The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-09-30

The baby show at Abbeville came Off last
Friday In the vacant store room opposite 10
McDills furniture store.
For days, II not Tor weeks, before the show
came Off, loving mothers had been contem-
plating the exhibit with pleasure, with now
and then intermingled doubts aud fears as 10
the result OF the contest. All went nope.
fully, trusting to win the beauty prize, each
having the full consolation OF knowing tnat
II her baby did not win, she certainly knew
that she had the sweetest baby on earth, VINO
would grow up TO be the best man or tne oesL
woman in all the country round about the
city.
equally divided between the sexes, and as
pretty show of babies and charming moth
ers was never made In any yossad snd enue n
Its prettiest goods and in her own best taste
"They know simple tender knack
or tying sashes, fitting baby shoes,
And stringing pretty words that make no
sense, .
II, therefore, we are to judge from the mum
ber Of we'll dressed ladies who came with
such a grace of carriage and with such a
charm OF manner as would please the gods,
and in the beauty Of whose smile mascu line
humanity would involuntarily fall down 10
their adorable presence, the show was, oy
. long odds, the best and the prett:est that ever
occurred. Grandmother Ewes feeble effort IN
the Garden Of Eden didn't count as compared
to our incom parable show,
There is nothing In all this old world half SO
in teresting as a child, and in nothing on this
earth are stored away so many possibilities
when we do not forget that the Aobeville ba-
bies are the best and the prettiest on earth,
what shall we say Of the prize winners At the
Abbeville show? The good mothers VINO
brought their babies in generous rivalry may
settle that little point among themselves
The babies
"They are the idols OF hearts and of house
They are angels of God in Disguise"
But 1t was not always so. Long ago wick;
ed king, fearing the possibilities OF q child
that was born In his realm, decreed that Ill
the little babes should perish at the hands of
his minions, and as result, many innocents
were slain, and there was mourning In many
homes.
In other times, heartless mothers threw
their children into the streams and lakes.
Before the sweetness and the parity OF the
Christian religion pervaded the households,
serve tho health and the lives of the little an
gels, but now all mothers recognize the TACT
that
"Children are the heirs of Paradise"
And 80 It Is, in different lands and In differ
ent times children have been regarded in
Today In this land of Bibles and churches.
our mothers, following the example OF Mary
who hid her child from the wicked king,
would shield their children from all harm,
and at any cost. They are regarded In the
family as o wellspring OF JOY, and as the
browning glory OF young womanhood. They
are the very heart OF hearts for the young pa
rents, aud the hope and the comfort, the
stay and the solace of mother and father.
"Children, ay, forsooth,
They bring their own love with them When
they come"
The contest Is an event in the life Of
each, of which the world In .after years may
read with Interest. And In the time that
shall come, these same children can read to
their children the story OF Abbevllle's great.
est and most interesting show, which Shall
keep alive
1.-THE memory, images and precious thoughts /:
That shall not die and cannot be destroyed
The respective committees took charge OF
the babes as they came In and they were care.
full to check each one, so that the mothers at
the close of the show would be sure TO get
their own, and not another's babe. AS far a.
we have beard, no mistake along this line oc-
CURED. Each mother is satisfied that she
drew the right child, even If she did not draw
the coveted prize. -,
The committees kept no official record oi
the entries, but the following list has been
kindly prepared for us from memory. II any
name has been omitted, we are sorry. Effort
has been made to get every name: