The Babes in the wood

image kindly donated by a
Member of the Bookmark Society, UK.
 

THE
BABES
IN THE WOOD

ON A FINE SUMMER DAY,
I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY,
THESE POOR LITTLE CHILDREN
WERE TAKEN AWAY.

THEY WANDERED ABOUT
UNTIL IT GREW NIGHT,
THE MOON WAS GONE DOWN,
AND THE STARS GAVE NO LIGHT.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
image of angel looking
over two children
lying on the ground.  
 
 
 
 
 

THEY SOBBED AND THEY SIGHED,
AND BITTERLY CRIED,
THEN POOR LITTLE CHILDREN
THEY LAID DOWN AND DIED.

THE ROBINS SO RED,
WHO SAW THEM LIE DEAD,
BROUGHT STRAWBERRY LEAVES
AND OVER THEM SPREAD.

 

18.8cm long by 4.0cm wide

 

Signed: "T.STEVENS COVENTRY" on back at pointed end:

This bookmark also has a woven diamond registration mark on the reverse, with the date of 9th July 1874.
Godden notes that in the official register there was a bookmark design registered on this date, but the actual bookmark was missing. From this physical evidence, we can now fill in the name of the design.

Stevens logo and diamond registration mark on the reverse pointed end of this bookmark		DAY: 9
	BUNDLE: 1		YEAR: U {1874}
		MONTH: I {July}