This day was the most Remarkable day that ever my eyes beheld the air had bin full of smoak to an uncommon degree so that wee could scairce see a mountain at two miles distance for 3 or 4 days Past till this day after Noon the smoak all went off to the South at sunset a very black bank of a cloud appeared in the south and west the Nex morning cloudey and thundered in the west about ten oclock it began to Rain and grew vere dark and at 12 it was almost as dark as Nite so that wee was obliged to lite our candels and Eate our dinner by candel lite at noon day but between 1 and 2 oclock it grew lite again but in the evening the cloud came, over us again, the moon was about the full it was the darkest Nite that ever was seen, by us in the world.[A]

[Footnote A:  This was printed in the sketch of Melrose in “History of Middlesex County,” vol.  II.]

* * * * *

NAMES AND NICKNAMES.

BY GILBERT NASH.

To the antiquarian, the historian, or the general scholar, there are few more interesting studies than that of names.  It is a pursuit of rare delight to trace out the derivation of those with which we have been long familiar, and to follow up the associations that have rendered them dear, curious or ridiculous, as the case may be.  The names themselves may be of no value, but the spot or circumstance that gave them birth cannot fail to throw around them an atmosphere of peculiar interest.  The subject is a broad one and may be, with time and inclination, extensively cultivated; and, even in the limits of a short article, many phases of it of general importance and interest may be satisfactorily treated, and it is proposed in the following paragraphs to present only a few of them.

In the present rage for nicknames, pet names, diminutives and contractions there is fair prospect of an abundant harvest of trouble and perplexity to the genealogist and historian of the future.  In fact, the students of the present day are already beginning to realize, in no small degree, the annoyance that arises from the custom.  The changes are so many and intricate that to understand them fully requires much valuable time and the patience that could better be employed in more important work.

The difficulty arises, of course, from indifference, inadvertence or carelessness, rather than from set purpose; yet the result is the same in its evil effects.  It is true there are some of these nicknames that have been so long in use, and have become so common that no one is disturbed by them and their employment, and they are readily understood.  Many of these, however, have served their turn and are gradually going out of use, and will, in a short time, be only “dead words” to the community.

Of this class are the familiar favorites of our grandparents, such as Sally, for Sarah; Polly or Molly, for Mary; Patty, for Martha, and Peggy, for Margaret, representative names of the class.  Some of these, with perhaps slight changes, have become legitimatized, and their origin has been nearly, or quite, forgotten.  Of such we recognize Betsy, or its modern equivalent, Bettie or Bessie, as a very proper name.  Few, perhaps, of our present generation would recognize in “Nancy,” the features of its parent, “Ann” or “Nan.”