The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-03
BABY SHOWS.

The Saturday Regje1o thus criticizes baby
show recently held at Woolwich:-
Save that they are handled little more
tenderly, the babies are treated by the visitors
for all the world like the beasts in cattle
show. They are poked at and felt, and their
points remarked and their flesh assailed,
much as if they were cows and horses, but of
an exceptionally fragile kind Their mothers
share in the ruling spirit and turn up grimy
layers of small petticoats to show the shape or
fneness of the limbs beneath. The breadth
of back and the Dimensions of a thigh are
points of which they boast with quite unc-
tuous complacency; and when knot of
coarse men and gross women stand before one
of the chairs-we ought to say pens-and dis
cuss the look of the flesh and general develop
ment for the age, the clearness of the eyes,
the strength of the limbs etc, of the small
occupant, the mother takes it all
in as good part as hearth-rug
cat when you stroke her kittens, and
apparently with much the same sensations
All the mysteries of the nursery, generally
held sacred from the prying gaze of the pro
fame world, here go on in primitive simph-
city; and any wavering young bachelor may
realize to the life the after-ettect of his mar
riage with beloved object on small means,
and put il to himself whether this is the kind
of thing he likes or not TO be sure, pater-
nifty may make some difference, but the facts
of baby nature are the same in both cases,
and we are bound to say that baby nature and
nursery mysteries are not particularly appe
tizing to the great majority of men. What
ever poetry or beauty lies round the cradle of
the FIRST born-and poets and artists make out
that great deal does lie round it's here
vulgarized out of existence; and, if anything
could make a man q sworn celibate for life, it
would be a careful scrutiny of a baby-show
such as we saw at Woolwich. As one passed
chair after chair of actively-nursing mother
and placidly-feeding child, the finer shades
of distinction got lost, and one came at
last to regard the babies as so many
animals, to be cared for by the
inscrutable instinct of maternity truly, but
having no claim to poetic sentiment, and
very little more individuality than SO many
sparrows or sheep, save to their respective
mothers. When not asleep or sucking, they
all kicked, and screamed, and fought wildly
with space with more or less passion and
vigor they all clutched vaguely at somebody's
beard, or tried to put out their own eyes, or
to choke themselves with their fists; some
laughed if they were ticllled, and some broke
out into a howl; all stared; and all were very
wet about the mouth and chin: and the great
mass of them seemed to sleep away the hours
when they were not feeding, and when asleep
they were at least quiet, though they looked
hot and very uncomfortable. The atmosphere
of the tent was very close and unpleasant
and as positive in its own way, if not quite so
nasty, as the atmosphere of a COW house or a
kennel But the women seemed to like it;
and perhaps nature, which tempers the wind
to the shorn lamb, blunts their senses to
things which sicken strong men. In this
show prizes were offered for the biggest
and finest babies of various ages, classified
according to certain conditions. And among
these prizes was one offered for ''triplets. "
Accordingly the demand, though a queer
one, found a corresponding supply; and one
poor wretched creature, only three weeks
confined. came to the show to be stared at
and commiserated for the three miserable
abortions she held in her arms. This seemed
to us the most disgusting part of the exhibit
ton. That woman so awfully chastised by
fate and an unfriendly nature should be
helped out of compassion is one thing, but
that prize should be offered for mon
strosity is another. We do not want race
of triplets. Certainly not, if they were to be
like those at North Woolwich, which had a
humiliating likeness to small monkeys, and
for which the best thing one could wish was a
speedy release from cruel world where
whole men and women find it hard to fight
their way, but where a man or woman divided
by three would be nowhere in the struggle
They were fearful things to regard as poten
tial fathers and mothers-scarcely human
they were so small and dark and dwindled
weighing only three pounds each when they
were born, and apparently not anything more
now. Yet these miserable little abortions,
with their weak and haggard mother, were
set up in sitting tent for all the days this
precious show lasted, for the chance of a
prize as a reward for a monstrosity.
But indeed what was to be gained by offer
ing prizes at all What can they do? They
encourage no better breed of babies, however
well deserved they may be. Given the bes
producer and nourisher of the human anima
to be found, and how will a prize either en-
courage or enable others to compete with her
Besides, what are the grounds to go upon
The judges do not write up the place OF
living, age, race, condition, and food of the
father and mother; and if they did, how would
that affect others? The whole thing is too
absurd to be argued about. Teach women
few elementary physiological truths abou
themselves and their children, and some GOO
might be done; but prize for what is a mer
matter of blind chancellor certain chemica
proportions unknown, and therefore not to b
attained by others-is the most foolish of tn
many foolish acts of pseudo philanthropy tina
we know of. And though it is a matter-of-fac
that certain women produce fine children, am
certain others poor and wretche
little creatures, how is baby-show to men
matters if they are bad, or to carry thei
further if they are favorable? We presum
no one would go so far as to advocate meal
like those adopted by pigeon-fanciers an
stock-raisers Is there any power or law
deny the right of men and women to produC
stunted, scrofulous, riclety offspring, YET
after year. for as long as nature allows!
know what we should do with animals III sue
cases, but we cannot do the same wlth me
l. 1, ,sNA IAlNN II