy

 

scholars

 

meaning

 
Master
 

village

 

moment

 
eccentric
 

impulse

 

nature


preposterous

 
called
 

ventured

 

surprised

 

thought

 

vastly

 

interesting

 

answered

 

instantly

 

pretty