Isle of Beauty, fare thee well!”
I found Mary sleeping, but the baby was awake, and I thought it would then be well to carry out an intention I had cherished for some time. I sent away the nurse, and asked Robert to unfasten the small trunk which we had with us. As soon as this was done I said, “I want some night clothing out, Robert; will you hold Lilly for a few minutes?”
He looked at me inquiringly, and said, “Lilly! Is it to be that? She was baptized Eliza.”
“I know,” I answered, “but think a moment, Robert. That name would soon become a trial. It is too full of unhappy memories. The child might suffer in more ways than one from being linked with it, and your mother will never know.”
“Perhaps you are right. We might love her too much, or go to the other extreme. But why Lilly?”
“Because Lilly is the Scotch abbreviation for both Elizabeth and Eliza. So she will retain her baptismal name.”
“Very well,” he replied, “that is a good reason for Lilly.”
So from that hour to this, my second daughter has been called Lilly.