Feliciana sentinel., 1878-01-05

perhaps be in want Of a little luncheon,
or might desire to express its views III
regard to pins and things in general.
Accordingly, this excellent matron with
drew from the ball room, assuring her
partner that she would return almost i'm
mediately. She did not return, however,
and the next mother who left the call-
room with a like promise also failed to
return. Gradually the mothers, one by
one, as they recollected the existence of
the babies, retired to attend 20 their. sup
posed wants, until ten months had thus
vanish, Il, not one of whom made their
re-appearance in the ballroom.
The remaining six mothers, who were
probably exceptionally fond of dancing,
entirely forgot their babies until the aD-
proach of dawn, and the fixed determina-
ton of the band to go to sleep on the
floor caused the brilliant assembly to
break up. The six mothers repaired In a
body to the second story back bedroom,
whence loud shrieks and wild demonstra-
tions Immediately arose. Every one
rushed to ascertain what was the matter,
and, in response to their inquiries, were
informed by a distracted mother that the
best babies had all been carried oft, and
that the remainder were inextricably
mixed up, owing to the loss of their dis
tingnisl!ed bows.
1t appears that no sooner had tho in
fants been left to themselves than the
bright -colored ribbons had attracted
their attention. The investigations which
they Immediately undertook were prose-
cutcd with so much zeal that in a pre-
sumably brief time every bow was torn
Oft. The first mother, who arrived at
the scene at 10 o'clock, was woman OF
great coolneSs and resource. Finding
it impossible to select her own baby from
the mass OF unmarked aud conglOmera-
ted infants, she wisely selected the larg-
est and best baby of rhe lot, and carried
it home. Her example was followed by
the next nine mothers, each one OF whom
picked out good, serviceable infant anu
fastened away with it. The result was
that the last sI.-.. others found nothing
but refused infants, and conld not agree
| IS to any method of satisfactorily aistri-
but:ng them. Their Indignation was nat
| ur,lly very great. Each one insisted
| that she had brought with her baby OF
| exceptional value, which was alone worth
| more than the entire six that still re-
manned, and each insisted that she should
be allowed to make the first choice. In
these circumstances, with Il view to check
the further etfusion of hairpins and curls,
Judge Doolittle proposed that, inasmuch
as lhc ladies' were unacquainted with
euclle the matter should be settled by
throwing dice. This was done, and each
mother in her turn picked out baby
and went home, asserting that she had
been atrociously cheated, but that If her
husband was really man, as he preten-
del to be, he would secure for her justice
and revenge at the mouth of his revolver.
The affair happened three weeks ago,
and as yet no redistribution of infants
has been made. The mothers who, by
gcing home early, secured the choicest
| babies, profess to be perfectly certain
that they took their own private infants;
and the remaining mothers, while they
clamorously resent the necessity which
compelled them to put up with cheap
and comparatively worthless babies, con-
tcss that they cannot prove to the satls-
faction Of Il jury precisely to whom the
halls dozen best infants respectively be-
=, long. The husbands who take the broad
general ground that one infant is about
as guod as another, are unwilling to in
tcrfere. and it is only too pro bable that
the sixteen blackberry babies will never
know their real mothers, and that thell
f own identity will Ec IL puzzle to then
for tie remainder of their lives. This
} tragedy shows the necessity of branding
or otherwise permanently marking ba-
t bies, and suggests the question 'hethe1
l. the managers of the blackberry ball are
, not legally responsible to the dlssat
e is!ied mot hers, and cannot be compelled
G to make good the losses which the lat
: | ter have sustained.
!