An illustration will, perhaps, best explain our meaning. We will suppose the word Christmas to have been chosen. If so, the performer might first begin by waving his stick aloft, then he must commence writing, as if with great care, on the ground, at the same time remarking, "Come quickly, fellow-worker, and prepare for thy duty." Here must be a slight pause, followed by the second sentence. "How difficult thy task will be, I dare not tell." Another pause, then the third sentence. "Remember, nothing can be really well done without labour." We have now got C H R. I being the next letter, is represented by three loud thumps with the stick. The conjuror here, assuming a puzzled air, might observe, "Surely we shall not be baffled." A pause, and then, "Trust me, I will help all I can." After another pause, "Mark my wand with care." The letter A coming now, one good thump is given on the floor; then, with the words "Speak quickly, friend, say the word," followed by one good thump, the mysterious business is concluded, the accomplice, no doubt, easily detecting that Christmas was the word chosen.
"THE MINISTER'S CAT."
This is a game that is played alphabetically, in a manner somewhat resembling "Cupid is coming" and "I love my love." The first player begins by saying, "The minister's cat" is an "ambitious cat," the next an "artful cat," and so on, until all have named an adjective beginning with A. The next time of going round the adjectives must begin with B, the next time C, and so on until the whole of the alphabet has been gone through.
MIXED-UP POETRY.
A great amount of fun may be obtained from this game of mixing up poetry, which is nothing more than selecting lines from different authors, and arranging them so as to make rhyme. The specimen below, prepared by Kitty Carrol, will illustrate our meaning:—
There was a sound of revelry by night,
Away down south where I was born;
Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
Cows in the meadow and sheep in the corn.
A chieftain to the Highlands bound,
His father's hope, his mother's joy,
Found something smooth and hard and round,
John Brown's little Indian boy.
Man wants but little here below,
Oats, peas, beans, and barley;
This world is all a fleeting show,
Over the water to Charley.
There is a calm for those who weep
In famous London town;
Little Bo Peep she lost her sheep—
The bark that held a prince went down.
John Gilpin was a citizen
From India's coral strand;
Far from the busy haunts of men
There is a happy land.
Hark from the tombs a doleful sound;
Dear, dear, what can the matter be?
Shake the forum round and round,
Come to the sunset tree.
MUSICAL CHAIR.
It is no use attempting to play this game in anything but a good-sized room; and, if possible, chairs that may be easily moved and not soon broken should be chosen. Supposing there are fifteen players, fourteen chairs must be placed in the middle of the room, every alternate one having the seat the same way, and upon these the players must seat themselves. One person, therefore, is left standing. The music then begins, when the owners of the seats all march round until the music stops, which it is generally made to do unexpectedly; at this instant each person tries to secure a chair. Necessarily one player is left without a seat; he is considered out, and, in addition, he must pay a forfeit. One of the chairs is then taken away, and the game proceeds, a chair being removed every time the music stops. One unfortunate person is always left out in the cold, until at last one chair is struggled for by the two remaining players, and the successful one of these is considered to have earned the right to pronounce judgment on such as have had to pay forfeits.
"MY MASTER HAS SENT ME UNTO YOU."
No better game than this can be chosen by those who are partial to a little gentle exercise. Sitting in order round the room, the first player begins by saying to his neighbour, "My master has sent me unto you," at the same time working away with the right hand as if hammering on his knee. The person to whom this remark is made must reply "What to do?" In answer to which the first player says, "To work with one as I do." The second player, then working in the same way, must turn to his neighbour on the left, and carry on the same conversation with him, and so on, until every one in the room is working away with the right hand. The second time of going round the order is given to work with two hands; after that with one foot as well, then with two feet, and last of all with the head. Should any one be detected not keeping both feet, hands, and head in constant motion while the game is going on, a forfeit can be demanded.
NOUNS AND QUESTIONS.
See "Crambo."
THE OBJECT GAME.
The party first divides itself into two equal parts. One person from each side is chosen to go out of the room, and, after consulting together, they fix upon any object they like for the rest to guess. The company then seat themselves in two distinct circles, sufficiently apart to prevent the remarks made in one circle from being overheard by those in the other. The two representatives are now summoned, and requested to take their places, one in each group, when a race begins as to which group shall first find out what object of thought has been fixed upon. The rule is that the number of questions asked should be limited to twenty, though in many cases it is impossible to adhere to this restriction; while, on the other hand, the object is frequently guessed before the whole twenty questions have been asked. No restriction is placed upon the objects to be thought of—a drop of water, a ray of light, a crab's claw, a nail in the boot
