Bright Ideas for Entertaining
by Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott · English · Gutenberg #42863 · 412,078 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: Bright Ideas for Entertaining
Author: Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott
Release date: June 2, 2013 [eBook #42863]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
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BRIGHT IDEAS
FOR
ENTERTAINING
Two hundred forms of amusement or entertainment for
social gatherings of all kinds: large or small parties,
clubs, sociables, church entertainments, etc.; with
special suggestions for birthdays, wedding anniversaries,
Hallowe'en, All Fools' Day, Christmas
Day, New Year's Eve, and other holidays.
By
MRS. HERBERT B. LINSCOTT
PHILADELPHIA
GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO.
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1905, by
MRS. HERBERT B. LINSCOTT
Published July, 1905
Thirty articles appearing in this book have been taken from
"The Ladies' Home Journal," to which the author gratefully
acknowledges permission to reprint them.
Bright Ideas for Entertaining
ACTING PROVERBS
In this game the company may be divided into actors and spectators. The
actors are each given a proverb, which they are to act alone in
pantomime.
The first player may come into the room where the spectators are
waiting, with a sprinkler in one hand and a cup in the other. He begins
sprinkling the flowers, then he pours water over them, acting the
proverb, "It never rains but it pours."
The second actor also brings a cup of water. He repeatedly attempts to
drink from the cup, which keeps slipping from his fingers as he brings
it near his mouth. "There's many a slip between the cup and the lip."
The third brings in a purse containing brass buttons, which he takes out
and counts over deliberately. Then he looks at them closely, and with
seeming distrust, finally flinging them from him in a rage. "All is not
gold that glitters."
The fourth actor appears with a stone, which he rolls all about the
room. Then he examines it critically and shakes his head dubiously. "A
rolling stone gathers no moss."
The next actor brings in a bundle of hay and tosses it about with his
fork, which he carries for the purpose, looking up frequently at an
imaginary sky. "Make hay while the sun shines."
This game is more interesting if spectators are furnished with slips of
paper and pencils, that they may write down their guessing of each
proverb when the actor passes from the room, to be followed by another.
ADVERTISEMENT ITEMS
Cut out pictures from advertisements; for instance, from "Quaker Oats,"
cut out the Quaker, but nothing that will tell what it represents. Have
a number of them and paste on plain white paper. Number each ad, and
keep a "key" to them yourself. Furnish paper and pencil to each guest
and have them guess what each picture represents. The one who guesses
the most receives a prize. Also request every one to write an
advertisement on some article.
Still another form of the game is for each person to choose his theme
for an advertisement, and write it without naming the article. He will
read his advertisement, and the company must guess what article he is
advertising. A variation of this game is to distribute papers, allowing
a few minutes for examining them, and then let each player describe some
article as nearly as possible in the language of its printed
advertisement, with, of course, such changes as will serve to divert the
company, and give the rest an opportunity to guess what advertisement he
has been reading. Of course the article should not be named in the
course of the description.
ALL ABOUT KATE
This game will furnish amusement at an evening entertainment, but may
also be played after a ladies' luncheon. The questions, on sheets of
paper with spaces allowed for the answers, are distributed, and fifteen
minutes given for answering them. Each answer is composed of one word
ending with the letters c-a-t-e; for instance: Kate is a good pleader
(advo-cate). When fifteen minutes have elapsed each player signs her
name and passes her paper to the person on her right. The answers are
then read, and the player having the most correct answers wins a prize.
QUESTIONS--
1. Kate is a good pleader.
2. Kate judges judicially.
3. Kate is apt to use other people's money wrongfully.
4. Kate is very frail.
5. Kate sometimes gets out of joint.
6. Kate makes everything double.
7. Kate loves to teach.
8. Kate takes out ink spots.
9. Kate helps people out of difficulties.
10. Kate is good at constructing.
11. Kate gives a pledge of security.
12. Kate sometimes invokes evil.
13. Kate is perplexing; hard to understand.
14. Kate often prays earnestly.
15. Kate makes wheels run easily.
16. Kate uses her teeth.
17. Kate is not always truthful.
18. Kate can foretell events.
19. Kate makes an affirmative.
20. Kate gets smothered.
21. Kate points out clearly.
22. Kate makes business combinations.
23. Kate goes into the country.
24. Kate will now move out.
1. Advocate.
2. Adjudicate.
2. Adjudicate.
3. Defalcate.
4. Delicate.
5. Dislocate.
6. Duplicate.
7. Educate.
8. Eradicate.
9. Extricate.
10. Fabricate.
11. Hypothecate.
12. Imprecate.
13. Intricate.
14. Supplicate.
15. Lubricate.
16. Masticate.
17. Prevaricate.
18. Prognosticate.
19. Predicate.
20. Suffocate.
21. Indicate.
22. Syndicate.
23. Rusticate.
24. Vacate.
APPLE SOCIABLE
Cards are sent out with the following:
_Come to the Apple Social and see who gets the_
_B--A--P_
_L--A--P_
_N--A--P_
_Social given under the auspices of the East End Connett Y. W.
C. T. U., Monday evening, Sept. 10, 1905_
Have cards printed with a letter on each one, forming the names of
various apples; for instance, B-A-L-D-W-I-N and G-R-E-E-N-I-N-G. Have as
many letters of one color made as there are letters in the name of the
apple, and have each group of letters a separate color. These are passed
to the guests, after which each one proceeds to find the rest of the
letters colored like the one he holds, and when the group is complete,
the holders of the letters proceed to spell out the name of their apple.
Each group then composes an original poem on its apple. The poems are
read to the audience, then the prize of B--A--P (big apple pie) is given
to the best poem, L--A--P (little apple pie) to the poorest, and N--A--P
(no apple pie) to the group who composes no poem. All kinds of apples
are served for refreshments.
APRIL FOOL DINNER
The dinner I shall serve will be plain and substantial, but it may be
as elaborate as one chooses. Following is the menu:
Vegetable Soup Pickles Crackers
Roast Beef Mashed Potatoes Brown Gravy
Celery Stewed Peas Tomatoes
Bread Butter Tea Cheese Jelly
Cream Pie.
When the dinner is all ready to serve the fun will begin. Imagine the
surprise of the guests when they sit down to the table, to find the soup
served in teacups, the pickles shining forth from the sugar-bowl and the
crackers in a covered vegetable dish. The roast beef will be cut in
slices and arranged on a silver cake dish, the mashed potatoes in a
dainty glass berry dish, and the gravy in small individual sauce dishes.
The stewed peas will be served from the water-pitcher in glass tumblers,
the celery on the bread-plate, bread in the salad bowl, butter on the
celery tray, and the tea in soup bowls. The jelly will be placed on the
largest meat platter and served with the carving-knife, the cheese in
the gravy dish, and finally the pie on large dinner plates.
The sugar will appear in the cracker jar together with the gravy-ladle,
and the cream in the china teapot. The salt will be found in the mustard
cup, the pepper alone remaining as it should be. Water must necessarily
be served at the dinner, but even this will not be in the usual manner.
I shall serve it in the after dinner coffee cups.
The soup must be eaten with teaspoons, as the larger ones will be
reserved for the tea.
APRIL FOOL PARTY
Invitations may be copied after a dance card of a "Comus" ball at New
Orleans, which represents a large-sized gilt folly bell with ribbons
attached. On arriving, each guest is given a favor, which may serve also
as a score marker. These are follies' heads, capped and ruffled and
fastened to a stick, which has ribbons wrapped around it. The colors of
these ribbons, not more than two being alike, determine partners. An
attached tiny square of pasteboard, bearing a painted number, directs to
the tables. Instead of playing one game only, a variety of games are
introduced. At the head, or "Hearts," table is a large-sized tally-ho
horn, tied with a profusion of motley colors. At the conclusion of the
game, the defeated ones blow the horn and the winners at all the tables
are given little brass bells to tie upon the folly sticks or baubles.
The prizes, both head and booby, are fools' caps of white crepe paper
with huge red rosettes.
The refreshments should be as deceiving as possible. One hostess at an
April first dinner went so far as to serve the entire course backwards,
beginning with ice cream and ending with soup. Or a very suitable menu
may be served in strange and unusual guise: potato salad arranged as
cream puffs; English walnut shells as receptacles for olives; sandwiches
as slices of cake with nut filling; ice cream as croquettes, cone-shaped
and plentifully sprinkled with toasted cake-crumbs; cake as sandwiches,
with ice cream between and tied with ribbon; coffee served in bouillon
cups; bonbons served in exact size artificial fruit. Among the bona-fide
dainties may be "April fool" bonbons--"chocolate creams" stuffed with
cotton, button-moulds covered with chocolate, and round, yellow
pill-boxes filled with flour, iced to represent small cakes.
After the refreshments the hostess may say that she has a picture to
show which she has just received and which has given her much pleasure.
A curtain is hung before it, which, when withdrawn with grave ceremony,
reveals a mirror reflecting the expectant faces of the guests, while on
its surface, written with soap, are the words "April Fool!"
AUTHORS' CONTEST
Questions to be answered by giving in each case the name of a well-known
author:
1. A name that means such fiery things, you can't describe
their pains and stings. (Burns.)
2. What a rough man said to his son, when he wished him to
eat properly. (Chaucer.)
3. Pilgrims and flatterers have knelt low to kiss him.
(Pope.)
4. Makes and mends for first-class customers. (Taylor.)
5. Represents the dwellings of civilized men. (Holmes.)
6. Is worn on the head. (Hood.)
7. A chain of hills covering a dark treasure. (Coleridge.)
8. A brighter and smarter than the other. (Whittier.)
9. A worker in precious metals. (Goldsmith.)
10. A vital part of the body. (Hart.)
11. A disagreeable fellow to have on one's foot. (Bunyan.)
12. Meat, what are you doing in the oven? (Browning.)
AUTHORS' GUESSING GAME
1. When we leave here we go to seek our what? (Author of
"Elsie Venner.")
2. What dies only with life? (Author of "Phroso.")
3. What does a maid's heart crave? (Author of "Handy Andy.")
4. What does an angry person often raise? (Author of "The
Christian.")
5. What should all literary people do? (Author of "Put
Yourself in His Place.")
6. If a young man would win, what must he do? (Author of
"Wandering Jew.")
7. How do we dislike to grow? (Authors of "Silence of Dean
Maitland" and "Dawn.")
8. What would we prefer to be? (Authors of "Book of Golden
Deeds," "Man Without a Country," and "Under the Greenwood
Tree.")
9. What is a suitable adjective for the national library
building? (Author of "The Heavenly Twins.")
10. What would we consider the person who answers correctly
all these questions? (Author of "From Post to Finish.")
The answers to the above questions are:
1. Oliver Wendell Holmes. (Homes.)
2. Anthony Hope. (Hope.)
3. Samuel Lover. (Lover.)
4. Hall Caine. (Cain.)
5. Charles Reade. (Read.)
6. Eugene Sue. (Sue.)
7. Maxwell Grey and Rider Haggard. (Gray and haggard.)
8. Charlotte Yonge, E. E. Hale, Thomas Hardy. (Young, hale
and hardy.)
9. Sarah Grande. (Grand.)
10. Hawley Smart. (Smart.)
Give the most successful contestant a nicely bound copy of the latest
popular book, and the least successful one a gaily colored copy of a
child's primer, or a gaudy poster picture.
AUTHORS' VERBAL GAME
This is an interesting and instructive game. The players seat themselves
so as to form a ring. An umpire and a score-keeper are appointed, and
each player in turn rises and announces the name of a well-known book.
The one who first calls out the name of the author of the book scores a
point; the one who has the largest score when the game ceases is the
victor, and may be given a prize. This game may be varied by the naming
of well-known authors, leaving the titles of books, by these authors, to
be supplied. And it may be played in yet another way. Give each player
a pencil and paper, and instead of calling aloud the title of a book, as
each author is announced, ask the players to write on a slip of paper
the name of the author, the title of a book by that author, and the name
of a character in the book. Thus:
1. Oliver Goldsmith--"She Stoops to Conquer," Miss
Hardcastle.
2. Harriet Beecher Stowe--"Uncle Tom's Cabin," Miss Ophelia.
3. William Shakespeare--"Romeo and Juliet," Tybalt.
If the game be played in this way the scores will probably be close.
"B" SOCIABLE
Be sure to come to the home of
Brother Linscott next Monday eve,
Because we will insure you a good time
By the enjoyment of our "B" social.
BUSY BEES.
Busy Bees' bill o' fare:
Bread.
Baked beans.
Beef.
Baked potatoes.
Boiled pudding.
Boston's overthrow.
Butter.
Beets.
Batter cake.
Bologna.
Bananas.
Brown bread.
This can be changed to suit any other letter and the invitations may be
worded as desired. Have tiny boxes, barrels, bags, and baskets filled
with candy, fruit, or nuts, for souvenirs.
If it is desired to make money, a price may be placed upon each article
of food, and the souvenirs may be offered for sale.
BARN PARTY
_Miss Gertrude S. Derr
requests the pleasure of your company
at a Barn Party,
Monday evening, August 12, 1905,
on Water Road,
Shortsville, New York_
ARRANGING FOR THE PARTY
To insure the success of such a party, a moonlight night should be
selected. The barn chosen should be large, the floor space ample, and
the decorations lavish. They may consist of green boughs, vines and
goldenrod, and a number of American flags.
The two large opposite doors should be thrown wide open for free
circulation of air. The floor should then be cleared, swept and washed.
High up over one door a large flag may be draped, and wires stretched
across from beam to beam, away from direct draughts, upon which Japanese
lanterns may be hung, care being taken that none are allowed to come
into contact with the bunting in case of one's taking fire. Chairs
should also be provided, and a rope stretched across one side of the
open space, on the farther side of which place a table. On this table
place a large bowl of soapsuds, into which a spoonful of glycerine has
been put, and by its side place half as many pipes as there are to be
guests. Prepare half as many cards also as there are to be guests, and
write across the full length of each card the name of an agricultural
implement, as hay-rake, hay-cutter, pitchfork, hoe, spade, scythe,
sickle, mower, plow, reaper, binder, seeder. On the reverse side each
card should be numbered at the top, and a question written concerning
the implement named on it; besides this the number and another query
should be written upon the lower half. Questions like the following will
answer:
No. 1. What is the true mission of a harrow?
No. 1. Can you tell a harrowing tale?
No. 2. What is a hoe used for?
No. 2. What is a good receipt for hoe cake?
The cards should then be cut in halves, and the matching of them will
determine partners for the bubble blowing contest. The answering of the
questions will also afford much amusement throughout the evening.
BASEBALL PARTY
A novel party was recently given by a mother to celebrate the sixteenth
birthday of her only son. She had been rather envious of her friends in
their happiness of planning many luncheons and other pretty affairs for
their girls, consequently she entered heart and soul into this party for
her boy, sparing neither expense nor trouble to make it a success. It
was announced as "A Baseball Party," and by enlisting the services of a
niece, who was very enthusiastic over the national game, she was able to
carry out the idea.
Eight of her son's friends were invited, who, with the boy himself, made
the required "nine." Luncheon was first served. Before going into the
dining-room each boy was assigned a place on the "team," and found his
place at the table accordingly. In place of name-cards were tiny "fans"
bearing the words "catcher," "pitcher," etc., and, of course, each guest
knew just where to sit.
The menu-cards were booklets with the words "Official Score" written on
the covers. The menu consisted of nine courses, or "innings," as they
were more appropriately termed. It was written in language
unintelligible to the average feminine mind, but the boys guessed what
many of the viands were amid much merriment. The reading of the menu,
and the conjectures as to what the courses would be, broke up any
stiffness that might have resulted from nine boys lunching together. It
read as follows--only in the original the interpretations were, of
course, left out:
FIRST INNING
First strike (Oyster cocktail)
SECOND INNING
Where the losing team lands (Soup)
THIRD INNING
Caught on the fly (Small trout with diamonds of crisp toast)
FOURTH INNING
A sacrifice (Lamb chops with potato balls)
FIFTH INNING
A "fowl ball" (Chicken croquettes with French peas)
SIXTH INNING
The umpire when we lose (Lobster salad with cheese straws)
SEVENTH INNING
A fine diamond (Ice cream in diamond-shaped slices. Cakes)
EIGHTH INNING
Necessary for good (Preserved ginger with wafers and coffee)
playing
NINTH INNING
Everybody scores (The passing of favors)
The favors consisted of a ticket for a ball game to be played on the
local grounds that afternoon for each boy, and a tin horn with which to
"root," as the boys expressed it.
As soon as the luncheon was finished the nine boys departed in great
glee for the ball grounds, relieving the hostess of the responsibility
of further entertaining them.
BEAN BAGS
Make twelve or fifteen bags, six inches square, of bed-ticking, and
loosely fill them with beans which have been washed and dried to remove
all dust.
Appoint two leaders, who choose sides, arranging the sides in lines
facing each other, with a small table at each end of each line.
The bean bags being equally divided, each leader deposits his share upon
the table nearest him. Then, at a given signal, seizing one bag at a
time with one hand, with the other he starts it down the line, each
player passing it to the next until all the bags reach the last, who
drops them upon the table at his end of the line. When all the bags have
reached this table, the last player, seizing each in turn, sends them
back up the line to the leader, who drops them upon his table. Whichever
side first succeeds in passing all the bags down the line and back, wins
the round. It takes five rounds to make a game, so that three out of
five must be successful for the winning side.
BEAN SOCIABLE
_Have you ever "bean" to a "bean" sociable? If not come to the one the
Connett Y. W. C. T. U. are having Monday evening, September 1st. If you
have never "bean" to one you will enjoy the_
_"Bean porridge hot,
Bean porridge cold,
Bean porridge in the pot,
Nine days old."_
Supper should consist of baked beans, cold and hot, bean porridge or
soup, brown bread and butter, and pickles, tea and gingerbread.
Bean bags to go with this sociable.
BERRY GUESSING CONTEST
1. What berry is red when it's green? Blackberry.
2. " " " used for making ladies' dresses? Mulberry.
3. " " " found on the grass? Dewberry.
4. " " " a dunce? Gooseberry.
5. " " " irritating? Raspberry.
6. " " " used for bedding cattle? Strawberry.
7. " " " " " celebrating a great festival? Holly berry.
8. " " should be respected for its age? Elderberry.
9. " " is melancholy? Blueberry.
10. " " " named for a month? Juneberry.
11. " " " used in sewing? Thimbleberry.
12. " " " named for a bird? Pigeonberry.
BIBLE CONTEST
The game of Bible Contest cards can be played very profitably and is
very instructive. It can be found in any book store in large cities or
can be had of the United Society of Christian Endeavor, Boston, Mass.
The cost is very little. Or the cards may be written out as follows:
1. Give the first and last words of the Bible.
2. Whose three daughters were the fairest in all the land?
3. How old was Methuselah when he died?
4. Who was called "a ready scribe in the law of Moses"?
5. Give the names of the three persons who were put in the
fiery furnace.
6. Who was the author of the expression, "What hath God
wrought?"
7. With how many men did Gideon conquer the Midianites?
8. Who was Moses' brother?
9. Who went down into a pit on a snowy day and slew a lion?
10. Who said "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and
we are not saved"?
11. Who was the mother of Samuel?
12. Who commanded the gates of Jerusalem to be closed on the
Sabbath?
13. Whose flock was Moses tending when he saw the burning
bush?
14. What city was saved from famine by lepers?
15. Who waxed fat and kicked?
Name. No. No.
Have the cards distributed; then on a given signal have the answers
written out; as fast as finished have them handed in to be examined by
the committee who afterward returns them. The first blank for number is
for the order in which the cards are handed in, and the second for the
order of correctness of the answers.
BIBLE EVENING
Here is a well-known alphabet of Scripture proper names, which may be
utilized at a social by ranking the members on two sides, and reading
these lines one at a time, in the same way that a spelling-bee is
carried on:
A was a monarch who reigned in the East (Esth. 1: 1).
B was a Chaldee who made a great feast (Dan. 5: 1-4).
C was veracious, when others told lies (Num. 13: 30-33).
D was a woman, heroic and wise (Judg. 4: 4-14).
E was a refuge, where David spared Saul (1 Sam. 24: 1-7).
F was a Roman, accuser of Paul (Acts 26: 24).
G was a garden, a favorite resort (John 18: 1, 2; Matt. 26:
36).
H was a city where David held court (2 Sam. 2: 11).
I was a mocker, a very bad boy (Gen. 16: 16).
J was a city, preferred as a joy (Ps. 137: 6).
K was a father, whose son was quite tall (1 Sam. 9: 1, 2).
L was a proud one, who had a great fall (Isa. 14: 12).
M was a nephew, whose uncle was good (Col. 4: 10; Acts 11:
24).
N was a city, long hid where it stood (Zeph. 2: 13).
O was a servant, acknowledged a brother (Philem. 16).
P was a Christian greeting another (2 Tim. 1: 1, 2).
R was a damsel who knew a man's voice (Acts 12: 13, 14).
S was a sovereign who made a bad choice (1 Kings 11: 4-11).
T was a seaport, where preaching was long (Acts 20: 6, 7).
U was a teamster, struck dead for his wrong (2 Sam. 6: 7).
V was a cast-off, and never restored (Esth. 1: 19).
Z was a ruin with sorrow deplored (Ps. 137: 1).
BIBLE NAMES
Choose sides as in a spelling match, and let the leader of the first
side give the first syllable of the name of some Bible character. The
leader of the opposite side will then complete the name, if he can.
Failing this, his side loses a member, selected by the leader of the
opposite side. And so the contest goes on down the line, first one side
and then the other proposing the first syllable of some name.
BIBLE READINGS
A good way to promote study of the Bible is a "Bible oratorical
contest," in which four or five contestants recite, or give as readings,
selections from the Bible. If well done, it will prove most
entertaining, and many people will go home surprised that the Bible is
such an interesting book.
BIRD CARNIVAL
The invitations to the carnival had various kinds of birds painted upon
them, and each guest was requested to come representing the kind of bird
designated on his or her invitation. There were two invitations of each
kind, one sent to a lady and one to a gentleman, that there might be a
"pair" of each variety of bird. As the guests arrived, each was labeled
with the name of the bird he or she represented, and in this way it was
easy for them to find their "mates" for refreshments. The house was
profusely trimmed with flowers, vines, and leaves (many of them
artificial, borrowed from a near-by store); every available space was
covered, the banisters, the mantel posts, the door- and window-frames,
the archways, etc., and even the walls of the dining-room were hung with
the trailing vines, so that the place looked like a veritable woodland
dell. All the stuffed birds that could be secured were perched here and
there among the vines and branches, some on nests with their mates
beside them; a large owl was placed high in one corner, and in a cozy
nook in another corner was the nest of a meadow lark, with father and
mother birds teaching their young ones to fly. Besides this canaries in
cages were distributed throughout the house, lending their music to the
general effect. Bird eggs of every description were also used to help
decorate. In the centre of the dining table a nest was arranged,
containing a mother bird and her little ones, while suspended from the
gas jet by gayly colored ribbons and reaching almost to the nest, were
many prettily decorated egg shells, the contents having been "blown"
from them by means of small holes made in each end. Twenty-five rhymes
about birds were pinned about the rooms, the guests being required to
answer them. Following are given the rhymes and their answers. The
hostess kept the "key" and read the correct list at the close of the
contest, when a canary bird in a cage was given as first prize and a
stuffed bird as second to the most successful contestants. At the close
of the contest, the roll was called and each "bird" present responded
by an appropriate quotation, these having been previously distributed by
the hostess.
BIRD PIE
After refreshments were served, an enormous "bird pie" was placed upon
the table and each guest was given a slice. This pie was made of pie
crust, and was filled with tiny trifles wrapped in tissue paper, most of
them representing birds, eggs, nests, etc. On the top of the pie
twenty-four little birds cut out of black paper were perched by means of
pins stuck through their feet. Also pinned to the pie was this verse:
When this pie is opened
The birds begin to sing?
That is where you all are fooled;
We won't do such a thing!
BIRD GUESSING CONTEST
1. A flash of sky on wing.--(_Bluebird._)
2. Oh, shall I call thee bird,
Or but a wandering voice?
Thy note from household clocks is heard,
And children's ears rejoice.--(_Cuckoo._)
3. King of the water, as the air,
He dives and finds his prey.--(_Kingfisher._)
4. Thy plaintive cry announces punishment,
And warns the luckless boy for whom 'tis sent.
--(_Whippoorwill._)
5. You introduce yourself throughout your song,
And tell the world your brief, old-fashioned name.--(_Phoebe._)
6. "Bob White!" you call
Along the marshy coast.
Speak not so loud
Or you will be on toast.--(_Quail._)
7. Cooing 'neath barn rafters,
Pouting, sometimes, too,
Rippling like child laughter
All the winter through.--(_Pigeon._)
8. An English emigrant, bird of the street,
So common that some like thee not at all.
Yet in the Holy Bible we are told
The Father careth if but one should fall.--(_Sparrow._)
9. Red-breasted harbinger of spring
We wait in hope to hear thee sing.--(_Robin._)
10. Yellow captive of the cage,
Silver notes thou giv'st as wage.--(_Canary._)
11. A flash of white upon the sea,
And yet 'tis not a sail.
A "little brother of the air"
Hath dared to ride the gale.--(_Sea-gull._)
12. "Jenny" named in children's books,
Bright in spirit, dull in looks;
With Cock Robin as thy mate,
Nothing else I'll have to state.--(_Wren._)
13. In Blue Grass regions is thy splendor seen,
Thou flash of flame.
August thy name,
Red-coated pontiff of the green.--(_Kentucky Cardinal._)
14. Black robber of the corn-fields, oh, beware!
The farmer can do other things than scare.--(_Crow._)
15. We know how long ago
You frightened Mr. Poe--
Black-coated prophet of adversity.--(_Raven._)
16. Named for the animal the dairies need,
Yet, in thy nature, quite a different breed.--(_Cowbird._)
17. Black-winged in crimson roses thou art dressed,
Fine feathers make fine birds, it is confessed;
And none more fine than thou,
Oh, brilliant beauty of the bough!--(_Scarlet Tanager._)
18. The melody is trickling from thy beak,
And silver whistlings help thy voice to speak.
Oh, singer, famed by thousands, clear the strain
Which ripples from thy pulsing throat like rain.--(_Nightingale._)
19. Bird of the night,
Thy round eyes are aglow
With all the learning
Which the sages know.--(_Owl._)
20. The mother hen must watch her little brood
Lest thou come down and bear them off for food,
And use them for a dinner,
Oh, prowling sinner.--(_Hawk._)
21. You imitate the foe which does you wrong,
And call "Meouw," instead of chanting song.--(_Catbird._)
22. Your coat is like the leaden sky
Which drops the feathery snow,
And when that leaves us, by and by,
Still further north you go.--(_Snowbird._)
23. A symbol of the perfect Love
Shed from above.--(_Dove._)
24. I supplicate
At Heaven's gate
And rest on wing
Where angels sing.--(_Lark._)
25. I'm always offered cracker,
And though I like it well
I think some other viands
Would answer just as well.--(_Parrot._)
BIRTHDAY PARTY
_We herewith extend a most kind invitation
To you and your friends or any relation
To come to a party. This little silk sack
Is intended to furnish a good place to pack
As many pennies as you are years old.
We promise the secret shall never be told.
If Methuselah's age would be the right sum
Of the years to which you already have come,
If objections to exposing your age should arise,
One hundred would be a splendid disguise.
A musical program of very rare merit
Will be given to those who will just come and hear it.
We'll give you good cheer for the weak inner man
And a gallery of pictures unique to well scan;
We'll meet young and old with greetings most hearty
As you come, one and all, to your own Birthday Party._
These invitations can be given and sent out beforehand, each accompanied
by a tiny silk bag to hold the money. Prepare a nice musical treat and
something good to eat. Have each member of the society giving the
entertainment bring a picture of himself when a baby or small child, and
have a picture gallery. Do not forget to be very social and make every
one feel that he is welcome, not only for the money he brings, but for
himself also.
BISHOP'S RIDDLE
A most eccentric yet interesting man was Bishop Brooks of Brookville;
although not a large or strong man, wherever he went, night or day, he
was always either accompanied by or carrying:
Two playful animals--calves.
A number of small animals of a less tame breed--hares (hairs).
A member of the deer family--hart (heart).
A number of whips without handles--lashes (eyelashes).
Some weapons of warfare--arms.
The steps of a hotel--inn steps (insteps).
The House of Representatives when a vote is taken--ayes and noes (eyes
and nose).
Some Spanish grandees to wait upon him--ten dons (tendons).
Two places of worship--temples.
Two scholars--pupils.
What Napoleon wished to leave his son--crown.
Two coverings of kettles--lids (eyelids).
Two musical instruments--drums.
Two established measures--feet and hands.
Two coverings for the head--caps (kneecaps).
Several articles that a carpenter cannot do without--nails.
A couple of fish--soles.
A number of shell-fish--mussels (muscles).
Two lofty trees--palms.
Two kinds of flowers--tulips and iris.
BOX PARTY
A box party can be made very enjoyable if every one enters into the
contest.
Each lady should pack a box with lunch for two and at the party the
boxes can be auctioneered off to the highest bidder.
Or, if there is any objection to that, the ladies' names can be placed
on slips of paper and the papers put into a hat and passed to the
gentlemen; the slip each draws contains the name of the one with whom he
is to eat refreshments.
If this party is to make money for some society the wisest way will be
to sell the boxes.
The same plan may also be followed for a Sunday-school or other picnic.
CAKE SALE
Probably the description of a cake sale that was held for the benefit of
a library fund may not come amiss to show just how attractive and
successful such an affair can be made. The principal feature of this
sale was the cake contest--a game, with cake prizes. This game was
devised to take the place of raffling, which was voted out of date. It
was played by groups of ten, who on paying a fee were given printed
lists of questions to be answered. Each list had to be signed with the
player's name and put in the "post-office" by a certain time in the
evening, and later the names of the prize-winners in each group were
announced. To promote sociability and fun, a lady's and a gentleman's
first prize, and a lady's and a gentleman's booby were given in each
group. The prizes were cakes, iced and fancifully decorated with colored
candies, and each cake was put on a wooden plate, covered with a frill
of crepe paper. The boobies were ginger and sugar horsecakes. Below is
the list of questions and answers used in the contest, which may be
lengthened or shortened at will:
Which cake did the society woman buy? Reception. The schoolgirl?
Composition. The grocer? Sugar. The artist? Exhibition. The farmer?
Harvest. The mean man? Sponge. The tramp? Loaf. The minister? Scripture.
The milliner? Feather. The maiden aunt? Tea. The dairyman? Cream. The
champion? Cup. The pretty girls? Ribbon. The jockey? Horse. The
shoemaker? The last. The sculptor? Marble. The small boys? Snowballs.
The gossip? Spice. The Bryan man? Silver. The young man for his
sweetheart? Angel. The fond mamma for her daughter? Wedding. The
candidate for office? Election. The politician? Plum.
Then there were cakes for sale, whole or cut. Small tables were placed
at one end of the hall; and here cake was served with tea, coffee or
chocolate. The cake booths were attractively decorated with crepe paper
and flags. Posters announced the specialties and prices at each.
Watermelon cakes were the novelty at one booth; apple lemon cakes at
another; a plentiful supply of cookies, dominoes, horsecakes,
gingerbread dolls, and little patty pan cakes, containing a prize to
attract the patronage of the children, at another. Little china dolls,
marbles, china dogs, cats, vases, etc., were put in the dough when the
little pans were filled. These china toys were not injured by the baking
and delighted the children beyond measure.
* * * * *
At a cake sale recently held for the benefit of a church, a novel
feature was introduced in the sale of "Scripture cake."
The cakes were baked in several different sizes, and sold for from
twenty-five cents to one dollar. With each cake sold was given a copy of
the recipe by which it was made, which was as follows:
SCRIPTURE CAKE
1 cup of butter Judges 5:25
3½ cups flour I Kings 4:22
3 cups sugar Jeremiah 6:20
2 cups raisins I Samuel 30:12
2 cups figs I Samuel 30:12
1 cup water Genesis 24:17
1 cup almonds Genesis 43:11
6 eggs Isaiah 10:14
1 tablespoonful honey Exodus 16:21
A pinch of salt Leviticus 16:13
Spices to taste I Kings 10:10
2 tablespoonfuls baking-powder I Cor. 5:6
Follow Solomon's advice for making good boys, and you will have a good
cake. Proverbs 23:14.
CAKE WALK (Novel kind)
I hope this will not shock any of my readers, and I don't think it will
after it is read. It can be held in a church or Sunday school room
without any qualms of conscience on any one's part. Have each one come
to represent a cake. For instance, sponge cake can be represented by
having sponges all over the body; batter cake, by young man wearing
baseball suit of clothes and carrying bat; cup cake, by wearing cups
around the neck and waist; fruit cake, by carrying baskets of different
kinds of small fruits; angel cake, by wearing pictures of angels on the
dress and hair; one, two, three, four cake, by wearing the figures 1, 2,
3, 4 pinned on dress or coat; cooky, by wearing chef's cap and apron and
a large letter E making that person cook-e; plain cake, by dressing very
plainly; orange cake, by carrying orange in each hand; nut cake, by
carrying nuts. Any other cake can be represented by carrying out the
same idea. All should keep moving around so that the people can see what
each one represents. A prize of a cake can be given to the one guessing
the greatest number of cakes correctly. Refreshments should consist of
every variety of cake served with cocoa or coffee.
CALICO CARNIVAL
The society who gave it had the oddly written announcement given below
published in the local papers a week in advance. They also used it as a
handbill:
CALICO CARNIVAL
"Consider yourself cordially invited to be present at the
correctly constructed and considerately combined calico
carnival to be held at ---- Hall, Friday night, February --,
1905, admission fifteen cents.
"Conspicuous courses served in confused compactness: One
conglomerated compound circle; one cup communicative cordial
(containing no chickory), or one cup of Chinese cheer, or
one cup of choice churned cream; one cider cured cucumber;
and one cup of cold comfort.
"Rules and regulations: All ladies to wear calico gowns,
also requested to bring half a pound of carefully cut carpet
rags each. All gentlemen to wear calico ties and requested
to bring thimbles.
"Fines will be imposed for the following: Any lady who fails
to wear a calico gown, ten cents; any lady who fails to
bring half a pound of carefully cut carpet rags, ten cents;
any gentleman who fails to wear a calico tie, twenty-five
cents; any gentleman who fails to bring a thimble, five
cents.
"P. S.--There will be for sale, cheap, cunning calico
conveniences that will be a constant comfort.
"N. B.--Any person who sits in a corner and refuses to
converse will be fined five cents.
"The sale of calico conveniences will begin at ----."
Of course, everybody came. The fines and admissions alone would have
paid the ladies for the trouble of getting up the carnival.
The "conspicuous courses" consisted of cake; coffee, tea, or buttermilk;
pickles; and ice water.
Among the "calico conveniences" which sold readily were the following
articles: Dusting caps, button bags and bags of every description, chair
cushions, aprons with bibs and aprons without, and, in fact, everything
that could possibly be manufactured from calico.
The carpet rags were given to the gentlemen to sew. An inexpensive prize
was given to the one who first finished his task.
CAN FACTORY
The words to be guessed all begin with CAN--the definitions of the whole
words being here given. Booklets with tiny pencils attached, and
containing the verses, may be distributed among the guests and, after
the contest is decided, returned as souvenirs of the occasion.
1. Though this can _is_ a can, you all will agree,
The can is termed thus because it holds tea.
2. This long, narrow can holds so precious a stock,
That oft you will find it has more than one lock.
3. The most wick-éd can, tho' safe from police,
Should you search for its heart you will find it in grease.
4. This can is a can that delights you and me,
It always is "open" and likewise is "free."
5. Where breezes blow and surges roll,
With swelling form and manner proud,
This can in triumph rides the waves,
The sailor's living and his shroud.
6. Here's a can, which, bear in mind,
Lives on others of its kind.
7. They say empty cans will produce the most noise,
But, if properly filled, this will startle the boys.
8. Most cans are hardly fit to eat,
Yet you'll like this kind, nice and sweet.
9. The waltz or the glee or the bold martial strain,
Each one, as his favorite, endorses;
But for those who prefer oratorio style,
This can sweetest music discourses.
10. Now who would elect in a can to reside,
Yet this as a shelter is known far and wide.
11. A can of most sagacious mind,
'Tis "frugal, prudent, shrewd," you'll find.
12. That a horse should use cans seems indeed strange to say,
Yet if pressed to have one he'd not utter a nay.
13. To put cans in poems no one is inclined,
Yet cans of this sort in some poems you'll find.
14. In tubs and in bowls men have ventured from land,
And in cans of this kind, so I understand.
15. Now, here is a can that is yellow and round,
'Twould seem little prized, for it grows on the ground.
KEY
1. Canister.
2. Canal.
3. Candle.
4. Candid.
5. Canvas.
6. Cannibal.
7. Cannon.
8. Candy.
9. Cantata.
10. Canopy.
11. Canny.
12. Canter.
13. Canto.
14. Canoe.
15. Cantaloup.
CAT GUESSING CONTEST
1. I wonder what Tabby the ---- to now? (Catsup)
2. We will buy some ---- for puss. (Catnip)
3. We all should learn our ----. (Catechism)
4. Both are in the same ----. (Category)
5. See the ---- grazing on the hillside. (Cattle)
6. The artist's name is not in the ----. (Catalogue)
7. It is very distressing to have the ----. (Catarrh)
8. Be sure to visit the ---- in Rome. (Catacombs)
9. See the ---- crawling on the ground. (Caterpillar)
10. What does the ---- to? (Catamount)
CHESTNUT SOCIABLE
First procure a good quantity of chestnuts. Plain and roasted chestnuts
may be sold at one table. They should be measured into pint and
half-pint paper bags, ready for customers.
A second table will be needed for bonbons. An excellent taffy is made by
stirring chopped chestnuts into plain molasses candy when ready to take
from the fire. Caramels are improved by adding chopped chestnuts.
Chopped chestnuts and figs added to crisp sugar candy make a good
sweet-meat. Shelled chestnuts are glazed by dipping in hot sugar candy.
A variety of candies can be made from this receipt: One pound of
confectioners' sugar, well beaten white of one egg, one tablespoonful of
cold water, one teaspoonful of vanilla. Mix well together and mould on a
board. Mix it with chopped chestnuts and cut into cubes. Small balls of
the cream can be rolled between the hands, and a whole chestnut
(shelled) pressed on one side. The cream can be colored with fruit
coloring and different shapes can be made from this. Shelled chestnuts
dipped in melted sweet chocolate are delicious.
Old "chestnuts" are prepared by putting old jokes in chestnut shells and
glueing them together. These will cause much fun and merriment for the
young. Have a large bowl of water with three chestnuts in it and let
each guest be given two toothpicks to try to get the chestnuts out of
the water with the toothpicks, without getting the fingers wet.
PROGRAM FOR CHESTNUT SOCIABLE
Have some one recite "Curfew Shall Not Ring To-night" and "Over the
Hills to the Poor House." Let some one sing "The Old Oaken Bucket" and
"Annie Laurie." Have some one read "The Sword of Bunker Hill" and
"Bingen on the Rhine." Any variety of entertainment can be gotten up
with a little forethought.
CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY FLOWERS
Each month has a flower or plant appropriated to it, and to each a
meaning is attached. The list is as follows:
January--Snowdrop.
February--Primrose.
March--Violet.
April--Daisy.
May--Hawthorn.
June--Wild rose.
July--Lily.
August--Poppy.
September--Morning-glory.
October--Hop.
November--Chrysanthemum.
December--Holly.
The snowdrop means consolation; the primrose, the freshness of early
youth; the violet, modesty; the daisy, innocence; the hawthorn, hope;
the wild rose, simplicity; the lily, purity; the poppy, the consolation
of sleep; the morning-glory, contentment; hops, joy; the chrysanthemum,
cheerfulness; the holly, foresight and protection.
The morning-glory is such a perishable flower that it is almost useless
for the purpose of decoration, consequently it will be wise to
substitute goldenrod, symbolizing stateliness, in its stead.
CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES
A birthday is an important event in a child's life, and should not pass
unnoticed.
A small party for little children is usually more enjoyable and more
easily managed than a large one. With many mothers it is the custom to
invite as many little guests as correspond to the number of years of the
child whose birthday is celebrated.
Make the table look as attractive as possible with flowers. A pretty
arrangement for a fifth birthday is to have a round table, with vines,
or a rope of wild flowers or leaves, arranged over it to represent a
five-pointed star. The sandwiches, confectionery, etc., may be placed
within the star, the birthday cake in the centre, and the five guests
seated between the points of decoration.
For a sixth birthday, a pretty arrangement would be a six-pointed star,
the points to be made with the long fronds of the sword fern. So many
people have pots of these ferns growing in their houses, and the foliage
is so abundant, that some of the older fronds of the plant may well be
spared. The money myrtle is also effective for this decoration, and, in
summer, the little partridge vine with its red berries, to be found in
every woods, makes very pretty trimming. The cake should be in the
centre, and the other viands placed within the star, the children's
plates between the points. Either a round or square table may be used as
preferred.
For an eighth birthday, a square table may be used with walls of Troy
decoration arranged for two children at a side. If the birthday comes in
December, a rope of evergreen is appropriate and very effective for this
decoration, with branches of holly or other red berries at the corners,
the "goodies" to be placed in the centre.
For a tenth birthday, quite a long table is needed, and a pretty
arrangement of vines in scallops, with a small bunch of flowers at each
point may be carried out, the viands being placed in the centre, and a
child's plate in each one of the scallops.
In all these arrangements due prominence must be given to the birthday
cake, the principal feature of the feast. It is placed usually in the
centre, is round, decorated with frosting, and as many tiny candles as
the child is years old. These are placed in toy candlesticks, made so
that they can easily be thrust into the frosting, and the candles are
lighted just before the children go to the table. The candlesticks may
be purchased at a toy store. It is an excellent idea to place some
little souvenir in the cake for each child, tiny china dogs, cats and
goats being desirable for this purpose.
A candy house will also make a novel and attractive centrepiece for a
children's party table. Build a log house of red and white sticks of
candy, and form the roof of cocoanut strips. For a rail fence use sticks
of chocolate candy or straws and make the grass of spun candy.
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY
There in the library stood the most perfect snow-man. He wore a fur cap
and long white whiskers, and on the floor behind him lay his pack, which
had just slipped off his back. He held a doll on one arm, and over the
other was hung a line of tiny sleigh-bells. This snow Santa Claus was
made of cotton batting, but he looked exactly like the snow-man in the
yard, and the children greeted him with cries of delight. Two sticks,
wrapped in many thicknesses of cotton to form the legs, had been nailed
to a block of wood to make a foundation for this snow-man; the other
parts of the body were made like snowballs and sewed in their proper
places.
Each child was allowed to throw a soft rubber ball twice in attempting
to hit the string of bells which Santa held. Those who were successful
were told to take some article out of the pack as a reward. Fancy
cornucopias and small boxes filled with nuts and candy were found by the
lucky contestants.
The children were then asked to guess the number of berries on a large
piece of mistletoe which hung from one of the chandeliers. The one
guessing nearest the correct number received a stick-pin bearing a tiny
enameled spray of mistletoe.
Then came old-fashioned romping games, after which a Christmas carol was
sung and the children marched in to supper. A star-shaped table had been
arranged for the occasion. In its centre was a small but handsomely
decorated tree. The refreshments consisted of turkey sandwiches, cocoa,
lemon jelly with whipped cream, sponge cake, bonbons and nuts. The
sponge cake was baked in small star-shaped pans, and ornamented with
red and white icing.
In the parlor an immense snowball was hung from the chandelier. This had
been made by fastening four barrel-hoops together so as to form a round
frame, over which was sewed white cambric. Then the ball was covered
with batting and sprinkled with diamond dust. A slit was made in one
side, and each child put in his hand and drew out some article wrapped
in tissue paper. These proved to be dolls, balls, and toys of all sorts.
Some drew out tiny boxes inside of which were slips of paper with
directions like these: "Look under the divan and you will find a
steam-engine," "Look beside the radiator and you will find a doll's
kitchen," etc.
In the dressing-room they were softly pelted with a mysterious shower of
snowballs, which they endeavored to catch. The balls were packages of
marshmallows wound loosely with white crepe paper.
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS TABLEAUX
Build a cave-shaped box on a raised platform, drape inside and out with
white muslin, fasten evergreen boughs about the entrance and at the
back, draping all of these with loose tufts of cotton like new-fallen
snow, and sprinkling them with mica. Sprays of red berries can be
introduced with splendid effect. White covered steps must lead up to the
cave, about the mouth of which may be spread white fur rugs. Let the
candles be fastened plentifully around the cave, but have the rest of
the room very dimly lighted. In the cave arrange the gifts, wrapped and
properly marked, being careful to have one for each person present.
Dress a pretty, golden-haired little girl as a fairy, with wings and
spangles to enter the cave and bring out the gifts, and a couple of
little boys as imps or brownies to deliver them. Low music should be
played in some concealed corner, with now and again a song or chorus by
a band of children dressed as fairies. The presentation of the tableaux
may either precede or follow the distribution of the gifts.
BOY BLUE.--A little boy in a blue suit stands on a pile of hay, side to
the audience, with a tin trumpet to his lips. Piano music, "Little Boy
Blue." If the song is sung softly, it is an addition.
BO PEEP.--A little girl in a white gown, with a shepherd's crook, in
pursuit of a woolly lamb on rollers, being drawn across the stage by an
invisible string. She stands as if she were running, with one foot out
behind her, while the lamb disappears and some one reads the rhyme:
"Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And can't tell where to find them;
Let them alone and they'll come home
And bring their tails behind them."
MISS MUFFET.--A little girl sits on Boy Blue's pile of hay, eating
something from a saucer. A small boy steals up behind her, with an
artificial spider on a string attached to a pole, which he slowly lowers
into her plate. Appropriate music is played, and Miss Muffet screams as
the curtain is drawn.
CINDERELLA.--A little girl, with torn calico dress and unkempt hair,
stands at the right of the stage, her hands clasped and uplifted,
smiling in wonder. Before her stands a very small boy in a smart
military suit, with a white cotton wig on his head, indicating the coach
in which she is to go to the ball. The coach may be a pumpkin hollowed
into the proper shape, and drawn by a small dog harnessed to it with
ribbons, or a go-cart, or baby carriage, drawn by a larger dog. Some one
behind the scenes plays a waltz very softly. Plenty of red fire.
LITTLE JACK HORNER.--For this a boy with a mischievous face should be
chosen. He sits on the floor in the centre of the stage, with a huge pan
covered with white paper between his feet. Some one behind the scenes
reads the nursery rhyme:
Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb
And pulled out a plum,
And said: "What a great boy am I!"
Little Jack Horner, of course, suits the action to the words, pulling a
prune, date or raisin out of a hole in the paper pasted over the pan. He
puts it in his mouth as the curtain is drawn.
FOLLOWING THE FLAG.--In one corner of the stage a tent is erected--a
white sheet over a centre pole. All the small boys who have military
suits, drums, trumpets and muskets, stand about, and one in the very
front holds the flag. In front of the tent, on a pile of hay, lies
another small boy, in a military suit, with his eyes closed, and behind
him stands a little girl in a big white apron, with the symbol of the
red cross on her left arm. Music behind the scenes is either "Tenting on
the Old Camp Ground," or "The Star Spangled Banner," and all the rest of
the red fire is ignited. When it dies down, the curtain is drawn, the
lights are turned up, and the pianist plays "Home, Sweet Home."
CHILDREN'S EASTER PARTY
The little guests when they arrive will be made happy by giving them
small baskets to hunt for the eggs which the mother has a few days
before blown and colored and hidden all over the house.
In a room where there is a hardwood floor have little yellow chicks
arranged as tenpins at one end and give the children each an egg and let
them roll the eggs and see how many chicks they can knock down. While
they are doing this take some of the eggs they have found, run ribbon
through them and suspend in different lengths from a chandelier.
Among these suspended "eggshells" have Easter eggs filled with good
things. You can buy the eggs, and fill some of them with candy and some
with peanuts; put tiny dolls in some and small toys in others, so that
no two eggs will be filled alike. Then blindfold one child at a time;
give him a small cane and let him make one strike and see what he can
bring down. It is a good idea to spread a sheet under the chandelier on
the floor, so that the shells can be gathered up quickly. Then announce
refreshments.
In the centre of the supper-table upon a mound of smilax place a large
rabbit on his haunches, and in his front paws an Easter egg. From this
mound to each plate run a different-colored piece of ribbon, with a card
attached. Upon the card have the child's name who sits at that place.
At one end of the table have an Easter cake with lily decorations, and
at the other end place something that looks like a large white frosted
cake, with one little downy chick in the centre, and five or six in a
row around the edge. This is not a cake but a baking-pan turned upside
down, covered with white paper and frosted white.
Have all the refreshments upon the table--thin slices of bread and
butter, sandwiches, nuts, tiny cups of chocolate, cake and ice cream.
After all have finished eating and are ready to leave the table the
little ones may be told that at the count of three they are to pull
their ribbons, first removing Bunny from his nest to avoid breaking any
dishes. Then every child will find attached to the ribbon an egg, the
color of his or her ribbon, filled with candy or a small gift of some
sort.
These eggs, a little yellow chick, and the baskets may be given to the
children to carry home.
EASTER SALAD
A delicious and most attractive salad for Easter may be made by building
a nest of narrow strips of cold boiled potatoes upon a few very crisp
lettuce leaves. Fill the nest with eggs made of cream cheese rolled in
grated yellow cheese. Serve on individual plates with a well-made
mayonnaise dressing, and plain crackers, or thin slices of brown bread
and butter.
EASTER GELATINE
Pour gelatine flavored with unfermented grape juice into egg shells and
set them upon the ice. When the jelly seems to be firm remove the
shells, and you will have as many pretty clear violet eggs as you have
had shells. Arrange them around a mould of Bavarian cream, and serve.
Gelatine flavored with chocolate, orange or cranberry juice would make
equally pretty eggs, and probably please the children better than the
violet ones.
EASTER BASKETS OF DESSERT
Little baskets of puff paste were filled with yellow "_eggs_" made from
a rich custard which had been thickened with cornstarch, cooked until
stiff and poured into egg-shaped moulds. When cold the custard "eggs"
were removed from the moulds, placed in the pastry baskets and
surrounded with whipped cream, which was dotted with white grapes cut in
half and the seeds removed. The effect was very pretty and the dessert
delighted the eyes of the guests as well as their palates.
This dessert might be utilized for any other occasion by pouring the
custard into different-shaped moulds and dotting the whipped cream with
candied cherries or fresh berries.
CHILDREN'S SOUVENIRS
Souvenirs at a children's party should be very inexpensive. Candy put up
in some pretty form is the most suitable thing that can be given. The
dainty Japanese confections that may be purchased at any large store
where Oriental goods are sold are novelties, and always please the
little people.
It is always a great pleasure to children to have something to take home
with them from a party, and very inexpensive souvenirs will give
happiness quite out of proportion to their value. Japanese trifles make
pretty gifts, little boxes, bags or baskets filled with candy. Tiny
kites are appropriate for boys, and fans for girls. Japanese dolls may
be dressed with the lower part of the skirt prolonged into a bag and
filled with candy. Only candy of the simplest kind should be used.
Candy boxes in various fanciful forms, as banjos, drums, tambourines,
watering-pots, pails, caps, helmets, fish, etc., may be purchased from
any dealer in such wares. They are also made in the shape of birds and
animals, as peacocks, canaries, turtles, alligators and elephants.
Hollow oranges and apples, fruit baskets, with realistic cherries,
grapes, etc., on top, and room for candy underneath, are very pretty. If
these are thought too expensive ornamented cornucopias to hold bonbons
may be procured at various prices, beginning at fifteen cents a dozen.
Mottoes containing paper hats and caps may be procured as cheaply as ten
cents a dozen, and a package of these, holding as many as the child is
years old, tied with the birthday color, makes a dainty souvenir. Little
cradles filled with candy and ornamented with bows are also appropriate
gifts.
A SOUVENIR PUDDING.--A common wash-tub, filled with bran or sawdust,
will make a nice pudding for a child's party by putting the souvenirs in
a layer in the bottom of the tub, then a layer of sawdust, then more
presents, and so on until the tub is filled. Have a large wooden spoon
and let each child make a dive with the spoon until he gets one
souvenir. This will please the little ones.
CHILDREN'S SWEET PEA TEA
The invitations to this tea read like this:
_Prepare yourself for a Sweet Pea Tea,
The 'bus will call for you at three._
_July 19th._
In one corner of the card a sweet pea was painted in water colors. These
cards were sent by mail. Of course, the recipients of these invitations
had no idea where the party was to be, and waited in great expectation
for the appointed day. Two 'bus men were engaged and furnished with a
list of the invited, and at three o'clock, or as nearly that hour as
possible, called for the guests, and after a short and misleading drive
arrived at last at their destination.
After being received by the hostess, the guests were given cards and
pencils and ranged around a long table in the centre of the room, on
which were strewn leaves of many kinds of plants. Five minutes were
given for guessing the plants to which the leaves belonged. At the
expiration of that time, the cards were taken (after names had been
signed), and a prize given to the best guesser.
The guests were then seated, and cards on which was the following list
of questions passed around: 1. What field flower is something to eat and
a dish we drink from? 2. What did the soldier say when he bade his
sweetheart good-bye? 3. The name of what flower is used every day in a
slang expression? 4. The name of what flower did Johnny's mother use
when she told him to rise? 5. What hotel in New York city bears the name
of a flower? 6. What flower is most popular in April? 7. The name of
what flower means comfort? 8. What is the saddest flower?
The answers are: 1. Buttercup. 2. Forget-me-not. 3. Daisy. 4.
Johnny-jump-up. 5. Aster. 6. Easter lily. 7. Heartsease. 8.
Bleeding-heart.
The prize for this was a book of flowers and verses.
A basket of sweet peas was then passed to the girls, a different color
of flower for each one. A similar basket was passed to the boys, and the
search for partners began. The boy with the yellow sweet pea became the
partner of the girl with the yellow flower. The boy with the white found
the girl with the white, etc. The table was strewn with sweet peas, a
cut-glass bowl of sweet peas graced the centre, and on each napkin was
pinned a small bunch of the flowers.
CHILDREN'S TOM THUMB ENTERTAINMENT
For a children's party try the following device: Place four chairs in
one end of the room and throw over them a large blanket or shawl to
cover them completely down to the floor. Have some one double up his
hands into fists, and on the back of the hands, with a piece of
charcoal, paint eyes, nose and mouth, and on one of them paint a
moustache. Put dolls' dresses on the arms, reaching down to the elbows.
Put hoods or caps on the hands. Let the person thus prepared crawl in
between the chairs, and resting the elbows on the floor, hold his
forearms perpendicular, so that the backs of the hands will be facing
the audience. All the rest of the person's body should be concealed, of
course, under the shawl. Call these two little people Tom Thumb and his
wife. Have some one for their manager, who should stand in front of the
chairs and tell them what to do. The manager should explain why Tom has
a dress on. He can have them perform a number of clever tricks, such as
bowing to the audience, kissing each other, pushing each other, etc.
They can answer questions in a little, fine voice, or say, "How do you
do?"
It will be found that this entertainment will please the little folks
immensely.
CHILDREN'S VALENTINE PARTY
From sheets of pink and creamy tinted paper, cut the requisite number of
hearts--two for each invitation--and form into envelopes by pasting a
pink heart and a creamy tinted one together along the edges, except at
the large end, which must be left open to hold the written invitation.
On a slightly smaller heart of thinner paper, write the following
doggerel:
"From half-past six to half-past nine,
I pray you to be guest of mine.
With Valentine, their patron Saint,
Sure all good lovers are acquaint;
So in his honor kindly spend
A pleasant evening with a friend."
Slip this in the envelope formed by the two hearts, having first glued
to the indentation at the larger end of the small heart a loop of baby
ribbon by which to pull it out. On the white side of the envelope write
the name and address; on the pink side, an older sister may draw cunning
little Cupids, or hearts transfixed with little arrows.
Cut from pink paper as many hearts as there are to be boys, but no two
of these hearts must be of the same size; cut from gilt paper the same
number of hearts, one for each girl, matching in size those cut from the
pink paper.
When the guests arrive, give each boy a pink and each girl a gilt heart.
When a boy finds the girl who holds a gilt heart matching in size his
pink one, they are partners for the evening. In this search all
formality will have worn off.
Cupid's Darts will pass a jolly half hour. Make a large heart of
several layers of pink tissue paper, and fill it loosely with bonbons;
encase this in a slightly larger heart of open-meshed bobinet; hang on
the wall on one side of the room by two loops sewed to the large, upper
part of the heart. Provide a toy bow and arrow, and let each child in
turn shoot at the heart. The arrows will remain sticking in the lace and
paper, and the one whose arrow comes nearest the centre receives the
first prize--a heart-shaped box of candy.
Also provide small heart-shaped boxes filled with candies for each child
to take home.
For refreshments, make sandwiches from heart-shaped pieces of bread cut
with a cake cutter; bake the cakes in heart-shaped tins, and have the
ices frozen in the same design.
As red and pink are the proper colors for decoration on this day, it
will be a pretty idea to have the lemonade colored pink with fruit
juice.
Pretty favors can be made from crepe tissue-paper. Flowers, bonbon
boxes, handkerchief-cases, and many another trifle, will please the
young folks, more especially if they are the work of their little
hostess's own hands.
CHINESE PARTY
Invitations should read as follows:
_Come to the Chinese Tea Party
and help eat
Rice and Rats
Prepared and Served by Chinese Girls
at ---- Church
Monday Evening, Jan. 4th._
You can stimulate interest in the heathen wonderfully by inviting them
to come, with all their bag and baggage, and pay your society a visit.
Have booths in the room representing the countries in which the church
is doing missionary work. Let the attendants be costumed like the
natives, and all the appointments of the booths suggest the life of the
countries represented. When curiosity is thus piqued, information about
these mission lands may be circulated by the help of questions on cards
to be passed around. Write the questions in black ink, and underneath,
in red ink, the answer to one of the other questions. It will require a
pretty lively interchange of cards for each one to find the answer to
his question.
The committee should try to make this evening as attractive as possible,
and if it can be arranged all the members should appear in Chinese
costume. In the centre of the church room, fit up a booth, covered with
a large Chinese umbrella, and around it place small tables on which to
serve refreshments. This can be made to look like a Chinese garden. Rice
and rats can be served as follows: Boil rice until rather stiff and turn
it into cups to cool. After ready to serve turn upside down in dishes
and serve each dish with a _candy rat_ on top. The rice should be served
with cream and sugar. Also have tea and wafers. A small fee can be
charged for refreshments to go to missionary purposes. Of course no one
but the committee should know what the "rice and rats" is to be, as it
would spoil the fun. A nice idea would be to give chopsticks as
souvenirs.
CHRISTMAS COSTUME PARTY
The invitations for a Christmas party of this sort should be enclosed in
white envelopes decorated with holly and should read as follows:
_Master ----, as "Winter,"
and Miss ----, as "Christmas,"
will be glad to receive the "Months"
on Thursday evening,
December the twenty-fourth._
In the lower left-hand corner of each, above the address, should be
indicated the character which the little guest is to represent, as, for
instance: "Please represent July." Have the little host and hostess
represent "Winter" and "Christmas."
When the children arrive let them find a throne built of dry-goods
boxes, covered with Canton flannel with the fuzzy side out, well
sprinkled with diamond dust and tufts of cotton, and above the throne a
canopy made of evergreen boughs. Dip some of the boughs first in a weak
solution of gum-arabic and then in flour, and sprinkle them with diamond
dust; hang others in alum water until crystals form over the foliage.
Dress the little host in a suit of white cambric well bespangled with
crystal beads and glass pendants. Let him wear white slippers and
stockings, and over one shoulder a white shawl covered with artificial
frost. On his head place a jaunty white beaver hat decorated with a long
white plume.
The little hostess should wear a white dress of soft, fluffy material,
trimmed with holly and mistletoe, and red stockings and slippers.
Seated upon the throne, beside one another, they should receive their
guests, who should appear in the characters indicated upon their
invitations. After all the children have been welcomed let them form in
line, with "Winter" and "Christmas" leading, and march up-stairs and
down to the music of piano and violin.
The children might then be shown some views of Bethlehem and the
Christ-Child and told or read a Christmas story. Just before going-home
time some "grown-up" person, dressed to represent Santa Claus, might
come in and deposit his pack in the dining-room and distribute some
little gifts. Then some simple refreshments should be served before the
children go home.
CHRISTMAS MENU AND TABLE DECORATIONS
Ottoman Country Roasted and Gorged. (Roast Turkey)
Red Swamp Fruit Sauce. (Cranberry Sauce)
Hibernia's Pride Crushed. (Mashed Potatoes)
Cucurbita Maxima Crushed. (Mashed Squash)
Stalks of Kalamazoo. (Celery)
Bivalves Nestled. (Escalloped Oysters)
Dough Baked. (Bread)
Cream Churned. (Butter)
Lover's Test. (Pickles)
Curd Pressed. (Cheese)
Arabian Nectar and Bossy's Best. (Coffee and Cream)
Rosy Cheeks and Bossy's Best. (Peach Sherbet)
Cherub's Diet. (Angel's Food)
Nature's Food. (Fruit)
Squirrel's Dependence. (Mixed Nuts)
Sweet Compound. (Candy)
Select for your color scheme red and green. Set the dining-table in the
centre of the room directly under the chandelier. To the latter fasten a
large bunch of holly with plenty of red berries, and make garlands of
evergreen to reach from the chandelier to the four corners of the table,
fastening each one to the tablecloth with a bow of red ribbon. Have
plenty of holly berries in the garlands of evergreen. If holly is dipped
in a strong solution of alum water and dried in the sun, it will have
the effect of being frosted. Have a red carnation with a sprig of green
laid at each plate. Red and green paper napkins should be used. Have
pretty side dishes of red and green things, such as red apples, red and
green grapes, and all kinds of red and green bonbons. The first column
of the menu as given should be printed or written and laid at each
plate, for the guests to study while the courses are being served.
CHRISTMAS UMBRELLA GAME
Take a large umbrella--an old one will do--wind the handle with bright
yellow ribbon and line the body with red percaline as near the color of
holly berries as possible. Be sure to shape the lining so that it will
not sag. Cover the outside with green percaline and finish the top with
sprigs of holly and a bow of red and green ribbon. Trim the edge of the
umbrella with a row of tiny bells and wind the ribs with crepe or tissue
paper the same color as the lining; do this the last thing so that it
will not come undone.
Select small appropriate gifts for the young guests; conceal them within
dainty wrappings and tie them with ribbon to the ribs of the umbrella.
When ready for the game let the children form a circle and choose one of
their number to stand in the centre and hold the umbrella. The children
may then dance around singing:
"Merrily 'round this Christmas ring,
Dancing gayly as we sing.
What would this umbrella bring
If we changed to hippetty-hop
And our hostess called out 'stop'?"
When singing "hippetty-hop" let the children hop around instead of
dancing, and when the hostess calls out "stop" the child with the
umbrella raises it over his head and the present which sways longest
belongs to him. He unties it, and as he does so he hands the umbrella to
another child, whose place he takes in the circle, and so on until all
the children have had a chance to hold the umbrella and receive one of
the gifts which hang from it.
After the game the umbrella may be given to the child who receives the
largest number of votes as a souvenir of the evening.
If one does not wish the trouble of trimming an umbrella as described
above, a Japanese umbrella may be purchased for a small sum, and will be
equally appropriate.
CHURCH BAZAAR SUGGESTIONS
FOR AN ORANGE GROVE.--Evergreen trees should be procured and placed
about the hall to make it resemble a grove. The oranges may be made of a
wad of cotton, inclosing a trinket, covered with orange-colored tissue
paper. Hang them on the trees and let each purchaser select the one he
wants, paying a nominal sum for it.
Other attractions may be a booth where real oranges may be bought; a
well from which orangeade is dispensed; a booth for articles of
fancy-work made in shades of orange, and one for orange-flavored cakes
and candies.
The booths should, of course, be draped in orange color, relieved by
touches of white, the attendants' costumes being of the same shade.
Orange blossoms, made of tissue paper, will add daintiness to the
decorations.
* * * * *
An unoccupied house is a most convenient place to hold a fair. Each room
may be devoted to some special attraction; one for the supper, one for
the evening's entertainment, one for the fortune-teller, and so on. This
idea is admirable for an affair of the nations, devoting one room to
each country and its characteristics.
* * * * *
Seats should be provided in the grove where the visitors may be
refreshed with orange ice, or orange gelatine and cake at a moderate
price.
If there is a small room adjoining the hall in which the fair is held it
may be fitted up to represent a tropical scene. This would be the place
to sell rubber plants, palms, ferns, etc. Long clusters of bananas hung
amid the foliage will make the scene more realistic.
* * * * *
A tulip bed is one of the prettiest ways of hiding surprise packages. A
portion of the floor should be marked off in a square and enclosed with
boards one foot high, painted green. Fill this bed with sawdust and
plant paper tulips in all colors. Have a package tied to the end of
each tulip, making the flower stand firm when planted. Each purchaser
pulls up any flower he chooses.
* * * * *
Although brown seems a sombre color for a fair booth, it may really be
used most effectively. Have the booth made oblong with a counter across
the front and have each end covered with brown crepe paper with frilled
edges; have also a brown curtain below the counter hanging to the floor.
Have the roof, and the posts supporting it, covered with the russet
leaves of the chestnut-tree, while around the roof a fringe of chestnut
burrs is hung. At one end of the booth serve hot chocolate with whipped
cream; at the other have all kinds of nuts on sale; and in front have a
display of chocolate and nut cakes and candies. In arranging for any
sort of church entertainment remember that elaborate accessories are not
of so much importance as the display of cleverness in the carrying out
of the ideas which form the basis of the entertainment.
COBWEB SOCIABLE
First, wind strings all over the house before the arrival of the
company. Suspend a rope diagonally across one corner of the room, over
which the ends of the strings can hang, each one numbered: Numbers are
to be given each one of the guests, and each is to hunt the string that
has his number on it. A sheet can be hung across this end of the room
hiding everything from view until time for winding. Have some games
ready to play for the amusement of guests until all have arrived. As
soon as all the company gathers, the sheet can be removed and all
commence hunting their numbers at once. They are told to go wherever the
string leads, but they may not succeed as the strings should be through
keyholes, under beds, out of doors, around the house, in at the windows,
and every place where they can be put.
Plenty of fun can be had if every one enters into the game and keeps it
up until finished. Bananas and cake can be served at this sociable or
any other light refreshments desired.
CONUNDRUM TEA
1. A survivor of the flood (Ham).
2. Woman of grit (sandwich).
3. Cattle in a railroad disaster (dried beef).
4. Impertinence (apple "sass").
5. Spring's offering (water).
6. For old maids and bachelors (pickles).
7. Tabby's party (cat sup).
8. Boston's overthrow (tea).
9. What all people need (bread and butter).
10. New England brains (baked beans).
11. Young man's sweetheart (honey).
12. An unruly member (tongue).
13. Sahara (dessert).
14. Tree cake (cocoanut cake).
EXTRAS
15. Love's symbol (doughnuts).
16. What I do when I mash my finger (ice cream).
17. A mass of types (pie).
_Note._--Each society can use their own judgment about the price to be
charged. A certain amount may be charged for the entire supper, or each
article may have a price affixed, such as two cents, four cents, three
cents, and so forth.
COOK BOOK SALE
Every lady in the church was asked to make, from sheets of brown
wrapping paper, ten paper books of uniform size, four and one-half by
six inches, sewing them to confine the leaves. The paper was two cents
a sheet, and five sheets would make the ten books.
In each book, clear and explicit written directions for ten of the best
miscellaneous recipes that she used in cooking were to be contributed by
each one, the same recipes to be in the ten books furnished, and signed
by the one contributing them.
The ten recipes included one soup, one salad, one made-over dish, one
cake recipe, one cooky recipe, two muffin or gem recipes, and three
dessert recipes.
One week was allowed for this work, then the books were sent where the
sale was to take place. There were five hundred books in all, fifty
ladies having responded to the request.
In the meantime, invitations had been sent to the members of the other
two churches in the town, and to the summer visitors, and the
vestry-rooms were crowded the evening of the sale.
The books were offered for sale at five cents each, and in less than an
hour all were sold, those contributed by housekeepers famous for their
cooking being in great demand, while all were of more or less interest
in a town where every one is well known.
After the sale of the recipes, the real sport of the entertainment
began. Each lady who contributed recipes also brought a sample of cake
made from the cake recipe she had given. These samples were of all
sizes, wrapped in waxed paper and tagged with the maker's name. They
were auctioned off without being undone, the name attached to the tag
being read by the auctioneer, and much merriment was occasioned by the
witty, bright way in which he drew attention not only to the cake, but
to the one who made it.
If desired, such an auction sale may be held without the cook book sale
preceding, whole and cut cakes, cookies, doughnuts, etc, being used. As
the cakes are wrapped and no one knows what he is buying, much amusement
results.
COOKY SOCIABLE
Cut paper into pieces the shape and size of a cooky. Write a proverb on
each one, then cut each paper cooky into two parts, each in a different
manner, so that no two cookies will be cut alike. One set of halves is
to be given to the ladies, and the other to the gentlemen. Each person
present then proceeds to match the half cooky he has; when found, the
proverb should read correctly. The couple who match halves eat
refreshments together. It is very nice to have some one play a march on
the piano while the matched partners form in line two by two and march
to the supper-room. For refreshments serve all kinds, shapes, and sizes
of cookies with coffee or lemonade.
CORN-HUSKING BEE
Late in October, when the corn has matured and been stacked in the barn,
the following informal invitations may be sent out to all the
neighboring young people:
_You are cordially invited
to a Corn Husking to be held in
Martin Mattice's Barn
On the evening of October the thirty-first
at eight o'clock._
Previous to the evening mentioned the ears of corn are stripped from the
stalks and formed into two huge piles upon the barn floor. Lanterns
should be hung here and there upon the beams to give the necessary
light, and stools provided for the workers. The company, on arrival, is
divided equally, one half being assigned to one pile, the other half to
pile number two, and the contest begins, each division striving to
finish its pile first. The husks must be entirely removed from each ear,
and whoever first discloses to view a red ear is considered especially
fortunate, as the first red ear shown is supposed to bring good luck to
its possessor.
After all the ears have been husked the winner of the red ear is
escorted in state to the house, where a warm fire (always an open one,
if possible) and a supper are waiting.
Corn Supper
Decorate the walls of the room in which the supper is to be served with
as much green as can be procured at this season of the year. Procure a
dozen pumpkins, remove the pulp, cutting a hole at the top of the shell;
cut also four stars in the sides of each pumpkin, cover with light
yellow paper and place candles inside. These lanterns, being set in
various convenient spots about the room and lighted just before the
supper is served, shed a corn-colored glow over the room. In the centre
of the table arrange a vase filled with any late autumn yellow
flowers--dahlias, chrysanthemums or marigolds; place candles at each end
of the table screened by yellow crepe paper shades. The refreshments may
consist of egg and lemon-butter sandwiches, cornbread, chicken salad,
sponge cake, gold cake, lemon ice cream and lemon water ice, cup
custards, honey in the comb, lemonade and coffee.
DUTCH PARTY
For decorations: Holland's national colors, blue and red; Dutch flags;
tulips; crepe paper in Delft designs, etc. Instead of tally cards each
guest may be furnished a little wooden shoe on a Delft-blue ribbon. Tiny
pretzels are slipped on the ribbon for games won, the shoe keeping them
from slipping off at the other end. Large wooden shoes may be used for
bonbons and nuts at the tables. For prizes: handsome steins and pipes, a
pair of burnt wood Holland shoes, Delft plaques, Dutch pictures,
novelties decorated with quaint Dutch figures, a poster of Queen
Wilhelmina, etc.
The supper table may have for its centrepiece a large blue stein with
red tulips tumbling out of it. Delft china and paper napkins are
appropriate, and a _menu_ of Dutch dishes:
Oysters Omelet
Smoked Herring
Creamed Codfish or Finna Haddie in Chafing Dish
Cold Meat, in very thick slices
Pickled Eggs, Pickled Beets, Pickled Onions
Cucumbers, Lemons and Prawns
Cold Slaw
Fish or Potato Salad Cheese Sandwiches
Rye Bread, in very thin slices
Cheese
Honey Cakes Oval Cinnamon Cakes
Pancakes, size of a silver quarter
Coffee and Chocolate
EASTER EGG HUNT
An Easter egg hunt will furnish plenty of amusement for an Easter party.
The nests are made of paper moss. In them are placed eggs of different
varieties, some genuine hard boiled eggs, some of china or wood and some
of candy. The wooden eggs should contain tiny ducks or chickens. The
nests are hidden in every nook and corner of the house. The guests are
then bidden to go nest hunting, and a half hour is given for the hunt.
Each guest is given a little fancy basket in which to gather his eggs.
The one securing the greatest number of eggs is given a prize of a large
fancy egg.
The baskets and eggs may be retained as souvenirs.
EASTER LUNCHEON
Of course, silver and glassware must be sparkling, and the white cloth
spotless, or, if one wishes, luncheon scarfs and mats or doilies are
equally popular, and a highly polished table is a bit less formal than
the regular dinner cloth. A centrepiece of gold cloth or of any yellow
silken material is effective--the edges may be quickly overcast by heavy
rope silk in long and short stitch. A bunch of Easter lily sprays in a
bowl or gold and white vase crown the whole. If one can arrange to have
the china gold and white it is very pretty; but every hostess must
consult her own china store and plan accordingly.
Napkins stiffly folded at each place can hold an artificial lily, which
carries in its heart a tiny candy box. These lilies can be bought at
some caterer's or made at home very easily. Stiff wire--yet not so stiff
as not to bend in any desired shape--can form the skeleton. The stem is
made of five wires woven together, green paper being twisted over them
and at the top; each separate wire is bent out to form a foundation for
each white petal, made of white crepe paper, easily shaped and pasted in
place. A little practice will show the amateur that this is not at all
difficult. A pill box covered with gold paper can be pressed down in the
heart of the lily, the top being covered with stamens made of gold paper
shredded and twisted.
Lilies of the same type, only larger with larger boxes having no covers,
can form the bonbon boxes. These must be even more conventional, as they
have no stems, resting directly on the table. The menu should be simple.
When the luncheon is over and the guests have left the dining-room for
the drawing-room, a new edition of the old cobweb game makes merry fun
and is arranged as follows: A huge flower-pot is placed on the centre of
the table, in which are planted some artificial lilies to carry out the
idea, and under the flower-pot are gathered the ends of many strings,
each one of which must be appropriated by a guest. These strings cross
and intercross about furniture and corners of course, and give
opportunities for many tête-à-têtes. Here and there some little verses
may be tied if it is wished to add fun to the quest.
"Do not faint, oh, maid, I beg,
You shall find a golden ----"
"Gather roses while you may;
Gather them--the livelong day."
And many another nonsense couplet to suit the company and occasion.
At the end of each string must be found a candy Easter egg, or a hollow
egg containing some little trinket.
EASTER SOCIABLE
Have printed programs sent out with the following announcement (any name
can be substituted for the East End Connett Y):
_An eggs-ellent plan has been adopted by
the East End Connett Y, to eggs-haust the
eggs-pence of sending a delegate to the State Convention.
We shall hold an_ EGG SOCIAL.
_The eggs-pence of admission is eggs-actly ten cents.
We mean to have an eggs-ellent time.
You are urged to eggs-ert yourself to come and
eggs-amine for yourself.
You can eggs-pect to have lots of fun at small eggs-pence.
An eggs-ellent committee will wait upon you.
Plenty of eggs will be served.
Eggs-it at your pleasure.
N. B.--Plenty of Easter Egg novelties will be sold._
A fruit-stand covered with moss and twigs, and arranged to represent a
nest filled with eggs and placed upon a bed of moss should form the
central decoration for the table. Around the nest four large rabbit
bonbonnières should be placed, with pieces of baby ribbon of all colors
fastened to their forepaws and running out to or below the edge of the
table, each ribbon being strung with eggs. Between the four large
rabbits four smaller ones should peer out from under the nest between
the ribbons.
Provide each person present with a dime, lead-pencil, and sheet of
paper, upon which the following list is printed.
Find upon the dime the following articles:
1. Fruit of a tropical tree. (date)
2. What the Siamese twins were. (United)
3. What a lazy man seldom gets. (ahead)
4. The division of a country. (states)
5. The cradle of liberty. (America)
6. Something a schoolboy makes. (figures)
7. An instrument to catch sound. (ear)
8. The number a miser takes care of. (one)
9. What makes the forest green. (foliage)
10. Something a bootblack likes to give. (shine)
Of course the answers are not printed, but are kept by the committee for
reference. A prize of one dime can be given the one with the most
correct answers. Any kind of Easter novelties can be sold for a dime.
For refreshments serve eggs in every form, with bread and butter and
coffee, for one dime.
FAIRIES' GARDEN
A clever scheme for a church fair is the "Fairies' Garden," which is
nothing more than the old grab-bag in a new dress. One seen recently was
set up near a booth trimmed with evergreens, with a fence made of
"cat-tails," planted about four inches apart, enclosing it in front. To
this the people who were present flocked, and were free, on the payment
of a small sum, to pull a flower or vegetable as they should see fit.
Within and at the back of the inclosure was a trellis made of wire
netting with the largest holes procurable, covered with vines, among
which nestled pink paper roses. In each rose a small present was hidden
from view.
Then there was a "pond," made of a tin boiler banked with stones and
moss, and filled with water, on which floated water lilies and leaves.
To each lily was tied a weighted present, such as the water could not
injure.
A bed of real goldenrod planted in a box of sawdust, with the presents
tied to the stems of the flowers and buried in the sawdust, completed
the flower garden.
The vegetable bed fully repaid for all the time and trouble spent upon
it. It was an enclosure of four boards, filled with sawdust, the
vegetables being made of paper and filled with cotton and the presents.
After the vegetables and flowers were planted the beds were covered with
moss.
A few signs added to the effect, such as "Great South-Sea Bubble" for
the cabbage bed, and "Please do not pull the cats' tails. By order of
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals," for the cat-tail
fence.
Carrots, beets, onions and cabbages answered the purpose well, being of
convenient shapes and very easily made. The carrots were made on a
cornucopia of stiff brown paper, in which the present was put, and then
the cornucopia was covered with plain carrot-colored tissue paper,
closed at the top, painted to imitate the creases in a carrot, and
ornamented with a small tuft of leaves cut from green tissue paper. The
beets were stuffed with cotton, in which the present was concealed, and
then covered with the proper colored tissue paper. The onion bulbs were
covered with crinkled cream-white tissue paper, and the tops were made
of stiff white paper spills, or lamp-lighters, covered with dark green
tissue paper. The cabbages were of pale green and yellow--almost cream
color--crinkled tissue paper, wound around the central ball of cotton;
the paper was cut and pulled out in the shape of leaves, or twisted to
form the stalk.
There were four little girls dressed as "flower fairies," who kept the
garden in order, and helped in many ways, looking very effective in
their costumes of a "morning-glory," a "daffy-down-dilly," a yellow and
white "daisy," and a "wild rose."
FEAST OF SEVEN TABLES
This feast if well planned and carried out is most pleasing in its
results. There are seven tables. These tables are set in white, with
centrepieces and other decorations to carry out the color scheme. Have
first table near the door, and others arranged according to the menu,
which can be changed to suit the seasons. It is necessary to have two
sets of waiters, the first to clear away, and the second to furnish
fresh supplies. All must dress to harmonize with the colors of their
tables. Serve food in small quantities and in small dishes. At the
ringing of a bell seven guests are seated at the first table. At the
expiration of seven minutes, the bell again rings, and those at the
first table pass to the second table, and seven other guests are
permitted to enter the room, and to be seated at the first table. Here
is where the waiters will have to hurry and reset the tables. At the
close of every seven minutes the bell rings, signaling all to pass up
one table. Seven persons pass out every seven minutes, and forty-nine
are fed in as many minutes. A novel idea is to charge seven cents on
entering the dining-room, seven cents when through at the last table,
and seven cents as they pass out the door, making twenty-one cents for
each guest. They will not object after they are through with the menu at
the seven tables.
WINIFRED M. SIMONDS.
DECORATIONS AND MENU FOR SEVEN TABLES
_Decorations_ _Menu_
_White Table_
White Centrepiece Shredded Potatoes
White Dishes White Bread and Butter
White Napkins Cold Roast Pork
White Flowers Milk
_Brown Table_
Brown Centrepiece Brown Bread and Butter
Brown Dishes Brown Coffee
Doilies Worked in Brown Boston Baked Beans
Brown Leaves Pressed Brown Pickles
_Green Table_
Green Bordered Centrepiece Wafers Tied With Green Ribbon
Green Flowered Dishes Lettuce
Green Paper Napkins Olives
Green Foliage Green Tea
Pickles
_Red Table_
Old Fashioned Red Table Cloth Red Cake
Cranberry Sauce
Red Flowered Dishes Wafers Tied With Red Ribbon
Red Napkins
Red Flowers
_Orange Table_
Orange Bordered Centrepiece Orange Wafers
Orange Paper Napkins Sliced Oranges
Orange Colored Flowers Orange Cake
_Yellow Table_
Yellow Centrepiece Lemon Pie
Yellow Figured Dishes Cheese
Yellow Paper Napkins Lemonade
Yellow Flowers
_Pink Table_
Pink Bordered Centrepiece Pink Cakes
Pink Flowered Dishes Pink Pop-corn
Pink Paper Napkins Pink Candies
Pink Flowers
Pink Carnation for Each Guest
FEAST OF NATIONS
The following is a description of a church supper which was recently
given with great success:
The Japanese table was decorated with chrysanthemums. At each place was
a Japanese tray on which a Japanese napkin was folded in a fanciful
manner. Little dishes of rice, hard-boiled eggs, cabbage chopped fine,
and small cups of tea comprised the first course. The second course was
a turkey dinner. The waiters were in Japanese costume. The favors were
small Japanese umbrellas tied with the Japanese colors, red and white.
At the Chinese table the first course was rice prepared with curry,
followed by chicken pie with the usual accompaniments. Chopsticks were
in evidence, though the guests were not compelled to use them. The
waiters were in Chinese dress. The table was adorned with curios, and
the favors were ancestral tablets in tiny boxes, tied with yellow, the
national color of China.
The Hindustani table was resplendent with red and yellow tulips, the
colors of India. Handsome bowls of beaten brass loaned by a returned
missionary ornamented the table. Four young men in the costume peculiar
to India waited upon this table. The special dish was chicken with
curry, and the favors were genuine Indian bracelets.
Some rare old Welsh china was used on the Welsh table, and the menu
cards, written in Welsh, were in the shape of Welsh hats. A Welsh flag
was given as a souvenir to each guest.
The Irish table was served by lassies gowned in green. The menu cards
were in the form of shamrocks. "Potatoes with their jackets on" and
buttermilk were the dishes characteristic of this country. The
tablecloth was of bright green denim and the decorations were all of
green leaves.
The table representing bonnie Scotland had menu cards decorated with the
thistle. Jam tarts were among the delicacies.
The English table was decorated in the English colors, with the English
standard as a centrepiece. Roast beef, of course, was an essential part
of the dinner, supplemented by plum pudding, caraway cakes and tea. The
favors were red and white roses.
White-capped waitresses served at the French table which was bright with
candelabra, asparagus ferns and pink ribbons. The menu cards bore the
fleur-de-lis. Peas, olives and candied walnuts were distinctive dishes.
The color scheme was pink and green.
At the table representing Holland the girls wore Dutch peasant costumes
and served coffee and chocolate, carrots with cream sauce, so commonly
used among the Hollanders, sausage, rye bread and pickles, cake and
gingerbread baked in fancy shapes.
The German table was gay with flowers. Noodle soup, German cheese and
anise cakes were added to a generous dinner. The menu cards were in the
form of corn-flowers and were written in German text. The favors were
pretzels.
At the Italian table macaroni and fruit were the dishes. The favors were
menu cards with the Italian flag painted on each.
The Mexican table was decorated with palms, and a dinner very similar to
one a traveler would get in that country was served. The favors were
menu cards written in Spanish, to which tiny Mexican _tamales_ were
attached by red and green ribbons, the Mexican colors.
Dainty arbutus graced the New England table and menu cards. The repast
was a bounteous Thanksgiving dinner such as New Englanders know how to
provide. Baked beans and brown bread were on the menu, as were also
several kinds of pie and apple-sauce.
The Western table was waited upon by a boy and girl dressed as Indians
with the ornaments they admire. The table was ornamented with flowers.
The dinner cards showed paintings of Indian heads and the favors were
little paper canoes. The cakes, fruit, etc., were served in Indian
baskets.
The Southern table had a menu different from all the others. Among the
good things were a whole roast pig, corn bread, warm biscuit and sweet
potatoes. There were colored waiters in conventional white linen suits.
The favors that stood by each plate were little Dinah dolls.
FISH MARKET
A rustic bridge was built out from one side of the platform forming a
square space in one corner of the room that was used for a fish pond.
Rocks and ferns were grouped along the edge of the platform, the floor
was covered with green carpet, and a pretty meadow scene painted on
coarse cotton was hung at the back, making a very picturesque setting
for the pond. Steps led up to the bridge, and at the foot was a rustic
lodge where, on payment of a fee, the prospective fisher was given a
pole and a circle of cardboard, upon which was marked the number of
times he was entitled to fish. Thus equipped, he went up on the bridge
and fished in the pond. Additional fishing tickets were sold by the
bridgekeepers. Articles of all description and varying values were
fished forth from the pond, which made it all the more exciting.
Refreshments were served in the hall and there were a candy and cake
table and two stalls where fancy articles were sold. One of these stalls
bore the sign, Fish Market. Here fish of many brilliant colors and
quaint shapes were for sale; they were blotters, shaving cases,
pincushions, sachet bags, needle-books, housewives, pen-wipers, spool
and veil cases, emeries, court-plaster cases and kites. They were made
of inexpensive materials, but their novelty caused them to sell rapidly.
The fish market was well patronized. At the other stall, pillows and
lamp-shades were sold. Red linen pillows shaped like Japanese fish and
worked with black attracted a great deal of attention; other pillows had
poster fish swimming across them, and still others were adorned with
borders of fishes and anglers' maxims. Fish lamp-shades--scarlet, yellow
and delicately tinted--found a ready sale among the young people, and
caused much mirth. On the cake and candy table there were many toothsome
fishes--chocolate and clear candy fish, boxes of candy decorated with
fishing scenes in water-color and pen and ink, sandwiches cut out with
fish-shaped tin cutters, also fish-shaped cookies and small iced cakes.
The tops of the large cakes were ornamented with fish designs done with
contrasting colors of icing.
FLAGS OF NATIONS
Secure as many cards as there are to be guests, and paint or paste on
each of them some five or six small flags of different nations,
numbering each flag. Sometimes one can obtain small buttons with these
flags on them, and these answer quite as well. It is better to have each
card different, and to assort the flags, so that every card may contain
some not very generally known. The United States flag might be omitted,
as every one would be familiar with that; but the flag of Liberia could
be used on several cards, as its resemblance to our flag would be apt to
deceive many. Plates showing the various national flags in colors may be
found in the front of almost any unabridged dictionary.
Hand a card and a pencil to each guest. The pencil may be made quite
attractive by covering it with a strip of crepe paper in some bright
color. This can be easily accomplished by cutting the paper into
lengths a little longer than the pencil, pasting one side, and rolling
the pencil in the paper, then tying with a bow of narrow ribbon. After
the guests are supplied with cards and pencils let each one write
opposite the flags the names of the countries whose emblems they are.
This will be found no easy matter, unless the guest should be a sailor
or a globe-trotter, and many amusing guesses will be recorded.
The one who succeeds in guessing the countries correctly, or in guessing
nearest, might be rewarded with a United States flag pin or a pretty
silk flag. For making awards the hostess should have a list of the flags
that are on each card, which should be numbered, and compare the list
with the guesses handed in by the company.
FLORAL LOVE STORY
1. The girl's name and the color of her hair (Marigold).
2. The color of her eyes (violet).
3. Her brother's name and an adjective that just describes
her (Sweet William).
4. Her brother's favorite musical instrument (trumpet).
5. At what time did he awaken his father with it (four
o'clock).
6. With what did his father punish him (goldenrod).
7. What did the boy do (balsam).
8. What office in the Presbyterian Church did her father
fill (elder).
9. Being a farmer, what was his occupation in spring
(plantain).
10. Her lover's name and what he wrote it with (jonquil).
11. What, being single, he often lost (bachelor's buttons).
12. What confectionery he took to her (peppermint).
13. What he did when he proposed (aster).
14. What ghastly trophy did he lay at her feet (bleeding
heart).
15. What did she give him in return (heartsease).
16. What did she say to him (Johnny-jump-up).
17. What flower did he cultivate (tulips).
18. To whom did she refer him (poppy).
19. What minister married them (Jack-in-the-pulpit).
20. What was wished with regard to their happiness
(live-forever).
21. When he went away, what did she say to him
(forget-me-not).
22. With what did she punish her children (lady's-slipper).
23. What hallowed their last years (sweet peas).
FLOWER BAZAAR
Six booths, if properly planned, will mean a small but picturesque
bazaar. Five of these booths may represent flowers, and many of the
articles sold from them may be made at home by members of the society
which the sale is designed to aid.
Drape the Lily booth in white, decorate it with Easter lilies and light
it with fairy lamps with white shades. Little novelties for Easter gifts
may be sold here--the pretty trifles which are easily made.
The Violet booth may be almost self-decorative if Easter cards and
dainty booklets bearing the flower are displayed. Many choice bits of
verse and short paragraphs of uplifting thought may be found in the
religious publications of to-day, and if these are carefully mounted on
white cards and tied with violet ribbon to a bunch of the fresh flowers
they will make the most cheering of Easter messages. Provision should be
made at the booth for the cards to be autographed with the names of the
senders.
The Tulip booth may be the gayest of the gay, and there the children
should find Easter eggs in all colors of the rainbow. The booth should
be lighted with gay lanterns. Those in charge should appear in Oriental
costumes.
The choice of decorations for the Pansy booth is a wide one. Light green
would make a good background to set off the bowls of different colored
blossoms adorning the table. At this booth flower seeds, bulbs and
plants of all kinds might be on sale. Seedlings are always ready
sellers.
A booth which would prove very popular with housewives would be the one
where Daffodils are in evidence, and there the egg delicacies for Easter
menus might be on sale: stuffed eggs, pickled eggs, egg salad, custards,
and angel and sponge cakes. Over this booth place a large yellow
umbrella, fringed with daffodils. On a card fastened to the handle have
the familiar quotation:
"Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares."
Butterflies fluttering over the Candy booth, as if attracted by the
sweets there, will induce others to come for the same sweets. The
butterflies may be made of crepe paper and suspended above the booth by
invisible wires; the vibration of the air will make them appear very
real. The little maid who presides should be gowned to represent a
butterfly.
Care should be taken that the attendants at the different booths are
dressed in colors to harmonize with the decorative scheme.
FLOWER GUESSING CONTEST
1. My first wears my second on her foot. (Lady's slipper)
2. A Roman numeral. (IV-Ivy)
3. The hour before my English cousin's tea. (Four-o'clock)
4. Good marketing. (Butter and eggs)
5. A gay young man and a ferocious animal. (Dandelion)
6. My first is often sought for my second. (Marigold)
7. A young man's farewell to his sweetheart. (Forget-me-not)
8. Her reply to him. (Sweet William)
9. The gentler sex of the Friend persuasion. (Quaker ladies)
10. Its own doctor. (Self-heal)
11. My first is as sharp as needles, my second is as soft as
down. (Thistledown)
12. My first is a country in Asia, my second is the name of
a prominent New York family. (China Aster)
13. My first is the name of a bird, my second is worn by
cavalrymen. (Larkspur)
14. A church official. (Elder)
15. A very precise lady. (Primrose)
16. A tattered songster. (Ragged Robin)
17. My first is sly but cannot wear my second. (Foxglove)
18. The color of a horse. (Sorrel)
19. A craze in Holland in the seventeenth century. (Tulip)
20. My first is an implement of war, my second is a place
where money is coined. (Spearmint)
21. A disrespectful name for a physician. (Dock)
22. Fragrant letters. (Sweet peas)
23. My first is a white wood, my second is the name of a
yellow Rhenish wine. (Hollyhock)
24. What the father said to the son in the morning.
(Johnny-jump-up)
25. My first is a facial expression of pleasure, my second a
woodsman's means of livelihood. (Smilax)
26. An animal of the jungle is my first, my second is the
name of a tall, fair lady. (Tiger Lily)
27. My first is made in a dairy but is seldom served in my
second. (Buttercup)
28. My first wears my second on his head. (Coxcomb)
29. A close companion. (Stick-tight)
30. A fashionable shade for evening dresses. (Heliotrope)
FLOWER LUNCHEONS
DAISY LUNCHEON.--Just before luncheon the hostess may crown each guest
with a wreath, which she has prepared by tying the blossoms on circles
of fine wire.
In the centre of the luncheon-table have a large bunch of blossoms and
also a few scattered carelessly over the table. Trim the edge of the
table with a chain of daisies, looped up here and there. At each corner
have a large bow of ribbon, either white or of three colors, yellow,
green and white.
Serve only light refreshments. Yellow and white ices served together
would be pretty. By all means have your cakes cooked in patty-pans. Ice
the little cakes with chocolate, and on top of each have a life-size
daisy. Any amateur can make this decoration successfully. Boil your
icing thick and squeeze it through a small funnel made of thick
writing-paper in order to make the long, narrow, white petals of a
daisy. Reserve a small portion of the icing and tint it bright yellow
for the centres. The effect will be quite pretty.
After refreshments are served supply each guest with a sheet of paper
and a tiny pencil with a ribbon bow at the end (these pencils can be
purchased for a cent apiece). Announce that the guest who draws the most
natural daisy will be awarded a prize. Distribute the blossoms for
models. Pin all of the papers upon the wall and let the guests decide
which is the most lifelike flower. Award a pretty book to the one who
succeeds best and a booklet of pressed flowers to the second best.
BUTTERCUP LUNCHEON.--A very effective arrangement of buttercups for a
luncheon is here suggested. It must be remembered that this flower
closes at night and therefore is not suitable for an evening decoration.
In the centre of the table arrange a circle of large rock ferns, and in
the circle thus made place an inverted round pudding-dish, surrounding
it with a large wreath of buttercups. Place the wreath so that half of
each fern leaf will project beyond the buttercups. On the pudding-dish,
the sides of which are hidden by the wreath, place a fern-dish full of
growing ferns, and almost hidden among them a green glass vase filled
with buttercups and grasses. This same idea may be carried out with
daisies.
OX-EYED DAISIES may be used for a luncheon-table decoration very
effectively. In the centre of a round table, arranged to seat eight
people, place a mound of daisies and mountain ferns and have a rope of
daisies running from each plate to the centre. The ends of the ropes may
be hidden in the mound.
VIOLET LUNCHEON.--In the centre of a table stand a large cut-glass bowl
on a violet embroidered centrepiece. Fill this bowl with smilax and pink
carnations. In the centre of the bowl place a tall green glass vase and
make it secure by passing four lengths of ribbon crossed over the top of
it, fastening the ends on the edge of the centrepiece with little bows.
In the green vase place eight bunches of violets. From each bouquet run
violet baby-ribbons ending in a little bow at each place. This will make
a number of ribbons resembling a May-pole. After the luncheon each guest
may unfasten the little bow at her place, give the ribbon a jerk, and
draw a bunch of violets. The ribbons passing over the top of the vase
will hold the vase firmly in place.
APPLE-BLOSSOM LUNCHEON.--For this use blossoms which are but half blown.
Place branches of them in glass bottles full of water and fasten with
wires to the backs of the pictures in the dining-room. The sideboard
should be covered with great branches put in tall cut-glass vases and
low silver bowls; the mantel banked, and in the corners of the room tall
Japanese jars filled with great spraying branches. In the centre of the
table may be placed a vase filled with pure white cherry blossoms. The
candlesticks should be shaded with white and silver. Back of a screen at
each end of the room a lamp may be set to give a brilliant light to the
flowers on the wall, without the glare of the lamp being visible.
PANSY LUNCHEON.--A pretty and an original way to decorate a table with
pansies when one has quantities of these flowers is to place in the
centre of the table upon a glass salver an old-fashioned glass
fruit-bowl on a pedestal. Fill the fruit-bowl and salver with white
cornmeal which has been well soaked in cold water, and in this insert
the pansy stems. They should be placed as thickly as possible. Around
the outer edge of the salver have a border of maidenhair fern. An oblong
glass dish arranged in a similar manner may be placed at each end of the
table. If desired little dishes arranged in the same way may also be
used.
"RAINY-DAY LUNCHEON."--This is certainly an original idea. Place an old
umbrella frame vertically in a fernery and twist smilax around the frame
and down each spoke. At the base of the fernery make a bed of violets as
large around in circumference as the umbrella. At the luncheon hour hide
a small lump of ice in the smilax at the end of each spoke, allowing it
to melt and drip on the violets. This makes a pretty decoration for a
luncheon, particularly if wild violets can be procured.
FLOWER PARTY
When the guests have assembled, each one is given a tiny flower-pot.
These are easily made out of red paper--a long strip and a round, with
the aid of the mucilage pot. In these tiny pots the following list of
flowers to be guessed is tucked away:
MAKE THESE HIDDEN FLOWERS SPROUT
1. An amiable man. (Sweet William)
2. The pulse of the business world. (Stocks)
3. A title for the sun. (Morning-glory)
4. A bird and a riding accessory. (Larkspur)
5. A pillar of a building and a syllable that rhymes with
dine. (Columbine)
6. A flower between mountains. (Lily of the valley)
7. A farewell sentiment. (Forget-me-not)
8. A dude and an animal. (Dandelion)
9. A part of the day. (Four-o'clock)
10. The result of Cupid's arrows. (Bleeding heart)
11. The place for a kiss. (Tulips)
12. A yellow stick. (Goldenrod)
13. A product of the dairy and a drinking utensil.
(Buttercup)
14. One of the Four Hundred. (Aster)
15. What Cinderella should have advertised for. (Lady's
slipper)
16. A wild animal and a bit of outdoor wearing apparel.
(Foxglove)
The list of answers is of course kept in hand by the hostess. When the
first part of the game has been played and the answers verified, a
continuation of the fun is a contest of all as to who can write the best
verse containing in any way whatever all the above flowers. Judges must
be appointed, and, of course, prizes awarded for the verse contest as
well as for the guessing game. This last contest may be omitted, if
wished, but it adds fun and calls forth much ingenuity and cleverness.
The prizes might be little potted plants, so many of which grace the
florists' windows at this time of year; these for the women, and
scarf-pins in the shape of flowers for the men.
To select partners for refreshments, give to each lady a flower of a
different variety; if it is impossible to secure a sufficient quantity
of natural blossoms, paper ones will do quite as well, and these may be
made at home. To the gentlemen hand cards bearing quotations referring
to some flower, but inserting a blank where the name occurs. Each
gentleman may claim his partner when he finds the flower that fits his
verse.
The following are a few suggestive quotations:
"A (violet) by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye."
"As the (sunflower) turns on her god when he sets
The same look which she turn'd when he rose."
"Gather ye (rosebuds) while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying."
"And there is (pansies); that's for thoughts."
"Pale fear oppress'd the drooping maid--
And on her cheek the (rose) began to fade."
"And the blue (gentian-flower), that, in the breeze,
Nods lonely, of her beauteous race the last."
For the supper have a salad served in little paper boxes decorated with
strips of pink tissue paper cut either in narrow slashes like the
chrysanthemum petals, or in broader ones to represent the rose. Ices can
be obtained in many flower forms, and if to these be added real stems
and leaves, the service will be as dainty and attractive as possible.
FLOWERS ILLUSTRATED
1. Buttercup.
2. Daisy.
3. Sunflower.
4. Trumpet vine.
5. Lily of the valley.
6. Morning-glory.
7. Violet.
8. Dandelion.
9. Lady's-slipper.
10. Bachelor's-button.
11. Aster.
12. Tulip.
13. Goldenrod.
14. Cat-tail.
15. Sweet William.
16. Sweet peas.
17. Ragged sailor.
18. Bleeding heart.
19. Poppy.
20. Black-eyed Susan.
21. Foxglove.
22. Queen's lace handkerchief.
23. Bluebell.
24. Everlasting.
25. Marshmallow.
26. Solomon's-seal.
They are illustrated in this way: 1. A cup of butter. 2. The picture of
a book, cut from a magazine, having the title blotted out, and showing
only the words, "by Charlotte M. Yonge" (the author of "The Daisy
Chain"). 3. A colored illustration of the solar spectrum. 4. A tin
trumpet. 5. A picture of a valley. 6. A card upon which is printed "6 A.
M." 7. A picture of a book upon which is written, "by Julia Magruder"
(author of "The Violet"). 8. The picture of a lion, to which has been
added, with pen and ink, a silk hat, collar and cane. 9. A pair of
slippers. 10. A variety of buttons, poorly sewed upon a piece of cloth.
11. A card upon which is written, "A well-known hotel and library." 12.
Photograph of a part of a face. 13. A slender stick, gilded. 14. A
picture of cats. 15. A card with the words "Dear Will." 16. A few peas
in a saucer of sugar. 17. A Brownie sailor, torn and dilapidated. 18. A
red paper heart. 19. The written words, "Sleep, sweet sleep." 20. A
picture of a girl, the eyes having been painted black. 21. A pair of
gloves. 22. A dainty handkerchief. 23. A small bell, painted blue. 24. A
leather advertisement under which are the words, "Never wear out." 25.
A box of marshmallows. 26. A large seal with the letter S.
To the one who succeeds in finding the greatest number of flowers can be
given a beautiful basket of roses.
FOURTH OF JULY MUSEUM
The invitations, gay with the national colors, stated that Miss Blank,
in order to encourage patriotism in her native town, had made a museum
collection of curios connected with noted Americans, and bade a choice
selection of her fellow-townsmen to meet and view the rare objects.
The booklets passed around among the guests upon their arrival were
attractive enough, a tiny flag being painted in one corner of the cover,
which also contained the legend:
The Fourth of July Museum
At Miss Blank's
July the Fourth
Nineteen hundred and blank.
A red, white and blue ribbon held the booklet together, and at the end
of this was a small white pencil.
We found it best to pair off the players, for two heads are so much
better than one, and it is a great satisfaction to give help to one's
neighbor without fear and without reproach. Each of the booklets
contained a date or an event in United States history, and the man who
drew the booklet containing "1492" became the partner of the girl who
held "Discovery of America."
The museum specimens were arranged on tables or mounted on cards, and
each one was numbered conspicuously. The following list of twenty-two
names was used. It can be lengthened, or the celebrities may be
otherwise represented, according to the resources of the hostess.
Magazine pictures of the articles may be substituted for the real
thing, to simplify preparations. Here is the list, which may be greatly
extended:
Paul Revere--a toy horse with rider, labeled "The Horse
Travels Best by Night."
Abraham Lincoln--two small darkies, labeled "All Free."
Washington--a bunch of cherries, labeled "Our National
Fruit."
Carrie Nation--a toy hatchet, labeled "You Think You Know.
Guess Again."
General Grant--a chocolate cigar.
Theodore Roosevelt--a doll's Rough Rider hat.
Richmond Hobson--a confectioner's "kiss."
Barbara Frietchie--the national flag.
Theodore Thomas--a bar of music and a street-car
_conductor's_ cap.
Benjamin Harrison--his grandfather's hat.
Mark Twain--_Two_ pencil-_marks_.
P. T. Barnum--a hippopotamus, labeled "The Greatest Show on
Earth."
Harriet Beecher Stowe--"Uncle Tom's Cabin," represented by a
toy negro cabin.
Priscilla Alden--a picture of a Puritan at a spinning-wheel.
Jefferson Davis--a Confederate dollar bill.
William J. Bryan--a silver dollar (number _sixteen_ in the
collection).
Miss Stone--the _stone_ figure of a woman, labeled
"Kidnapped," or a copy of Stevenson's "Kidnapped."
Joseph Jefferson--a little dog, labeled "My Dog Schneider."
Nathaniel Hawthorne--"The Scarlet Letter," represented by a
medium-size red envelope.
Eli Whitney--a cotton-gin, represented by a branch of
cotton, and a bottle, labeled "Pure Holland Gin."
Robert Fulton--a toy steamboat.
Benjamin Franklin--a kite and a key.
The national colors may be used effectively in the decorations of the
rooms or of the table, and the prizes for the winners may be silk flags,
photographs of historic places or other souvenirs suggestive of the day.
Appropriate place-cards for a Fourth of July luncheon or dinner may be
made by covering small glass bottles about the size of a firecracker
with red tissue paper, and filling them with little candies. By cutting
the corks even with the bottles and drawing a small piece of twine
through for a fuse, a clever imitation of a cracker is made. The names
of the guests may be put vertically on the bottles.
GAME OF NATIONS
Provide each guest with a list of questions, with spaces left for the
answers. The answers consist of words ending in "N-A-T-I-O-N." Here are
the questions and the answers:
1. A popular flower. 1. Carnation.
2. Unruliness. 2. Insubordination.
3. A gift for charitable purposes. 3. Donation.
4. The installation of a king. 4. Coronation.
5. Resolution, or "grit." 5. Determination.
6. The murder of an eminent person. 6. Assassination.
7. Fancy, or mental representations. 7. Imagination.
8. Making anything clear. 8. Explanation.
9. A small surgical operation legally enforced.
9. Vaccination.
10. The giving up of an office. 10. Resignation.
11. A joining or putting together. 11. Combination.
12. The choosing of a candidate. 12. Nomination.
The prizes should then be awarded. A pretty silk banner will be
acceptable to a man, while a big bunch of red and white carnations tied
with a blue ribbon, or a pound of confectionery in a box decorated with
flags and other patriotic emblems will make a pretty gift for a lady.
GEOGRAPHICAL GAME
Seat the players in a ring. Let the first one say aloud the name of a
city, mountain, river, lake, etc., located in any part of the world; the
next player give a name beginning with the final letter of the
previously said name, and the third supply one beginning with the final
letter of the second, and so on around the ring. Thus: America, Athens,
Santiago, Ohio. Each player is allowed thirty seconds in which to think.
If, by the end of that time, he has failed to supply a name, he must
drop out of the game. The one who keeps up longest is the champion. Any
player, at any time, may be challenged to give the geographical location
of the place he has named. If, on demand, he cannot do so he must pay a
forfeit.
GEORGE AND MARTHA TEA
The walls should be hung with red, white and blue bunting, relieved at
regular intervals with shields and small hatchets made of flowers in the
national colors.
Have George and Martha receive the guests, and there may be also a
number of men and women attired in colonial costumes to introduce
strangers and see that all have a good time.
Behind a bower of foliage an orchestra might play the national airs, and
as the object of the evening should be to promote sociability, it would
be well to have a number of interesting games in which all can join.
One of these might be a list of the presidents in anagram form, written
on a large blackboard; the names in parentheses, of course, are not
written out, thus:
1. L m jak pokes (James K. Polk)
2. Yatch lazy roar (Zachary Taylor)
3. Lord film rill a me (Millard Fillmore)
4. Knife lancer rip (Franklin Pierce)
5. Jamb haunce ans (James Buchanan)
6. Berth your she fad (Rutherford B. Hayes)
7. C H hurt a rare set (Chester A. Arthur)
8. Jasmine in horn bar (Benjamin Harrison)
9. Willie m mink clay (William McKinley)
10. O shogging rantwee (George Washington)
11. Jam nod has (John Adams)
12. Oft John fear mess (Thomas Jefferson)
13. Mard jess moan (James Madison)
14. Jo means more (James Monroe)
15. Jay chins Quon dam (John Quincy Adams)
16. Son rack and Jew (Andrew Jackson)
17. A rum Tannin verb (Martin Van Buren)
18. Harsh iron aim will (William H. Harrison)
19. If gales mead jar (James A. Garfield)
20. Carver delve long (Grover Cleveland)
21. Man in cab or hall (Abraham Lincoln)
22. Yes glass turns (Ulysses S. Grant)
23. Holy rent J (John Tyler)
At the end of half an hour present to the most successful guesser a
George Washington hat of violet candy, filled with red and white
bonbons.
But let the main feature of the evening be a small room fashioned into a
portrait-drawing studio, the lads and lassies in charge and everything
about the room having an old-time look.
Above the door have printed in the quaint spelling of long ago that all
who wish can have a silhouette picture of themselves for only five
cents, and doubtless a goodly sum will be realized, as people are
always interested, not only in their own, but in their friends'
physiognomy, and much fun will follow in exchanging shadow pictures.
Have ready a quantity of large sheets of paper, black on one side and
white on the other, also white cardboard; a sheet of paper is to be
fastened to the wall, white side out, and a lighted candle placed about
three feet from the paper. Then the one having his picture taken is
seated between the candle and wall, so that a strongly defined profile
falls upon the paper; the shadow is to be traced with a steady hand, cut
out, and then pasted on the cardboard, with the black side of the paper
out.
An old-fashioned candelabrum, surrounded by a wreath of blue violets and
red and white carnations, might grace the centre of the dining-table,
and at either end tall silver candlesticks with candles burning under
shades of a rosy hue might be placed.
Let the bonbons be held in boxes imitating the cocked hat of the
Continental Army; have sandwiches of different kinds and sorts, with
tiny silk flags bearing the name of the sandwich. Besides these the
eatables might consist of good old-fashioned gingerbread, crullers,
doughnuts, and coffee, followed by apples and nuts.
GIRLS' NAMES CONTEST
1. What an army would do if it found a river too deep to
ford. (Bridget)
2. An admirable quality in a young woman. (Grace)
3. The most prominent of Easter flowers. (Lily)
4. The time for violets. (May)
5. A gem. (Pearl)
6. What papa does with the baby. (Carrie)
7. How to write a postscript. (Adaline)
8. The flower of June. (Rose)
9. What a scissors-grinder and a locomotive have in common.
(Belle)
10. A virtue. (Patience)
11. An article. (Ann)
12. First steps in music. (Dora [do-re])
13. Two consecutive letters of the alphabet in transposed
order. (Effie [F-E])
14. The night before. (Eve)
15. A little valley. (Adelle)
The slips are to be collected and the one having the greatest number of
correct answers may be rewarded with some inexpensive souvenir.
GOLF LUNCHEON
When our golfing enthusiast desires to entertain her golfing friends,
she cannot do better than bid them to a luncheon set to the keynote of
their favorite sport.
Naturally, the table decorations will be red and green--deep red roses
or scarlet geraniums laid in flat bunches upon the "fair field" of snowy
cloth and encircling the dishes, caught together by "links" of smilax.
Perhaps, too, pale green candles, beneath ruby-hued shades, might still
further carry out the scheme of color.
The table may be arranged with a "putting green" in the centre made of a
square of sponge cake frosted with pistachio. A little hole should be
cut in the centre. Miniature caddy bags made of red satin and filled
with red geraniums and ferns are pretty decorations. A little golf ball
for the "putting green" can be made by covering a preserved cherry with
white icing. "Bunkers" can be made across the corners of the table by
using fine wire netting. At each place a small caddy bag can hold the
knives, forks, and spoons of the service, and in the bottom of the bag
can be placed a "Jackson ball"--one of those hard, striped red and
white, old-fashioned candies.
The bread sticks and cheese straws should be fashioned like golfing
sticks, and the ices be in the form of balls, small and white. Lastly,
with the coffee and bonbons, are passed souvenir cards on which are
daintily painted bags of golfing implements, heads of pretty girls in
outing hats, or bits of rural landscape.
GOLF PLAYERS' GUESSING CONTEST
1. A coachman. (Driver)
2. An oriental herb. (Tee)
3. A receptacle for the herb. (Caddie)
4. What an impudent fellow is apt to be. (Brassie)
5. A rustic expression for aimless working. (Putter)
6. A bazaar, and a color. (Fair-green)
7. The point of a pen and a lap of the tongue. (Niblic)
8. To crush and two letters. (Mashie)
9. A chance. (Hazard)
10. A large social function. (Ball)
11. A definite and an indefinite number. (Foursome)
12. Parts of a chain. (Links)
13. A bed and to mistake. (Bunker)
14. Number twenty. (Score)
15. Little pits. (Holes)
The two who, within a given time, answer the most of these fifteen
questions should be rewarded with appropriate prizes, as one of the
handy little score books to be slipped upon the belt, containing the
official score; a picture of the typical golf girl; or some volume on
the popular and fascinating game.
GOOD LUCK PARTY
This was given by a clever maiden to a departing girl friend, but the
idea could be utilized in various ways.
Each invitation took the form of a cordial note which was written on
white note-paper bordered with pen-and-ink sketches of horseshoes,
wishbones and four-leaf clovers.
Enclosed with each invitation was a guest card with the name of the
person receiving it written in gilt at the top. Below this was a row of
horseshoes, also done in gilt. Each guest was requested to write on this
card a toast, in rhyme, to the departing friend, and to bring it to the
party on the appointed evening.
The decorations of the rooms upon the evening of the party were
appropriate to the occasion. Horseshoes gilded or covered with tin-foil
hung over the folding doors and window-curtains, and depended from the
chandeliers, which were draped with festoons of ribbon ornamented with
wishbones and horseshoes of all sizes cut from gilt paper.
A large screen standing in front of the dining-room doors was decorated
with artificial clover blossoms. In the dining-room similar decorations
prevailed. In the centre of the dining-table, upon a centrepiece
embroidered with the emblems of good luck, stood a candelabra bearing
green and white candles. Encircling the centrepiece was a large
horseshoe of cardboard covered with green paper. Outside the horseshoe
outlining it were small glasses resting on green paper clover leaves.
At each corner of the table was placed a plate of delicious sugar
cookies baked in the shape of four-leaf clovers; each one was topped
with a gilded wish-bone.
The chairs were arranged around the room in the form of a horseshoe.
The main feature of the evening was the hunt for four-leaf clovers.
These leaves, which were cut out of green glacé paper, had been hidden
by the hostess in every nook and corner of the down-stairs rooms, and
much amusement was afforded the young people as they eagerly sought
them. At the conclusion of a given time the signal to stop hunting was
given and each guest counted the leaves he or she had found. The one
having the greatest number was presented with a dainty stick-pin in the
shape of a four-leaf clover.
The refreshments consisted only of ginger ale and cookies, and as her
guests partook of them the hostess read aloud the toasts which had been
handed to her. She presented them at the conclusion of the evening to
the guest of honor.
Each guest was next asked to tell "the biggest piece of good luck which
ever came to you." The numerous recitals given created no end of fun.
When the party broke up and the good-nights were said each guest carried
away as a souvenir of the occasion a bright new penny for a "luck
piece."
GYPSY FORTUNE-TELLING
Added to the charm and mystery of having one's fortune told is the great
pleasure which may be derived from having it told by a gypsy, even
though she may be an amateur.
An hour of amusement may be passed very delightfully in this way,
provided the hostess can make the necessary arrangements with some
quick-witted, bright young girl, who will be willing to take the part of
the gypsy. Several days before the evening's entertainment the hostess
should give her friend a list of the expected guests, with a few notes
concerning their traits of character, environment, etc., and these
suggestions, in addition to the knowledge of the persons which she
possesses, and her own inventiveness, will give her an excellent
opportunity apparently to look back in the past, and forward to the
future--especially if she happen to discover that any engaged couples
are to be present. The gypsy should arrive at the house of the hostess a
little early on the evening of the entertainment, and be shown to an
up-stairs room to don her gypsy attire. She should then descend to the
dimly-lighted parlor and seat herself in readiness for the guests when
they shall arrive.
As the guests arrive and remove their wraps they should be received and
greeted in the library or reception-room, and the hostess should then
announce that a gypsy is in the parlor. Having learned in some way that
there was to be a large party there, she has begged the privilege of
coming in to tell fortunes for the pretty ladies, so that she might earn
a few pennies. The guests repair to the dimly-lighted parlor, where the
gypsy is seated. As each guest advances and seats himself, the gypsy
takes the extended right hand and reads the lines--improvising as she
does so in broken English.
HALLOWE'EN BOX CAKE
The newest fashion in Hallowe'en supper-table decoration is a cake made
of white pasteboard boxes, in shape like pieces of pie, which fit
together and give the appearance of a large cake. Each one of the boxes
is covered with a white paper which resembles frosting. At the close of
the feast the pieces are distributed, each box containing some little
souvenir suitable to Hallowe'en. One box, of course, contains a ring,
another a thimble, a third a piece of silver, a fourth a mitten, a fifth
a fool's cap, and so on. Much fun is created as the boxes are opened,
and the person who secures the ring is heartily congratulated. The
unlucky individual who gets the fool's cap must wear it for the evening.
HALLOWE'EN GAMES
Have a card and a candle for each guest, the candles in as many
different colors as possible, and one corner of each card turned down
and tied with baby ribbon--one color for ladies, and another for
gentlemen. On the cards have couplets written foretelling future events,
such as:
Who gets the candle colored red
Will have long life, but never wed.
If you choose the candle green
You'll have the prettiest wife e'er seen.
For you the kind fates have a plan
Whereby you sure _will_ get a man.
Let each guest take a card and a candle (if the base of the candle is
warmed it will stick to the card), read the couplet aloud, then light
the candle, and holding it at arm's length blow it out. If it is blown
out upon the first trial the person will be married within a year; if
upon the second trial, within two years, etc.
Write rhymes of four or six lines on thin paper, and place in chestnut
shells. Tie together with ribbon, the ladies' in one color, the
gentlemen's in another. If there are personal hits in the rhymes, tie
the name of the person for whom each one is intended on the outside of
the shell.
Hide a ring, a thimble and a penny in the room. To the one who finds the
ring speedy marriage is assured; the thimble denotes a life of single
blessedness; the penny promises wealth.
Have one of the young ladies who knows a little palmistry be the witch
of the evening. A short, bright-hued skirt, a gay plaid shawl crossed
over her shoulders, a scarf bound about her head, will make a very
striking costume, and, with the aid of a little paint and powder, quite
an effective disguise. If she is enough acquainted with the guests to
give some personal history she can produce some very "telling" fortunes.
After the witch has exhausted her ingenuity as palmist, let her offer to
disclose the name of the future bride or groom of each one present, by
means of the fairy mirror. The room she uses should be dimly lighted.
She writes the name on a mirror with French chalk, rubs it off lightly
with a silk handkerchief, and calls in the person for whom the name is
written.
Prepare a basket of rosy cheeked apples, each with the initials of a
name pricked in the skin, which names must be used in counting the apple
seeds.
After the supper table has been cleared of all except the decorations
and candles, have a large dish filled with burning alcohol and salt
brought in and placed in the centre. Seated around this ghostly fire,
all other lights except the candles having been extinguished, let the
guests tell stirring stories rigmarole fashion; that is, some one
starting the story and stopping short at its most exciting point and
letting his neighbor continue it, etc., each one trying to make it as
interesting as possible.
HALLOWE'EN PARTY
All formality must be dispensed with on Hallowe'en. Not only will quaint
customs and mystic tricks be in order, but the decorations and
refreshments, and even the place of meeting, must be as strange and
mystifying as possible.
For the country or suburban home a roomy barn is decidedly the best
accommodation that can be provided. If this is not practicable, a large
attic, running the entire length of the house, is the next choice; but
if this also is denied the ambitious hostess, let the kitchen be the
place of meeting and of mystery, with the dining-room, cleared of its
usual furniture and decorated suitably for the occasion, reserved for
the refreshments.
The light should be supplied only by Jack-o'-lanterns hung here and
there about the kitchen, with candles in the dining-room.
The decorations need not be expensive to be charming, no matter how
large the room. Large vases of ferns and chrysanthemums and umbrella
stands of fluffy grasses will be desirable; but if these cannot be
readily obtained, quantities of gayly tinted autumn leaves will be quite
as appropriate. Festoons of nuts, bunches of wheat or oats, and strings
of cranberries may also help to brighten the wall decorations, and the
nuts and cranberries will be useful in many odd arrangements for
ornamenting the refreshment table.
Have the table long enough (even if it must be extended with boards the
whole length of the barn or attic) to accommodate all the guests at
once. Arrange huge platters of gingerbread at each corner, with dishes
of plain candies and nuts here and there, and pyramids of fruit that
will be quickly demolished when the guests are grouped about the table.
No formal waiting will be desirable.
HALLOWE'EN SUGGESTIONS
Have mirrors everywhere: big mirrors, medium-sized mirrors, and little,
wee mirrors, all reflecting and multiplying countless candles that burn
in candlesticks of every description (most novel are those made from
long-necked gourds and tiny squashes).
Across the top and down the sides of each doorway hang festoons of
yellow and white corn and turn the husks back to show the firm,
glistening kernels. Each window can be garlanded in like manner as well
as the tops of mantels and picture frames. Clusters of red ears may
depend from the chandeliers. Here and there, in the most unexpected
corners, can be placed Jack-o'-lanterns, smiling or gnashing their
teeth, amid great shocks of corn. The great hall and stairway can be
draped with fish-nets through the meshes of which are thrust many ears
of corn. A stately Jack must point the guests up the stairs where two
other individuals will usher them to the dressing-rooms.
Drape one doorway with a portière of apples--apples strung on strings of
varying lengths. As the guests pass through, the tallest stoop for those
suspended on the longest strings and the shortest reach for those on the
short strings. Those who succeed in throwing three tiny apples through
the horseshoe, which is hung in the midst of these apples, are assured
of phenomenal luck for the ensuing year.
In another doorway hang a big pear-shaped pumpkin, on whose shining
surface all the letters of the alphabet have been burned with a hot
poker. Keep this rapidly twirling while the guests, in turn, try to stab
some letter with long meat-skewers. The letter that is hit will
establish beyond question the initial letter of one's fate.
Place in a tub of water red, yellow and green apples. Provide each guest
with a toy bow and arrow. The young man or maiden who succeeds in firing
an arrow into a red apple will be assured of good health; plenty of
money is in store for those shooting arrows into yellow ones; and good
luck is in store for those hitting the green ones.
Blindfold each girl present and, presenting her with a wand, lead her to
a table on which have been placed flags of the different men's colleges.
The flag her wand happens to touch will indicate the college of her
future husband.
Browning nuts, popping corn, roasting apples, and toasting marshmallows
will add a great deal to the pleasure of the evening.
The dining-table should be draped in pale green crepe paper, the lights
above being shrouded in gorgeous orange. Pumpkins of various sizes
should be scooped and scraped to a hollow shell and, lined with waxed
paper and filled with good things to eat, should be placed in the centre
of the table. Lighted candles and quaint oriental lanterns will add
greatly to the decorations.
The menu should include bannocks, scones, and other Scotch dainties. If
desired, droning bagpipes might accompany the feast.
After listening to ghostly tales related by white-draped figures, the
guests may receive all sorts of amusing souvenirs from a large pumpkin
placed on a table at the door.
HANDKERCHIEF BAZAAR
Of all our friends, both far and near,
We beg the kind attention;
So please to lend us now your ear,
While we a subject mention.
To carry on our C. E. work,
In the country and the city,
We need more money very bad,
And hope you'll help us with it.
The committee intend to hold
On a day not distant far
A sale for both the young and old,--
A handkerchief bazaar.
So this, then, is our plea in brief:
To aid our enterprise
We beg of you a handkerchief,
Of any kind or size.
_Please send by mail before April 5th to_
The above invitation, which should be printed on a neat card, explains
itself. The details of the bazaar may be arranged as desired.
HATCHET PARTY
If the Hatchet Party is given at home appropriate invitations can be
issued in the form of a hatchet, bearing the words in quaint letters:
"_Ye Young Women's Christian Temperance Union extends ye
invitation to meete ye Hatchet Familie of ye anciente tyme at
ye home of Miss May Caspel, 236 Bell Avenue, on Wednesday
evening, ye 22d of Februarie of ye year of our Lorde 1905, at
eight of ye clock._"
The decorations should conform to the spirit of the evening. A large
hatchet covered with white curled tissue paper may be hung in the hall.
Plaques of little red, white and blue hatchets may take the place of
flowers, and in the hall or reception room there should be a little
table of "Souvenirs." These should be little bronze hatchets with the
letters Y. W. C. T. U. on one side. Their handles should be tied with
narrow ribbon--red, white and blue--and each guest should be allowed to
select his color. Thus everybody has the opportunity offered to him of
becoming a member by selecting the white ribbon, and in this way
everybody is compelled to "show his colors."
If simple refreshments are served, let the Japanese napkins have a big
hatchet gilded on them, and let there be some plates of hatchet cookies,
formed by the cutter that any tinsmith will make from a pattern.
Have old-fashioned candy--peppermint, wintergreen, sassafras and
molasses--instead of bonbons. Play the old games--hunt the slipper,
blind man's buff, hide and seek.
Names for the members of the Hatchet Family who are to receive the
guests:
Johanna Adams Hatchet,
Tomazine Jefferson Hatchet,
Jamesina Madison Hatchet,
Jemima Monroe Hatchet,
J. Quinciana Adams Hatchet,
Andrewsia Jackson Hatchet,
Wilhemina Henrietta Harrison Hatchet,
Johnesetta Tyler Hatchet,
Marty Van Buren Hatchet,
Jinny Keturah Polk Hatchet,
Zacherina Taylor Hatchet,
Millarella Fillmore Hatchet.
Ask the girls who impersonate these characters to come in Martha
Washington dress, a flowered chintz or silk overdress, opening in front
to show a silk or sateen skirt of a plain color, which may be quilted if
desired. The waist is made to open over a white neckerchief and has
elbow sleeves. A little round mob cap of muslin or lace, with a frill, a
band of ribbon around it, and a coquettish bow complete the costume.
ICE FESTIVAL
To step from midsummer into winter was a surprise, when the admission
ticket was dropped in the box at the door on the night of the festival
and its erstwhile owner passed into the hall. Small tables stood by pine
and cedar trees that were covered with alum icicles and sifted over with
diamond dust. Here groups of friends ate their cream and cake together,
served by snow spirits in white tarletan gowns that sparkled with
diamond dust, or ice fays whose white costumes glittered with glass
beads. On the stage, white canton flannel and diamond dust, heavy gray
wrapping paper folded into rocks, trees and a rustic bridge made a
realistic representation of a snowclad landscape. The pleasing program
consisted of dainty dances by children dressed as snowflakes, a pretty
ball game played with snowballs, recitations and songs appropriate to
the winter season. Another novelty was a tree covered with raw cotton
snowballs, with numbers attached. These were sold for twenty-five
cents--each purchaser choosing a number--and contained the small fancy
articles usually sold at fairs--pincushions, needle-books, cups and
saucers, etc. The windows were all screened and electric fans hidden by
evergreens kept the hall from getting overheated. In one corner was a
large pond, made of a shallow wooden tank surrounded by more gray paper
rocks and white cotton snow, in which real cakes of ice were floating,
and from which any one was at liberty to dip as much ice water as he
cared to drink. This festival was a great success.
INAUGURATION DAY LUNCH
The guests at this luncheon are to represent the Vice-President and the
eight members of the Cabinet, but if the hostess wishes to entertain a
larger number, she can introduce one or two of the foreign Ambassadors.
Give to each guest, as she arrives, a card bearing the title of one of
the Cabinet, as the Secretary of State, the Attorney-General, and, if
necessary, the English Ambassador. While waiting for luncheon, each one
must guess the name of the man she represents, in order to know her
place at the table, where only the proper names, not the titles, will be
used. It will be surprising to discover how few of the members of the
Cabinet are known by name to the majority of persons.
Pink carnations will be appropriate for all decorations. Have a large
bowl of these in the centre of the table, and at each corner lay on the
cloth as a doily a spread eagle cut from gilt paper, the pattern for
which can be taken from a revenue flag or a ten dollar gold piece. Make
the distance from tip to tip of the wings about twelve inches, and from
the head to the tail seven inches. Place upon the eagles dishes of
olives, nuts, and pink candies.
From the chandelier to the corners of the table have sound money
festoons, which are made by cutting out of gilt paper a number of disks
the size of a twenty-five cent piece. Paste these together in pairs,
first laying between them a long thread which connects them through the
middle and forms a chain.
For favors have cards of water-color paper painted around the edges with
a festoon of pink ribbon, in which, at intervals, are knotted scrolls
and documentary envelopes upon which are printed some of the principles
of the Republican party, such as "The Monroe doctrine reaffirmed,"
"Reduction of war taxes," "Allegiance to the gold standard," etc. At the
top of each card write the name of the person whom each guest is to
represent.
In the centre of the card will be the menu, which is as follows:
Post Office Soup
The Army
The Navy Small Shot
Agricultural Salad
Cabinet Pudding
Ices Philippine Cakes
Coffee
A clear soup, with noodles for letters, fills the requirements of the
Post Office. The second course is creamed sweetbreads served in small
paper boxes, which stand upon large pilot crackers, or, in army
language, "hard tack." A sheet of paper folded double, like an army
tent, rests upon the crackers, covering the box; wooden toothpicks stuck
through the sides of the tent into the paper box will prevent the former
from slipping out of place, and can easily be removed after serving. On
the outside of the tents paint in large, clear letters U. S. A. The
crackers are to be eaten with the sweetbreads.
The navy is represented by having the chicken croquettes formed in the
shape of a ship, flat, and having one end pointed, the other somewhat
rounding. From a druggist get two or three straws, such as are used for
soda water, cut them into short lengths, and just before serving, stand
two or three in each croquette to represent smokestacks. If these straws
cannot be obtained, toothpick masts with paper sails will be quite as
effective. The croquettes should be served with green peas--small
shot--and scalloped potatoes.
Agricultural or vegetable salad, served in beets, makes a most
attractive looking dish. Beets of medium and uniform size are first
boiled until tender, then peeled and placed on the ice. When cold cut
off a slice at the bottom, so they will stand firm, scoop out the
insides, leaving only thin walls. For the filling use peas and apples,
celery and beets, cut into small pieces, and mixed well with mayonnaise;
fill the beets, serving them on lettuce leaves. The cabinet pudding is
that which is to be found in any cook book, baked in individual forms,
and served with foamy sauce.
The ices are in the form of horseshoes for good luck, and with them are
the Philippine cakes. These are small cakes having in the centre of each
a tiny black china doll, two of which can be purchased for a cent at any
toy shop. These are put in after the cake is baked and before icing,
leaving them just far enough out to show the arms.
The "coffee which makes the politician wise," may be served at the table
or after returning to the parlor.
INDEPENDENCE DAY NECESSITIES
1. A powerful submarine weapon of offense.
2. A destroying element, and an accompaniment to an
oyster-stew.
3. An ancient civilization, and a feeble means of light.
4. A woman's toilet necessity, and part of a wagon.
5. A color, and the means of warmth.
6. The chief implement of warfare.
7. A two-wheeled vehicle, and the peak of a house.
8. Where Nature's wealth is stored.
9. A kind of stone used in paving.
10. Bardolph's companion in King Henry IV.
11. One kind of headgear.
12. What a wise mother does not do to her baby.
13. A carnation with u instead of i.
14. A musical organization, and a long lapse of time.
15. An Irishman's name, a disorderly uprising, and an
intellectual fad.
The answers are held by the hostess, of course, and are only divulged
after all the guesses are in. They are as follows:
ANSWERS
1. Torpedoes.
2. Fire-crackers.
3. Roman candles.
4. Pinwheels.
5. Red fire.
6. Guns.
7. Cart-ridge.
8. Mines.
9. Flag.
10. Pistol.
11. Caps.
12. Rock it (Rocket).
13. Pink P(u)nk.
14. Band-ages.
15. Pat-riot-ism.
INDEPENDENCE DAY MENU
Soup a la Americaine (Potato)
Colonial Pot Roast
Baked Tomatoes Stewed Corn
Butter Beans
Columbia Salad, with Star-shaped Wafers
Virginia Corn Bread
Independence Pudding, Hard Sauce
Washington Pie Election Cake
Nuts Fruit
Coffee
INDIAN DINNER PARTY
Invitations may be printed or written on birch bark or paper imitations
of same, or on paper cut into the shape of tomahawks, tepees, etc., and
may be hand-painted if desired. Decorations should be Indian blankets
(as portières, couch covers, and mantel draperies), Indian rugs,
baskets, tomahawks, bows and arrows, war clubs, chromos, colored
photographs, clay or papier-mâché Indian heads, plaques and busts, etc.,
any of which would make suitable favors. A miniature wigwam made of
blankets in an out-of-the-way corner, adds effectiveness. Footman and
maids may be dressed in Indian costumes made of burlap with bright
colored trimmings and fringes; or the guests may be invited _en
costume_.
For table decoration a skin should be placed over table cloth through
the centre of the table and upon it an Indian basket filled with any red
or yellow common flowers, such as marigolds or nasturtiums (red and
yellow), or better still with wild flowers, red or yellow.
The menu cards and name cards, of stiff ecru paper, have Indian
decorations in brilliant red, green and orange; the candles are also
striped in the same vivid colors and the candle holders are made of corn
husks. The canoe, designed for the entree, which is the chicken, is made
of heavy brown paper.
MENU FOR INDIAN DINNER
Squaw Soup
(Bouillon)
Wigwam Croquettes
(Fish)
Chicken a la Canoe
Saddle of Mutton
Choctaw Peas Apache Gravy
Arrowhead Potatoes
Calumet Squabs
Pappoose Rolls Wickiup Salad
(Romain)
Prune Sioux
(Feather Cream)
Hiawatha Cakes Indian Punch
Grasshopper Cheese Tomahawk Coffee
INDOOR LAWN PARTY
Our social committee, of which I was then chairman, wanted very much to
have a lawn party; but the season for such things was quite over, as the
evenings were too cool. However, a bright idea occurred to one of our
number, and we decided to have an indoor lawn party.
The Saturday afternoon before it was to take place, four of the
committee took a team, went out into the woods, and secured a lot of
pine boughs, autumn leaves, etc., and Monday evening, which was the
evening before it occurred, we increased our force of workers, and went
to the vestry to turn it, as far as possible, into an outdoor scene. We
trimmed the chandeliers, posts, and every available spot with boughs,
strung Japanese lanterns all across the room, made a beautiful bower in
one corner for the orchestra, for which we had three pieces, a piano, a
violin, and a cornet. In the opposite corner of the room we had a canvas
tent where fortunes were told at five cents each (by palmistry) by one
of our young lady gypsies. Hammocks were swung from the large stone
posts, and a standing double swing was placed on one side of the room,
where the younger people enjoyed themselves hugely.
Small tables were put into odd corners of the room, where ice cream and
cake were served by ten young ladies in pretty summer costumes. Lemonade
was served from an old well, which was a large square box or packing
case, covered with canvas, painted to represent a stone wall. To this we
attached a well-sweep made from a branch of a tree, tied on a large new
tin pail, and served the lemonade in small glasses at two cents a glass.
During the evening we had a male quartette gather around the well and
sing "The Old Oaken Bucket," and other selections. The orchestra played
the whole evening with very short intermissions. On one side of the room
was arranged an artistic corner where peanuts were sold at the usual
price of five cents a bag.
INITIAL CHARACTERISTICS
1. Popular Bishop Phillips Brooks
2. Fought Every Wine Frances E. Willard
3. Serio-Comic Samuel Clemens
4. Fearless Navigator Fridtjof Nansen
5. Won England's Greatness W. E. Gladstone
6. Little Misses' Admiration Louisa M. Alcott
7. Military Suitor Miles Standish
8. Rollicking Bard Robert Burns
9. United States General U. S. Grant
10. Moral Light Martin Luther
11. Eulogizes Antipodes Edwin Arnold
12. Tamed Ambient Electricity Thomas A. Edison
13. A Cunning Delineator A. Conan Doyle
14. Handles Christians Hall Caine
15. Rabid Iconoclast Robert Ingersoll
16. Histrionic Interpreter Henry Irving
17. Serpentine Belle Sara Bernhardt
18. Equality Benefits Edward Bellamy
19. Just Mother's Boy James M. Barrie
20. Frames Many Chronicles F. Marion Crawford
21. Lord High Celestial Li Hung Chang
22. Original, Witty, Humorous Oliver Wendell Holmes
23. Nipped Bourbonism Napoleon Bonaparte
24. Surgeon, Writer, Metrician S. Weir Mitchell
25. Intelligent Zealot Israel Zangwill
26. Collected Delectable Writings C. D. Warner
27. Curiosity Depicter Charles Dickens
28. Cuba's Benefactor Clara Barton
29. Eminently Zealous Emile Zola
30. Character Revealed Charles Reade
31. Caused Revolutionary Discussion Charles R. Darwin
32. Joyous Lark Jenny Lind
33. Fearless Nurse Florence Nightingale
34. Conspicuous Senator Charles Sumner
35. Ever Frolicsome Eugene Field
36. Suffrage Brings Advantages Susan B. Anthony
37. Pens Lyrical Dialect Paul Laurence Dunbar
38. Always Loyal Abraham Lincoln
39. Great Deed George Dewey
40. Won Recent Surrender W. R. Shafter
JACK-O'-LANTERN PARTY
The little guests at this particular party were invited from three
o'clock until seven, and when they arrived they found the rooms were
darkened. The lamps had yellow shades, and as such an occasion would not
be complete without pumpkin Jack-o'-lanterns, there were
"Pumpkins large and pumpkins small,
Pumpkins short and pumpkins tall,
Pumpkins yellow and pumpkins green,
Pumpkins dull and those with sheen."
They hung in every nook and corner. Even the jardinières filled with
flowers were made of them. Wood was crackling and blazing in the large
fireplace, as if anxious to do its part to make every one happy, and
hanging from the chandelier was a branch of evergreen, with nuts
suspended in such a fashion that they readily fell to the floor when
given a slight shake. Before this was done, however, each child was
given a paper bag to hold the nuts, which tumbled in all directions.
Then a huge pasteboard pumpkin covered with yellow crinkled paper was
brought in. I do not know what else it was made of; I only know that it
looked like a real pumpkin. Bright-colored ribbons hung over the sides,
and when the small boys and girls took turns in pulling them, out came
all sorts of comical little toys and pretty knickknacks.
Before supper was announced the children were given French snappers in
fringed paper, in which they found either a gay cap or apron. After
putting them on they marched around the parlors, out into the hall and
into the dining-room, while the mother of the little girl who had
planned this delightful Hallowe'en party played a marching tune for
them.
The greatest surprise of all awaited them in the dining-room, for the
walls were covered with large branches of evergreens, making it seem
like "real woods"; not a chair was in the room; the little ones were
invited to seat themselves on soft cushions placed on the floor, in true
picnic style, and they had the jolliest time eating their picnic supper
from the yellowest of yellow gourds, which had been hollowed out, lined
with Japanese napkins, and filled with just the things children like
best. On top of each one was an apple--or at least they thought it was,
until taking it in their hands, when it proved to be a bonbon box
filled with delicious nut candy. Then there were dainty sandwiches, pop
corn balls and salad in orange baskets. But better than these were the
gingerbread animals; these were so natural looking that the little ones
knew right away which animals were represented.
After supper they played games until seven, when they went home, laden
with their bags of nuts and toys and souvenir lanterns.
JAPANESE CARD PARTY
Invitations may be written as the natives write--up and down, instead of
across, on rice paper or paper napkins; or little Japanese dolls may be
sent, each clasping a note of invitation.
For decorations, use Japanese draperies, cushions, bead curtains, rugs,
baskets, swords, scrolls, umbrellas, vases, fans, lanterns, screens,
bamboo tables and chairs, Japanese fern balls, with tiny Japanese flags
and fans stuck in here and there, red, or red and white Japanese lilies,
ferns combined with red and yellow ribbons, etc.; or the walls of the
rooms may be entirely covered with branches of trees profusely decorated
with cherry blossoms made of pink paper, representing the beautiful
gardens of Tokio. Burning Japanese incense will add to the
effectiveness. The playing cards used should be lacquered designs in red
and yellow--Starlight, Sunlight, Storm, Japanese Lady (Congress brand),
and Japanese Garden, Japanese Scenery, and Sunset (Lenox brand). For the
signals a Japanese gong should be used in place of a bell. The favors
may be Japanese fans, toys and novelties. For keeping score, Japanese
paper fans may be had in pairs (for finding partners), and punched with
a conductor's punch for games won. Or Japanese dolls may be used,
punching their paper kimonos. For prizes, select Japanese incense
burners, vases, cloisonné, tablewares, white metal and bronze
novelties, lacquer goods, handsome fans, or embroidered kimonos.
The refreshments may be served from a buffet--the guests seated Japanese
fashion on floor cushions--and may include rice cakes; tea punch; tea as
a beverage; "Japanese" salad, made of all kinds of vegetables, served in
inverted Japanese umbrellas; cherry sherbet; Japanese nuts, etc.
JAPANESE SOCIABLE
The invitations to a Japanese sociable should be written as the natives
write, up and down, instead of across, and have a cherry blossom or a
Japanese lady in water-colors in one corner of each.
The guests should be informed beforehand that each one is to tell
something or read something about Japan, any little item of interest
that may have been heard or read, a pretty poem or a little story. The
hostess and whoever assists her in receiving should wear kimonos and
have tiny fans in their hair.
Seats in a Japanese corner may easily be arranged of boxes with
portières thrown over them. Numerous cushions may be piled on these
improvised couches and on the floor. A Japanese parasol may be hung in
the corner, tilting forward to form a canopy, and the walls be hung with
bead curtains. The odor from burning joss sticks will contribute to the
realness of the affair. Japanese lanterns should hang about the room.
After the stories have been told tiny bits of paper and pencils may be
passed and each one present should write down the name of the one who
did best according to her opinion. A Japanese cup and saucer are
presented to the one who receives the most votes.
A pretty decorative idea for a Japanese sociable is to cover entirely
the walls of the room with branches of trees, with cherry blossoms made
of pink paper--their color in Japan--scattered profusely over them, the
scene representing the beautiful gardens of Tokio. If musicians are to
be present they may be screened by a lattice covered with gold paper,
and vines intertwined, while tiny incandescent lights shine through.
Souvenirs may be distributed from a jinrikisha covered with the cherry
blossoms.
The dining-room may be readily transformed into Oriental style with very
little trouble. In place of the usual tea-table have several
tabourettes, each holding a teapot, cups and saucers, lemon and sugar
wafers, and Japanese napkins. A cushion made of matting should be placed
on the floor before each tabourette. Those who serve should be in
Japanese costume. Paper cherry blossoms, fastened to tree branches, and
lanterns would make effective decorations.
If it is desired to have a more elaborate menu, it may be served on
Japanese plates, and should consist of sandwiches folded in Japanese
napkins, vegetable salad, and rice in some form. For dessert serve
sherbet, calling it "cherry blossom ice," and with it have wafers. Tea
and Japanese nuts may be served last to complete the Japanese idea.
LITERARY CONTEST
Have small tables numbered and arranged to seat four or six persons.
Select for each table a judge, who will distribute the cards and blanks.
These judges hold the keys to the contests, so that they may be able to
mark the players correctly.
Give each player a card attached to a piece of baby ribbon that may be
fastened in the buttonhole. Upon these cards the number of points gained
may be written, punched with a ticket punch, or marked with fancy wafers
of different colors. The cards must be numbered to correspond with the
tables, and as many number one cards provided as there are players at
table number one, and so on.
When the players are seated at the tables which correspond in number
with the number upon their cards, let the judges distribute blank paper
and pencils, also copies of the questions comprised in the several
contests, among the players at their respective tables.
A different contest must be prepared for each one of the tables.
When everything is ready the hostess of the evening should tap a bell
for "silence," and announce that ten minutes will be given for each
contest; that at the first tap of the bell all must begin to write their
answers out, numbering them according to the numbers on the questions;
at the second tap the judges are to collect the answers at their
respective tables and mark on each player's card the number of points
made. The system of marking is as follows: Each player is given as many
marks as he has answered questions correctly, and the totals are summed
up at the end of the game.
During the progress of the game there must be no talking nor any
questions asked. At the third tap of the bell the players at table
number one go to table number two, and so on, those at the last table
moving up to table number one. This progression continues until all the
players have had their opportunity to answer all the questions in the
contests. At each change blank paper is distributed, and a bell rung as
in the first instance. When the round has been completed the points are
counted and the prizes awarded. A popular book makes an excellent first
prize; a box of candy in the shape of a book, a second; and a "Primer,"
a third.
The following are the various contests:
CONTEST NO. 1
The charming heroine, my friends,
Was known as ---- ("Alice of Old Vincennes").
She lived when Indians were a power,
And not ---- ("When Knighthood was in Flower").
And in those past times, quaint and olden,
She fell in love with ---- ("Eben Holden").
Then, while her friends began to marvel
A rival came, named ---- ("Richard Carvel").
Each rival his keen sword did draw,
And heeded not ---- ("The Reign of Law").
They slew each other, alas! and then
She married a man named ---- ("Crittenden").
The merry bells rang loud in the steeple
And loudly cheered ---- ("The Voice of the People").
The two rode away on a double bike
And lived in ---- ("Stringtown on the Pike").
They did not gossip with each neighbor,
But each one did ---- ("The Portion of Labor").
CONTEST NO. 2
_Write out the following quotations correctly:_
1. Beauty is always a thing of joy.
2. Let us therefore get up and go to work.
3. The man who steals my pocketbook gets very little.
4. Every one who knows you, loves you.
5. Do pretty and you'll be pretty.
6. God keeps the shorn lamb from the wind.
KEY
1. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
2. Let us then be up and doing.
3. Who steals my purse steals trash.
4. None knew thee but to love thee.
5. Handsome is that handsome does.
6. God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.
CONTEST NO. 3
_Heroes and heroines--in what books do they figure?_
KEY
1. John Ridd. "Lorna Doone."
2. Agnes Wakefield. "David Copperfield."
3. Pomona. "Rudder Grange."
4. Dorothea Brooke. "Middlemarch."
5. Dorothy Manners. "Richard Carvel."
6. Glory Quayle. "The Christian."
CONTEST NO. 4
_Fill blank spaces with titles of popular novels_
In the little village of S---- o-- t-- P----, F---- f-- t---- M----
C----, lived the H----. P---- S----. With him resided his lovely ward,
J---- M----. She was A---- O----F---- G----, and knew little of T----
W----, W---- W----. She had, however, A P---- o---- B---- E---- and
G---- E----. Among her admirers were R---- C----, J---- H----, and
T---- L---- M----.
KEY
In the little village of "Stringtown on the Pike," "Far from the Madding
Crowd," lived the "Hon. Peter Sterling." With him resided his lovely
ward, "Janice Meredith." She was "An Old-Fashioned Girl," and knew
little of "The Wide, Wide World." She had, however, "A Pair of Blue
Eyes" and "Great Expectations." Among her admirers were "Richard
Carvel," "John Halifax," and "The Little Minister."
CONTEST NO. 5
_Synonyms for names of literary men_
KEY
1. Severe. Sterne.
2. Strong. Hardy.
3. Sombre. Black.
4. Jeweler. Goldsmith.
5. Crossing-place. Ford.
6. Rapid. Swift.
CONTEST NO. 6
_The answers to these questions are the names of authors_
KEY
1. When we leave here we go to our what? Holmes.
2. What dies only with life? Hope.
3. What does a maiden's heart crave? Lover.
4. What does an angry person often raise? Caine.
5. What should all literary people do? Reade.
6. If a young man would win what should he do? Sue.
CONTEST NO. 7
_Give the name of--_
KEY
The most cheerful author. Samuel Smiles.
The noisiest author. Howells.
The tallest author. Longfellow.
The most flowery author. Hawthorne.
The holiest author. Pope.
The happiest author. Gay.
The most amusing author. Thomas Tickell.
The most fiery author. Burns.
The most talkative author. Chatterton.
The most distressed author. Akenside.
Again, the hostess may prepare a certain number of blank cards, with the
heading on each one "Who and What?" On a second lot of cards she can
have pasted the pictures of some noted writers--Thackeray, Dickens,
Scott, Dumas, Balzac, Tolstoi, Browning, George Eliot, Carlyle,
Longfellow, Cooper, Emerson, Bryant, Holmes. The pictures of more recent
writers will answer her purpose just as well. These pictures can be
obtained from illustrated catalogues of books. Of these cards there
should be as many as there are guests if the company be a small one, or
as many cards as the hostess may desire; a dozen is a very good number.
Supply each guest with one of the blank cards and a pencil and then
start into circulation the cards on which are pasted the pictures of the
authors. Let the guests pass the cards from one to another, and write
down, according to the number on the picture-card, and opposite the
corresponding number on their own, the name of each author and some book
he has written. This will be found a more difficult task than one
imagines, and numerous guesses will doubtless go wide of the mark. The
one whose card is filled out correctly, or the nearest to it, may be
presented with a copy of some late popular book, and a toy book might be
used as a booby prize.
LITERARY EVENING
In the note of invitation each one should be requested to wear something
suggestive of a book title.
Upon arrival, each guest should be furnished with a card bearing the
names of the entire company. When one fancies he has discovered a title,
he should say nothing about it, but write the title opposite the name of
the impersonator. When as much time has been given to this part of the
program as has been thought desirable, the hostess calls the company to
order and reads aloud a correct list of names and titles, and each
corrects his card accordingly; or, still better, let the cards be
exchanged, so that each must correct that of his neighbor, which will
relieve the victor of the necessity of announcing his own success.
The guests may represent their titles in as inexpensive or as elaborate
a way as they choose. She who represents "Rose in Bloom" need only wear
a full-blown rose. "Sentimental Tommy" wears a Scotch cap bearing the
words "From Thrums" on the front, and, when talking, finds many
opportunities of informing his questioners, "I'll find a w'y!" "The
Hidden Hand" may be represented by a gentleman who carries his hand in a
sling concealed from view. "A Penniless Girl" is easily represented by a
girl carrying an empty purse open and suspended at her belt. "The Woman
in White," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "The Scarlet Letter" are all
easily represented. Three small white wings tied together with a ribbon
represents very well "White Wings" by William Black.
It is not desirable that the costume speak too plainly of the title
selected, for the guests are expected to question one another regarding
their peculiarities, and so they must be well informed as to the books
they represent.
An appropriate menu for a literary evening follows:
MENU
"And like a lobster boiled."--_Butler._
(Lobster a la Newburg.)
"What first I want is daily bread."--_John Quincy Adams._
(Bread and Butter.)
"You are lovely leaves."--_Herrick._
(Lettuce Salad.)
"I will use the olive."--_Shakespeare._
(Olives.)
"My choice would be Vanilla Ice."--_Holmes._
(Ice Cream.)
"Water with berries in it."--_Anon._
(Coffee.)
"Oh, that I were an almond salted!"--_Merrill._
(Salted Almonds.)
LITERARY PEOPLE
Write the questions on red cards and the answers on white. Have each
question and answer numbered in succession. Let the gentlemen select the
red and the ladies the white cards, and when the gentlemen read the
questions, let the ladies read the answers. This is also a good way to
match partners for refreshments.
1. What flower did Alice Cary?
Pansy.
2. What did Eugene Fitch Ware?
John Godfrey Saxe.
3. What does Anthony Hope?
To Marietta Holley.
4. What happens when John Kendrick Bangs?
Samuel Smiles.
5. Why did Helen Hunt Jackson?
Because she wanted him to Dr. O. W. Holmes.
6. What did Charles Dudley Warner?
Not to go into a boat and let E. P. Roe.
7. Why was Rider Haggard?
Because he let Rose Terry Cooke.
8. Why is Sarah Grand?
To make Ik Marvel.
9. Why is George Canning?
To teach Julia Ward Howe.
10. What ailed Harriet Beecher Stowe?
Bunyan.
11. What is it William Macy?
How Thomas Knox.
12. When did Mary Mapes Dodge?
When George W. Cutter.
13. What will turn John Locke?
Francis S. Key.
14. When is Marian Evans Cross?
When William Dean Howells.
15. When did Thomas Buchanan Read?
Just after Winthrop Mackworth Praed.
16. What did Julia McNair Wright?
Judge Joseph Story.
17. What did Eugene J. Hall?
Charles Carleton Coffin.
18. What is James Warden Owen?
What ten pounds of Hezekiah Butterworth.
19. Where did Henry Cabot Lodge?
In Mungo Park, on Thomas Hill.
20. How long will Samuel Lover?
Until Justin Windsor.
21. What gives John Howard Payne?
When Robert Burns Augustus Hare.
MEASURING PARTY
The giving of such a party is a pleasing way of raising money for some
charitable object.
The invitations should read somewhat like the following:
_You are cordially invited to attend a
Measuring Party to be given by the
East End Connett Y. W. C. T. U.
at the home of the President,
Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott,
Monday evening, October 29th, 1905._
Below, this verse should be printed:
A measuring party we give for you,
'Tis something pleasant as well as new.
The invitation carries a sack,
For use in bringing or sending back
Five cents for every foot you're tall,
Measure yourself against the wall.
An extra cent for each inch you'll give,
And thereby show how high you live.
Then with music and song, recitation and pleasure,
We will meet one and all at our party of measure.
With each invitation should be sent a tiny bag made of a bit of silk or
ribbon. On the night of the entertainment, these bags with the money
that has been placed in them are brought by the guests and deposited in
a large bowl at the door. The party then proceeds in the usual manner.
Care should be taken to carry out the program suggested in the last two
lines of the above verse. Much amusement may be created by having some
one appointed to take various measurements of the guests attending, such
as the length of the nose, size of the head, size of the hand, etc.
MEDICAL SOCIABLE
Procure the small glass vials used by homoeopathic physicians. On the
outside of each one paste a narrow slip, on which is written the name of
some trouble for which the Bible offers a remedy. On another slip write
the Bible verse which gives the cure. Roll it up, and run a thread
through it which is fastened to the cork. Here are some suggestions:
Discouragement, Ps. 42: 5; Sadness, Ps. 16: 11; Pain, Rev. 21: 4; Doubt,
Despair, Anger, Impatience, Laziness, Unruly tongue, Loneliness,
Sleeplessness, Weakness, Pride, Bitterness, Covetousness. The
corresponding Bible references will easily be found by using a
concordance. Have one corner of the room arranged for a drug-store. Each
person will receive from the "store" one bottle and the cork belonging
to a different bottle. He must hunt till he has discovered the
"medicine" (cork and paper) belonging to his own bottle, and has
delivered the cork he holds to the proper bottle. Have papers read on
the care of the body and the care of the soul, and also Bible-readings
on miracles of healing. Later have some one, who has looked up the
subject beforehand, read a list of some of the most interesting
Scripture references to various parts of the body. These can readily be
hunted out with the help of a concordance. Some of the Old Testament
references will be found to be very quaint indeed. Decorate the room
with mottoes, such as: "Is there no balm in Israel, is there no
physician there?"
MEDICAL TRUNK
"In my wonderful trunk I have two very tall tropical trees (palms);
something used by an artist (palette [palate]); weapons of war (arms);
many wild animals, and two domestic ones (hares [hairs], calves);
something worn by a king (crown); a bright garden flower (tulips [two
lips]); a musical instrument (drum); two fish and many shell fish
(soles, muscles); branches of trees (limbs); a student (pupil);
something used in ship-building (ribs); whips without handles (lashes).
a product of a spruce-tree (gum); something used by carpenters (nails);
a part of a clock (hands); a large wooden box (chest); part of a wagon
(tongue); something grown on a cornstalk (ears); a part of a shoe
(heel); ten Spanish gentlemen (ten dons [tendons]); part of a nail
(head); weather cocks (vanes [veins]); two kitchen utensils (pans
[knee]); part of a knife (blade [shoulder]); edge of a saw (teeth);
terms used in voting (ayes and noes [eyes and nose]); covering of an
apple (skin); a certain measure (feet); something seen in accidents
(blood); a part of a house (roof [of the mouth]); covers to pails
(lids); something used in upholstering (tow [toe]); part of a stove-pipe
(elbow); a part of a table (legs); something served with ice cream (lady
fingers); a kind of deer (hart [heart]); part of a river (mouth);
something used by negro minstrels (bones); best part of a goose (back);
part of a ship (side); a narrow strip of land (neck); hotel steps (inn
steps [insteps])."
MILITARY SOCIABLE
This is a form of entertainment suitable for Independence Day. "Military
Checkers," played at small tables, may furnish appropriate amusement.
Each table is named for some fort: "Fort Ticonderoga," "Fort Duquesne,"
etc. Though the players "progress" from one table to another, all their
honors are counted as belonging to the fort of their first allegiance,
to which table they return each time they win.
The prizes may be in any form suggestive of Independence Day. An
enameled pencil in the shape of a firecracker, or flag-shaped
cuff-links, would do for the man's prize, and a cracker-jar for the
lady's prize.
The piazza should be strung with colored lanterns, which can be lighted
when the guests are in the dining-room at supper. The dining-room may be
simply decorated with red roses and vines, and the dining-room table in
the same way, a big blue-and-white bowl in the centre of the table
holding the roses. These roses should be bright red in color. Small
flags serve as doilies, and the china used should be blue-and-white. The
candlesticks upon the table hold white candles; the shades should be
red, and streamers of blue ribbons are tied about the base of the
candles, falling with graceful effect over the brightly polished
candlesticks. The bonbons are placed upon the table in two small raffia
baskets. Each bonbon is tied about with a band of baby-ribbon.
When the supper is nearly over the baskets of bonbons are passed, one to
the men and the other to the ladies. Each guest takes one candy, and it
is found that no two in one basket have the same colored ribbon. Each
confection in the men's basket, however, has a mate in the ladies'
basket, and in this way partners are found for the old-time Virginia
reel, which is danced on the piazza. As a jolly ending to the fun the
men of the party set off some fireworks.
MORNING GLORY FAIR
At a recent church fair the flower-booth attracted special notice. It
was decorated with morning glories made of crepe paper, in different
colors. The flowers were profusely twined among the spruce boughs that
formed the top of the booth, and were extremely effective and very
natural. The flower-girls wore large hats with morning glory trimming,
and were in light summer dresses. All the other tables were similarly
decorated, and those in charge wore morning glories in profusion, twined
in the hair and falling in graceful festoons from skirt and bodice.
Morning glory tea was served from a small table, over which stood a
large Japanese umbrella covered with the flowers; the cups carried out
the color scheme of the flowers. Each person purchasing a cup of tea was
presented with a flower as a souvenir of the occasion.
MOTHER GOOSE GAME
During the evening a slip of paper is handed to each guest with the name
of one of the Mother Goose characters upon it. The hostess retains a
list of these, and calls each in turn to repeat within the space of one
minute the familiar verse relative to this character. Failing to do this
a forfeit must be paid. The one who is most prompt in responding
correctly may receive as a prize a goose-quill pen; and the one who
fails, a copy of "Mother Goose." Just before refreshments are served the
"Goose Drill" may be participated in to the time of a march, and the
couples proceed to the refreshment room, where they are served with the
following:
1. Shared by the walrus and carpenter. (Oysters)
2. A King's dish. (Bird pie)
3. A Queen's lunch. (Bread and honey)
4. Taffy's spoils. (Beef sandwiches)
5. The golden eggs. (Egg sandwiches)
6. Old woman's broom. (Cheese-straws)
7. What the baker made. (Rolls)
8. Sample of the pieman's ware. (Washington cake-pie)
9. Jack-a-dandy's delight. (Plum cake)
10. What the ships brought. (Apples and comfits)
The numbered list of refreshments should be printed upon small cards,
which may be retained as souvenirs of the occasion. The guests order
what they choose. The key is retained by the hostess.
MUSICAL CARD PARTY
A good color scheme for this affair is brown and yellow. Invitations may
be in the form of a scroll, engraved with a selection from some favorite
opera, or may represent the "G" clef in brown and yellow water colors.
For decorations use yellow flowers, yellow shaded lights and yellow and
brown hangings. Tally cards may be painted to represent different
musical instruments, such as violins, guitars, mandolins, etc.; or
miniature tambourines and banjos may be used for scoring, hung by long
loops of ribbon over the shoulders, and becoming before the close of the
evening gayly decked with ribbons--yellow for the winners and brown for
the losers. Musical quotations in halves may designate partners. For
prizes, musical pictures in brown coloring, burnt wood plaques of famous
musicians, a Flemish musical stein in brown and yellow, a brown leather
music roll tied for the occasion with yellow streamers, musical novels,
an upright piano candy box with the key board movable to show the candy
inside, etc., may be used. Toy music boxes and grotesque musical
instruments make amusing booby prizes. A triangle, like those for
orchestral playing, may indicate progressions, instead of a bell.
For a brown and yellow menu:
Brown Croquettes Potato Balls
Brown Breadsticks
Chicken Salad, yellow Mayonnaise
Orange Ice Cream, served in orange-peel baskets
Chocolate Cake Chocolate Icing
Chocolate and Lemon Bonbons
Yellow Cheese Balls
Coffee, with yellow whipped Cream
MUSICAL EVENING
The invitations should be sent in small imitation music rolls, and
headed with a line of appropriate music. As each guest enters he
receives a long, narrow strip of pasteboard, bearing a portion of some
familiar song, both words and music. Each card bears a number, and the
eight whose cards are numbered alike are instructed to get together and
practice to sing a verse formed by the union of their eight cards. A
bell calls them to order, judges are appointed, and each group sings its
song, a pianist accompanying them. While the judges are preparing their
verdict, a short musical program may be rendered. A bouquet of flowers
may be presented to the group whose musical effort is considered the
best. The bouquet may consist of eight small buttonhole bouquets, one
for each member of the group. Make a list, numbering from one to twenty,
of tunes that are perfectly familiar to every one. "Yankee Doodle,"
"America," "Annie Rooney," or any of the later popular songs, are some
of the airs that are known everywhere. Number as many cards as there are
guests, with twenty numbers on consecutive lines. These, with pencils,
are distributed to the people as they arrive. An accomplished pianist
then plays snatches of each tune, in the order that the list calls for.
Just enough of the piece is played to let the melody be indicated. Each
person, as the air is played, puts down against the number on the card
what he thinks the tune is. At the end the cards are collected, and
prizes given to the most successful.
To match partners, write the notes of a bar or two of some well-known
melody on the lady's card, and the balance on the gentleman's card.
MUSICAL GUESSING CONTEST
1. Used on a bundle. (Chord [cord])
2. A place of residence. (Flat)
3. A reflection on character. (Slur)
4. Bottom of a statue. (Bass [base])
5. An unaffected person. (Natural)
6. Used in driving horses. (Lines)
7. What makes a check valid. (Signature)
8. What we breathe every day. (Air)
9. Seen on the ocean. (Swells)
10. What betrays nationality. (Accent)
11. An association of lawyers. (Bar)
12. Used in climbing. (Staff)
13. Part of a sentence. (Phrase)
14. Belonging to a fish. (Scales)
15. Used in wheeling. (Pedals)
16. A girl's name. (Grace)
17. Used in flavoring soup. (Time [Thyme])
18. Often passed in school. (Notes)
19. Used in a store. (Counters)
20. An instrument not blunt. (Sharp)
MUSICAL ROMANCE
The young hostess announced that a love story of the Civil War would be
related in musical numbers, and to the one who should best interpret
them a prize would be awarded. All were provided with cards and pencils
and a young woman seated herself at the piano. The hostess then asked
"What was the heroine called?" Whereupon the familiar notes of "Sweet
Marie" were heard, and it began to be understood that the names of
popular airs--given with much spirit by the pianist--would furnish the
answers to the questions propounded, to be recorded upon the cards. The
story progressed thus:
What was the hero's name? "Robin Adair."
Where was he born? "Dixie."
Where was she born? "On the Suwanee River."
Where did they meet? "Comin' thro' the rye."
At what time of day was it? "Just as the sun went down."
When did he propose? "After the ball was over."
What did he say? "Only one girl in this world for me."
What did she say? "I'll leave my happy home for you."
What did he then bid her? "A soldier's farewell."
What did the band play? "The girl I left behind me."
Where did he go? "Georgia."
Where did he spend that night? "Tenting on the old camp ground."
What did the band play when he came home? "When Johnny comes
marching home."
Where were they married? "Old Kentucky home."
Who were the bridesmaids? "Two little girls in blue."
Who furnished the music? "Whistling Rufus."
Who furnished the wedding feast? "Rosie O'Grady."
Where did they make their home? "On the banks of
the Wabash."
What was their motto? "Home, sweet home."
Where did they always remain? "America."
The music w
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