Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-09-28
NO. 224.
WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES OF THE Cprs,s


view of the babies. The committee, seriou,
under the weight of their great responsibility.
hurried to perfect the arrangements. The
cheruoic chaps were arranged in q great
sem'-circle over the platform. 1t was . very
charming sight-these thirty babes in arms,
dimpling with laughter. throwing their snowy
arms into the air at nothing at all, and swing.
ing In their chubby hands rattles and SlOO
trustee watches, indiferently and wildly.
Inc little kids enjoyed it as highly ~ any.
oodv; Some with naked feet and legs, fasci.
mated the womaDly heart which put forth this
expression 'See that little eunnin' thing,
only 'nree months old-its an awful hand
some baby
PRESIDENT Prince with feather brush in his
hands proceeded to get all the little lilies in
smiiing order and then gave orders to the Jan.
itor to raise the curtain.
The CURTAIN Is LIFTED.
Itwould of course be impossible to ex.e
serate the sensations that thrilled the feminine
heart when the curtain was raised and showed
the various growers. It was simply 4 crisis
10 feminine existence.
Quite prompt to the appointment at A.
NJ, the cherubic throng WAS displayed. And
not alone the cherubs-their modest ancestors
also' the Confident matron, certain that the
pest paoe in the universe WAS the babe which
she tenderly folded to her bosom. Here
we're mothers who had taken along with them
their four, i've, six, eight or ten pledges
OF anection, making independent PROFESSIONS
which several gentlemen who had never had
any copies Of themselves demanded, looked
on with enormous eyes. All the while of
course, there was any amount Of ton. .fooIefy,
with the babies. They were poked and over
hauled, and tickeled almost to death. There
we're babies colicy and bucolicy babes pursy,
oabies bald as young robin and babes with
ringlets tawney with the moons of Paradise,
Cor words to that effect.) The babes en-.
tered for premiums we're BY no means the only
babes present. but babes spectatorially con.
tributed, roosting on papa's shoulder, Growing
IN namma's lap, or in grandma's lap crying
for Mrs. Williams and her miserable pareRor-
ic. Little coteres of mothers put their heads
their heads together and harmoniously agreed
that there was none so good babies present 20
theirs. But let them say what they may, there
were many little cherubs in attendance-dim.
i.y chaps who would knock you down with
their sweetness, if you had any heart for
snowy robes and the little rascals inside Of 'em
that have just opened like April buds, and
don't care dsmson for this unintelliaible
world. so it lactel refreshment and their ark
are properly meted out.
President Prince announced that in order
to give all sight, the crowd might pass from
left to right std pass out of the hall. There
was only one lady who heard him, 20 exces-
sive was the noise-and she did not leave the
hall till about three o'clock in the afternoon.
The crowd was immovabls as . rock.
| The President announced that three baby
prizes were to be given, one Of $50 one Of 500
| and one OF $40. The announcement was re-
ceived with applause. The amusement of the
crowd at the babies, who were proudly dis.
played, oue by one, by the handy Treasurer
knew no bounds. The crowd cheered, and
said the world never saw in the Republic in
which the knitting work flourishes, 90 noble
group of little gods and godesses, A very
orthodox crowd, no doubt. Some swung
their hats others climbing upon the tsbIes
and cro~ed. Did ever the babies receive no.
bier homage?
Some sneering remarks by misanthropic
men we're taken as an insult and at once put
down. "What does baby show have to DO
with q farm show?" asks one. "Is not pop-
ulstion the basis of the whole thing9" is the
hard nut which the Injured person fires bac to
the first party in the dialogue.
While the curtain was up several new ba-
bies arrived, and we're greeted with loud
| cheers. as the ever courteous Trustees edged
them into the snowy cluster. The President
| again invited the crowd to pass around and
out of the hall. This time nobody heard him
the voice of thunderbolts would have been
swallowed up in the din. "Be gorra! its a
doosid hard job for the committee" said one
to another, in effect, but divers English, The
delicacy of the task imposed on the Trustees
| now loOmed up in most colossal dimensions,
One man with his hat very much cooked on
one side was sure Mrs. A. ought to have it;
another man just as wise, with his hat on the
back of his head, was just as sure that Mrs.
BE- babe was the boss. And even the doctors
disagreed!
To their infinite credit, there was very little
roaring among the infants. The good Mar.
;has, careful of many things, had foreseen the
individual wants of each cricket, smoothed its
rufHed plumage SO that each particular babe
looked like canary just out of its bath, as
much as it is possible for babe.
THE CURTAIN FELL
To give the mothers a little vacation, after a
display of about twenty minutes, when the
committee retired and addressed themselves to
their task. The mothers only had time to
comment on the painful misinformation Of the
Trustees in locating the hour, when not over
tel minutes having passed, the committee re-
turned. having agreed on report, rearranged
the little roarers and ordered
THE CURTAIN UP ONCE MORE.
II you were there, dear reader, as you
ought most certainly to have been, you doubt
less saw in the hub of this hemisphere Of liz.
tie rascals NorE-"little rascals" is nursery
dialect for babes. a very round marble. topped
table, on which rested an enormous stick of
red aud streaked candy, on which Was the fol-
lowing legend: Presented to the prize baby
by Entwistle Ham," This little affair was
about foot through-nearly as large - the
California tree.
But the treasures here stored are not all
named. Mr.. c. T. Jefferson had placed on
the table three beautiful bouquets of rare
roses, one tied with blue, another With pink
and another with white ribbon-blue for nrst
prize baby, pink for second and white for
third.
just at this juneture a couple more babies
arrived. but not in season for the competition.
1t is strange that at this particular moment .
big cage full of Mr.. Wooley's canaries should
set up song that ran musicaily over the
heads of the crowd, and made itself heard like
robins voice in quiet April morning.
President Prince called to order and the
great crowd at once stopped its dialogue a.
/ tha dat Ia ,kn 81