The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-05
BABY SHOWS.

Of baby shows hot favorable word can be
said. Not oniy is there 40 good whatever in
purposes 10 exhibition go, hnti they are posi-
lively harmful soms senses. and disgusting
in alb Una gine q mum Ser Of babies Of the
poorer classes-which means doubtful clean
1inoss and exceedingly doubtful decencv--
small creatt1re5 having large -lnpgs, vary
ing from three weeks, to, two years ct
dss. age. Sooped stuv nR together gsa tS on bTosg
temperature and defective ventilation, with
crewd~ OF peeple~ passing end requesting be1
fore them. ther mot hers, (nursipg.mothers
animals behind a slrgle fence, and then say
the most en'husiastlo 1ovsf @ ef tabss can can sd Si
any beauty or grace ln~such show. and assur
edly no physcla would approve 1t; while as
to thecompara' i've auatomet and Psychologist,
IT any one wishes to see how easy it is to de-
and how verv slight is the barrier OF artIic,ai
dignity aud individuality which separates him
nom his four-;ooe ed ed relatives, he has only to
60 to such All exhibition as that got up at
North Woodw,ch this last week. He will then
be- brought to proper state of anthropol loyi-
oal humility. and be disposed to accept tie
theory OF our poor relati9ns and progressive
development, id 10 shake hands with bis
consln the gorilla without more ado.< For h.
baby show Is simply an exhibition, Of ANNA
--of certain kind, neither more nor less; and
the truth had better be said Of it At once ~ !
Save that they are handled r little more tan.
derly,. tie babies are .r4sat.eej by the y,s;rora
.or 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 aud horses, but OF 40 ex-
in the ruling spirit, and turn up grjnly LAYERS
of emal petticoats to chow the shhpe or fine
ness OF the limbs beneath. The breadth Of
back and the dimensions OF O thigh are points
Of which, they boas, with quite upctlous COM
placency; and when knot Of coarse men and
grosc ~ !. ".stand before one Of the chairs
Il IL ~.
the fssn ...>. .ral DEVELOPMENT for the age,
the clearness OF the eyes, the strength Of the
limbs, &c, OF the small occupant the mother
takes it all in as good part as q hearth rug cat
with much the same sensations. All the mys-
teries of the nursery, generally held sacred
from the pry,ng gaze 81 the proiane % world here
young. bachelor may realize to the lite
the after-efforts OF his marriage with be-
oySa TO Sp sms n ne lima a9a It
likes or not. To be sure, paternity may make
some difference. but the facts OF baby nature
are the same in both cases. and we are hound
to say that baby nature and nursery mysteries
are not particularly appetizing 10 the great
majority OF men. Whatever poetry or beauty lies
around the cradle of the 6rst- born :. aod poets
around it's here vulgarized out OF existence;
and, II anything could make Q man sworn
celebate for life. it would be careful scrutiny
OF a baby show, such as we saw at Woolwich.
AS one passed chair after chair Of actively
nursing mother and placdly- -fe ading child the
finer shades OF. distinction got lost. and Que
animals, to be cared for by tue IN cru aole in
stinct OF maternity truly, but having no claim
to poetic sentiment. and very little more lndl-
vidualitv than so many sparrows or sheer.
asleep or sucking: they, all Kicked AID
screamed. and fought wildly With space, with
more or less passion or v,gor; they all clutch
ed vaguely at somebody's beard, or tried to
mt ont their cnOkb thanpelvea
with their fists; some laughed If they were
tickled, and some broke out into 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 not feeding. and
when asleep they we're at least quiet, though
they looked hot and very uncomfortable. The
atmosphere OF the tent was very close and un-
pleasant. and as positive in It's own way, il
not quite so nasty, as the atmosphere of
cow-house or Kennel. But the women SEEM
ed to like it,; and perhaps nature, which tenn
pers the. wind to the snorn lamb, blunts their
senses to thin which slcken strong men. In
this shew prizes were offered for the biggost
and finest babies Of various ages, classified ao-
oording TO certain conditions. And among
these prizes was one offered for ,ts.triplets.n,
According the demand, though q queer one,
found q corresponding supply. and one poor,
came 10 the show to be stared at and COM
miseIated for the three miserable abortions
she held in her ARMS .Chis seemed to us the
So az ng by e
unfriendiy nature shouIe be helped out ofcorc.
passion ls .one thing, but that prizeshouid
!. be offered tor o monstrosity Is another. We
do not want rac' Of triplets.- Cert inly not.
II they we're TO be nike those at North Wool
wich, ahich had u Illuminating -i,keness 10
small monkeys, and for which the best thing
one could wish was speedy release from q
cruel world, where whole men and women find
1t hard 20 fgn, IN ir va. but where man OF
Woman divided b; three.wou.d be nowhere IN
the struggle They were fearful things 70 re-.
par6 a M Ra hEr qnd pnfhara- c1-
ly hufnab,' tnev were so small and dark and
dwlndled; weighing only three pounds each
.S1e Then they were boH and apparently rot
abortloDs. With their weak and haggard mo-
ther. were set up ~ q sizing Tent for al the
days hts prec,ot1si ahow tasted, for tile chance
OF prize as o rewari tor monstrosity. M v 4
But. Indeed, what was to be gained by Offer.
ing prizes at al? What can they 'do flhey
ENCOURAGE NO better breed Of babies, lhowever
producer aud DOursher OF the human ,nninal
to De fund, ami bo. will q prlze either en-
courage or elabe Others to compste with her ,
Besides WIN / are the grounds TO 90 upon ?
The judges donot write up the place Of living,
age race. condition. and f0nd OF the father and
mo hetss ana 1T they did how would thet AFFECT
others? tn.'w Whole hug is too atstifd TO bt
argued about. T. acb woMen few elementary
physiological truths about themselves and
their ohiidreu. "a some good might be done;
iad os maas se 4 %assa
tions unknO yf, aid therefore not Ito be
attained by o,hers--ls the most foolish o.
the mapy foolish saots Of the pseudo-phi.
1anthropy that we know ,Of. Apd though
IL is . mat ~ OF fact that certain wo.
men produce q children. and certain
others poor u d wretched little screa-
lures how ,s baby show 10 mend mat -ers
II they are bad. OF to carry them further II they
are fhvorabls3 We presuuie no one Tonid R6
90 far as 10 advocate means like those adopt
cd by pigeon anclcrs aud stock .raisers.
& A1s there al! power or law to deny the right
as. @ nsecai t@@