Class Book Copyright N^._ COF«?IGUT DEFOSm SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS A 1 !v^^H ^^^HH ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^1^'"^ ^m i^^^^l C:M^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^1 ^^^^^^^^^K^M^^ ^^1 I ^fe ^^^^^^^H ^Hj^H m ^^^H ■^^H|p» ' .^^^BAiffl ifilw H^H^^^^H ^^^EiiiMiDy hIm ^p^^^^^^B ^^HHk^^S^^H JBIsfJ jir^^^^^^^^l ^^^^^^^'-^^T' ->* ill hj^^^H MI^M IJ ^^^^^L.. . . ,;. ^ 1 1 f ^ \^^^^H {{ 1 '^^^H Kl•:.\l)^■ I'oK A \l.\^■ i'aktn' riif huslL-ss may Ik.' nl.ligr.l m ,U-|.cii.l m, Ikt nun ii SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS A BOOK OF PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR ENTERTAINING BY LILLIAN PASCAL DAY Illustrated from Photographs NEW YORK MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 1914 Copyright, 1914, by MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY All Rights Reserved I, April, 1914 JUL -71914 ©C1,A376595 To A PLAYMATE WHO PASSED CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGB I. January i Midwinter Merrymaking: A Lemon Party; A Tea Parade. II. February 9 The Two Birthdays; A Valentine Party. III. March 17 Fun for St. Patrick's Day; Hibernian Hijinks. Easter: The Rabbit Sisters at Home; Hidden Hares. IV. April 22 Hints on April Fooling; A Pageant of Birthday Jewels. V. May 40 Hints for May Parties: Maypole Dance; May at Hide-and-Seek; May Day Luncheon. yi. June 48 Showers for June Brides-Elect: A Cook Booklet Shower ; A Paper Shower for a Blue Bird Bride. Flag Day Ex- ercises. A Parcel Post Party. xii CONTENTS CBAFIES PAGE VII. July 6i A Fourth of July Breakfast. A Rain- bow Party. VIII. August ....... 70 A Melon Frolic. IX. September 76 A Golden Rod Party. A Seed Party. X. October 86 An Autumn Leaf Tea. A Black Cat Party; New Guessing Games for Hal- lowe'en. XI. November loi Time for Turkey: Games for Thanks- giving Time: Charades. Fruit Fair Frolic; A Secret Orchard. XII. December 117 A Snow Fete. Watching the Old Year Out: A Farewell Party to the Old Year. ILLUSTRATIONS Ready for a May Party .... Front Paying a Forfeit at a Lemon Party ispiece i^' FACING PAGE 4 • Suggestions for St. Valentine's Day 10 -- Choosing Partners . 13 The Rabbit Sisters at Home . . , . 22 April Fool Decorations .... 30 Blue Bird Place Cards ..... . 47 Fortune Favors the Brave .... 65 Melon Shooting on the Beach 73 ^ Favor at a Golden-Rod Party 77 Invitation to an Autumn Leaf Tea 87 An Assortment of Hallowe'en Costumes 94 Children's Tableau 106 * Invitation for Fruit Fair Frolic . 108 Shooting Polar Bears 122 Our Lady of Snows . , . , , 123 ,.^ xiii FOREWORD Dear Young Folks — of whatever age, from fifteen to fifty : Let's play. That sounds young enough, doesn't it? I hope we shall never grow too old to play at some kind of fun-making game, even if it is only a merry make-believe to help us to forget those tiresome lessons we all must pore over in the school of life. Fun. That's the watchword and the pass- word for us — something to refresh and hearten us so that we may go back to our problems with a new zest. So now let us get together and play "What shall we play?" A question, if not as old as Adam, at least as old as the young Cain and Abel. Games? Yes. Charades? Perhaps. The piano? When it fits into the entertainment; perhaps even a real playlet to be acted out upon our own home or school stage. In short, FOREWORD any kind of play, just so it be fair play, and the newer the better. Anything that has a "hap- pyfier" in it. Do you wish to evolve something different in the way of new costumes for your masquer- ade, or novel decorations for your High School dance? Do you want new ideas, or fresh frills on old ones when planning for your next party? If you are in doubt as to what to do to amuse your guests at any seasonable gathering — a May party, a lawn fete, a bride shower, or any quest with wholesome fun as its object, just turn these pages and see what you'll -see. This little book aims to be a central supply station, a sort of clearing-house for home-made fun. Its one aim is to start the ball of fun a-rolling; it grows as it goes, you know, like a snowball, fast and furious, till it is ready to burst with laughter at the foot of the evening. And very often the smallest nucleus of a thought pebble will end up the hugest ball of all and the merriest racer down the hilL ''He is a benefactor who makes men laugh," so if in the press of this sad old workaday FOREWORD world we have helped to add to the sum of hu- man laughter, we shall count these bits of fun- making among the benefactions of life. In conclusion, the author desires to express her appreciation to the Butterick Publishing Company for permission to reprint certain of these articles which have already appeared in the Woman's Magazine. Lillian Pascal Day. Social Entertainments JANUARY MIDWINTER MERRYMAKING A LEMON PARTY The nucleus of this first month's fun-ball, paradoxically enough, was the lowly but un- humble lemon, prominent in musical comedy and "American slanguage." During the midwinter holiday vacation the members of one High School sorority gave a Lemon Party to another in the same school. This delicately conveyed the good-humored attitude of most sororities toward their rivals. The invitations were lettered in green upon yellow cardboard, cut lemon-shaped, and con- tained the following bit of rhymed nonsense : "The postman will hand you this lemon, But don't let it make you look sour; For we want you to put your best gem on, Likewise your best clothes, for an hour 2 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Or two of young jollity, With a little frivolity, Mixed in laughter and song. Bring a lemon along. Come and prove superiority To your rival sorority. January first. Alpha Delta Omega." Among the decorations in Alpha Hall on the evening of New^ Year's Day were festoons of yellow^ paper flower garlands, yellow chrys- anthemums in brass bowls, flags and candle shades of lemon-colored crepe paper and the amber glow of Japanese lanterns. Copper jars and gilt candlesticks helped to carry out the color scheme. The receiving line of girls wore the Alpha colors, gold and green, in gown or sash or hair ornaments. The visiting sisterhood had put heads to- gether, and decided to give a fillip to the even- ing's fun by taking, literally, as they said, the words of the invitation which bade them to "bring a lemon along," so in addition to the fruit requested they were each accompanied by two boy escorts — also by way of "proving superiority" they brought refreshments for this addition to the company. A LEMON PARTY 5 The favors were yellow aprons of crepe pa- per with flower borders, and paper caps. As there were not enough of these provided be- forehand for the unexpected men guests, they all set to work to fashion improvised aprons from rolls of paper. Soon the boys were also masquerading in cardboard caps and ladylike aprons — which detracted no whit from the lively spirits of the party. A maid at the door received the real lemons, which were taken to the kitchen, the seeds ex- tracted and placed in a glass jar, the pulp go- ing into the punch bowl. The jar of seeds later became the center of a jolly guessing game, the one coming nearest to the correct number of seeds receiving a prize of a lemon- ade set, the booby falling heir to a lemon- squeezer. Pencils and paper were given out and five minutes allowed for an essay on "Lemons." Some of these when read aloud proved to be most clever and witty. The hostesses next set up ten-pins, and gave out lemons to be used in place of balls for bowling; score was kept, the highest being awarded a large wax lemon 4 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS filled with bonbons — while to the booby fell a moldy lemon. Next, a large empty tub was set on a table in the middle of the room, and each guest was allowed three minutes to toss as many lemons as possible into the tub from a given distance. After this, a lemon hunt was instituted, amid much scrambling and laughter, the merriment reaching a climax when the loser in the game, who had not found a single lemon, was com- pelled to pay a forfeit — eating a lemon, raw and unsweetened. If he faltered, the others pelted him with lemons. The ordeal proved good for his throat and the onlookers, but not particularly pleasing to the victim himself, judging from his wry face while accomplish- ing the feat. The refreshments consisted of fruit punch, lemonade, chicken salad served in half shells of lemons, sandwiches tied with yellow and green baby ribbon, coffee, lemon and orange ices and lemon cake. The supper favors were small yellow boxes filled with lemon and lime drops. If you cared to go even further into this %^2m -V' 1^^ ■-■^^m ^v ^ k.... ^^^^'J^ '■ i^-^^^iir^ ikr'^ ^■ '♦■ mi' Mi ■ mm iTr^ jm m m^^^mr^m. ^.JT| *ii» m wM 1, ^^^mK- *^... H m ssgy^ 1 1 -~ i •. «•#.''' '-' -ti?: mml L • A TEA PARADE 5 idea, you might ask the guests to wear yellow. The ever-ready crepe paper, both plain and flowered, and cloth lemons appliqued among green cloth leaves over the girls' dresses, will figure prominently in the costumes. At one lemon party a clown in orange and yellow appeared, also a boy who had painted his face yellow, wore a queue, wadded blouse and Chinese shoes, and posed as a "Chinese Lemon" ! A TEA PARADE Divide the company into two parts, as in charades,~guessers and paraders. One group retires into an adjoining room, while those who remain are supplied with pencils and slips of paper which have been listed with the first ten numerals. They are instructed that each parader represents a kind of "tea." The paraders enter in single file and pass slowly, each wearing on his bosom a large placard bearing his number. Opposite this number on the paper slips the guessers are to write one guess as to the kind of "tea" he rep- resents. 6 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Number i. Dances in, capers around in high glee, whistling or singing. Gai-tea. 2. Enters juggling two or three balls or knives or plates — any simple feat in parlor magic will do. Dexteri-tea. 3. Girl passes demurely, eyes cast down, lips pursed primly, pull- ing skirts down over ankles. Modes-tea. 4. Boy in robe and rosary of a priest walks slowly, eyes lifted, counting beads. Pie-tea. 5. Girl draped in bunting, wearing liberty cap, carrying Stars and Stripes. Liber-tea. 6 and 7. Two boys, one in rags, whining like a beggar; number seven meets him, puts hand in pocket, brings out a dollar bill, bestows on the beggar and passes on. Generosi-tea. A TEA PARADE 7 8 and 9. Girl in robe with long train — tinsel crown and scepter — very haughty. Royal-tea. Number 9 is a boy in uniform of a footman, very obsequious, carrying end of train. Servili- tea. 10. Crowd breaks in, laughing, chattering, singing, hopping, skipping, etc. Hilari-tea. Part Two The lists with names of guessers signed at the top are now handed in, and the paraders exchange places with the guessers. They take their turn at finding out the kinds of "tea" in the following: Number i. Girl all in white. Puri-tea. 2. Boy holding up electric light bulb like a torch. Electrici-tea. (If you live out of reach of elec- tric service, your audience will "catch on" if you carry the cat, SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS stroking her back till the sparks show.) 3. Prettiest girl in the crowd. Beau-tea. 4 and 5. Girl knitting or sewing. Thrif-tea. Number five, a boy, follows her, pulling her braids of hair. Audaci-tea. 6 and 7. Girl and boy, arm in arm, gazing soulfuUy into each other's eyes, absorbed in love- making. Felici-tea. 8. Two boys chasing and dodging each other around the room. Agili-tea. 9 and 10. Boy making a speech, very affected and bombastic, deep voice, chest puffed out, ex- treme gestures. Pomposi-tea. Crowd follows, cheering, clap- ping hands and applauding the speaker. Populari-tea. FEBRUARY THE TWO BIRTHDAYS A VALENTINE PARTY The month of February is triply entertain- ing, considered from the Good-Times point of view, since it has three notable days to cele- brate — the birthdays of Lincoln and Washing- ton, and dear old Saint Valentine's day, be- loved of lovers the world over. For the two statesmen's birthdays, a varia- tion from the usual more or less patriotic pro- gram may be found in the following contest, which will be found suitable for either one: Tack a large sheet of white drawing paper on the wall in a good strong light. Hand a piece of charcoal to each guest in turn, beginning with the tallest and going down the line to the very shortest. Tall Number One begins a portrait of George Washington — ^with three strokes, no 9 10 ' SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS more, at the very topmost lock of powdered hair, then hands the charcoal to number two and sits down; the new player begins where his predecessor left ofif and makes his three strokes count for as much effect as possible, and so on till everyone has had a turn and the picture is finished, the children, if any are in- cluded in the crowd, completing the shoe buckles; for, of course, if Washington be the subject under discussion, he must be in the cos- tume of his period, while the numerous pub- lished portraits of Lincoln in his high silk hat and flowing black tie are familiar to all. The result may look like the original — perhaps. This is supposed to be the model from which each guest is to copy in freehand a quick sketch with crayon on sheets of drawing-pa- per which are now handed round. They are timed and at the stroke of the call bell must march up to the wall and pin their signed ef- forts to the large paper — or a muslin sheet may be fastened beside it for this purpose. A vote is taken as to whose is the best and a prize of a framed photo of the father of his country awarded the winner. SUGGESTIONS FOR "DEAR OLD ST. VALENTINE'S DAY, BELOVED OF LOVERS THE WORLD OVER" A VALENTINE PARTY ii Cutting the Cherry Tree is another amusing new game for the twenty-second of the month : A small tree or shrub from which all the lower branches have been cut is set in a deep box of sand and two strong cleats nailed to it on each side and to the top edge of the box. Each contestant is blindfolded, given a small toy hatchet, and told to cut down the cherry tree. If he succeeds in knocking it down, as he can if he strikes exactly parallel with the cleats, he receives a pasteboard hatchet filled with candied cherries as a re- ward. But his antics in hitting out at empty air will furnish a good laugh to the onlookers, whether he finally strikes anything else than his own shins or not. Another blindfold game is "Handling the Hatchet." This consists in fitting a wooden handle into a hatchet-head in a given time while blindfolded. It sounds much easier than it is in reality. Ringing the changes on the old donkey game, try to draw a handle to a hatchet-head cut out of pasteboard and fas- tened to a sheet on the wall, with a bandage over your eyes. If you succeed, you will more 12 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS than deserve the prize you will receive — a large hatchet of solid chocolate. For either of the famous birthdays a little session with historical facts will refresh grown-up memories — and show how much closer in touch with their school books the youngsters are, if any are allowed to partici- pate. Either ask each guest in turn to rise and recite some fact relating to the great man in question, or a verse about him; or give out pencils and paper and have everybody write down numbered facts, then collect these papers, after having them read aloud, and give the one whose memory has served him best a prize of a United States history, or a biogra- phy of the particular subject of his sketch. Here is a new riddle for your next Val- entine party: Curtail, and you have the act of receiving sound waves; Behead what is left, and you have the or- gan which receives sound waves ; Restore head and tail and behead twice, and you have the skill with which I am A VALENTINE PARTY 13 captured (the two heads taken together will give you what is in every girl's mind on St. Valentine's Day) ; Behead again and you have a boy's nick- name ; Behead finally and you have left what most women like at five in the afternoon. The whole is the temple of love. Answer, Heart. A pretty way to match partners for Valen- tine parties will be found in matching up CHOOSING^ PARTNERS literally broken hearts — these being of the candy kind with love mottoes inscribed thereon, care being taken to break them each 14 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS into two pieces only, which can be done by giving each heart a smart stroke with a dull- bladed kitchen knife. Another way is that of cutting paper hearts in two at different angles, zigzag, criss-cross and every other way so that no two will be cut exactly alike, putting the halves into separate baskets and allowing the men to draw from one and the ladies from the other. If some dainty couplets of valentine verse be written on these paper hearts, so much the better. Cupid's Dart is a novel and original game for the occasion : Peel a very large rutabaga turnip and trim it down heart-shaped. Color it with red ink or vegetable dye. Tie a strong cord firmly round the middle so it will imbed in the flesh of the vegetable, leaving several yards of cord to pass round two small wooden pulleys, such as you can buy at the ten-cent store — or two spools might answer. Rig the pulleys either on a long pine table or up and down in a doorway. Give the play- ers in turn a long meat skewer of wire or wood, the object being to spear the heart while it flashes past on the pulley, score being kept A VALENTINE PARTY 15 and the winner of the highest being awarded a silver heart bangle, if a girl, or a stick pin of a silver heart, if a boy. Of course, no valentine party is complete without a free-for-all race at writing home- made valentines, but a fillip to the fun is added if you have all these efforts signed by the writ- ers, sealed in plain envelopes and spread out on a table, the boys' valentines in one heap and the girls' in another; now blindfold each girl and turn her toward the table to choose her fate. The valentine she thus unwittingly selects must be read aloud with the name of the writer. After which the boys take their turn with similar results. Sometimes these haphazard selections hit the mark embarrass- ingly close for the chooser's comfort amid shouts of laughter from the spectators. Another new way to make these original valentines doubly interesting is "Hidden Sweethearts." You may have these signed or anonymous as you prefer, but each must contain somewhere the name of some boy pres- ent, if a girl is writing, and vice versa. The name may be most effectually concealed from 1 6 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS all but the one who reads them, as in this ef- fusion, "Oh, nowhere can be found a dupli(Kate) Of that sweet girl I've chosen for my mate." Or it may be boldly displayed, as in this, "When leap year comes again, I surely Will Propose to him who now my heart doth fill." Distribute paper and pencils again after these are collected. While the valentines are being read aloud slowly and distinctly, every- one writes down his or her guess as to the hid- den name, numbering them as they guess; these slips are collected and compared with the correct list, which has been taken from each valentine as it was read by the hostess. The one having the highest number of correct guesses is given a heart-shaped sachet-bag of red satin. MARCH FUN FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY It is not easy to invent new fun-makers for old anniversaries, for the traditions must be observed to some extent — you cannot separate the game of hearts in some form from Saint Valentine's Day nor firecrackers from the Fourth of July. So the best one can do is to embroider the ancient fabrics with original fancies. The background for this particular gala oc- casion has to do with St. Patrick's Day, which is coming more each year to be celebrated with some special features in the way of entertain- ment, even by those who do not hail from the Emerald Isle. Hibernian Hijinks The invitations for this hilarious affair were of green cardboard cut in the shape of a sham- rock and lettered in gilt as follows: 17 1 8 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS "Will you come to our Hibernian Hijinks on the Seventeenth of Ireland, St. Patrick's Day in the evening? "Be sure to bring your brogue wrapped round an Irish song or story. "Trip to the Blarney Stone. "A Dish o' Greens." The guests were met at the door by a pretty maid in a green crepe-paper cap and dainty apron made of a white crepe-paper napkin with rounded corners edged with a cut-out pa- per border of shamrock garlands. (Direc- tions for making at the end of chapter.) Similar aprons were given to each lady, while little green silk flags decorated with gilt harps fastened to long pins were stuck to each masculine coat lapel. The rooms were draped with the same effective crepe paper in a flag- and-harp pattern and the cut-out shamrock garlands were charmingly utilized in candle and lamp shades. The refreshments consisted of mint-aspic in shamrock molds — a regular Waldorf salad could be substituted for the aspic — olives, eel- FUN FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY 19 ery, asparagus relish, pistachio ice-cream in the shape of a pig, served with knobby choco- late shillalahs made thicker at one end, little cakes coated with green icing, others imitat- ing "praties" coated with chocolate dust, with bits of almonds for eyes, bonbons shaped like corks, coffee in green demi-tasse and creme de menthe. Real clay pipes tied with green rib- bon bows for the men, and candy ones, simi- larly decorated, for the women, completed the list of toothsome edibles. Table decorations for such a party could be made very attractive with a centerpiece of a wire harp rented from the florist and twined with smilax, the strings being of tiny white immortelles; or several table mirrors, round and oblong, joined with ferns and vines to represent the Lakes of Killarney, and ferns used under the plates instead of doilies. Dainty holders for place-cards are small green parrots of celluloid, so weighted as to balance, poised lightly on the brim of a tum- bler and bearing cards in their bills. They can be had from the stores where favors are supplied for ten cents each. Other favors to 20 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS be purchased for a few cents each are candy boxes in all shapes, potatoes, pigs or pipes, the favorites being the Paddy hats and Biddy bon- nets of green crepe paper mounted on card- board. Round glass powder-pufif holders with hinged lids, in which a shamrock is imbedded, cost a quarter each. Little silk harps of all sizes, heart-shaped celluloid bonbon holders, miniature clay pipes and flags of various sizes and qualities come for ten cents apiece. Directions for home-made favors: Shamrock aprons. Use an extra large da- mask paper napkin for skirt of apron. Lower corners may be square or slightly rounded. Cut out shamrock border from decorated crepe paper. Use this strip of cut-out crepe paper for border trimming of apron by past- ing it around the edge ; cut edge out. The belt is a strip of white tissue paper dou- bled, with the top of the apron pasted in gathers between the edges. Wide single strips of white tissue paper should be used for the strings and pasted to the ends of the belt. Paddy hat. Cut a circle of cardboard four FUN FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY 21 inches in diameter and a strip nine by four inches. Cut slits in the lower edge of strip, turn them in and paste to the bottom, pasting also the ends together to form a ring. Cover the hat with green crepe paper. Make the wreath of shamrocks of the green-covered wire used for basket-making. Candle shades. Take small paper Irish flags, crimp into shape, as folding fans are made, and run through the top of pleats with a darning needle threaded with fine gilt cord. Or cut to fit the frame a shade of plain green crepe paper, edged with the smaller sham- rocks of the cut-out border used in the apron. 22 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS n The T^ahhH Sisters (Easter and Welsh) ^cordially invLieiJou h a}lare-m-Scatv-m I party in honor of i^eir cousin, cMad cMarcA. cHare who leaves iomorroiv for parts unknoimj cM). 564 Oak Street* ' Sei-a-dxaf ^a7x:h30,l9l2 Time ale dcloc(c\ THE RABBIT SISTERS AT HOME EASTER THE RABBIT SISTERS AT HOME The Rabbit Sisters (Easter and Welsh) cordially invite you to a Hare-m-Scare-m farewell party in honor of their cousin Mad March Hare who leaves to-morrow for parts unknown No. 564 Oak Street Set-a-day, March 30, igi2 Time, ate o'clock. EASTER 23 These original invitations, suggestive of fun and frolic, may be written in gold ink on white cardboard cut bunny-shaped, and sent in yel- low envelopes. The gold-and-white color scheme of Easter may be closely followed throughout. The guests are smilingly received by the two Rabbit Sisters, both dressed in white; but "Easter's" snowy cap is of tissue or crepe pa- per, with bows tied coquettishly in long, up- standing rabbit ears, and her white apron is stenciled with running hares; while "Welsh" wears a turban of yellow cheesecloth, its stiffly wired ears giving her an inquiring look, and across the bib of her apron, also stenciled with bunnies, is lettered in brown some comic toast, as, "Here's to the Goddess of Fun! May her frolics never be done." After a moment in which fully to assimilate the cheese-and-toast symbolism of "Welsh Rabbit," the guests are presented with much mock solemnity to the cousin, "Mad March Hare," who may be represented in either of 24 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS two ways : A young man, friend or brother^ of waggish tendencies, attired in white clown suit or '•Yama-Yamas," with yellow knots in- stead of black on clothes and cap — which last should be two-pointed — and wearing a huge wig of red or yellow hair wildly flowing in all directions, may indulge in all sorts of antics to impersonate the role assigned to him. He may act as "mad" as he likes, pretend- ing to be in a fearful temper as each guest is introduced; before scaring them entirely away, however, he will find time to present each one with a white toy rabbit tied with baby ribbon and bid them gruffly to "March! Find your mate!" A merry scramble ensues to find partners, those whose ribbons match in color pairing off for the evening's games and refreshments, the rabbits being retained as souvenirs. These may be of papier-mache and filled with col- ored candy eggs, or of cardboard and pinned to bodice or coat lapel. Or, if you like, the favors may be copies of the Rabbit Sisters' turban caps of crepe-paper napkins in colors to match^ two and two. EASTER 25 Much hilarity will result from clumsy mascu- line endeavors to tie the rabbit-ear bows with becoming effect, the girl partners being finally called upon for help. If no man is forthcoming to take the part, the Mad March Hare can be represented by a bushy red or yellow wig hung on a milliner's hat tree or a hall tree behind a mysteriously curtained alcove and an electric fan turned upon it, producing a highly March-windy ef- fect. A rabbit hunt will be amusing to begin with, bags of yellow and white cheesecloth providing receptacles for the quarry — animal crackers in rabbit shape which have been pre- viously secreted in odd places through the rooms, a prize of a "Panorama egg'^ being awarded the one securing the most game in a given time. An automobile horn or tin trum- pet can be wound to give the view-halloo which starts the chase and recalls the hunters. Sweet crackers also furnish the motif for the next game, a Rabbit Run. Each man offers his arm to his partner. In their free hands each runner holds out a knife, on the 26 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS blade of which is placed a rabbit cracker. So burdened, the couple must hurry round the room. If the cracker falls off, a forfeit must be paid. A modification of the old donkey game may be introduced by substituting a huge rabbit drawn in crayon or cut out of cloth and pasted on a sheet. The players, blindfolded, try in turn to pin a stubby bit of tail on the rabbit, the successful ones drawing lots for the prize — an Uncle Remus book full of the adven- tures of Brer Rabbit. The Mad March Hare now passes round slips of paper and pencils for the following new guessing game: HIDDEN HARES I. — Received from our ancestors? Hare- edity. 2. — A facial deformity? Hare-lip. 3. — A bird, differing from a bald man? Hare-on. (N. B. Bald men have hair off.) HIDDEN HARES 27 4. — A Biblical king, cruel to children? Hare-od. 5. — An early Greek historian? Hare- oditus. 6. — A knight whose exploits were sung by the poet Byron? Childe Hare-old. 7. — A prominent New York morning pa- per? N. Y. Hare-aid. 8. — A delicate fern, much used for deco- rative purposes? Maiden-hare. 9. — A noisy, pompous oration? Hare- angue. 10. — Residence of the wives of a Turk? Hare-m. II. — An agricultural implement set with teeth? Hare-row. 12. — The greatest desert in the world? Sa- hare-a. The first prize for ladies might be a hair ornament, for gentlemen a pair of military brushes, while sugar-candy rabbits would con- sole the boobies. 28 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Prominent among the refreshments should be creamed rabbit en casserole, served from one chafing dish by Miss Easter Rabbit, and Welsh rarebit evolved from another chafing dish by her sister, the cousin acting as butler. Ice cream may be served in rabbit molds. Decorations of white and yellow may be utilized in Easter lilies, daffodils and maiden- hair fern, downy yellow chicks and white candy eggs, yellow wheat and tiny rabbits, white and gold ribbons and fancy crepe paper, yellow nests and baskets of candy, straw or pa- per, heaped with Easter eggs, and so on. The combinations are endless. APRIL HINTS ON APRIL FOOLING Send out the following invitations, written — from the bottom upward if you like — on Christmas postal cards embossed with holly: At Home for a Foolish Fiesta Thirst-day, April Fools t, igi^f Hours: 8 — 2 — / See Proverbs 26:5 R. S. V. P. D. Q. Since April First this year is on Wednesday and not Thursday, the keynote of the whole "foolish fiesta" is set at the start. The Scrip- tural allusion as to answering a fool according to his folly will elicit some very funny replies, which may be kept and read aloud for the edi- fication of the company later on in the evening. Wear a fool's costume of red and yellow with cap and bells and an election night tickler for a wand, or one evolved from Mother 29 30 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Goose, as Simple Simon and the Pieman. Suspend jack-o'-lanterns made of paper pump- HINTS ON APRIL FOOLING 31 kins over the doorway, in imitation of Hal- lowe'en frolics. Have the decorations as grotesque as pos- sible: Cauliflowers on sticks, growing in jar- dinieres, flower-pots filled with earth into which stick whisk brooms and feather-dusters, plant tubs with mops and brooms, and for a table centerpiece arrange a huge bowl of po- tatoes or onions mounted on wooden skewers, massed in a great bouquet surrounded by cab- bage leaves. Make candle and lamp shades of wrapping paper decorated with little fool's caps and bells or mad March hares. Hang all sorts of incongruous mottoes around : "Merry Christ- mas!" "Welcome to Our City!" "Hurrah for the Fourth of July!" "Who Struck Billy Pat- terson?" "Votes for Women!" "Who's Loony Now?" "Good-night!" "Sorry to See You!" Greet the guests with a funereally solemn "Happy New Year! Too bad you came!" and extend the "glad hand" that comes off in their grasp — a white kid glove stuffed with sawdust and hidden under the end of your sleeve. Then usher them with a dexterous 32 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS turn of the tickler toward the wrap-rooms, which for this occasion should be the cellar for the men and the attic for the women. As they return ready for the fun, pin on each man's lapel a chrysanthemum made of shredded cabbage tied firmly with twine, and to each fair guest present a turnip rose, made by slicing the vegetable two-thirds of the way down, thrusting a wooden skewer through the uncut end for a stem, using a crisp lettuce leaf for calyx and foliage. Pretend to pair off men and women by giv- ing each a dunce-cap made of tissue paper in many tints, and tell them to match colors. Ar- range it so that when this is done it will be found that men will have men for partners and women paired off together. This will cause much merriment, as one of each couple will immediately try to ape the ways of the opposite sex, the taller lady growing a deep bass voice and gallant airs, while the smaller men will assume mincing manners and a most ladylike deportment. Introduce the company gravely one by one to your "grandfather" a man's suit stuffed with HINTS ON APRIL FOOLING 33 pillows and excelsior or cotton wadding, and comfortably ensconced in the easiest arm- chair. The king's jester, being a privileged person, may be up to all sorts of pranks during the evening. He will sneak up behind the guests and pin papers on their backs inscribed vari- ously, "Who am I?" "If you love me, kiss me!" "Search me." "Hold me up!"— this last resulting in tussles which leave the victim penniless — "Tickle me, please." "Cuddle up close." "Please call me dearie!" "Whose tootsy-wootsy is 00?" and so on. All sorts of foolish snares will suggest them- selves — a counterfeit greenback such as are often used for advertising purposes, carelessly pasted to a chair seat, a silver coin glued to the floor, a green paper snake^wTiggling out from under a sofa cushion, wire spiders and devils dangling from chandeliers, a mechani- cal mouse wound up to dart out in front of a bevy of girls, causing a shrieking stampede to chairs and tables, a vase of real flowers sprin- kled with snuff or pepper producing an epi- demic of sneezing — and many others. 34 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Start a peanut search, giving each guest a bottomless cardboard basket in which to col- lect the spoils — which prove to be shells only, the kernels having been carefully removed. Bowling backward is another nonsense game that will prove highly diverting. Small toy ten-pins may be purchased for a few cents, or blunt-end clothes-pins used instead. Stand them a few inches apart in a row at the end of a room. For balls use five colored eggs hard- boiled. The player kneels in his turn on one knee, four feet away with his back to the ten-pins, toward which he shoots the eggs, one after another, knocking down as many pins as he can. Keep score and award the highest a bunch of giant fire-crackers or a toy turkey or small Christmas stocking filled with candy, or any others equally inappropriate. A Christmas tree, hung with "fake" presents wrapped in gunny sacks, hardware paper and colored calico, will occasion much hilar- ity. The "Foolish Fiesta" proper — or improper — could be served on tall packing-cases. PAGEANT OF BIRTHDAY JEWELS 35 draped with flags or sheets, the guests being served standing, with bandana handkerchiefs for napkins, kitchen-ware cutlery and dishes of wood or agate, on which may be piled hel- ter-skelter such dainty viands as cold corned beef and cabbage, cotton-filled biscuits, mud pies, and so on. Use pie tins for plates, salt in the sugar bowl, cold vinegar for tea, and mustard in the doughnuts. Afterward the company may be ushered into another dining-room — the fool's menu having been served in the living-room or kitchen — and fed with real food of a more nourishing, if less spicy sort. A PAGEANT OF BIRTHDAY JEWELS Useful as a program-filler at any season, a Pageant of Birthday Jewels can be easily ar- ranged, either in twelve elaborate tableaux, each representing a calendar month and its es- pecial gem, with expensive costumes of appro- priate colors and real jewels to illustrate the verses, which are then recited by one person ; or a simpler display for a house party or church social can be made almost as effective. 36 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS with dresses improvised of the ever-useful crepe or tissue paper in the correct jewel- tones, while gems of paste or tinted glass adorn the players, who each recite a verse in turn. A beautiful and artistic effect can be ob- tained merely by the use of colored slides in a magic lantern, all the players' frocks being of white muslin or silk to reflect the rainbow hues. A large gilt frame, a background of black velvet and a curtain swung on rings, to slide easily, would be required for Tableaux. While these accessories add to the attractive- ness of the Pageant, they are not absolutely necessary. The jewel-months appear one at a time, January's garnet in the lead, recite a verse and step back to a waiting position in the rear. Or, the curtain drops, to rise on the next pic- tured gem. JANUARY— GARNET: To the first of the year I belong. Deep blood-red is my heart, full of fire, I am Garnet, so steadfast and strong — To be constant is all my desire. PAGEANT OF BIRTHDAY JEWELS 37 FEBRUARY— AMETHYST : February's calm jewel am I, Sincerity's emblem alway, With the tint of the violet shy, Aglint in my Amethyst ray. MARCH— BLOODSTONE : On the bosom of March I am found, Whosoever the Bloodstone doth wear Firm and true will be all the year round, Whether fortune be foul or most fair. APRIL— DIAMOND: Month of April, young child of the Spring, I adorn — sign of innocence fair; Emblem chosen for fiance's ring, Must be Diamond — set solitaire. MAY— EMERALD: With the merriest month of the year. Winsome May, with her grass and her flowers. Comes green Emerald, gem without peer. And her wearer with happiness dowers. JUNE— PEARL: Pray, what jewel accompanies June, When the world spends its time out-of- doorSi 38 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS But the pure Pearl of Health? All too soon Will it melt in the wine Old Age pours. JULY— RUBY: With the summer's hot breath of July Comes the Ruby, whose heart is aglow With the red fire of Love leaping high — May its flame never die, nor fall low! AUGUST— MOONSTONE : As full August trails eager July, So the Moonstone the Ruby's desire With felicity will satisfy Adding fuel to Love's crimson fire. SEPTEMBER— SAPPHIRE: After Innocence, Happiness, Health, And Love's satisfaction, come I, Bringing Wisdom — September's best wealth — Splendid Sapphire, as blue as the sky. OCTOBER— OPAL: When October mourns, veiled in blue haze, Summer's death seems to sadden the earth; Then 'tis Opal, whose bright, rainbow rays Promise hope of the spring and new birth. PAGEANT OF BIRTHDAY JEWELS 39 NOVEMBER— TOPAZ : Chill November so dull and so gray, Is the season for Topaz to shine; For fidelity clears doubt away, And that is a mission of mine. DECEMBER— TURQUOISE : I am like frosty skies — or blue ice On the fringe of December's white dress; I am Turquoise, and bring without price What I wish for you all — great Success. After December has concluded her toast, the twelve join hands, step forward and recite in unison : We are jewels on Time's rosary, Lovely symbols of riches untold, For wealth of the heart, which is free, Yet has value far greater than gold. MAY HELPFUL HINTS FOR MAY PARTIES Of course the Maypole is the central idea in most parties held during the month of blos- soms. For lawn parties the family flagpole may be utilized in a fashion truly pastoral and English, the top being surmounted with a floral hoop from which the ribbon or cambric streamers of gay colors depend. The guests may then dance the usual Maypole figures, weaving in and out in their intricate mazes till the pretty basket-work effect is complete, a string quartette furnishing the music. Crowns or garlands of the early spring flowers, violets, buttercups or daisies may be worn by the young girls who participate in this dance; nosegays to match being pinned to the coat lapels of their partners. Refresh- ments can be served al fresco under the trees should the weather permit. 40 HINTS FOR MAY PARTIES 41 In the colder north, however, before Dame Flora has really begun her exquisite embroid- eries on the spring garments of Mother Na- ture, the hostess may be obliged to resort to indoor Maypoles and for her flowers depend either upon the florist, her friends with win- dows full of house plants or her own ingenu- ity with tissue paper. Of this latter commod- ity very effective substitutes for branches of peach, cherry or apple blooms may be devised with deft fingers and a little patience. Take real branches of willow, maple or other trees and fasten small puckered pieces of pink or white tissue or crepe paper, all down the bare stems as the real fruit blossoms grow. Tiny artificial dandelions and daisies may be made by the clever, as well as multi-colored butter- flies, for decorations. Another method of forcing the lazy spring to yield of her largess in advance comes from Japan. It is not altogether new here, but is quite unique as a charming experiment in Burbankism, if nothing more. One who has tried it will not soon forget its fairy magic. Procure either from your own bare orchard, 42 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS if you are the fortunate possessor of one, or if not, from that of some obliging country friend, all the twigs and branches of peach, pear, cherry, plum and apple that can be bought or begged. These dry sticks look very un- promising but put them in warm water, chang- ing it two or three times daily — "bide a wee and see what you'll see." By the fourth or fifth day each brown fagot will burst into bloom, a thick covering of its own beautiful blossoms — your house will look like a trans- planted orchard in a riot of May-time splen- dor. The indoor Maypole will be of humble ori- gin — a broom or mop handle — but when ar- rayed in fine garments of green and white ribbons firmly planted in a block of wood on a table, banked with moss and flowers, and a pennant gaily waving from its apex above a wreathing crown of white daisies, no one will recall its former lowly estate. The wreath of daisies may be kept in place by an embroidery hoop, about a foot in diam- eter, attached to the pole by strong wires like the spokes of a wheel to the hub. From these HINTS FOR MAY PARTIES 43 spokes may be hung ropes of flowers or smilax or ribbon streamers ending at each plate cover where the place-cards are tied to candy-filled May baskets. Or if you can get it, the pink trailing arbutus may be nested within the May basket, a fragrant reminder of the season. Following are some appropriate quotations for May-party name-cards : "Oh, it's May-time! It's May-time 1 And all the world is bright, For love is in the sunshine And the golden stars of night 1" "Ho! the merrie first of Maie Brings the daunce and blossoms gaie To make of lyfe a hohday!" "The flowers shall blossom at your feet, And all is blithe and free; For you are Queen of May, my sweet, And all the world to me!" "If you're waking, call me early. Call me early. Mother dear. For I'm to be Queen o' the May." 44 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS MAYPOLE DANCE Inquiries are often made for exact direc- tions for a Maypole dance. The figures are not so intricate as they look; but as the custom is an English one and decreasing as time goes on, so in many parts of our own country our young people associate the first of May only with moving vans and house-cleaning — and very likely have never even seen this pretty flower festival. For their benefit the follow- ing directions are added: Secure a very lightweight wheel — about a foot and a half across — one from a child's ex- press wagon will do. Wind bright colored bunting or ribbon around the wheel-rim and spokes and fasten to it various flower-clusters and festoons, allowing some to hang down like vines. Insert the top of the Maypole into the hub and plant pennants of red, white and blue flower-stalks above. Or if these are not avail- able, flags or paper flowers may be used in- stead. Underneath the hub fasten ten to twenty bright colored narrow ribbons or cambric MAYPOLE DANCE 45 streamers — cheesecloth serves nicely; braid these in and out around the pole with flower- garlands intertwined, for a foot or more down- ward, then fasten the streamers securely in place, covering the fastening with a thick wreath of flowers. Each child must carry a basket or bouquet of flowers. The end of each streamer is given to a girl and boy alternately. The girls hold the rib- bon in the left hand and the boys hold theirs in the right. They spread out into a circle, stretching the streamers to full length, the children standing sideways from the Maypole, the girls and boys facing each other. As the music starts up, the children dance around in a circle. The boys pass on the out- side first, allowing their ribbons to pass over the heads of the girls, then the girls pass at the outer edge of the circle, letting their rib- bons pass over the heads of the boys, and so on until the ribbons are all braided around the Maypole. If desired they may be un- 46 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS wound in the same manner, merely reversing the positions of the dancers. Here is a new guessing contest for an indoor May party. It is called MAY AT HIDE-AND-SEEK 1. A young girl. Maiden. 2. First blossom of spring. May flower. 3. Native of an Eastern peninsula. Ma- lay. 4. A fierce Indian warrior. Maori. 5. Three girls' names. May, Mary, Mabel. 6. In the same class at school. Class- mate. 7. A synonym for feminine. Female. 8. A battleship sunk in a recent war. Maine. 9. Used to sew with. Machine. 10. An elderly married woman. Matron. After these labors are ended comes reward in the following spring-like menu: MAY-DAY LUNCHEON 47 MAY-DAY LUNCHEON The table is most lovely under its Blue- Bird place-cards and flower decorations. 48 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS The first course is of strawberries served, English-fashion, with the hulls on, in tiny brown flower-pots lined with their natural leaves, which are also piled in profusion around the pots on the saucer, giving a delight- ful suggestion of having just been freshly gathered from the garden. Powdered sugar and wafers are served with these. This is followed by puree of peas, brook trout, sweetbreads en casserole, fresh aspara- gus, broiled chicken with lettuce and jelly, tomato salad, radishes and frozen fruits, crushed in ice cream and molded in the shape of spring flowers. The party ends by crowning the bride with daisies as Queen of the May, under a bower of spring flowers, all joining hands and circ- ling about her, singing a merry song of God- speed and farewell. JUNE SHOWERS FOR JUNE BRIDES-ELECT COOK-BOOKLET SHOWER In these days of Domestic Science training a Cook-Booklet Shower for a prospectivef bride comes as a literally refreshing rain to perplexed entertainment-seekers, and will prove of practical value to the principal guest of honor as well as a source of amusement to her friends. Incidentally just as the perusal of Thanksgiving stories prepares the palate for turkey, so this rain of recipes will serve as an excellent appetizer for the spring luncheon which follows. The hostess provides each girl present with scissors, baby ribbon, blank note paper, pencil and a leaf from a seed catalogue illustrated in colors. The bride-to-be is ex-ofEcio Inspector of Labor. They are directed to cut from the leaflet whatever vegetable or fruit illustrated thereon best suits the taste — tomato, apple, cucumber, potato or other edible. Using this 49 50 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS as a pattern to be laid upon the blank note paper and outlined with the pencil, they are to cut as many leaves for a little cook-booklet as they can fill with recipes for cooking or preparing for the table the fruit or vegetable they have selected. The limited space allowed on these small pages must of necessity produce terseness, yet all directions must be clear and to the point. Not even considering the test of the memory, it will be found that it is no small accomplish- ment to write a successful recipe. The girl who remembers and writes down the largest number of recipes receiving the approval of the Inspector on being read aloud at the end of a given time, is presented with a prize, a pretty dish. A cook-book to be laid away perhaps for future need would also be a suit- able prize. The little cook-booklets are then tied up each with a baby-ribbon to match its gaily-col- ored cover, inscribed with the name of the donor, and collected by the bride. If desired, this could be made more elaborate by letting each guest into the secret beforehand — send- COOK-BOOKLET SHOWER 51 ing her catalogue leaflet with her invitation, with a hint to come provided not only with recipes for preparing some especial fruit or vegetable, but a suitable dish for it as well, to be presented to the bride. There are so many daintily decorated bits of china and glassware to be picked up in the shops at a nominal price that this addition to the Cook-Book Shower need not tax any purse unduly. Not long since I saw a sale of broken sets of Limoges in which the vegetable and sauce dishes were priced as low as three cents each, and they were quite flawless — not even a nick to mar the glaze. Pressed glass berry sets can be bought at the ten-cent stores, while the art crockery shops sell handsome salad dishes decorated in pale-green lettuce leaves for twenty-five and fifty cents each. However, these may be easily omitted without curtailing any of the fun. In addition, the bride is presented with a chafing-dish, and a vote is taken as to which of the recipes should be first used by her then and there to test the recipe-writer's ability, as well as her own culinary art, and to initiate 52 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS the chafing-dish. They all adjourn to the din- ing-room for this trial of her skill. Should the tomato omelette or creamed celery she evolves with the aid of one of the baby-cook- books prove a success, her friends all declare that the fame of it shall reach the ears of her prospective husband, so that "his heart may safely rejoice in her" as a wifely treasure; but should failure ensue — as too often, alas ! it does attend the faltering first attempts of the young novitiate — all her friends give a solemn prom- ise "never to breathe a word of it." A PAPER SHOWER FOR A BLUEBIRD BRIDE Another shower for the soon-to-be young matron which has the merit of novelty, and is the means of bestowing various and sundry useful gifts, is the Paper Shower. You will be surprised at the almost endless range of pretty and practical things made of paper, and at a very low cost — candle shades in great variety, from the cut-out black-cat kind up to the fluffy French ones of artificial flowers, A BLUEBIRD BRIDE 53 calendars galore, memorandum books, tablets of all kinds, telephone cards, bill-books, date- books, cook-books, the lovely sets of embossed doilies in all sizes, now used by many hostesses under finger-bowls and water glasses — and which can scarcely be told from the real lace ones, so delicate and fine are they — collapsible drinking cups, safe and sanitary, now rendered a necessity by the laws abolishing public drinking cups, complete outfits for paper bag cookery, bolts of lace paper for cupboard shelves, boxes of embossed writing paper and correspondence cards, and a thousand others made of the same useful if perishable ma- terial. For a Paper Shower the guests must all wear and bring something made of paper; the decorations must of course be all of paper, artificial flowers in vases and garlands of them everywhere; the tablecloth should be crepe paper of the beautifully decorated special de- signs in flowers and the favors should be some of the numerous papier mache novelties filled with bonbons. Paper candle shades and doil- 54 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS ies, and even dishes where possible, appear on the refreshment table. From a centerpiece of paper roses formed in the shape of a heart radiate streamers of crepe paper ending in place-cards inscribed with appropriate love couplets. Wedding bells of red paper — the kind that fold up and cost ten cents each — depend in a great bunchy chime from the chandelier, tied with white ribbon. When the bride-elect appears she is greeted with a shower of confetti. Her white gown and Brunhilde helmet are decked with "Blue Birds for Happiness," made of crepe paper in the new bluebird shade, mounted on card- board. She carries a Bluebird wand. Each guest is given a wreath of tiny paper rosebuds to wear in her hair, while the bride receives a shower-bouquet of bride-roses in paper. The gifts are all wrapped in white tissue paper, tied with ribbon, and attached to each is a card with the name of the donor and an origi- nal rhyme. The reading aloud of these coup- lets before the gift is unwrapped should give some inkling of the contents of the package. FLAG-DAY EXERCISES 55 For instance, with a calendar, this ancient jest in a new dress : "What's here? A date with a peach? Oh, if HE were but here within reach!" Or this with a telephone card: "If HE should stay too late in town, Use me to call him up — but not to call him down." Or this with a magazine subscription : "The Woman's Magazine I send, Twelve times, I hope, 'twill prove a friend." FLAG-DAY EXERCISES June Fourteenth is Flag Day in the schools all over the Union. Young eyes are tired of books and turn longingly toward the world of Out-of-Doors. "What'll we do, teacher? Where'U we go? Flag Day! Hooray!" comes in a rushing tor- rent of sound, everybody speaking at once, till teacher's tired face smiles though she has to put her fingers in her ears. S6 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS When the voices quiet down, teacher out- lines her plan for Flag Day. Two of the older boys, "teacher's trusties," had been sent on ahead, each bearing myster- ious bundles. These contained a quantity of small paper flags which they carefully se- creted in every possible and impossible nook and cranny afforded by the woodland space exactly prescribed by teacher the evening be- fore. The boundaries were indicated by larger flags nailed to eight trees, but had there been any Boy Scouts in the class, they might have blazed the boundary-trees in true woodman fashion. To the girl finding the largest number of flags in the hunt was awarded a silver enamel flag-pin, and the lucky boy was presented with a large silk flag to hang on his bedroom wall in anticipation of college days. A flag race came next. Teacher's trusties laid out ten rows of flags, while teacher herself selected ten children for the first relay, and lined them up by the flags. Then Trusty FLAG-DAY EXERCISES 57 Number One sang out: "On your mark I Ready! Set! Go!" At the first signal the runners lined up with toes even; at the second, they picked up one flag; at the third, they assumed the crouching position for a start, and at the last, they flew forward like a herd of deer on the stampede. Then followed a terrific scramble as each has- tily planted his flag on the marked spot and rushed back for another, until all were taken up. Another set of ten had their chances at the exciting game, till all had had a turn. The one whose garden of flags was planted in the shortest time was given a prize, a handsomely illustrated little volume telling the story of Betsy Ross and the making of the first flag. This was read aloud later on in the day when the children were tired of play. Then, too, a quieter game was introduced by teacher. She had brought in her bag a set of paper flags of all nations, and these became the center of a merry and instructive guessing contest, by seeing who would recognize the most. These flags could be copied with colored 58 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS pencils or water-color paints on white paper, the neatest being taken back to the schoolroom for future exhibition purposes. Later a modification of the old donkey game was introduced. Teacher had provided a large flag with a cloth pinned over the blue part, and each child, blindfolded, was turned around three times, then started toward the flag to see who could pin the most paper stars on the blank field of blue. The picnic luncheon was spread out under the trees on the greensward, two strips of red, white, and blue bunting sewed together serv- ing for tablecloth. Paper napkins and a rib- bon cake of patriotic colors were features of the feast. The homeward return was made delightful by a lusty singing of a flag song taken from the school song-book, "Hail to the Flag!" A PARCEL POST PARTY A catchy and instructive game, taken from the new parcel post law, is just out. You have to watch your p's and q's, or you will surely be "It" within one minute after the A PARCEEPOST PARTY 59 game starts. It is modeled a little upon the old Mail Service scramble game, but the new variation contains the catch. If you have read carefully the printed circulars of rules and regulations issued by the Post Office depart- ment, you will be quite safe — and may pos- sibly win a prize for your up-to-dateness. The players are seated in a circle, as in Mail Service, while the Postmaster stands in the middle and calls off the names of the cities to which he wishes to send parcels or letters. Everyone has received the name of a city which he must keep in mind and be ready for instant action when he hears it called — that is, if — and that's the catch. The Postmaster calls out, "I want to send a bushel of potatoes by parcel post from Boston to New York." The boy or girl named Bos- ton or New York would instantly try to ex- change places — but if they do, one of them will surely lose a place and take the stand of Post- master in the middle — all because you cannot send a bushel of potatoes by parcel post, as it exceeds the twenty-pound limit of weight! But you can send a half peck, so watch out! 6o SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS In the same way, should the wily Postmas- ter try to induce Chicago and Pittsburgh to change places by the announcement that he wishes to send from one of those cities to the other three sofa pillows — even though they might weigh under the limit, they would bulk over the allowed measurement of seventy-two inches, length and girth combined. Again, he may try to fool you into deserting your post by the casual remark that he wishes to send registered by parcel post a dozen eggs from St. Louis to Denver. You could send the eggs all right, if they were properly packed — but you couldn't register them, since parcel post fourth-class matter is insured, and therefore may not be registered. Also, don't let him lure you from a safe vantage-point by the firm declaration that he will mail a book for a birthday gift to his brother in Richmond from his home in Wash- ington by the parcel post — for it can't be done — since Uncle Sam has not yet included lit- erary products of any sort in his fourth-class low-cost postal service, much as some of us would like him to do so ! JULY PARTIES FOR GROWN-UPS AND CHILDREN A FOURTH OF JULY BREAKFAST A clever hostess in our town had a breakfast and eight little guests all ready to surprise her small son when he came downstairs rubbing his eyes one Fourth of July morning. He rubbed them harder and stared unbe- lievingly at the pretty sight that met them in the dining-room, which was draped in bunt- ing. The table was spread with crepe paper in red, white and blue; while huge candy crackers, with pyramids of torpedoes beside them for ammunition, were trained outward from a centerpiece which was a marvel of beauty and ingenuity — a flag of cut flowers. Scarlet runner bean-blossoms formed the red stripes, snowy sweet peas the white; while 6i 62 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS corn-flowers made the blue field, with white daisies for stars, stuck in a box of wet sand. The breakfast menu consisted of red rasp- berries and cream, hominy, toasted crackers and bluefish. Each child was given a flag, then they all stood up and sang the last verse of "America," after which they marched with flags flying and drums beating to set ofif their torpedoes. RAINBOWS THAT END IN POTS OF GOLD A RAINBOW PARTY "A rainbow of flowers Will be all ours, If it shines or showers; With a pot of gold, That will surely hold Great wealth untold. Will you join in the fun? 'Twill be promptly begun After set of the sun* Please don't be late; Remember the date — Monday eve at eight." These invitations for an original lawn fete, children's flower festival, or with slight modi- A RAINBOW PARTY 63 fications, a church social, are to be written in rainbow water colors and inclosed in tissue- paper wrappers. Or, white cardboard cut in a semi-circle two inches wide and four inches long, may be painted in rainbow bars — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet — sketched with a pot of gold at one end and let- tered in gilt. In the latter case, write each triptych of the invitation in a single arching line following the curve of the bow. If it should rain, the "properties" can be transplanted indoors or on the veranda, sus- pending the rainbows from the ceiling by in- visible wires, instead of employing the pole supports. The first and largest of these is to be erected over the gateway or entrance. Two stout poles, to be twined with green or gray cheesecloth to simulate tree boles, are set in the earth on each side of the walk, and across the top two lengths of wooden barrel hoops, with cloth tacked on them, for the framework, are securely nailed. Your garden should yield enough flowers of the proper tints, which if well sprinkled with the hose will keep fresh for the evening. But 64 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS if not, very pretty substitutes of crepe paper may be made or purchased. Or, simplest of all, bands of bunting or crepe paper can be utilized, when your invitations should begin, "Rainbows and flowers." If you use cut flowers begin with a row of crimson rambler roses, and in sequence a row each of orange nasturtiums or calliopsis or gaillardias, next a row of lemon yellow nas- turtiums or roses, a bar of green leaves, bluets or cornflowers or love-in-a-mist, dark blue pansies for indigo and lastly purple wistaria, clematis or hyacinth bean-blossoms for the violet. The season will be too far advanced for the real violets. At one or either end of the arch hang a large brass jar or kettle covered with gilt paper securely tied on with ribbon. Paste upon the side a fancy label, "Fortune favors the brave." This is kept mysteriously closed till the end of the evening. Seven similar but smaller arches, each with its pot of gold — medium sized here — are set on the lawn or suspended from tree branches and under these a progression of seven tables A RAINBOW PARTY 65 Fortune Favors ^^ Brave draped with crepe paper in the primary col- ors, each table having a basket of flowers of its special hue. Do not use vases, for they might be overturned or broken in the races and games which follow. The favors are miniature flower pots or toy brass kettles with handles, filled with choco- late bonbons wrapped in gilt paper. Rainbow 66 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS tally cards are distributed, partners being found by matching colors. Gilt stars are used to score points. When everyone has arrived, the hostess requests the boys to line up for a race for the first pot of gold above the red table. The win- ner tears off the paper cover and finds his prize on top. This may be of gold and as ex- pensive as your purse allows, or what is really more fun, a toy or trinket from the ten-cent store and wrapped in gilt paper. Still further to spare expense, the winners of the races merely score points toward one large prize for the evening — a gold nugget stickpin. The girls' prize is a set of beauty pins with tiny nuggets on them. The winner of the first race sets the pot on the table. It is found to be filled with yellow gum-drops. Every one is required to guess the number of "nuggets," the one coming near- est to the exact number scoring a point toward the prize. The race toward the orange table for the second pot of gold follows, after which all the players are asked in turn to thrust a hand into A RAINBOW PARTY 67 the pot, palm side down and see who can catch up most nuggets on the back of his hand, and, so balancing them, proceed around the space in front of the tables without spilling one. The most successful here scores a point. After the race for the third pot, suspended over the lemon-colored table, everybody stands at a given distance and tries to toss nug- gets back into the pot, scoring another point for those who succeed. The fourth pot hangs over the green table, on which a large shrub in a tub becomes the center of a jolly game. Each player receives a gum-drop with a thread drawn through it — by means of a darning-needle — and is asked to tie it on the shrub while blindfolded. All who do it receive gilt stars on their tally cards. The fifth race is followed by a cannon broadside. A toy cannon is loaded with the gum-drop nuggets and fired at each guest who in turn advances to catch it. He retains the missile if he has caught it, adding one to his score. The sixth table gives a version of Peanut Stab, the player being given a long hatpin and 68 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS allowed three thrusts into the pot. Each candy sticking to the pin counts one in his favor. At the end of the seventh and last race the games conclude with an old favorite — a bead- stringing competition. The boys and their partners receive between them a long linen thread with a stout needle at each end. The players are now allowed access to all the pots of gold on the seven tables. The couple stringing the longest rosary in the three min- utes' time allowed receives each a star. A progressive buffet supper is now served from the tables in the following order: Red: Cold ham, radishes, tomatoes, red lemonade. Orange: Orange marmalade, American cheese, coffee with cream. Yellow: Gold cake, peaches, pears, tea. Green: Cucumber salad, lettuce sand- wiches, olives, pickles. Blue: Huckleberry pie. Indigo : Blueberry cake, grape juice. Violet: Candied violets, candy straws. The guests are provided with plates and forks and pass down the line to be served. A RAINBOW PARTY 69 The last surprise of the evening comes with the uncovering of the large pot of gold from the rainbow over the entrance. This contains colored fireworks which are set off by the boys. AUGUST A MELON FROLIC "Will you come with me and find How water and melon combined With an occasional bit of the rind, Candied, pickled, preserved, Or hollowed out and curved Around a jack-o'-lantern light, Will make some fun next Saturday night? Wear bathing togs or you won't get a bite I" From these invitations on green cardboard decorated vv^ith luscious-looking slices of red vv^atermelon, from v^hich a huge bite w^as sug- gestively missing, one obtained a pretty fair idea of the frolicsome nature of the goings-on one sultry evening on the moonlit sands late in August. The summer cottage of the hostess fronted directly on the beach, so the guests were greeted on the wide veranda, which was hung 70 A MELON FROLIC 71 with jolly jack-o'-lanterns made of hollowed melons, both cantaloupe and watermelons. Having been here divested of their wraps, the merry-makers, all clad in bathing-suits, ran on down to the scene of operations, where a huge bonfire of well-seasoned driftwood was already snapping and sparkling invitingly. A circle of tall poles had been set deep in the sand, and from wooden cross-pieces, well up out of harm's way, depended other melon lanterns cut in all sorts of grotesque expres- sions, from the wide, grinning teeth and eye- glasses of a well-known caricature to the round-mouthed O's affected by popular comic artists. Watermelons and cantaloupe are not so easy to dig out as pumpkins, but these had been done very easily by cutting in halves, then fastening together with gummed paper seals and tying with ribbons. Other lanterns of paper were strung in close festoons along the water's edge, vying in re- flected radiance with the silvery moonpath on the beckoning waves. Gay blankets spread around the campfire furnished seats for the 72 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS guests, who were provided with partners by matching small slices of watermelon which looked as though they had been cut with a jig- saw. Each person, on receiving his slice, was cau- tioned on pain of paying a forfeit not to eat his melon till the signal was given. Before giv- ing this signal the hostess explained to the circle about the campfire that the seeds were to be saved and the one who ate his slice quick- est should have first chance at the next game. This was a modification of bean-bag, each player rising in turn and shooting his seeds from between thumb and forefinger at a target — a melon of green tissue paper inflated like a toy balloon and swung by a long ribbon from one of the light pole cross-pieces to within six feet of the ground. The one causing the target to sway the larg- est number of times by a given number of shots received a prize of a "Coon Song" all about "Water-millions," the booby being pre- sented with a derisive clipping from a sport- ing magazine entitled, "Big Game I Have Bagged." A variation of this is shooting ^ MELON SHOOTING ON THE BEACH "This form of melon archery is great fun" A MELON FROLIC 73 metal-tipped paper arrows at a real melon suspended by a ribbon from the cross-piece. This form of melon archery is great fun* A real melon-eating contest followed. The girls were lined up behind a long plank, the ends of which were supported on trestles. Kitchen chairs would serve the same purpose. Before each contestant reposed a slice of watermelon. Facing them across the fire was a similar line of boys and melon slices, the partners being opposite each other. The two big brothers of the hostess now passed quickly behind the lines, tying each pair of hands securely with a bandanna hand- kerchief. Then each brother stationed him- self at the end of his line with a stop-watch in his hand. The hostess cried, "One! Two! Three! Go!!" Every head ducked down to the juicy slices and amid much giggling, sputtering and chok- ing the contest proceeded rapidly till the sig- nal to stop. Then they all stood erect, their hands were released — the bandannas being re- 74 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS tained as useful souvenirs — their slices in- spected and prizes awarded. The girl whose slice showed the least red received a large papier mache watermelon filled with candied fruit, and the lucky boy was the proud recipient of a melon-red neck- tie. They were all lined up once more behind the devastated rinds and given small paring- knives with which to carve something — ani- mal, bird or human, anything they liked — out of the rind in a given time. Amid much mer- riment some really clever "sculpting" was done. The hostess now walked down the lines and left two numbers at each place, one for the sculptor and one for his "statue" — also a pen- cil and two ballots marked respectively, "Ladies' Prize" and "Gentlemen's Prize." When the time was up the lines marched slowly along to inspect the results of their labor and vote for the two they thought best. A remarkably lifelike bust of President Taft stood at the head of the masculine efforts in the plastic art, while the girl whose product A MELON FROLIC 75, received the largest number of votes had carved a wonderful pale green rose with the outside dark green of the rind utilized as foli- age. After this, more light refreshments were served — diced watermelon — the ex-contents of the lanterns — soaked in sherry, watermelon preserves, sweet spiced pickles of watermelon rind and sweet crackers. If you think this is too much watermelon you could substitute strawberry ices or ice cream in cantaloupe halves. Stories were then told around the fire, each raconteur throwing a fagot on the flames and telling his tale while it burned. A final plunge in the moonlit surf and a quick scam- per to the veranda for wraps, prior to dispers- ing for their various seaside homes ended what all declared to be "one evening in a mil- lion — water-million I" SEPTEMBER A GOLDEN-ROD PARTY Decorated with feathery sprays of golden- rod, the unique invitations, done in gilt letters on white cards, piqued the curiosity and caused a full attendance at the home of a col- lege girl whose little affairs always savored of novelty. She was the captain of her basket- ball team and her friends were all given to athletics and "gym." work. This was the last lawn party of the summer vacation time ; on the morrow they would all scatter to their various schools for the "winter grind." So the "Golden-Rod Play" was espe- cially appreciated. And it was a play in the fullest sense — even the play on the pretty word itself being cleverly carried out. The favors were little gilded canes tied with orange ribbon; the orange and lemon ices were molded like a shepherd's crook; yellow 76 A GOLDEN-ROD PARTY 77 candy canes were handed round, and larger ones of papier mache, filled with candied So ca.n J- ,y Ca.n you hccir c 9o7d.en rodi' Come tn/rtd trif. Cayr. 10U. f.sh ^ith ^^olc^en-to^r 2?c ot- die. „ Ca.lL \jou. ecd fi- joltlen-rot^r Pfease re/^fif WOR AT A GOLDEN-ROD PARTY^(_^^^^ THE PRIZE 78 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS fruits, lemon drops and sugar plums were among the prizes awarded. Yellow was the predominating color in the menu which comprised among other good things devilled eggs, cheese sandwiches, gold cake, lady fingers and ripe peaches, pears and glowing yellow bananas. The whole house, to which they adjourned for refreshments after the outdoor games were over, was a mass of golden bloom with which the dancing yellow flames of a cheerful grate fire vied in colorful suggestion. Great jars and vases overflowed with golden-rod, the crepe paper candle shades were ornamented with it, while the hostess herself in yellow muslin was crowned with a cunningly ar- ranged tiara of the short, pointed flower tips. Out on the lawn, huge vases and tubs, filled with golden plumes, glowed in the light of yellow jack-o'-lanterns. "Jumping a Golden- Rod" proved great sport for young, well- trained muscles. A strip of wide ribbon of gold gauze was unfolded along the greensward- The ribbon measured exactly five and one-half yards or A GOLDEN-ROD PARTY 79 one rod in length. Whoever could make the rod in the fewest jumps, running and stand- ing jumps both being allowed, won a prize — a fishing-rod of yellow bamboo. The booby received a cane filled with lemon drops. Another version of jumping a golden-rod consisted of seven jars of golden-rod, ranged on the ground in a graduated row, each taller than the last and each numbered on the side. Whoever jumped over the first received one point toward the prize, the second, which was higher, scored two points, and so on. Very few attained victory over the tallest jar, as it measured several feet in height. The countryside had been scoured for these tall golden-rods which grew to giant size in that locality. If it is not easy to obtain large enough, the final jar could be set up on a small hassock. The highest jumper among the boys was the proud recipient of a handsome cane of yellow maplewood, while the athletic girl won a prize of a gold pin — two tiny, crook-handled canes crossed like swords. Incidentally, if one must cut down the expense of any party in 8o SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS which contests play an important part, one can always give score-cards and play for one gen- eral prize instead of small ones for each game. Still a third version of jumping a golden- rod was furnished by a pole-vaulting contest, in which a gilt curtain-rod served for the pole. This was followed by a fishing bout with a bamboo rod and reel in a tub full of small articles wrapped in yellow paper and tied with gilt cord. These were all from the ten-cent store and were of the April fool order — negro dolls, comic valentines, rubber rattles and the like. The second query of the rhymed invitation — "Can you bear a golden-rod?" — was most amusingly answered in the negative by all of the merry company, for laughter prevented every one from succeeding in the trick, which was to carry round a prescribed area on the lawn a candy cane with its crook handle curved over one's outstretched tongue, prop- erly rigid and pointed for the experiment. No matter how determined the player might be to keep that cane from falling off his tongue, the ludicrous humor of the thing A SEED PARTY 8i would tickle him so that before he knew it or half completed the circuit, down it would slip amidst the laughing shouts of the onlookers. However, to make up for this mortifying failure, everybody present succeeded admir- ably in complying with the last request of the invitation — each ate a golden- rod of orange ice and nobody died of it. The evening ended with dancing — and how many care-free "gold- en-rods" were tripped by the light feet of youth no one knew save the living-room floor ■ — and it never told. A SEED PARTY As golden September wanes into flaming October, the flower gardens droop their flaunt- ing banners of rainbow hues, signifying love and springtime, and put on the sober browns of maturity and harvest. This is a good time for the fortunate owner of a garden to give a seed party. Ask your friends to come over some sunny afternoon and bring their garden hats, seeds and cata- logues. Provide each one with a long envelope of 82 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS stout manila paper and lead them into the garden. Apportion them to certain beds of flowers — vegetables, too, if you have them — and tell them to gather the ripened seeds therefrom. If you like you can give each a wooden bowl or a china soup plate in which to winnow the seeds from their husks after the manner in which our primitive forefathers cradled the grain from the harvest fields. The bowl serves better than a plate or pan, as the littlest seeds like poppy and cockscomb will not blow out so readily when "rocked." After alternately crushing, cradling and blowing to get rid of chaff, hulls and dried sepals, the seeds can be safely garnered in their respective envelopes to be sealed and labeled. This is done after the garden party has ad- journed to the house, pencils, scissors and paste-pots being provided for the purpose. The colored plates or half-tone cuts from the catalogues may be levied upon for labels to cut out and paste upon the envelopes, to- gether with planting directions which may be either clipped or copied from the catalogues. A SEED PARTY 83 If you do not care to collect toll from your neighbors' seed books, you can easily supply all necessities from old back numbers of your own or those readily obtainable from the seed merchants. Have each one sign her name to her enve- lope; this will be a pleasant reminder next planting season. Before sealing the envelopes, which should be left till the very last, have them all displayed open for inspection and take a vote as to whose handwork is neatest and best, giving a prize of a book on garden- ing. Now distribute more envelopes for the pur- pose of exchanging surplus seeds all round. One will find herself supplied in her own store which she has brought from home, with more zinnia or nasturtium seed than she can pos- sibly use, but no pansy seed at all, she having thoughtlessly planted these sand and shade- loving flowers in hot, open ground, so they re- fused to propagate at all. Similar race suicide prevails among your nasturtiums — though you had an early display of the orange beauties under your dining-room 84 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS windows. Another, fortunate as to pansies and nasturtiums, has had no luck at all with Shirley poppies — something must have eaten the plants, for not a blossom showed its silky head. A trade is promptly effected. Soon everybody is busy "swapping" — sweet peas, morning-glory, scarlet runner, hyacinth bean, candytuft and bachelor buttons all change owners quickly, and next spring every one will be well supplied. Nothing is so provoking to the flower lover as finding herself short at the crucial moment on some particular seed in her carefully planned planting diagram, for which she has to sead to town or away to her special seeds- man, while the warm spring rains are being wasted on empty soil. And it takes a skilled gardener to calculate exactly how much will be needed in a given area. And it adds insult to injury to be told by her farthest neighbor afterward, "Why, didn't you have enough mignonette seed for the bor- der to your canna bed? That's too bad ! I fed my canary a whole saucerful — it's too risky to keep them over till next spring, you know. A SEED PARTY 85 You're never sure they'll grow. I was just disgusted, though, when I found myself two rows short on sweet alyssum to edge those sal- via beds — what? You gave your.wash-woman a teacupful? Oh, dear!" When everybody is supplied with the cov- eted seeds, have them seal the envelopes and then serve "seedy refreshments." These are salad sprinkled with chopped walnuts and celery seed, salted almonds, mixed nuts, sand- wiches (be sure to remind your guests that bread flour is ground from wheat seed), cof- fee, also made from a seed berry — seed cakes, caraway cookies and strawberry ice cream, which also contains the seed suggestion. If you like, you can close with a guessing contest as to the number of seeds in a big- headed sunflower brought from the garden, presenting the prize winner with a seed-pearl stickpin. OCTOBER AN AUTUMN LEAF TEA 'A pretty and instructive suggestion for the hostess in search of novel entertainment for her friends is that of an Autumn Leaf Tea. It is surprising how many of us, well-versed in nature-lore though we may think ourselves, find our brains puzzled in attempts to identify the leaves of our most familiar vines and trees — ^especially when they are detached from the parent stem by which we unconsciously recog- nize them. Anyone, for instance, seeing the white, rounded, dryad-limbs of the birch tree im- mediately knows what it is — but when only the leaf itself confronts us, we are completely at a loss, for a moment at least, to place our femi- nine friend of the woods. The cut-leaf birch is particularly difficult to differentiate from the mountain ash. 86 AN AUTUMN LEAF TEA 87 A new way to carry out the how-to-know- the-leaves idea is here described, and it fur- nishes your guests with especially personal souvenirs of the occasion in self-made herbar- iums — or rather leafariums. If you are so fortunate as to live in or near a forest, your invitations may be written on white birch bark, but if not, green or brown cardboard, cut the shape of a maple or oak leaf, will do. They read as follows : 88 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS The October fields and hillsides are levied upon for their riot of colorful decorations — sumac's crimson and oak tree's green and gold, the yellow flame of the maple and the copper wonder of the beech will transform your house as if turned outside in — indeed, the whole out- doors can be brought within four walls merely for the taking. Even in the dusty cities the florists provide great sheaves of autumnal leaves at a nominal price. The tea-table stands under a bower of bronze and red, the fireplaces are woodland banks, while every jardiniere and vase and tub overflows with leafy splendor. If you care to take the trouble, beautiful candle shades can be made of half-turned autumn leaves — their illumined glow is wonderful. Receiving guests at the door is a young girl in autumn- leaf paper costume, with leaves in her hair and a leaf-lined basket of fruit The hostess herself can carry out the same lovely color scheme in gown and hair orna- mentation; indeed, it would be hard not to find in one's wardrobe some of the many gor- geous leaf-hues, from the soft brown wood- AN AUTUMN LEAF TEA 89 tones to vivid scarlet. A crown of natural woodbine or Virginia creeper tendrils would be a most becoming garniture for even graying tresses. Have the tables arranged as for cards. Pro- vide each with a pair of scissors, a pot of muci- lage or a sheet of gummed paper and a slab of paraffin or white wax. Also four pencils to go with four blotting-books made of ordinary white blotters tied loosely with gay-colored ribbons, and a sheaf of assorted leaves. Wil- low, laurel, maple, ash, oak, birch, beech, sumac, grape-vine, rose, apple, cherry and pear furnish a goodly variety of the commoner ones. Have ready on the kitchen range a moder- ately warm flatiron for each table. Care must be exercised not to allow these to grow too hot, or the "leafariums" will be spoiled. If you have children or child friends, they will be delighted to be included in the grown-ups* party as a reward for carrying the irons when needed. After your guests are all seated at the tables instruct them how to proceed: Cut slits in 90 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS each blotter for the insertion of a leaf-stem, the tips to be pasted down or fastened with narrow strips of gummed paper, the preserv- ing wax rubbed on the face of the iron, which is then rubbed lightly over the leaf. The name of the leaf is to be written beneath it, before going on to the next one at the stroke of the time-bell. The hostess makes the rounds between leaves and pastes a holly-leaf seal on each blot- ter whose leaf is correctly mounted and named. Extra loose blotters may be placed on each table for the "smart" women who achieve extra results in the time allowed. If you care to prolong the afternoon's di- version, each guest may be required to draw a leaf upon the cover page of her book and color it with water-color paints provided for the purpose. An appropriate prize for this would be an enameled leaf-pin. When each leafarium is completed and signed with the worker's name at the stroke of the call-bell, they are all collected and passed upon by the judge or judges for prize awards. The one containing the highest num- AN AUTUMN LEAF TEA 91 ber of holly-leaf seals is awarded a garden book or other prize suitable to the occasion. An additional prize for neatness and gen- eral appearance may be given if you like. Upon the booby is bestowed a satirical wreath of laurel or bay leaves, either real or artificial, after which the leafariums are redistributed to their owners to take home as souvenirs. The hostess or one of her guests now recites, with his well-known wooden gestures, Bill Nye's famous poem beginning: "The autumn leaves are falling, They are falling everywhere; Falling in the atmosphere, And likewise in the air." Everybody then adjourns to partake of "Autumn Leaf Tea," the chief feature of which consists in everything being served in a nest of leaves, from the leaf-lettuce sand- wiches and parsley-sprinkled salad to the real Ceylon, which is dispensed in leaf-green cups set in saucers garnished with rose-geranium leaves. 92 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS A BLACK CAT PARTY Hallowe'en affords but slight opportunity for great variation from the time-honored tra- ditional party program — Bobbing for Apples, Candle-and-Mirror fortune telling, and all the other ways of answering the important question, "Who is my fate?" Those who prefer to deviate from the beaten track, will find a newer diversion for this prankish holiday in A Black Cat Party. Instead of the customary pumpkin lanterns for decorations and invitations you are to con- fine your effects solely to black cats of every size. It is a very simple matter to cut them from a traced pattern laid on black cardboard or blotting paper. This cat pattern may be found in any kindergarten book of outline drawings. Or you can obtain the cats all ready to cut out of Hallowe'en crepe paper which comes in bright orange hues, decorated profusely with black cats and witches in pointed caps. Tiny black kittens romp over the margins of the card invitations which read as follows : A BLACK CAT PARTY 93 "Meow! Meow! Please listen now! I bring good luck Wherever seen, Especially On Hallowe'en. There'll be a stack Of cats as black — Come find your own Among the pack; You'll learn your fate and know the worst The night of October thirty-first. Miss Brown. Hotel Imperial, New York." Instead of the expected hostess to greet them at the door, the Hallowe'eners are met by a monstrous black feline who gives a tentative pawshake with a loud "Meow!" After a while this creature on all fours is discovered to be a mischievous boy friend whose indul- gent sister or mother has rigged up a costume for him out of black cotton crepon padded out with cotton batting at the proper places, with a comical long tail stiffly wired, and a Japan- ese cat-mask. This feature of the evening's 94 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS entertainment may be dispensed with, al- though the costume is not difficult nor expen- sive to make, and a boy of waggish tendencies can carry off the part of magnified puss and make a lot of fun for himself and others through the evening. In larger towns or cities where theatrical costumers abound, a Puss-in-Boots costume may be rented for this part, with plumed hat, cat-mask, velvet coat, roll-top boots and all. But the home-made pussy will be perhaps even jollier. The hostess pins a black cardboard cat upon every guest's coat lapel or corsage and any kind of Hallowe'en costume is permissible, just so a black cat figures somewhere upon it. Even if the witch of Endor should come in riding on her broom, she must be accompanied by her dark boon companion. At one jolly Hallowe'en party a young woman wore a Chinese costume of yellow, ap- pliqued with paper cats and with her came wee two-year-old Robert, who trotted shyly around in a clown's white, puffy pantaloons and conical cap all plastered over with dusky =£33s2r^--^.-. .^'^ A BLACK CAT PARTY 95 kitty-cats. Everybody applauded vocifer- ously when he sang — "My kitty has gone from her basket, My kitty has gone up a tree, Oh, who will go up in the branches, And bring back my kitty to me?" When the company is seated, the hostess brings in the family tabby and explains that the first one that puss touches after being set down on the floor will be the first one of the crowd to get married. Thereupon, everybody breaks into cries of "Kitty! Kitty!" or "Scat!" according to their views on the all-important question. The lucky or unlucky person favored by the cat is then presented with a toy kitten stuffed with sawdust as an emblem of marital good luck. If Tabby is too frightened by the uproar to make up with anyone, but dashes out of the room, this is a sure portent that nobody pres- ent will be wed within a year. The toy cat is the oracle for the next test of fate. It is perched on the extreme edge of a long polished library table which has been 96 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS cleared for the purpose. Whoever, by gently tipping the table, can slide the cat right side up into the waste basket waiting to receive it at the other end of the table will have good luck till next Hallowe'en. The unlucky wight who overturns the cat on its toboggan toward the waste basket will have misfortune for a year. A toy black cat on casters or rollers is next introduced. At the end of a cleared space on the bare floor are ranged a set of child's blocks with the letters of the alphabet on their sides. Each player is given two chances to bowl the cat toward the blocks. Whatever letters are touched or displaced by the impact will be the initials of one's fate. If you are not skillful enough to speed the catapult into any block at all, you will remain for a year in single blessedness. Another similar form of fortune-telling is being pursued by a jolly group of young folks nearby. A stuffed cloth cat has been plastered all over with white gummed letters of the al- phabet and suspended by a ribbon in the door- way. Someone sets the cat swaying or whirl- A BLACK CAT PARTY 97 ing, after which the players each in turn spear it with long, heavy headed hatpins. The letters impaled are the fateful initials and, of course, prospective bachelors and bachelor maids are numerous, for not every- one is skilled in this precarious form of marks- manship. Papers and pencils are now given out for a new guessing game called: Dissecting the Cat When properly dissected by the most skill- ful surgeon present, any pussy is found to con- tain the following astonishing assortment of things : I — A kind of tree — Fur. (Fir.) 2 — A silent delay — Paws. (Pause.) 3 — A group of words making complete sense. Claws. (Clause.) 4 — A story. Tail. (Tale.) 5 — Parts of a line of poetry. Feet. 6 — What mice do when they hear the cat. Hide. 7 — Frequently heard in the talk of an ego- tist. (Eyes.) I's. 98 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS On closer examination "Black Cats" only are found to contain : I — Something to play ball with. Bat. 2 — Something lazy horses do. Balk. 3 — Something most women love to do. Talk. 4 — A part of the anatomy. Back. 5 — Used in fastening carpets. Tack. 6 — Found in a hay-field. Stack. 7 — Common form of seasoning. Salt. 8 — Used to hold flour. Sack. 9 — Used on old-fashioned beds. Slat. 10 — Largest part of growing corn. Stalk. Another guessing contest for this occasion is — HIDDEN IN ALL HALLOWE'EN r. A pair of shoemaker's implements? Two awls. (Alls.) 2. What we all like to take? Ease. (E's.) 3. What none of us likes to do? Owe. 4. A boy's name? Hal. 5. A large room? Hall. A BLACK CAT PARTY 99 6. To let? Allow. 7. Not high? Low. 8. What you say when you step on a tack? Ow! 9. What you say when you are surprised? Ha! 10. What you say over the telephone? Hello! 11. An old name for eyes? Een. 12. What an old-fashioned house has? Several ells. 13. What will a cramp do to you? Dou- ble you. 14. A paradox — something that never was? High-fen. (Hyphen.) "Cat conversation" will enliven the crowd after the intent silence which falls over every guessing contest. Quick wits are brought into play in this amusing phase of A Black Cat Party. The players are seated in a circle; the leader starts off with an observation about "the new school c^/alog" ; number two replies that it is "most cfl/egorical," which number three 100 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS follows quickly with, "I feel like <:^/erwaul- ing when I see it," while number four in- quires, "I didn't catch what you said," or, "I like cfl/sup," and so on, around the room, the idea being that each must say something with a word containing "cat" as a syllable or part of one. Those who are unable in one minute to think up the required sentence are greeted with a chorus of "Sc^^s!" and must get out of the circle, which finally narrows down to the winner, who receives a pocket dictionary as a well-earned prize for his cleverness in word- juggling. By all means, someone should read or recite Anthony Euwer's clever "Boy's Essay on Cats," as most apropos to A Black Cat Party. Any number of modifications of old games could be introduced — "A Cat-Hunt," instead of a Peanut Search, with animal crackers for quarry, pinning the tail on a cat instead of a donkey, when blindfolded, and various others will suggest themselves. NOVEMBER GAMES FOR THANKSGIVING TIME TIME FOR TURKEY This good time centers most appropriately about the fowl which toward the end of No- vember eclipses the glory of the eagle as our national bird. The little play upon the word which leaves one in doubt as to which Turkey is meant, the bird or the country, adds to the spicy flavor of the fun. It might be well to read up a little on the country of the Orient which bears the same name as the Thanksgiving bird, in order to be ready for catches in the games ; otherwise an unexpected turn in the play may find you nap- ping. The invitations were written on soft note- paper, thrust into tiny papier mache roast turkeys and sent by parcel post. They read as follows : lOI I02 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS "Time for Turkey at our house, evening of Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November ^th, at ate of the clock eggsactly. You may roost on our perch for the evening without being plucked, though you may lose your head before midnight. You are to provide your own dressing, remembering that fine feathers do not always make fine birds. It will be your own fault if you are roasted, but we promise that you will be 'a young gobbler well stuffed' before the evening is over, for we intend to cut up all we like and put Turkey on the map. Come and help us do it. "Yours for a good time, "Ethel and Oliver Smith." The favors for the girls were small roast turkey boxes filled with Turkish paste, while the boys received paper turkey gobblers stuffed with what looked like Turkish cigar- ettes, but which turned out to be harmless imi- tations of chocolate and sugar. Partners were found by numbers on the in- side of the candy box lids. Ethel and Oliver sang the old "Gobble Duet" from Pinafore; TIME FOR TURKEY 103 one of the guests played a turkey trot on the piano, but parental decree forbade the danc- ing of that edifying wriggle, although in its modified form of the one-step it was not only allowed, but the elders joined in the whirl. After an hour of dancing, games were an- nounced, the first of which was called "Stuf- fing the Turkey." Two kinds of stuffing were on the bill of fare: One consisted in blind- folding each player, placing one of the papier mache turkeys in his hand with the lid off, and telling him to fill it from the pile of tiny gum drops on the table in a given length of time — two minutes being allowed to perform the feat. His awkward efforts to find the candy and then fill the turkey with it produced shouts of laughter from the onlookers, who all thought it must be so easy and simple — till they tried it themselves. The second kind of stuffing was shown when the victim was stood up against a wall blind- folded, and told to open his mouth, while some one tried to toss gumdrops into the aper- ture at a distance of six paces. I04 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS A guessing game which puzzled everyone was called THINGS FOUND IN TURKEY 1. Capital? Constantinople. (Nearly every guest said "Capital T.") 2. Musical instruments? Drum-sticks. 3. Home for wives? Harem. One senti- mental miss said, "Heart." 4. A story? Tale. 5. What herbs? Sage and Tobacco. (The last grows in Turkey.) 6. What races? White and dark. (This applies to both "Turkeys.") 7. What two countries are always near by? Grease (also Greece) and China. Charades followed and were shown in two acts of several scenes each: FIRST CHARADE First Act Two boys comparing bits of quartz and talking excitedly about "striking it rich." Ore. TURKEY CHARADES 105 Second, two girls halt before the company, one lifting the eyelid of the other and peering carefully into the pupil. Eye. Third, a pair of boys blacked up to repre- sent negroes, quarreling violently in planta- tion dialect. As they go out each declares angrily, "Dis am de en' ob our fr'en'ship. Dis am de en'." Answer, N. Fourth, the tallest girl in the crowd, fol- lowed by a group of smaller girls, who all lookup at her wonderingly, exclaiming, "My! isn't she tall?" Answer, Tall. The whole, Oriental. Second Act A boy in baggy trousers — a divided skirt tied about his ankles, smoking a long Turkish pipe, sitting cross-legged on the floor — Turk. Second, a girl hunting through her shop- ping-bag for something she cannot find, shakes her head and goes out. A boy, turning all his pockets wrong side out, till at last he finds what he is looking for — fits it to the lock of the door and walks out. Key. Answer, Ori- ental Turkey. io6 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS SECOND CHARADE Two boys enter, smoking the candy cigar- ettes, one asks the other for a light, applies the end of his cigarette to the other boy's cheroot, says, "Thanks," and both go out. Thanks. Second. A girl, dressed in rags, begs an- other girl for just a penny to buy bread. The other gives her a piece of money and both re- tire. Answer, Giving. Third. Turkey is represented by two boys who come in gobbling loudly, "Gobble! Gob- ble!" Answer to whole, Thanksgiving Turkey. The entertainment concluded with a beau- tiful little tableau : "Giving Thanks" A group of five children dressed respect- ively as king, queen, page, knight and flower- girl. King and queen, crowned and sceptered, seated in high-backed chairs, page at king's right, knight kneeling in gratitude before them, while the flower-girl, garlanded and crowned with rose buds, strews roses from her basket at the feet of the king and queen. A FRUIT FAIR FROLIC 107 The refreshments consisted of cold sliced turkey, cranberry jelly, nut salad and ice cream in turkey molds. The evening ended in dancing. A FRUIT FAIR FROLIC The time of giving thanks for the gifts of nature is a good season to have a fruit fair, in your own home living-room or in the church, by way of merely social enjoyment, or of rais- ing money for the church in readiness for its winter activities. This is an entirely new de- parture from the traditional festival or har- vest-home frolic. If for a church social send out invitations cut out of suitably colored cardboard in the shapes of various fruits, red for apples, crim- son for cherries, blue for bunches of grapes, purple for plums, yellow for peaches and pears, and so on. They can be artistically touched up in delicate shadings with water colors, if you care to take the trouble. Similar cards, two of each kind or color, tied with baby ribbons, may be used for match- ing partners in the games, if it is a porch or io8 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS house party only. For a neighborhood club affair these may not be needed. The invita- tions read: A FRUIT FAIR FROLIC 109 "By their fruits ye shall know Who can make the best show, In our vineyard next Saturday night; There'll be tasting and hasting, But not any wasting; There'll be nudging and judging, But never begrudging. For each one awaits a most toothsome bite; Admission is fruit. Raw or cooked, just to suit; If you use your eyes. You'll win a prize; Come and join in the fun at its height." The possibilities here are endless. The dec- orations alone present a bewildering array of fascinating ideas. If the fair is held in a lodge hall or on a big piazza, leafy branches from trees laden with ripe fruit — -late har- vest apples, frosty grapes, fully ripened plums and peaches — ^will contribute a richly festive appearance, like a bit of transplanted wood- land. Green, red and yellow Japanese lanterns, decked with tissue paper leaves in a fringe at the top, are hung around in profusion; or if there are electric chandeliers, they may wear no SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS gay paper shades of green or autumn leaf tints. Here also is utilized the pretty Japanese fancy of cutting notches in bare twigs and branches and wedging therein crisp rosettes of pink and white crepe paper to imitate plum and cherry and apple blossoms. Grape vines, hanging full of luscious clusters, are twined everywhere in arboreal effect quite like out- doors. All sorts of imitation fruits, either out of season or not easily procurable, such as apples, peaches and pears of wax, candy or papier mache, oranges and lemons of yellow paper stuffed and puffed with cotton, emery balls of scarlet cloth made in the shape of strawberries, are cunningly fastened with their real proto- types among their native foliage. Much hilarity ensues when unsuspicious fingers try to pick bunches of milliner's grapes or high-hung wax cherries from a beckoning green bough. From this can be evolved an amusing contest: "Fake Fruits." Stand contestants five paces from the leader, allowing guesses at five or ten cents apiece A FRUIT FAIR FROLIC iii which of the two apples he holds up in either hand is real and which artificial. He may change — or pretend to change — the fruit be- hind his back, till the right guess is made, when he takes up the next pair, one being a spurious but lifelike bunch of red currants or a downy peach from the bonnet shop. The successful guesser is awarded the real fruit, the leader keeping the imitations for the next contest — which is to guess what is contained inside them. These guesses will go wide of the mark, but will end in a gale of laughter, when the papier mache peach is opened and reveals — not candy as expected, but sawdust, breakfast food, rice, sugar, tobacco, flour, salt, a thimble, a spool of thread, pins, needles, pen points or any one of a hundred similar things. Here the first to guess right receives the peach and its contents as a prize, while the leader takes up another — a pear, lemon or plum, ready for the next relay of guessers. You will find a neat sum netted from this curi- osity-whetting game by the end of the evening. If desired, you may allow, at so much per 112 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS guess, a contest as to the correct number of grains of rice contained in the "Fake Fruits." An apple-peeling race for the men, or a banana-slicing contest for the women, if the season is not too far advanced, will also enliven things considerably. Place the apples or bananas in small pans, and provide the workers with paring-knives and quart boxes. At a given signal they be- gin, stopping short when the stated time is up. A prize of a silver fruit knife or pearl-handled penknife may be awarded the deft-fingered ones who win out with the largest results of their labors. Near by a fruit-sampling contest is provok- ing shrieks of laughter from the crowd. Sev- eral different kinds of fruit have been cut into small pieces and are being fed to blindfolded people, who try to guess by the taste of the sample what each fruit may be. It sounds ridiculously easy — if you have never tried it; after which you are greatly surprised to find what a large part our eyes play in the taste of all edibles. Far removed from this "madding crowd" THE SECRET ORCHARD 113 is a quiet comer where a thoughtful group is busily gnawing lead pencils and studying divers and sundry curious objects ranged on a long table with numbers pasted near each article. These puzzled ones have paid a dime for the privilege of finding and noting down on numbered lists all the wonderful fruits to be discovered only by profound research into THE SECRET ORCHARD 1. Picture of pretty girl. — Peach. 2. A straw half under some earth. — Strawberry. 3. A piece of string with lead sinker at- tached. — Plum. 4. A pair of shoes. — Pear, 5. A coil of electric wire. — Currant. 6. A pile of shot. — Grape. 7. Box of shoe blacking and a coffee berry. — Blackberry. 8. Piece of sandpaper and a coffee berry. — Raspberry. 9. Sketch of runaway couple overtaken by irate father. — Cantaloupe. 114 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS 10. A marked calendar leaf. — Date. 11. Doll sitting in chair and boy doll in running attitude. — Citron. 1 2. Letter O and a toy stove. — Orange. Those who locate properly all these hidden fruits are awarded glasses of home-made jelly from the exhibits further down the hall where the real Fruit Fair is held. Ranged in appe- tizing rows on narrow tables are the choicest products of all the orchards and jam closets in the parish. There are always numbers of busy house- wives in every community who have no time nor inclination for fruit preserving. These will be eager purchasers of homemade pickles, jams and jellies — the eaters of their house- holds having quickly tired of the cloying glu- cose-and-acid products of the factories. Every true follower of the preserver's art has developed some particular specialty for which she is justly noted: Little Mrs. Ben- nett brings a glass of her famous quince jelly, Mrs. Home, the professor's Southern wife, contributes one of her precious bottles of THE SECRET ORCHARD 115 cherry conserve ; Mrs. Ferry displays her de- servedly renowned apple pie — for fruit in any form is welcome; while Mrs. Thurston, the model housekeeper on the hill, has brought a jar of her delicious tutti-frutti, and Mrs. Grano, the newcomer from Denmark, proudly shows her first attempt at watermelon pre- serves. Prior to throwing open this toothsome array for general purchase, every one is allowed to pass down the line and vote for the exhibits -deserving the blue and red ribbons signifying first and second prizes. In this way will be avoided the usual heart-burning and scathing criticisms of luckless judges. This ceremony can be dispensed with altogether, however, if one considers discretion the better part of valor. The funniest man of the crowd, having con- sented to act as auctioneer, mounts on a chair and proceeds to auction off his wares to the highest bidders. After which everybody throngs into the supper-room for the refresh- ments which consist largely of fruits — fig new- tons, fruit cake and jelly cake being served ii6 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS with the tutti-frutti ice cream and coffee, top- ping off with whatever can be procured in the line of fresh raw fruits. The ladies in charge of the various booths may exercise considerable ingenuity in cos- tumes appropriate to the occasion, if they wish: Colored plates of fruit from seed cata- logues and agricultural year-books may be drawn upon for cutting out appetizing decora- tions to be pasted on summer gowns of muslin ; aprons of paper with fruit decorations, wreaths of tissue paper blossoms, garlands of ribbon flowers and necklaces and bracelets of strung cranberries all help toward a most at- tractive and piquant fancy dress for the saucy daughters of Ceres who are to preside over the bounties raided from the overflowing gar- den of lavish Mother Nature. DECEMBER A SNOW FETE "Come over the snow Next Saturday night Where candles glow And fires shine bright On iceberg and floe And snowdrift white; Join our merry band And we all will go To the frigid land Of the Esquimau. Wear white — Saturday night." These fun-promising invitations were writ- ten on icicles of cardboard which had been first smeared with mucilage and then dusted thickly with powdered mica — an oblong hav- ing been left clear in the center for the words of the invitation. This gave the keynote of the evening — everything suggestive of polar snow and ice 117 ii8 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS was carried out in decorations, costumes and games. The living-room was a frozen bower, with its shrubs and tree branches apparently a-glitter with hoarfrost. Bare boughs had been gathered from the woods, smeared with paste and thrust bodily into dishpans full of white confetti — then the whole powdered with mica or "Diamond Dust." Every bowl and jardiniere in the house had been planted full of these whitened branches, giving an effect indescribably beautiful. Also the cardboard icicles were everywhere in evidence. White canvas was on the floors and the hostess wore a costume of white crepe paper, pasted thickly with silver stars and magnified snowflakes of every pattern. Her powdered hair was capped with a tinsel crown. From spirals of white coiled wire in the front of her crown rose silver stars which quivered and twinkled with every motion. She carried a silver wand similarly decorated with stars and tied with white tinsel ribbon. She ushered her white clad guests, as they came from the wrap-room, into an igloo or A SNOW FETE 119 Esquimau hut which had been erected on a platform at one end of the living-room. This hut was made of packing boxes and roofed with rafters of barrel hoops to give a rounded or beehive shape. Over all, outside and inside, cotton batting had been tacked and dusted with the snow powder. Icicles like stalagmites and stalactites glittered at the door of the igloo and all along the interior. At the further end on an icefloe throne, made of wood but topped with a thick plate of glass from father's office desk, sat an Esquimau fortune- teller, swathed from head to foot in white furs. To each comer who filed by him the for- tune-teller handed a crepe paper snowball, and mumbled words of dark portent; as for instance — to a boy known to be attracted by a Titian-haired lassie in the crowd, "Beware of an auburn-haired lady! She will steal something from beneath your lower left vest pocket before very long!" Or to a girl whose sweetheart was away at college, "You will receive a letter from a dark man in three — to you it will seem three I20 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS years, but it may be three days or three weeks." The fortune-teller should be somebody well acquainted with everyone, taking care that his jibes, while pointed and personal, may hurt nobody's feelings. The white paper snowballs contained halves of white candy hearts, which when matched up, secured to everyone present a partner for the evening. Outside of the igloo "Dr. Cook" and "Peary" were being impersonated by pairs who were blindfolded, turned round three times and headed for the North Pole — a totem-pole, freshly carved with jack-knives in fantastic figures. The first of each pair to reach the pole was awarded another snowball — this time a tooth- some popcorn ball. If neither "Peary" nor "Dr. Cook" succeeded in reaching the North Pole within a given time, they were compelled to pay a forfeit — walking blindfolded on hands and knees around the room — a la polar bear. The next game was "Biting the Snowball" A SNOW FETE 121 and proved to be most mirthful. A popcorn ball suspended by a ribbon in a doorway was to be bitten at least once in five trials. It swung tantalizingly near the biter who was always sure he would bite into that popcorn ball — next time! "Digging the Drift" was almost as funny. A deep pan filled with white paper confetti sat on a white-draped table. In the confetti had been imbedded various small trifles wrapped in white tissue paper — the favors of the evening. These were mostly from the ten- cent store and were as appropriate to a snow fete as could be obtained — wee Christmas trees in tiny pots — small stockings filled with bonbons — crystal paper weights — glass knife rests and so oru The digging was done with a toy spade such as children use in sand-play at the seashore. If the paper confetti is not obtainable, com- mon table salt may be used for "snow." Another game was "Shooting Polar Bears." This consisted in tossing marbles at a white Teddy bear, posed precariously on a parrot's perch. Careful aim and some force in marks- 122 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS ShootinglPoldr Bears " 'Tossing "MaT^Ies afa v\/hit€> Teddtf 'Bpcit^ posed -precatiouslif on a Thrrois pGrck. manship were required to knock Teddy from his perch, but when he toppled over, the suc- cessful "big-game hunter" who scored highest in bringing Bruin low, was awarded an air- rifle for his skill; or if "he" happened to be a girl, she was presented with a Cupid's-bow- and-arrow calendar. "A little gi: OUR LADY OF SXOWS posed very effectively as 'Our Lady of Snows' by Kipling" A SNOW FETE 123 Magic-lantern views of Alaska and the Es- quimaux followed. "Mushing up the Moun- tains," "Crack Dog Teams," "Prospecting on the Yukon," "Midwinter on Chilkoot," and "Christmas at the First Alaskan Mission" were among the pictures shown. Among the appropriate recitations given were: Longfellow's "December," Burns' "Winter," and "Cotter's Saturday Night," ex- tracts from Whittier's "Snowbound," and Longfellow's "Hiawatha." Everyone was called on for a quotation apropos to winter. Illustrated poems were delightful diver- sions. They were tableaux with the igloo for background and a curtain strung across its door on wire. A little girl, draped with a sheet and flowing spangled scarf, had bor- rowed the silver-star crown and wand from the hostess and posed very effectively as "Our Lady of Snows" — by Kipling. Several youngsters dressed in white in the act of making a snow man, with a boy hidden in the roof showering white confetti over the group, represented Lowell's "First Snowfall." A boy in white climbing up the side of the 124 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS hut and carrying a banner inscribed with the word "Excelsior" brought the poem of that name most vividly to mind. "Frost Fairies," represented by an effective group of girls in spangles and snow-dusted draperies, who were busily painting the win- dow of the igloo, concluded the tableaux. The entertainment part of the evening closed with a number of rollicking winter songs in which everyone joined: "Jingle Bells," "Seeing Nellie Home," "Over the Ice," "Greenland's Icy Mountains," and oth- ers of the same kind. The refreshments were equally appropriate to a snow fete : Celery salad, Apple Snow with Whipped Cream, Saltines, Popcorn, Ice Cream and Sherbet, Frosted Cakes, Crystallized Ginger, Glace Fruits and Iced Punch or Lemonade. Every guest voted the Snow Fete a triumph FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR 125 in paradoxes, cold in appearance, but warm in welcome, fun, and good cheer. WATCHING THE OLD YEAR OUT FAREWELL PARTY TO THE OLD YEAR "Father Time and Mother Earth, assisted by their twelve grandchildren and three hun- dred sixty-five great-grandchildren will give a farewell party to their son Oldyear, who starts on a long journey to join his four wives, on the evening of December 31, 191 — . A christening of their youngest child. New- year, may also be expected. You are cordially invited to attend. 1 1 1 Chestnut Street. June — and a rhyme about yourself." It was that last cabalistic sentence in these original invitations which gave the one tele- phone operator of a small Jersey town a busy hour after the postman had gone his rounds the day after Christmas. The young artist couple who lived at iii 126 SOpiAL ENTERTAINMENTS Chestnut Street were famous for their in- ventive ideas in entertaining, and every one of the eighteen recipients who composed the younger married set was on the qui vive to know "what the Billy Warrens were up to now — also what am / supposed to do?" So the telephone was kept buzzing until Mrs. Billy had instructed everyone what was expected of him or her, and cautioned against telling anything about it to a living soul. For each invitation had a different role de- manded of its recipient, and no one was to know what the rest were to be — though it was not hard to guess. On New Year's Eve the guests were greeted at the Warren door by a tall, white-bearded, white-haired, old gentleman with a scythe over his shoulder, who, as Father Time, in- troduced his astonishingly portly wife, Mother Earth. She was very globular indeed, having been puffed out to a fair round fatness with the aid of sofa cushions. Upon her ample light-blue cotton gown her husband had stenciled out- line maps of the five grand divisions of the FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR 127 globe — Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. The guests were shown to wrap-rooms dimly lit with a single candle. This was in order to preserve as much secrecy as possible. When all were ready to come downstairs the lights of the living-room were lowered till the only illumination came from the logs blazing on the wide open hearth. Father Time led Mother Earth to the chim- ney corner and declaimed sonorously: "Old Father Time am I, Born countless ages gone, In dim antiquity, Before Creation's dawn. Joy, sorrow, life and death, To all mankind I bring; Tho' ancient as the world, I'm ever on the wing. All men must yield to me; Young, old or sad or blithe, And high or low degree, Must bow beneath my scythe. And thou my fruitful spouse Hast ever been, O Earth I From us an endless race Of progeny hath birth." 128 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Here Mother Earth stepped forward, lay- ing her hand on his arm : "I am thy spouse, O Time! Most bountiful and blest. Unnumbered children, thine. Have nursed my ample breast. I am the source of wealth. Great store of pelf I bear, And yield most lavishly — Gold, silver, jewels rare. To every living thing • I give its daily bread; For pauper and for king My bounties all are spread. Our sons, the Years, may do Their work and pass — but we, Their parents, Time and Earth, Must go on endlessly. Now thou, my son, Oldyear, May on thy way depart; This night thou goest hence — But not from thy mother's heart." Oldyear, bent and decrepit, white of beard and hair, leaning on a staff, took the hand of Mother Earth and kissed it: FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR 129 "Dear Mother, ere I pass, My word of love I give To thee and Father Time, For thou didst bid me live. Both happiness and grief Have been my portion here; I leave to comfort thee Thy latest son, Newyear. My work is done, I go To seek my wives so dear, Spring, Summer, Autumn cool. And Winter, pale and drear." As he turned to go, a flower-garlanded fig- ure in flovs^ing white draperies moved out from behind a screen in the chimney corner and advanced, hands outstretched toward Old- year. "When thou wert gay Newyear, I was thy bride in truth, The gentle Spring, who brought Thee sunlight, flowers and youth. Then love and song made life One merry holiday; Three children came to bless Our love — March, April, May." 130 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Two little girls and a boy came dancing down the aisle and ranged themselves between Oldyear and Spring. The boy spoke first: "A child of the winds am I, March — boisterous, blustering boy; Now lamb — now lion bold, I build up — and destroy." [April made her bow : "Of sun and shower born, A child of smiles and tears — = Where April's feet may pass The first green grass appears.** May, in pink, with blossoms decked and crowned, with flying curls, and a basket of ap- ple blooms on her arm, tripped out: "Spring's best-loved child am I, May — blossom of the year; I bring the flowers and say: 'The Joy of Life is here.' " Spring led her brood away, and from be- hind the screen stepped another shadowy fig- ure, robed in green, with trailing tendrils of vines and cherry clusters in her dark hair. FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR 131 Placing her hand in Oldyear's, she looked up into his face and said: "Thou wert a man full-grown, Oldyear, when thee I wed; A strong man's deep, strong love On me thou lavished. The blossom. Spring — a girl; Rich fruit — a woman, I, Warm Summer, with my babes June, August and July." She turned to meet three stately maidens pacing up the aisle. A burst of music fol- lowed — the Lohengrin Wedding March. For June was all in bridal white, with orange blos- soms and filmy veil. She was scattering roses as she came. She kissed Summer's brow and turned to face the crowd : "First born of Summer, I, The bridal month of June; Bedecked for lover's gaze, My path with roses strewn.'* July was swathed in red-white-and-blue bunting, wearing a Liberty cap and waving aloft the Stars and Stripes. She knelt for 132 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Summer's blessing, then turned to salute the guests : "The Maid of Liberty! The patriot month, July! Red roses, harvests white. And blue above, the sky!" August, in scarlet robes, w^ith poppies on her hair and bosom, carrying a sheaf of wheat ears, curtseyed low^: "The harvest maid am I, The dreamy August fair. Of slumb'rous nights and noons, With poppies in my hair." Summer vanished with her daughters. Old- year sat heavily in a wide easy-chair, leaning his hands and chin on his staff. Around the screen in the inglenook came a figure in brown and gold adorned with autumn leaves and weighted with fruit. She leaned over Oldyear and caressed his snowy locks with light fingers : "Wife of thy later days, I did thy burdens bear; I garnered in thy fruits. And gave thy children care." FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR 133 A boy with books under his arm and a spray of golden-rod in his buttonhole, whittling at a stick, loitered whistling up to meet her. He dodged as Autumn, with motherly hands tried to smooth his hair: "September, month of school, I cut vacations short; [Here he cut the stick through.] I do not like to be The end of play and sport." October, dressed much like Autumn, only in gayer colors, red and yellow, blue and brown and gold, leaned her head against her mother's shoulder: "October, Autumn's pet, I'm like my mother here; I help her work and care For Father, dear Oldyear." 'A large boy, staggering under a heavy basket, loaded with eatables — a turkey on top — dropped it before the group by the fireside, straightened his back with a groan and de- claimed : 134 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS "I'm Autumn's youngest son, And unto thee, Oldyear, Thanksgiving time I bring, All burdened with good cheer." Autumn passed with her sons and daughter. Winter, very pale and cold, white robes a-glit- ter with ice and snow, with starry crown and wand, appeared. "Old Age's bride am I; I shiver o'er the thought; Yet in three wondrous babes My happiness I sought." December, a boy in red sweater, fur cap and mittens, skates over his arm, drawing a sled on which was a tiny Christmas tree, hung with gleaming ornaments, pulled up in front and shouted : "Who says that Winter's drear? She gives us snow and ice, And Christmas gifts and fun; / think she's mighty nice!" He gave Winter a bear hug and a resound- ing smack and tramped noisily back to his seat. Oldyear's head nodded drowsily, his eyes closed, but no one noticed him. FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR 135 All were intent on January, who was exactly like his brother, except that on his sled was a little girl : "December's twin am I, And / think he is right, It's only old, old folks Who hate the Winter bright 1" The little girl clambered off the sled, and threw back her Red-Riding-Hood cloak to display a costume of white crepe paper thickly sprinkled with red hearts and gilt arrows. On her brown curls sat jauntily a crown of red hearts, points upward ; she carried a bow and arrow. "I'm February sweet, Dan Cupid's Valentine; I brought you Washington, And Lincoln, great and fine." An exclamation from Winter directed at- tention to Oldyear, who was seen to be peace- fully asleep with a smile on his face. Winter shook him gently but he did not rouse. Father Time and Mother Earth, who had been sitting all this time on a wide settle at 136 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS the side of the fireplace, came together and stood arm in arm gazing at the quiet face of the sleeping Oldyear and repeating softly in unison : "Farewell, dear son, thy time is past, Thou hast done well thy part, With all thy joys — mistakes a few — Farewell, farewell, dear heart!" Some one at the piano started up the melody of "Auld Lang Syne" and all joined in lustily. As the last strains ceased — "Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And the days of Auld Lang Syne?" the door burst open and a beautiful boy ran in. He capered up the aisle, stood before Father Time and Mother Earth and chanted in a high, sweet child voice : "Hail to the glad New Year I All hail with song and cheer! Let Hope rise high! Oh, do not sigh, For Oldyear passed away! Let us be glad and gay! FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR 137 Who knows what gladness To you I bring? Away with sadness! Arise and sing I Another happy family Have Father Time and Mother Earth ; As you quite soon will see, Of Days there is no dearth. They all will soon be yours, Be glad you are alive I I now present to each of you Three hundred and sixty-five 1" The little Newyear then passed around the favors of the evening — calendars most artisti- cally hand-decorated by the clever host and hostess with the foregoing rhymes and illus- trations of the Time family and their numer- ous brood, after which everybody adjourned to supper. The following toasts were drunk standing: "Here's to Father Time, The Grand Old Man sublime I Here's to Mother Earth, May she ever be filled with mirth I Here's to the Oldyear gone, May he wake to a happier dawril 138 SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS Here's to his spouses four, We wish they had been more! Here's to their dozen children, And their children's children's children. Here's to the Happy New Year! May he bring much joy to all here ! Here's to the days to come! May the supply diminish never. If we only had enough of them, We all would live forever!" Note. In the description of the Parcel Post game on page 60, the statement re- garding the mailing of books is no longer correct since the passage of the new law on March 16, 1914, which per- mits books and other printed matter to be sent by parcel post.