IBM a ffi Ira ■ ■HHIHI j^pare H ows ]Y {acje^c)pofvta3>le 1/ J3y Kennedy JfoTbrooI6 1887. Copyright, 1886, By WORTHINGTON CO. PREFACE Although this book is ostensibly a " boy's book," many things which it contains are equally nsef ul to girls ; and have been tried by the latter with entirely satisfac- tory results. In fact, it was to afford amusement and occupation, on rainy Saturdays and during the long vacation, to the children of both sexes in my own family, that the book was first written ; and it was only an after- thought which led me to give it to the public. Everything it contains has been deduced from my own experience or that of some trustworthy friend. While it has been my aim to meet the wants of children of all ages and in every condition of life, I have studiously avoided every subject which might be a source of anxiety to the most careful parent. It is with the hope that this little work may fulfill its mission in other families where it may be received, as happily as it has done in mine, that I send it on its way. The Author. October, 1886. INDEX. PAGE iEoLiAN harp, the 68 Air, earth, or the sea ? 244 Alum crystals, methods of coloring 25 Amusing experiment with tooth-picks 17 Animated fire 26 Annealing (repousse) 180 Antiques and horribles 230 Aquarium, the, 186 ; the author's fresh- water aquarium, 189 ; trouble of keep- ing a gold fish globe, 190 ; plants for fresh-water aquarium, ib ; artificial aer- ation, 191 ; salt-water aquarium, 191 ; preparing rock- work for, 192; minnows, 194 ; sticklebacks, 195 ; nest of stickle- back, 19T ; hermit crabs, 193 ; snails, 199; medusa?, sea-anemones, 200 ; serpuke 203 Arithmetical curiosity, an 274 Arithmetical trick, an 37 Baby, a box-sled for 44 Basket, a hanging 118 Balancing doll, the 20 Balancing pin, the 44 Ball, a good 16 Bangle bracelet, a 184 Barometer, a boy's 18 Barometer, an infallible 19 Battledore and Shuttlecock 251 Birds, Japanese paper 78 Blow-pipe, how to make a 27 Boats, paper 83 Boats, papier-mache 90 Book, how to make a 11 Boomerang, the 20 Boot puzzle, the 57 Boston clapper, the 71 Bottles, to cut the top from 18 Bottle imp, the 107 Bottle, t he obedient 281 Boxes, paper 119 Box-sled for baby 44 Boy's barometer, a 18 Boy's solar microscope, a 216 Bracelet, a handle 1S4 Brackets, an idea for 115 Brass, hammered, or repousse 175 Bridge, the triple 283 Bubbles, soap 31 Bubbles, resin 32 Burning the center from a handkerchief . . 304 Button-hole, to pull a string through a 314 Camera obscura, 144-154; principle of cam- era, 145 ; camera with horizontal screen, 146 ; a simpler form, 149 : the sketching camera, 150 ; the darkened room 152 Camping-out cooking-stove, a 308 Captain S's peg puzzle 23S ( !ars. a set. of 47 Cards, the three magical 33 PAGE Card-receiver, papier-mache 75 Card-receiver, repousse 179 Checkers 256 Chickens, the musical 235 Chinese rope feat 312 Christmas presents, 113, 318 ; the orna- mental egg, 113 ; trinket-holder, 114 ; an idea for brackets, 115; cone and twig bracket, 116 ; pebble vase, 117 ; cone and twig hanging-basket, 118 ; shaving-case, 123 ; puzzles 318, 321 Circle, how to make a 268 Circus, the magnetic 269 Clapper, the Boston 71 Coin, how to palm a 287 Coin, how to pass a 288 Compass, a home-made 265 Cone and twig bracket 116 Cone and twig hanging-basket 118 Cooking-stove, a camping-out 308 Corn-stalk fiddle 64 Counter puzzle, the 38 Countenance, necessity of a sober 31 1 Cross puzzle, the 3, Crystallize grass, seed-vessels, etc., how to 21 Crystals, how to color alum 25 Crystal vase, the 317 Curiosity, an arithmetic.-d 274 Dancer, the pith 280 Danger of repetition 291 Darkened room, the 152 Dart, the self-rectifying 43 Days in a month, number of, one way to find 274 Dispatcher, the magic 237 Divided square puzzle 14 Doll, the balancing 20 41 113 '3! 15 82 273 •i7."j Easy proof for sums in multiplication, an. Egg, the ornamental Egg, the perambulating Egg, the tumbling Eg2:, to produce raised figures on Electrical experiments Electrophorus, the Electrophorus, a simple Electrophorus ebonite Experiment with electricity Experiment with flower-seeds Experiment wi i h tooth-picks Experiment with two pieces of glass Eace, the grimacing 15 Fan, from Nagasaki, a 323 Feat, Chinese rope 312 Fiddle, corn-stalk 64 Fire, animated 2(5 Fire, a new way to kindle a 263 Flower-seeds, experiment with 141 3 INDEX. PAGE Flying whirligig, the 10 Fountain, a simple 322 Foxing 179 Frame for impressions of plants 87 Frame for a plaque 185 Freight train, a 51 Friction, light produced by, under water . . 138 Game, an optical 37 Garden , a winter 54 Garden, a mineral 316 Class, experiment with two pieces of 15 Glass, how to blow 27 Good ball, a 16 Grimacing face, the 15 Grasses, Bow to crystall ize 24 Half-dollar, how to melt and re-coin Halos, the three Hammered brass, or repousse Handkerchief, burning center from Hanging-basket, a Harp, aeolian Hat, the inexhaustible Hat trick, another Home-made compass, a Hour of the day, how to tell the, by (he left hand How to blow glass How to break a string How to crystallize grasses, seed-vessels, etc. How to cut the tops from glass bottles How to make a book How to make a blow-pipe How to make a circle How to melt and re-coin a half-dollar . How to melt stones How to palm a coin How to pass a coin How to pull a string through a button-hole How to rob Peter and pay Paul How to skeletonize leaves How to take impressions of plants How to take portraits How to tell the hour of the day by the left hand Idea for hrackets, an 115 Imp, the bottle 107 Impressions of plants, how to take 83 Impressions of plants, frame for 87 Inertia, illustration of 2-4 Inexhaustible hat, the 291 Infallible barometer, an 19 Japanese paper bird 7'8 Jew's-harp, the spirit 261 Leather work, 123-128; in Russia, 124; "Cuir Bouilli,'" 125 ; a panel of leather work 126-1 28 Leaves, how to skeletonize 141 Left hand, to tell the hour of the day by. . . 128 Leyden jar, a 279 Light produced by friction under water. . . 138 Locomotive, the toy 48 Lot of paper windmills, a 52 Magical cards, the three Magic dispatcher, the ... 33 297 Magic rope, the 307 Magic telescope 22 Magnetic circus, the 269 Melt and re-coin a half-dollar, how to 301 Melt stones, how to 31 Method of coloring alum crystals 25 Microscope, a boy's solar 216 Mineral garden, a 316 Miniature yacht and how to rig her 331 Month, one way to find the number of clays in a 274 More elaborate panorama, a 165 Multiplication, an easy proof for sums in . 41 Musical chickens, the 235 Nagasaki, a fan from 323 Necessity of a sober countenance 311 New way to kindle the fire, a 263 Number thought of by a person, to tell the 37 Numbers, two or more, to tell 40 Obedient bottle, the 281 Objects, some, for solar miscroscope 225 Octagon puzzle, the 318 One way to find the number of days in a month 274 Optical game, an 37 Ornamental egg. the 113 Ornament for boys to make 26 Palm a coin, how to 287 Panel of leather work, a 126 Panorama, the toy, 160-172 ; panorama of former generation; 161-162 ; simplest form of toy panorama, 163-165 ; a more elaborate panorama, 165-172. Paper bird, the Japanese, 78-81 ; paper boats, 83-86 ; paper boxes, 119-122 ; a lot of paper windmills, 52-54 ; a fan from Nagasaki 323 Papier-mache, 73 ; materials for, 74 : proc- ess of working, 74-75 ; card-receiver, 75; umbrella-holder, 76; vase, ib.; pa- pier-mache - flowers, 77 ; papier-mache boats 90-92 Pass a coin, how to 288 Pebble vase, the 117 Peg puzzle. Captain S's 238 Perambulating egg. the 295 Photographic printing 154 Pin, the balancing 44 Pith dancer, the 280 Plaque, frame for 185 Plants, how to take impressions of 86 Plants, frames for impressions of 87 Portraits, how to take 60 Presents, Christmas 11<, 318 Proof, an easy, for sums in multiplication. 41 Puppet, the windmill 7 Puzzle, the boot , 57 Puzzle, the counter 38 Puzzle, the cross 320 Puzzle, the octagon 318 Puzzle, peg, Captain S's 238 Puzzle, the square 321 Puzzle, the divided square 14 Raised figures on an egg, to produce 273 Re-coin a half dollar, how to 301 Regatta windmill 215 INDEX. PAGE Eepetition, danger of 291 Repousse work for boys, 172-184 ; Nubian bracelets, 172 ; hammer for repousse work, 173; other tools for repousse work, 176 ; marking the design, ib.; plaque in hammered brass, 177 ; composition for deep work, 178 ; card receiver, 179 ; fox- ing, ib.; annealing, 180 ; a salver in re- pousse, 181 ; a silver bangle for a brace- let, 182 ; a bangle bracelet 184 Resin bubbles 82 Ring toss 255 Ring trick, the Turkish 299 Rob Peter and pay Paul, how to 289 Room, the darkened 152 Rope, the magic 307 Rope feat, the Chinese 312 Salver in repousse 181 Schooner yacht, a 345 Screw-propeller windmill, the 210 Sea- mosses, 226-230 ; where found, ib.; how 227 ; how to arrange on paper 227-229 ; more elaborate arrangements 229-230 Self-rectifying dart, the 43 Set of cars, a 47 Shaving-case, a 123 Side-wheeler windmill, the 211 Simple form of camera, a 149 Simple electrophorus, a 277 Simple fountain, a 322 Siphon, a 28 Skeletonize leaves, how to 141 Sketching camera, the 150 Slate games for children 243 Sloop yacht 336 Snake, the 13 Soap bubbles 31 Sober countenance, necessity of 311 Solar microscope, a boy's 216 Solitaire 249 Some electrical experiments 275 Spirit jew's-harp, the 261 Square puzzle, the divided 14 Square puzzle, the , 321 Steam-boat, the toy 93 Stencils, 130-137 ; method of making, 133 ; collection of stencils in book-form, 135 ; color decoration with stencils 136-137 Stones, to melt 31 PAGE String, how to break a 63 String, how to put a string through a but- ton-hole 314 String, how to unite a parted 314 Sums iu multiplication, an easy proof for. 41 Telescope, the magic 22 Telescope, a, which a boy can make 110 Tit-tat-to 243 Thirty-one 246 Three halos, the 82 Tooth-picks, an amusing experiment with 17 Toy panorama, the 160 Toy steam-boat, the 93 Train, a freight 51 Trick, an arithmetical 47 Trick, Turkish ring 299 Trick, another hat 294 Trinket-holder 114 Tumbling egg, the 82 Turks and Russians 245 Twig and cone bracket 116 Two pieces of glass, experiment with 15 Vase, the crystal 317 Vase, the pebble 117 Vase, a papier-mache 76 Windmills, 204-216; the wooden wind- mill, 206-209 ; mode of mounting the windmill, 210 ; the screw-propeller, 210- 211 ; the side-wheeler, 212-214 ; the re- gatta windmill 215 Winter garden, a 54 Whirligig, the flying 10 Xylophone, the 65 Yacht, the miniature, and how to rig her, 331-352 ; miniature yacht regattas, 334 ; model of yacht, 335 ; makinir the hull, 336-337 ; how to cast and attach a lead keel, 337-338 ; the deck, 338 ; bowsprit and rudder, 339 ; mast and other spars, 340 ; standing rigging, 341-342; sails, 343; running rigging, 344-345. A schooner yacht, 345 : spars and stays for a schooner yacht, 346-349 ; belaying, bolt ropes, reef- points, 350 ; painting the miniature yacht, 350-351 ; flags 352 HOW? OR, SPAEE HOURS MADE PROFITABLE. THE WINDMILL PUPPET. This amusing little puppet is very easily constructed, and, like several other mechanical toys in this book, fur- nishes much entertainment for the little folks. Even the baby will sit in her high chair, half -hours together, watch- ing the little man turning his crank, while she claps her tiny hands and crows at so delightful an exhibition of untiring energy. Cut from cardboard a disc like Fig. 2, which shall measure about six inches across ; then by means of a ruler draw the lines abed; half-way between these points make four others, corresponding to efgh; and lastly, between all these, still another set of lines. Make the circle, m, one -and-a- half inches in diameter, and with a pair of sharp scissors cut through all these lines, to the edge of the smaller ring. Bend one edge of each of these triangular pieces slightly upward, as indicated by the shading, and the opposite edge downward ; also bend a piece of wire a foot long, so as to form the crank indicated in the illustration. 8 TEE WINDMILL PUPPET. Next make a frame-work for the figure to rest upon : this should consist of a three-cornered piece of wood, six inches long for the bottom, a stick six or seven inches long for the upright, and lastly, the support for the upper part of the wire, with a small hole in one end for the latter to pass through. Fasten these pieces together with small brad-nails, and secure the upright to the bottom piece by a screw or nail passing up from below. The wire, having the crank already bent in the proper place, may now be passed up through the hole, and the other end sunk down into another, bored a short distance into the bottom THE WINDMILL PUPPET. board, directly below the upper one. Then the wire may- be fastened to the windmill, by passing it through a little one side, then back again through on the other side of the center ; twisting the end once or twice about the main stem beneath the windmill ; it now turns with the wind- mill, and it is needless to say that the friction in the holes should be as slight as possible. The figure is to be cut from a piece of cardboard and is made in five pieces. ^ The lower half, which comprises the box, legs, and body up to the dotted line, is in one piece ; the head and body to the lower edge of the belt, consists of two pieces, cut pre- cisely alike, and lap- ping on either side of the lower part of the body over the dotted line, to give strength to the image. A pin passed through the belt, and bent down on the other side, will hold it in place, and allow sufficient play to the figure. There are two arms, cut from the same pattern, and piv- oted at the shoulders with another pin. The hands are finally brought together, with tfhe crank between them, and lightly secured on either side with two or three stitches. ^/C \ \/ «u \. ^v/ yi Fia- Z 10 THE FLYING WHIRLIGIG. To impart life to this creation, it is placed over a fur- nace register through which the hot air is briskly rising. If the machine works easily, the current of air above a stove may suffice. THE FLYING WHIRLIGIG. This amusing toy consists of an empty spool with two pins driven into its head, as seen in the figure. With a pair of pliers break off the heads of the pins be- fore driving them in po- sition, then take a piece of soft wood and make a spindle, like that repre- sented in the figure at A, and drive another head- less pin into the small end. Lastly, cut from a piece of cardboard a fig- ure like the one marked B, making three holes, a a a, with the point of a darning-needle, corre- sponding to the two pins in the spool and the one in the spindle. Bend the edges marked x and y in opposite directions. Now place the spool on the spindle and wind a piece of twine around the spool ; then place the piece of paste- board upon the top, letting the pins pass up through the row of holes in its center. HOW TO MAKE A BOOK. 11 Holding the machine upright in the left hand, with a quick movement of the right, jerk the string from the spool, and the cardboard will fly through the air with a very graceful motion. If stripes of color are added to the ends, as seen in the cut, a much prettier effect is produced while the whirligig is in operation. These stripes can be painted in red, white, and blue water colors, or may be formed by pasting on narrow strips of bright-colored paper. If the first trial does not succeed, wind the string in the other direction, or put on the ' ' card flyer, ' ' with the other side next the spool. The same causes which make it soar away in the one case will hold it yet more firmly to the spool in the other. HOW TO MAKE A BOOK. Do any of my boy readers know how to make a book ? Not the fine volumes turned out by the thousand in our great publishing houses, but the little individual books made by boys and girls, and needing for their construc- tion only an old used-up ledger, a small tin pan of paste, and scraps cut from newspapers or books. These bits may consist simply of poems, or they may be " a little of all sorts." I recently saw a very nice book of this kind made by a boy of twelve, which was composed entirely of humorous pictures and jokes, culled from several illustrated and daily papers, one or two almanacs, and various other chance publications, which he had collected during the 12 HOW TO MAKE A BOOK. year. Whenever he found any bright or witty thing, he would carefully preserve the clipping by putting it in a large paper box he kept in a convenient place for that purpose. He reserved the pasting for rainy days and winter even- ings, and as he took much pains with the arrangement and neat appearance of his book, this operation was necessarily slow, and formed a pleasant occupation for many hours which would otherwise have been wasted. In making such a book, do not try to complete it in a week or even a month, but let it, like my boy friend's, furnish amusement for a year. Get your father and mother interested, and ask them to save any scraps they may see, and think appropriate for the purpose. A handsomely bound scrap-book, specially designed for this use, would certainly be the most desirable thing to have ; but if such a book cannot be obtained, an old ledger does very nicely in its place, and if, after it is completed, you cover it carefully with a piece of smooth brown paper and print its title neatly on the back, it will look very well on any table where you may wish to keep it. If the latter is used, cut from it every other two leaves, reserving the third, through the book. Next be careful to trim all your clippings neatly, leaving no extra paper beyond the edges. Fit the different slips nicely on the pages, filling the little spaces left from the longer articles with any little jokes or bits of poetry you may have. Frequently a whole piece of newspaper poetry is hardly worth preserving, but some one of its stanzas may be very THE SNAKE. 13 pretty and just the thing to fill up a place you may have left. It is well to collect all these little things you can find, for they always come in nicely when pasting, and your book looks much better when finished if the original sur- face is entirely covered. THE SNAKE. Cut from a piece of Bristol board, or stiff paper, a circle measuring four inches in diameter ; then with a pencil mark it like Fig. A. With your paints and pen- cil make its head as nearly like a snake's as possible ; and mark the body with stripes or checks, as your fancy may dictate. Cut through the deep black line, put a pin through the dot on the tail, and drive it into a slender stick of wood, which must be held or caught over the stove or regis- ter. The rising current of heated air causes the snake to revolve and apparently writhe, in a very natural manner. This little toy, so simple in its con- 14 THE DIVIDED SQUARE PUZZLE. struction, affords an endless amount of entertainment to the little folks of the family, and is well worth the trouble and time you may spend in making it. The hot air from a lamp or gas jet will also impart activity to this mimic reptile. THE DIVIDED SQUARE PUZZLE. Take a square of paper or cardboard, and cut it into four pieces, as shown in the engraving. Now try to put them back in the form of a square. This seem- ingly simple puzzle, has kept our young people busy a whole evening, and was only accomplished at last by marking each piece before it was cut apart. THE GRIMACING FACE. 15 EXPERIMENT WITH TWO PIECES OF GLASS. Procure two pieces of glass about six inches square, join any two of their sides, and separate the opposite sides with a piece of wax, so that their surfaces may be at a slight angle ; immerse this apparatus about an inch in a basin of water, and the water will rise between the plates and form a beautiful geometrical figure called a hyperbola. THE GRIMACING FACE. Take a card one-and-one-half inches wide, and fold around it a piece of unruled note paper, so that the card can easily slide up and down ; then paste this case on the under side. Now cut three holes in the paper for the eyes and mouth, as seen in A; place the strip of card within this and mark the points for the eyes and root of tongue ; then slipping it out once more, the eyes can be carefully finished, and the tongue cut to fit in the mouth, and to ex- tend some distance down on the chin, see Fig. B. Then by putting the two pieces together, pulling the tongue in its place through the opening, very amusing expressions 16 A GOOD BALL. can be produced, by simply moving the pasteboard up and down in the paper. Fig. C represents the two parts put together. A GOOD BALL. Take a round, well shaped orange ; cut it evenly into quarters, numbering them at one end to aid in putting the parts together again. Next cut out of kid four pieces exactly like the four pieces of orange peel ; then, with strong linen thread, sew over and over three seams, thus joining the four pieces, but leaving one seam open. In putting together be careful to place 1 next to 2, and so on, just as they were in the orange. Ravel out an old yarn stocking, or cut into narrow strips an old cashmere one, and after making a little round ball of any soft woolen ma- terial, commence winding it evenly with the raveled yarn, trying occasionally if it is near the size of the kid cover- ing. When nearly large enough wind it in such a way that it shall just fit the cavity, and then carefully sew up the remaining side. Great care should be exercised in forming the inner ball, and in cutting the kid. The wrists of old kid gloves make capital coverings. An old rubber overshoe cut in very fine strips and wound carefully, forms a nice center, but it is better to use the soft wool yarn next the cover, as it is more pliable and makes a better shaped ball. Prepare this ball during your leisure moments in the long winter evenings ; and it will then be ready for the first game, when the bright spring sunshine reminds you of summer sports once more. AMUSING EXPERIMENT WITH TOOTHPICKS. 17 AMUSING EXPERIMENT WITH TOOTH-PICKS. Take five tooth-picks, weave them together, as seen in the illustration, which perhaps is easiest done by holding the three diverging ones between the thumb and fore- finger of the left hand at the point a, and insert the other two successively, first 5, then c. Now lay the figure upon any flat surface, letting the end c extend a short distance beyond the edge. If you touch a lighted match to c, in a moment each stick will leap into the air as if suddenly endowed with life and animation, quite unusual in such inert objects. 18 A BOY'S BAROMETER. HOW TO CUT TOPS FROM GLASS BOTTLES. A glass bottle when freed from its top can be utilized in many ways, and most boys will be glad to know how to get rid of this troublesome portion without smashing the whole thing into fragments. A red-hot poker with a pointed end is the instrument used. First make a mark with a file to begin the cut ; then apply the hot iron, and a crack will start, which will follow the iron wherever it is carried. This is, on the whole, simple, and better than the use of strings wet with turpentine, etc. A BOY'S BAROMETER. Take a common vial, or small bottle, cut off the rim by using the hot poker as directed above. Let the vial now be nearly filled with common rain water, and apply- ing the finger to its mouth, turn it quickly upside down : on removing the finger it will be found that only a few drops will escape. Without a cork or stopper of any kind, the water will be retained within the bottle by the pressure of the external air, the weight of the air without the vial being so much greater than the small quantity within it. Now let a bit of tape be tied round the middle of the bottle, to which the two ends of a string may be attached, so as to form a loop to hang on a nail ; let it be thus suspended in a perpendicular manner, with the mouth downward : and this is the barometer. When the weather is fair, or inclined to be so, the AN INFALLIBLE BAROMETER. 19 water will be level at its lower surface, or perhaps con- cave, like an individual butter plate turned upside down ; but when disposed to be stormy, a drop will appear at the mouth, which will enlarge till it falls, and then another drop, so long as the humidity of the atmosphere continues. AN INFALLIBLE BAROMETER. With a few cents any boy can buy the chemicals re- quired for this barometer, and obtain an instrument much more reliable than many of the cheaper grades for sale in the stores. Put two drams of pure nitrate of potash, and half a dram of chloride of ammonium reduced to a powder, into two ounces of pure alcohol, and place this mixture in a clear glass bottle, covering the top with a piece of rub- ber or thin kid pierced with small holes. If the weather is to be fine, the solid matters remain at the bottom of the bottle, and the alcohol is as transparent as usual. If rain is to fall in a short time, some of the solid particles rise and fall in the alcohol, which becomes somewhat thick and troubled. When a storm, tempest, or even a squall is about to come on, all the solid matter rises from the bottom of the bottle and forms a crust on the surface of the alcohol which appears to be in a state of fermentation. These appearances take place twenty- four hours before the tempest ensues, and the point of the horizon from which it is to blow is indicated by the par- ticles gathering most on the side of the tube opposite to that part whence the wind is to come. The longer the diameter of the bottle the better for this kind of barometer. 20 THE BOOMERANG. THE BALANCING DOLL. From a piece of soft wood whittle out a head and body- like that in the illustration, making slits on either side for the insertion of the wings. These oar- shaped appendages are generally made from a shingle, and are affixed to the body by press- ing them firmly into the slits. The whole thing can be painted to suit the fancy ; water colors spread on rather thickly answer quite as well for small objects of this class, if protected by a good coating of varnish, made by dis- solving a few cents' worth of white shellac in a small quantity of alcohol. It is important that the oars are of the same weight and placed at equal angles with the body for this plaything to be successful. THE BOOMERANG. The boomerang is a weapon which has long been known as peculiar to the Australian savages, who are wonder- fully skilled in its use. THE BOOMERANG. 21 It consists of an irregular shaped piece of hard wood, so constructed that by its aid, the unsuspectinggame can be killed at an angle widely diverging from the line of direction in which / j it was thrown. Instances / / have been cited in which / / the boomerang, in the V C hands of these untutored \ \^ savages, has accomplished \ ^v wonderfulfeats. Oneof the \. J | favorite ways of throwing consists in sending the weapon in such a manner that it shall skim along just above the ground for about a hundred feet, then, rising in the air, double back upon its course, and hit a mark only a few feet in front of the thrower. Of course we do not expect to equal the savages in its use, when recent investiga- tions show that it has taken the experience of genera- tions upon generations of men and hundreds of years, to bring it to its present degree of excellence; but every boy may derive much fun from practicing with the little cardboard boomerang 22 THE MAGIC TELE8G0PE. cut of stiff pasteboard in either of the forms given in the preceding page. To throw this, place it upon a book, one end extending beyond the edge ; then, with a ruler or small stick, strike it forcibly upon the edge, and it will fly through the air and back again, in an amusing, lively manner, quite unlike any other missile in a boy's collec- tion. It may be sent on its way by simply snapping it with the forefinger of the right hand while it is held on the book in your left. If you should try making one of wood to use out-of-doors, try it in the middle of a large open lot, for there is no telling what mischief it might do if it only had the chance. THE MAGIC TELESCOPE. The following, although requiring considerable skill in joining, can readily be made by any boy of fifteen, if he is at all skillful in the use of carpenter's tools, and has a fair endowment of those two excellent qualities, patience THE MAGIC TELESCOPE. 23 and perseverance, so absolutely indispensable to success in almost any undertaking. This telescope consists of a series of square wooden tubes, with an inside diameter of about five inches, so carefully joined together that no ray of light can find its way in through the crevices. The oblique lines are pieces of looking-glass, with their faces turned toward each other. Now, by placing the eye at E, of course it would seem that anything at H could be seen directly through the tubes A B, while if a book or other opaque object be interposed, as shown in Fig. 2, it would seem equally a matter of course that the view would be ob- structed ; this, however, is not the case, as the mirrors reflect the object A g through the tube and ^^\ _\ j/ ] ^ it appears as plainly as when the book is removed. To those unfamiliar with its construction this magic telescope, by which you apparently see through a solid substance, is an unfailing source of wonder. The object at H should be quite brilliantly lighted, as some of the rays are absorbed in the passage of the reflec- tion through the tube ; especial care should also be taken to place the mirrors at a slant, exactly midway between the horizontal and the upright, or, to speak more scientific- ally, at an angle of 45 degrees to the line of the tubes. The tubes A and B should not be so far apart at the place where the book is inserted as to permit the backs of the mirrors to be easily seen. \ \*M L. \/ \ / 24 TO CRYSTALLIZE GRASSES, SEED-VESSELS, ETC. TO CRYSTALLIZE GRASSES, SEED-VESSELS, Etc. Take a large-sized piece of alum, and pour over it a pint of boiling water, letting it stand until the water has taken up or dissolved all the alum it will. If at the end of a few hours any alum remains undissolved, you may be sure the water contains all the alum it can hold in a liquid state, and the solution is called a " saturated solution of alum." During the summer, while the grasses are in their most perfect state, select such as you think will look well crys- tallized, and put them into a vase or wide-mouthed bottle to dry, being careful to spread them well apart, so that they may retain their perfect shape in drying. If the season of grasses should pass before you have a chance to collect them, the season of weeds is always at hand. Any boy, in his wanderings over marsh or mountain, through woods or our quiet village street, during even the coldest winter months, could not fail to see some beautiful sprays of seed-pods crowning many of our most common weeds, which if crystallized, would make a very pretty and ac- ceptable present to mother for the corner bracket, or the shelf which seemed just a little bare before. Having se- cured your grasses or weeds, both together if you like, and having your saturated solution of alum at hand, lay as many tops of the grasses in a flat dish as will fill it without crowding, then pour the liquid over them, being careful that the parts you wish crystallized are under the surface. Let them lie in this position until well coated with the alum. When finished remove them and put in METHOD OF COLORING ALUM CBTSTALS. 25 others. Continue in this manner until all are treated. If only a few crystals are desired they may be obtained by dipping the heads one at a time in the solution and slightly shaking them after each immersion. When all have been dipped, commence with the first and repeat the process. Do this until the crystals formed are as large as you wish them to be. METHOD OF COLORING ALUM CRYSTALS. In making these crystals the coloring should be added to the solution of alum in proportion to the shade which it is desired to produce. Coke, with a piece of lead at- tached to it in order to make it sink in the solution, is a good substance for a nucleus, if a cluster of crystals are to be formed. Any form, if wound around with knitting cotton, can be used, or the grasses above described can be dipped in these colored solutions, and very pretty re- sults obtained. Yellow : muriate of iron. Blue : solution of indigo in sulphuric acid. Pale blue : equal parts of alum and blue vitriol. Crimson : infusion of madder and cochineal. Black : Japan ink thickened with gum. Green : equal parts of alum and blue vitriol, with a few drops of sul- phate of iron. Milk white : a crystal of alum held over a glass containing ammonia will become a milky white color upon its surface. [Note. — To make an infusion of a substance you simply pour boiling water over it. The madder and cochineal are in the dry form, and only a little water should be used, as too much will make the color less brilliant.] 26 A PRETTY ORNAMENT FOR A BOY TO MAKE. ANIMATED FIRE. When small pieces of camphor are placed in a basin of pure water, a very peculiar motion commences ; some of the pieces turn as if on an axis, others go steadily round the vessel, some seem to be pursuing others, and thus they continue forming a very curious and pleasing appear- ance ; but if a single drop of sulphuric acid be put into the water, the motion of the camphor instantly stops. If a piece of camphor be lighted, and then carefully placed on the water, it burns with a bright flame, moving about with great rapidity, as if in search of something, but is instantly stopped by a drop of sulphuric acid. A PRETTY ORNAMENT FOR A BOY TO MAKE. Dissolve in seven different tumblers containing warm water, half ounces of sulphates of iron, copper, zinc, soda, alumina, magnesia, and potash. Pour them all, when completely dissolved, into a large flat dish, and stir the whole with a glass rod or bit of broken glass for a while. Place the dish in a warm place where it will be free from dust and will not be shaken. After due evaporation has taken place, the whole will begin to shoot out into crys- tals. These will be of various colors and forms, some little ones being gathered together in small groups, and other larger ones scattered throughout the whole fluid. By a little careful study you will soon be able to distinguish each crystal separately, from its peculiar form and color, ROW TO BLOW GLASS. 27 thus learning an interesting lesson in chemistry, while making a beautiful ornament for your room. Be sure and preserve it carefully from the dust. HOW TO MAKE A BLOWPIPE. Procure two common clay pipes ; break off the stem of one about three inches from the little end. Take a cork that exactly fits into the bowl of the other pipe, cut a hole through it large enough to insert the mouth-piece already broken off, and draw this through the opening till its larger end is even with the surface of the cork. Insert the cork in the bowl, and fill the end of the stem which touches the flame with a tiny ball of clay or chalk. Through this clay make a hole with a needle, and a blow- pipe is the result, which answers very well for any experi- ment a boy may be likely to try. HOW TO BLOW GLASS. Although it is impossible to give any detailed account of glass blowing which would be practicable for small boys, yet a child can amuse himself for hours, by simply melting bits of glass and joining them together ; or by melting small glass tubes and drawing them out to mere threads ; or again, blowing them up into tiny balloons until their surface is as thin as a soap bubble and almost as fragile. These little tubes are smaller than the end of 28 A SIPHOW. a pipe-stem, about four inches long, and made of very thin glass. A dozen can be procured for ten or twelve cents at any place where chemical supplies are to be found. A short tallow candle, held in a cheap tin candle- stick, answers for the flame ; and the tobacco-pipe, con- verted into the blowpipe just described, can be used in any of the experiments here given. Take a piece of a broken window pane, hold it in the left hand very near the candle flame, then holding the blowpipe so that the shorter end nearly touches the flame, blow steadily through the pipe-stem a current of air into the flame, which sends it upon the glass and soon reduces the part in contact with it to a red-hot melting mass ; this can be worked into various shapes by forming it with the aid of pincers ; or it can easily be joined to pieces of different colors, by holding the two together and turning the full force of the blaze upon them. The little tubes may be heated in the same manner, and one end be closed air tight, by pinching it tightly while still hot ; then, after heating the portion near the end to a red heat, lay the blowpipe aside, and, taking the tube away from the flame, blow into the open end with the mouth. If this is done quickly, before the glass has had time to cool, a pretty bubble or balloon is the result. A SIPHON. A simple glass siphon can be made by taking one of the above tubes and heating it at a point about one-third of its length from the end, till the surface appears a rosy ^^; A SOAP BUBBLE. 31 red ; then carefully bending it over the round part of a clothes-pin, till the two ends form parallel lines. A simple experiment with the siphon affords consider- able amusement to the little folks, and is well worth try- ing. Take two tumblers, place them side by side, and fill one with water. Now fill the siphon with water and place the longer end in the empty tumbler, and the shorter one well down in the water of the other. Imme- diately the laborer will begin to work, pumping water into the empty vessel, and will not stop until he has re- duced the water in the full tumbler to a level with the end of the tube. TO MELT STONES. Many kinds of stones containing more or less metallic ores, can be readily melted by means of the blowpipe. When the specimens are small they can be placed upon a piece of mica, and then presented to the flame ; or a clay receptacle can be made for the purpose, by simply hol- lowing out a small cavity in one side of a lump of clay. Large ones can be held in the hand or with the pincers as in the case of the glass melting. A SOAP BUBBLE. Within the past few years soap-bubble parties have been quite the style among our young people, and not a few of the older members of society have joined in the frolic with as much zest as their younger competitors. 32 BESIN BUBBLES. Usually at such gatherings, after the guests have all ar- rived, the hostess, having previously secured two or three boxes of bonbons, or other equally inexpensive trifles for prizes, presents each of her guests with an ordinary clay pipe, and leading the way to the room in which the bowls of soap-suds are already prepared, shows her prizes, and challenges all to the contest. If fine, large iridescent bub- bles are desired, it is well to add a small quantity of glyc- erine to the water used. It is said that if the mixture of glycerine and water is allowed to stand some hours before it is used the effect is much better. Hot water and soap can be added just before the party enter, and only two bowls of the soap mixture are necessary for quite a large party. These should be placed upon small side tables or stands at opposite ends of the room. Two or three reli- able persons should be chosen for judges to decide the contest. The parents or some older members of the family, at whose house the party is held, usually perform this duty. I should have added, when speaking of the soap mixture, that the common yellow soap intended for laun- dry use, is much better for this purpose than the finer toilet varieties most commonly used by amateur soap- bubble blowers. RESIN BUBBLES. If the end of a tobacco-pipe be dipped in melted resin, at a temperature a little above that of boiling water, taken out, and held nearly in a vertical position and blown through, bubbles will be formed of all possible sizes, from that of a hen' s egg, down to sizes which can hardly be THE THREE MAGICAL CARDS. 33 discerned by the naked eye, and from their silvery luster, and reflection of the different rays of light, they have a pleasing appearance. Some that have been formed these eight months, are as perfect as when first made. They generally assume the form of a string of beads, many of them perfectly regular, and connected by a very fine fiber, but the production is never twice alike. If expanded over a gas jet by means of a small rubber tube, they would probably float around the upper part of the room. THE THREE MAGICAL CARDS. Take three cards of the same size, and thick enough to prevent the black surface from showing through ; ink or paint over the whole of one side of c, having the other side perfectly white, and the others, a and &, in the parts shown in Fig. 1 ; they are now ready for use. Fig. 2 shows the first ar- rangement of them, a and b ]apping over each other so that when c is placed in the 34 THE THREE MAGICAL CARDS. position shown by dotted lines the whole face presents a perfectly white surface. Show this to your audience ; then, still holding them in sight, inform them in a neat little speech, that by aid of some magic power you possess, you can readily change these same cards to black, or back again, at will. Now holding them with their backs away from you, in such a manner that the card c cannot be seen by the other boys, turn them upside down and spread out what were the lower parts of a and b. You have them now in the position indicated by Fig. 3, and after carefully turning c you will find them presenting a uniformly black surface. Should any bit of white show at the lower cor- ner, cover it with your thumb. When they are ar- ranged to your satisfaction, hold them up in front of you, and while saying over some cabalistic words, such as, for instance, " Presto, agramento, calafesto — change!" blow upon their faces and turn them around to your audience, which will probably be greatly surprised at this undenia- ble evidence of your magic skill. Instead of white, the ordinary playing cards may be used, blacking the back of one to represent c. These are much more showy than the plain white ones, and the trick is not so easily discovered if slight bits of black are seen, as those having black spots are generally taken for the purpose. One day a little fellow who had been repeatedly mysti- TO TELL THE NUMBER THOUGHT OF BY A PERSON. 37 fied by this trick, saw the cards which his brother had preparedly ing on the table. He took them up, examined them carefully for a moment, then, with his little face all aglow at the revelation, he exclaimed, "Ha! I've found out how you do it now, you just blow charcoal on the other park." How he got rid of the part already black, he did not explain, nor did we think to ask him, but he had at last solved the puzzle of their turning black, and that was all he cared to do at the time. AN OPTICAL GAME. Hold a ring between thumb and forefinger at some dis- tance from the boy addressed, and giving him a crooked stick, ask him to close one eye and try to catch the ring on the stick. This game looks so very simple, that any boy is certain he can do it at one thrust, and is only made aware of its difficulties after several unsuccessful attempts. TO TELL THE NUMBER THOUGHT OF BY A PERSON. Desire the person who has thought of a number to triple it, and to take the exact half of that ; triple that half if the number was even, or if odd multiply the larger half by 3 ; and ask him how many times that answer contains nine : for the answer will contain the double of that num- ber of nines, and one more if it be odd. Thus if the num- ber thought of is 5, its triple will be 15, which cannot be 38 TEE COUNTER PUZZLE. divided by 2 without a remainder. The greater half of 15 is 8. If we multiply this by 3 we have 24, which con- tains 9 twice. So we shall have 2 + 2 + 1 = 5, the num- ber first thought of. THE COUNTER PUZZLE. In an old book published over half a century ago, I came across this puzzle ; and finding it gave an evening's entertainment to our young folks, I introduce it here for the benefit of those boys who take especial delight in games of an arithmetical nature. Out of thin cardboard — old business cards answer this purpose nicely — make thirty-two blank counters, the size of a dime. Then upon a piece of note-paper mark off a figure just three inches square, and divide it by Hnes into nine compartments, each containing one square inch. The puzzle is, to arrange the counters in the external cells of the square four different times, and each time to have nine in a row, yet to have the sum of the counters differ- ent, and varying from twenty to thirty-two. If you will inspect the following figures you will see how this is pos- Fi 9' 1 2 3 3 3 3 4 1 4 Z 5 Z 3 3 I I 5 5 3 3 3 4 I 4 Z 5 Z sible : the first represents the original disposition of the ANOTHER ARITHMETICAL TRICK. 39 counters ii\ the cells of the square ; the second, that of the same counters when four are taken away ; the third, the manner in which they must be disposed when these four are brought back with four others ; and the fourth with the ad- dition of four more. There are always nine in each external row, and yet in the first case the whole number is twenty- four, in the second it is twenty, in the 5 third twenty-eight, and in the fourth thirty- two. The numbers are substituted in the place of the counters in the above figures for convenience, but Fig. 5 rep- resents the disposition of the counters, as indicated in Fig. 2. 1 7 i 7 7 1 r 1 oo o o : o ANOTHER AEITHMETICAL TRICK. By knowing the last figure of the product of any two numbers, to tell the other figures. If the number seven- ty-three be multiplied by each of the numbers in the fol- lowing arithmetical progression, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, the products will terminate with the nine digits, in this order, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ; the numbers themselves being as follows : 219, 438, 657, 876, 1095, 1314, 1533, 1752, and 1971. Let, therefore, a little bag be provided, consist- ing of two partitions, into one of which put several tickets, marked with the number 73, and into the other put as many tickets, 3, 6, 9, etc., up to 27. Then open that part 40 TO 1ELL TWO OR MORE NUMBERS THOUGHT OF. of the bag containing the number 73, and ask a person to take out one ticket only ; after which, dexterously change the opening, and desire another person to take a ticket from the other part. Let them now multiply their two numbers together, and tell you the last figure of the prod- uct, by which you will readily determine from the fore- going series what the remaining figures must be. Sup- pose, for example, the numbers taken out of the bag were 73 and 12, then as the product of these two numbers, which is 876, has 6 for its last figure, you will readily know it is the fourth of the series and the other two fig- ures must be 8 and 7. TO TELL TWO OR MORE NUMBERS WHICH A PERSON HAS THOUGHT OF. These numbers must not exceed 9. Let him think of two or three numbers, double the first and add 1 to the product, multiply the whole by 5, and add to that prod- uct the second number. If there be a third, make him double the first sum and add 1 to it ; then desire him to multiply the new sum by 5, and to add to it the third number. If there should be a fourth number, you must proceed in the same manner, desiring him to double the preceding sum, to add 1 to it, to multiply by 5, and then to add the fourth number, and so on. Then ask the number arising from the addition of the last number thought of, and if there were two numbers subtract 5 from it : if three, 55 ; if four, 555, and so on, for the re- AN EASY PROOF FOB SUMS IN MULTIPLICATION. 41 \ mainder will be composed of figures, of which the first on the left will be the first number thought of, the next the second, and so of the rest. Suppose the numbers thought of to be 3, 4, 6 ; by add- ing 1 to 6, the double of the first, we have 7, which being multiplied by 5 gives 35 ; if 4, the second number thought of, be then added, we shall have 39, which doubled gives 78, and if we add 1, and multiply 79 by 5, the result will be 395. Lastly, if we add 6, the third number thought of, the sum will be 401, and if 55 be deducted from it we shall have for the remainder 346, the figures of which 3, 4, and 6, indicate in order the three numbers thought of. AN EASY PROOF FOR SUMS IN MULTIPLICATION. As boys are always interested in short cuts in arith- metical processes, it may be well to insert for the benefit of those who are studying multiplication, a method of proving their examples which I learned a short time ago from an old banker of New York. This rule is simply to add the digits of both multiplicand and multiplier, divide both answers by 9, and multiply the remainders ; divide this product by 9 and the remainder will be, if the ex- ample is correct, the same as that obtained by adding the digits of the product and dividing that answer by 9. For instance, suppose after multiplying 4359 by 2786 we have 12144174 for the answer ; now instead of performing this operation over a second time to make sure our answer is correct, we simply add the digits in 4359 and divide the 42 THE SELF-RECTIFYING DART. sum 21 by 9, we find we have 3 left. As it is the only re- mainder we have to deal with, we need not keep the other figures. By adding the digits in the multiplier we obtain 23, which divided by 9 gives 2 and 5 remainder. Now, multiplying the first remainder by the second we have 15 : this product divided by 9 gives 1 and 6 remainder. If the product 12144174 is correct, the sum of its digits divided by 9 will leave 6 for a remainder. Performing the opera- tion, we find the sum of its digits is 24, divided by 9 equals 2 and 6 remainder. As both the remainders cor- respond, the answer was correct. After a little practice you will find you can prove your examples very quickly by this method, and where a number of sums are given without the answers it will be of invaluable assistance, besides saving you a great amount of labor. THE SELF-RECTIFYING DART. The dart, and its larger brother the javelin, were among the earliest weapons used in warfare, and were very skil- fully thrown, not only by the Roman soldiers, but by the Goths and other savage tribes who lived in the regions north of them. These javelins were large affairs, measuring some six or seven feet in length ; the handle, a tough piece of wood, was generally four and one-half feet in length, and an inch in diameter, while the rest of the length was taken up by the barbed triangular-shaped head. Ever since those days children of all nations and climes X THE SELF-RECTIFYING DART. 40 have made toy implements, resembling those in general appearance, but varying much in size and materials used. The little dart described below is perhaps the tiniest and least formidable of them all ; but even this should not be carelessly tossed about the room in which others are playing ; when, however, thrown in the open air, and away from others who might be hurt, there is considerable amusement derived from the airy bit of flying wood, which always comes down with such unerring certainty upon its spear-like head. To make this dart, take half a sheet of note-paper, double it diagonally across, so that its top edge may fall evenly upon that of one side (see Fig. 1), and cut off the surplus piece of paper which remains un- covered at the bottom of the page. Open your square, and fold it again in the other diagonal line c, d (the first is represented on Fig. 2, as a, b). Now, opening again, fold upon the line e, f, then, after opening, upon g, Ji. Crease all the folds as you make them. Now, having pre- pared your handle, which con- sists of a piece of wood about 8 inches long and the size of a lead pencil, cut across one end at right angles, with slits nearly or quite an inch in depth ; take your paper and open it flat once more. Fold the diagonals so that the four points, a, b, c, d, shall all meet together above x, and the 44 THE BALANCING PIN. 9 Fia> Z a lines ax, bx, ex, and dx shall meet at the central line of the figure, and the four shorter lines, ex,fx, etc., form the outside edges of the figure. Insert a tiny wedge or knife-blade at the bot- tom of the slits, and press the paper down in the opening, bringing the folded edges through each of the four -t slits ; remove the wedge, and the paper will be firmly held in its place. Insert 1/ a needle or headless pin in the other end of the wood, and the dart is ready for use. THE BALANCING PIN. This amusing feat I first saw performed in our little dis- trict school-house, many years ago. One morning, while the teacher was busy with his class at the blackboard, one of the boys drew an old clay pipe-stem from his pocket, and produc- ing a small green goose- berry and a pin from some other part of his clothing, gave us boys to under- stand that he was about to perform some wonder- ful trick with them. We were of course all attention, and as the teacher's back re- %>2^ THE BALANCING PIN. 45 mained turned toward us, "he proceeded to astonish us with his remarkable feat. He first stuck the pin through the gooseberry, and then let it fall, point downward, into one end of the pipe-stem ; then, placing the other end to his mouth, and holding his head thrown well over backward, he blew into the opening, and the gooseberry and pin arose quite clear of the tube, and began dancing and balancing above it in a very funny way. How long it would have con- tinued its gyrations I cannot tell, probably until his breath gave out, but just then a little boy in the front row made some exclamation, and straightway the teacher's head came around, the pipe-stem, pin, and gooseberry went on a voyage of discovery out of the school-house window, and the boy got a thrashing for his pains. But the feat was often performed by us all after that, and some years later, when a second generation of boys were having over again the tricks and sports their older brothers had outgrown, I saw the same principle applied under more favorable conditions. Instead of the straight pipe-stem, which necessitated throwing the head over backward, to insure its perpendicular position, a tube bent at a right angle near one end was used, and the balancing of the pin could be much more easily watched by the performer. Instead of the gooseberry, a currant, pea, or any light, round fruit can be substituted, and a small glass tube may take the place of the pipe-stem. 46 A SET OF CARS. A BOX-SLED FOR BABY. Procure a deep, smooth soap-box, and decide how high you wish the back and front to be ; then take a piece of brown paper, the exact size of the sides of the box, and mark on it a curve, which shall unite the high back with the low front. After this has assumed a perfectly satis- factory form, cut it out and tack it on one side of the box. Mark the outline carefully on both side- pieces, and saw the boards as indicated by the line ; cut the front straight across, and rasp and sand-paper the edges till they are very smooth and well rounded. Next paint the box inside and out, excepting the bottom, which is to be fastened to the sled, with a thick coat of burnt umber, and give it a good drying. Then with light-blue paint, make a narrow band, one-fourth of an inch wide, entirely around each side, the back, and the front, about half an inch from the edge. Stencil a pretty design on the back, and the name of the little owner on each side ; let this thoroughly dry, and finish with two coats of varnish. A little seat can be fitted in the back part if desired, but a pillow answers the purpose much better. A SET OF CARS. Procure a stick of wood of any length, and an inch and a half square at the ends. Saw it into pieces six inches A SET OF GABS. 47 in length, being careful to cut it evenly, that the blocks may be rectangular in form. Round off the tops slightly at the edges and paint them brown, then give the sides and ends a good coating of yellow. If you have no oil paints, it would be a good investment to get a few tubes, as they are not expensive, and are of invaluable assistance in adding beauty and naturalness to many things a boy can make. For the cars, a tube of chrome yellow, one of Indian-red, and one of black would I be needed, but as those are not over seven or eight cents apiece the whole cost would be small. The windows can perhaps be most conveniently put on by " stencilling." To do this, cut a piece of stout paper or thin cardboard the exact size of the side of the car, and mark the win- dows on it in their proper places (see Fig. 2). Then cut out the windows thus drawn with the point of a sharp penknife. Catch the card firmly upon the surface by 48 THE TOT LOCOMOTIVE. driving two or three fine pins through it into the wood. Finally, with your brush moderately filled with the black paint, cover all the yellow surface exposed through the openings ; then remove the card very carefully and one side of yonr car will be complete. After painting the whole set, another long time will be needed for drying. During the meantime obtain a few screw-eyes and hooks, and, when perfectly dry, screw a hook into the left and an eye into the right end of each car, join them into a train, and you will find you have a strong set of cars with which your little brother can play to his satisfaction, without a fear of breaking. The locomotive is more difficult to make, but with a little care any boy of ten can be quite certain of success. THE TOY LOCOMOTIVE. The thin ends of a common soap-box afford very good Fi 3 l material for the base of this locomotive, while the end of THE TOY LOCOMOTIVE. 49 a curtain-roller makes a capital boiler. The cab can be cut from a cigar-box, and a button-mold will do for the boiler- head. First cut from the thicker wood a base in shape like Fig. 1, and seven inches long by one and a half wide ; i with a jackknife bevel it on either side of the pointed end to correspond to the shape of the pilot, as shown in the cut. Saw the roller even at either end just four inches in length. Next cut from a solid block of wood a smoke- stack three inches high and an inch in diameter across the top. The cab is cut from the cigar-box wood, and consists of a front like «, two side-pieces like 5, and a top like that seen in Fig. 1 ; round off the edges of the top to give it a slightly convex surface like the tops of the cars. Now, with brads, fasten these three parts together. Then with a long, slender brass screw fasten the button-mold and smoke-stack on front of the boiler. The screw should have as large a head as it is possible to find, and should be long enough to extend half an inch or more into the round section of wood or boiler. Cover 50 THE TOT LOCOMOTIVE. the whole, excepting the cab, with two thick coats of black paint, being careful that the first is perfectly- dry before the second is put on. After the blackened surface is thoroughly dry and hard, put the red stripes on the pilot, as seen in the cut : and for the brass bands around the boiler use chrome yellow. The cab is painted Indian-red, and after this is perfectly dry, the windows are painted on with black, as in the cars. a iiiiiiiijiiiipiiiiliiiiii iplpiii iijliiijii;; llllii!!!; ■ I w 111 -11 11111111111 ii!I!!l!;pl !ijj!ii;i!;iljj:!iHJ!|:ij|:l!;)!i! IIIIllIIIII l':Y '.-i-.i' \\ -I- The little ornamental lines on the cab are made with the yellow paint. A large round-headed brass screw driven through a low flat spool (such as is used for button-hole twist), into the top of the boiler in front of the cab, makes a good steam- chest and whistle, and adds the finishing touch to this indestructible little toy. If you anticipate making this train of cars for a Christmas present, begin it in time, as paint dries much more slowly in winter than in summer, and it is absolutely necessary that each coat be perfectly dry before the next is applied. Yarnishing A FREIGHT TRAIN. 51 greatly improves the durability and appearance of the painted surface. Shellac dissolved in alcohol makes the best varnish for this kind of work. It should be made moderately thick, and if intended for light-colored work, white shellac should be used, as the dark leaves a slight stain upon the surface. I forgot to add in its proper place that a brass button, caught in on top by a stiff wire, is made co represent a bell. The wire should be first bent into the shape seen in the illustration ; the button then hung in position, and the wire finally driven into the holes made to receive it. The tender consists of a piece of wood the same width but only half the length of one of the cars, and one inch high. This is painted black with a narrow band of yel low running around the sides near the top, and is fas- tened to the locomotive and car by means of the screw-eye and hook. A FREIGHT TRAIN. The locomotive for this train can be made like the one already described, and the cars are cut from a rectangular stick, in the same manner as the passenger cars. These should receive a thick coat of Indian-red paint, and if this does not cover well, that is, if any of the wood shows through, another coat should be given. After the paint 52 A LOT OF PAPER WINDMILLS. is perfectly dry, put on one edge of the side, near the top, a number in white, and two or three letters in the same color, to represent the sides of the freight cars on differ- ent lines. If desired, the cars can be painted different colors, and the side decorations copied from the car you mean to represent. Give the whole a good varnishing with the shellac dissolved in alcohol, and allow plenty of time to elapse before the toy is used, for it to become perfectly dry and hard. A LOT OF PAPER WINDMILLS. Take a thin stick of wood a foot and a half or two feet long, and nail to it four cross-pieces, graduated in length and six or seven inches apart. The shorter, at the top, should measure about six inches. Cut out of stiff, colored k^ paper (the greater the variety the prettier the effect) fif- teen pieces, each three inches square, and slit each piece as indicated by the diagonal lines in the figure. Out of pretty tissue-paper cut three round pieces for each mill, A LOT OF PAPER WINDMILLS. 53 about the size of a silver dollar, and with a dull knife scrape their edges, that they may slightly curl like the petals of a rose ; crinkle them at the center if intended for a rose, or from the edge toward the center if for asters or marigolds, and thrust a large, strong pin through the middle of each disk, drawing the flower well down over the head ; then, bending the opposite corners of each square of paper so that they shall all rest over the central dot marked on each (Fig. 1), force the pin with the flower on its head, down through the five thicknesses of paper, driving it well into the wood of the frame. In doing this care should be taken to avoid creasing the curved edges of the windmills. They are placed upon the frame- work as indicated in the cut. 54 A WINTER GARDEN. Very pretty windmills are often made of only two shades, common note-paper being used for the wheels, and a bright, rosy pink tissue-paper for the flowers. In- deed, those made of common brown wrapping-paper without any flowers at all give more satisfaction in a light wind than the more elaborate ones described above. A WINTER GARDEN. Most boys love flowers ; and many families, especially in the country, would keep more through the winter than they do, if they had the space and time to devote to them, necessary for their preservation. A number of pots, suf- ficiently large to hold good-sized plants, take up consid- erable room ; and no little time is required each day, to keep the pots clean and the plants well watered. Now, boys, I have a suggestion to make, which I intend for your ears alone. Why can' t you make a winter garden, and, if necessary, take care of it through the season ? It will amply repay you for your labor, and do much toward brightening the home life through the long dreary months, when everything without is covered with ice and snow. First procure a soap-box, the best and tightest you can find : if any cracks are too wide to be easily closed with putty, nail laths over them on the inside, line their edges, and, in fact, stop every seam and crevice with good thick A WINTER GARDEN. 55 layers of putty. Next paint over the entire inside with any colored pigment you may have, as it does not show when the box is filled with earth, but simply aids in making it water-tight. Now take four strong pieces of wood, about two and a half feet long ; smooth them well and sand-paper ; be sure both ends are cut oif evenly, and that each leg is the same length as the other three, and, finally, nail them firmly to the four corners of the box, letting the tops come in line with its upper edge, and give the whole thing two good coats of Indian-red. A very pretty stand is made by substitut- ing the straight trunks of young forest trees with their bark left on in place of the smooth, painted legs ; bore holes in the bottom of the legs and insert casters, and fin- ish by giving the entire outer surface a thick coating of varnish. Then get a good wheelbarrow-load of fine leaf- mold, about half that quantity of sand, and some com- mon garden soil. Stir these well together, and fill the box half full with the mixture, first covering the bottom with pebbles, to secure drainage. Before this, however, bore a hole with a good-sized gimlet in the bottom of the box, and fit a soft pine peg to close it from the under side. When the plants are watered this peg can be removed, and a dish placed beneath the opening to catch the surplus water. You are now ready for the plants. I find almost any garden plants thrive well in this box, so any favorites you 56 A WINTER GARDEN. may have will soon make themselves at home in these new quarters. It is well to pnt vines around the edge, as they fall over, and their glossy green leaves and stems form an agreeable contrast to the dark-red background of the box itself. In my present winter garden I have German and Cenilworth ivy, partridge-berry, and the common inch-plant for vines. In the center is a large salvia, taken up so care- fully that the great ball of dirt was not shaken from its roots. On one side is a calla lily, and on the other a feverfew of the large double variety. At the ends are fuchsias and heliotrope, and scattered over the other available spots are verbenas and petunias, sweet peas and lobelia ; one or two fish-geraniums of bright colors also found a place, and a little wood-violet nestled in one corner has bloomed since early spring. A beautiful large purple pansy, too, has been blooming all winter in another corner of the box. Over this garden are two hanging-pots, one filled with pink oxalis, and the other with a Chinese pink ; both have contributed their full share of blossoms during the entire season, and neither seems to tire of well-doing. I must now tell you how to care for these beautiful pets, for they must receive some attention, which, however, is very small when compared with that required by their sisters in pots. First, always water them with warm water (almost as hot as you can bear your hand in), pour this around the roots in sufficient quantities to thoroughly THE BOOT PUZZLE. 57 j moisten the soil. A good rule to be observed in watering your plants is to pour on the water until it begins to run out of the hole in the bottom of the box. With such thorough wetting down they will not need water oftener than twice a week, except when the sun is very hot, and the moisture evaporates quickly. A little carbonate of ammonia added to the water greatly improves their growth, and half-a-dozen grains of permanganate of potash added once a fortnight to the warm bath turns their foliage a rich dark green. With a whisk broom, sprinkle them once or twice a week with water which is also warm, but not as hot as that used on their roots ; this operation takes but little time, scarcely five minutes, and as the stand is on casters it can be easily moved to the middle of the room, and each side can then receive its full share of the washing. It is safe to predict that if any boy would make the stand, and supply it with rich soil, his mother or some one of his sisters would only be too happy to plant and care for the flowers it might hold. THE BOOT PUZZLE. First take a piece of paper, double it, and cut from it a pair of boots, the fold in the paper coming at the top of the boots, and consequently joining them together. Then 58 THE BOOT PUZZLE. take another piece, fold it and cnt it in the form of Fig. 2, a being the folded end. Fold still another piece and CL %■* Tic- 3 cut it like Fig. 3, b representing the folding side. Now open the smaller piece, as in Fig. 4, and push the point a j|ijl]ltl[|i|| iiiiiiiiiiiHimihiniimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.iiw %4 Fi<7- 5 through the opening in its center (Fig. 5). Then put one boot through the loop of the long arm, c, between a and THE BOOT PUZZLE. m the smaller piece, which has been pushed forward as far as it will go (Fig. 6). Now pull the smaller piece down over a, and open the largest piece, and the boots are fas- tened on to the larger paper in such a way that it is rather hard for the uninitiated to extricate them. After they are fastened in place, with your finger-nail smooth out the creases made at 3 Tij.Z they are strung at a slight angle, or in the direction of the slant which the strings take when fastened to the frame. The arrangement seen in Fig. 3 is perhaps best adapted to the usual form of a box, and affords a greater range of THE XYLOPHONE. 67 notes. It would be well to letter the upper part of the bars with the name of the note they are intended to pro- duce, and the wood should be thoroughly seasoned from which these bars are made. It is well to have the lowest note not the first of the scale but a fifth below, and the highest three or four notes above the octave. This will give sufficient compass for any air you may care to play. A good ear for music is of the greatest importance to insure success in constructing an instrument of this description, and it would simply be a waste of time and patience for any boy not so blessed, to venture upon the undertaking. Little wooden mallets are sometimes used to play upon this xylophone, but the little drumsticks belonging to the common toy drum are better for the purpose. 68 THE JEOLIAN HARP. Among the tribes of southern Africa an instrument of this class holds the chief place in their festivals, and is played upon with considerable skill by many of their native musicians. This piano, called by them "marim- ba," consists of two bars of wood placed side by side ; in the most southern portions quite straight, but farther north, bent round so as to resemble half the tire of a car- riage-wheel ; across these are placed about fifteen wooden keys, each of which is two or three inches broad, and fifteen or eighteen inches long, and their thickness, as in the case of the xylophone, is regulated according to the deepness of the note required. Each of the keys has a calabash beneath it ; from the upper part of each a por- tion is cut off to enable them to embrace the bars, and form hollow sounding-boards to the keys, which also are of different sizes, according to the note required ; and little drumsticks, like those spoken of above, elicit the music. Rapidity of execution seems much admired among them, and the music is pleasant to the ear. In Angola, the Portuguese use the marimba in their dances. THE iEOLIAN HARP. This simple little musical instrument derives its name from iEolus, god of the winds, who is said to have lived THE ^JOLIAN HARP. 69 at Stromboli, then called Strongyle, while he reigned over the iEolian islands, just north of Sicily. His island was entirely surrounded by a wall of brass, and by perfectly smooth precipitous rocks. Here he dwelt in continual joy and festivity with his wife and children ; the latter, six sons and as many daughters, are said to be a poetic type of the twelve months of the year. And here he kept the winds, tied up in bags, in perfect subjection, only let- ting them out when called upon to do so by Neptune, god of the sea. As the winds served iEolus on his little isle, so we force them to serve us in our far-away western homes, by operating upon our instrument and making music to soothe and calm us when we are too tired or indolent to make it for ourselves. The simplest form this instrument can have is a single string of strong waxed silk, stretched between two bits of wood, inserted under the lower win- dow-sash, sufficient space being allowed between the win- dow-sill and the sash for the vibration of the string. The other and more satisfactory harp is made like that 70 THE MOLIAN HARP. in the engraving, and is not so difficult an undertaking, that any boy who can handle carpenter's tools need fear to try it. Take two long strips of thin, soft pine wood, four and five inches wide respectively, and a little shorter than ths sash is wide, to allow for the length of the pegs at one end ; then from common seven-eighths of an inch board make two other pieces in shape like b, six inches wide, six high, on the narrower, and seven on the back or longer side. With a small gimlet make in both ends a row of eight or nine holes, at equal distances from each other, and half an inch from the edge of the slant- ing top, for the strings to pass through ; then with a larger gimlet bore in one end only, the second row of holes, 7i i, to hold the pegs upon which the ends of the strings are to be wound. Nail the parts together as in the cut, making the lower edges of the pieces meet at the bottom ; then from the outside of d e draw through as many pieces of violin string (the smallest or E string) as you have holes in your wood. Hold these by knots on the outside, and having brought them across the box pass them through the corresponding holes in the other end, and twist them around the pegs below, in the same manner that the strings are fastened in the violin itself. Unlike the violin, however, these should not be drawn too tight, simply stretched evenly across, and must all be tuned in unison. That is, having drawn one as tight as THE BOSTON CLAPPEB. 71 you think best, draw the others, one at a time, till they give forth the same musical note when snapped with the linger. Now put another thin piece of board across the top which shall just cover it like the lid of a desk. This was purposely left out in the illustration, that the ar- rangement of the strings might be more fully seen, but is necessary in the complete instrument. If catgut cannot be readily obtained, strong pieces of sadlers' silk, well waxed, may be used in its place, although the tones re- sulting are not as musical, or the strains as soft and lull- ing in character, as those produced by the former. After the instrument is properly tuned, place it upon the ledge of an open window, and let the sash down upon it, when, if there is any breeze stirring, it will pour forth strains of sweet, drowsy music, beautifully described by the poet Thomson, as supplying the most suitable har- monies for the Castle of Indolence. THE BOSTON CLAPPER. Take a piece of soft wood, five or six inches long, and whittle out of one end a hollow box, open at the top and outer end, like that represented in the illustration. Cut a groove around the inside, near the top, for the cover to slide in. Make this cover of a very thin piece of tough 72 THE BOSTON CLAPPER. wood, and one- third as long as the opening, pushing it, when completed, well up against the inner end of the box ; see b, in the figure, for size and position of cover. The handle, f, is simply for convenience in holding the instrument. Pass a piece of strong string or fish-line twice around the box at the point d, and after drawing it as tightly as possible, tie it firmly on the under side. Out of hard, tough wood make a thin, slender tongue, c, and place this between the two strings at e. Now twist this tongue over and over, each time drawing out the longer end, to allow of the other sliding by the edge of the cover. At each revolution of c the string is twisted tighter around the box, and if the end of c is touched, the other end strikes with more force upon the cover b. When sufficiently tight, grasp the handle with your left hand, and having the point well over the cover, commence with the third finger of your right hand and PAPIER-MACHE. 73 strike down on the end c with the fingers in their order, giving quick and repeated blows, like the successive taps of a drum. The music produced, if not strictly melodi- ous, is quite enchanting to the average American school- boy. PAPIER-MACHE. I have now come to one of the most fascinating and at the same time useful employments a boy can have ; one which not only 'affords amusement for the time being, but, if properly executed, furnishes home with much which is useful or ornamental, at scarcely any expense beyond the mere time and labor consumed in the work. How many of my readers know how to make things of papier-mache ? None who are old enough to read these directions are too young to make really useful objects or pretty playthings of this inexpensive medium ; indeed, many of the children of India, Persia, and many other Asiatic countries support themselves, and in some instances whole families, by making ornaments of papier-mache. In Germany this art is carried to a great extent, and a large proportion of the German toys so common in our stores, as well as the jointed bodies of the expensive French and German dolls, are made of this material. Papier-mache means " softened paper," and is simply 74 PAPIKR-MACHE. any old soft paper converted into pulp by water ; the poorer the paper the better. Cheap newspapers, such as tear with a mere touch, thin handbills and posters, are all particularly suited for this purpose. For a first trial it would be well to take some simple ob- ject, and a cup would perhaps make as good a beginning as any. First have some good flour-paste made, by pour- ing into boiling water enough flour, which has previously been moistened with cold water, to make a substance rather thicker than boiled starch ; this should be stirred only enough to unite the flour with the water, and to prevent burning. Add to this one or two old newspapers and a dish of water, a broad brush for the paste, and any prettily shaped tea- cup conveniently at hand, and you have all the materials required. A bag filled with sand or stuffed hard with cotton is a great help in molding, although not indispensable to the operation. Take the cup, which should be well smeared over with sweet-oil or lard, and cutting out a piece of paper sufficiently large, wet it, and press it down on the cup, using the fingers, or the sand bag, if you have it, for the purpose ; then with the brush spread the paste over the paper, and lay on this another piece ; press this down as before and con- tinue the process until twenty or thirty paper coverings have been used. After the first two or three layers, it is not necessary to use pieces which entirely cover the sur- PAPIER-MACHE. 75 face ; any sized scraps will do if they are so placed that the same thickness is preserved throughout. The outer surface should be as smooth and even as possible. When this is completed, let it dry for a day or two in any mod- erately warm place, as it is not well to dry it too quickly. When it seems sufficiently hard, remove the mold, and you will have a pasteboard cup with an uneven edge which must be trimmed with a sharp knife and smoothed with sand-paper. It might be well to trim off the top before removing the mold, as you would be more certain of getting it even by so doing. After this the cup can be painted in any man- ner desired. A plaque can readily be molded upon the inside of a plate or saucer, and a pretty work-basket can be made upon a shallow bowl. Toy boats are made in the same man- ner as the cup, upon wooden molds cut out for the purpose. Caed Receiveks. — These are generally flat dishes or shallow cups, made to hold visiting-cards, or the varied collections from Christmas, Easter, and New-year's. They may be molded on plates, saucers, or small bowls, or receiving their concave shape from a plaque or saucer, they can be cut into any fantastic form your fancy may dictate. A large, well-shaped grape-leaf, or the catalpa, would furnish pretty designs to those who have no confi- dence in their own skill in that direction. 76 PAPIER-MACHE. Umbeella Holders. — Take any cylinder with a smooth surface, about two feet in length, and six to ten inches in diameter, for the mold; make upon it a coating of papier- mache about half an inch in thickness. It is made much stronger by rolling it during the pasting. The bot- tom may be of the same material, or a wooden disk made to perfectly fit into the cylinder. The whole surface should be thoroughly sand-papered and given two or three good coats of paint. A simple band of gold paint around top and bottom forms a pretty finish, but a large bunch of peonies or poppies, freely painted upon one side, greatly improves its appearance. By reducing a quantity of paper and paste into a pulp, and allowing that to become a little dried — still moist, but not liquid — a number of objects can be molded, such as animals, boats, marbles, etc., by simply forming them with the hands and allowing them to dry. Paper pulp is sometimes mixed with common blue clay and glue, instead of flour-paste, used as a binding material. A beautiful vase can easily be made of papier-mache by forming a frame- work of pasteboard, and joining it to- gether with a few stitches or with narrow strips of strong paper pasted across the edges. Make this frame- work as near the form and size of your vase as it is possible for you to get ; then with your thin paper line it inside and PAPIER-MACH&. 77 out, until it seems as thick as you desire. Trim and sand- paper off the upper edge, and cover with one or two extra layers to insure a rounded edge common in earthenware vases. Stand it on a smooth, even table or board to make it flat on the bottom, and let it have plenty of time to dry. Next make from the paper pulp and fine clay prep- aration spoken of above a rose, poppy, or other flower, with its leaves and buds, resembling as nearly as possible those on the bisque vases so fashionable just now. This may seem at first a very difficult undertaking, but by molding one petal at a time, and placing each in position with glue as it is finished, the work is comparatively sim- ple. Do not undertake a difficult flower at first. If in summer, you may take any from the garden, and after en- larging every part in the same proportions, make it your model. When the flowers, stems, and leaves are all in place, let them become thoroughly dry, then after painting the body of your vase with shades of blue, red, or olive, so applied that they give a clouded effect to the whole, color your flowers as nearly as you can like the natural ones of the same species, and the stems and leaves the proper shades of brown or green. Let this paint thoroughly dry, and then varnish with the white shellac dissolved in alco- hol spoken of elsewhere in this book, if a very light sur- face is to be covered, or with the dark shellac or common varnish if the surface is intended to be dark. The floral 78 THE JAPANESE PAPER BIRD. decorations are not absolutely necessary, and a very pretty vase is made by simply painting the smooth sur- face with any graceful or pretty design, and varnishing it subsequently to give it the desired polish. THE JAPANESE PAPER BIRD. In the skillful management of paper, the Japanese are acknowledged to take the lead, as their balloons and kites, lanterns and fire-screens, now so commonly seen in this country, will testify. Many of the grotesque and hideous monsters, which THE JAPANESE PAPER BIRD. 79 nevertheless are artistic in form and decorative in effect, are made of paper pulp, with the necessary materials added to give it the proper degree of hardness ; and in articles made of folded or crinkled paper they have no equals, while in some instances they apparently infuse life itself into their airy creations. By simply folding a square piece of paper in the manner here described, they produce a bird-like figure, which will move its wings in quite a natural and amusing manner. 1 A leaf of paper — letter-paper is good for the purpose — is cut into an exact square ; fold this cornerwise, and then through the middle each way, as indicated in Fig. 1. This done, turn over each corner in succession, so that the edge of the square will be along one of the cornerwise folds, as in Fig. 2, and fold sharply the portion from a to b. Do this eight times, twice with each corner, first turning it one way and then the other, till it has the folds shown in 80 THE JAPANESE PAPER BIRD. Fig. 3. Turn inward two of these portions, indicated by the shading, as in Fig. 4 ; this will draw together the other two sides : fold it closely across the middle, a b, as in Fig. J^lif IPP/l a / M / dm lii b \1 5 ; then repeat the same in the other direction, folding on the line c d. This is done to mark the folds, which may be made more completely by pressing them with the fin- ger-nail. Now it will be easy to bring the corners of the le square up together, making a figure like No. 5 or like No. 6, when looking down on the meeting of the points at a. Then bring the points 1 and 2 together, also 3 and 4, THE JAPANESE PAPER BIRD. 81 and your figure will be like No. 7. Take the two outside points at a and turn them down, folding at the dotted line, and you have Fig. 8. Now turn down the other two points, 3 and 4, one forward, the other backward, making Fig. 9, with two broad points inside and two narrow ones outside. Turn and fold these narrow points to the right and left, and turn down the end of one point to form the head, and you have the bird, Fig. 10. Take it by the head and tail, as shown in the final view, and move them to and from each other. After a little careful working, when the folds become flex- ible in the proper places, you will make the bird flap its wings. It can be done after a few trials, if not on the first, and is sure to afford amusement to all. 82 THE THREE HALOS. THE TUMBLING EGG. Fill a quill with quicksilver, seal it at both ends with good hard wax ; then have an egg boiled, take a tiny- piece of shell off the small end, and thrust in the quill with the quicksilver ; lay it on the floor, and it will not cease tumbling so long as any heat remains in it ; or if you put quicksilver into a small bladder, and then blow it up, upon warming the bladder it will skip about as long as heat remains in it. THE THREE HALOS. Take a saturated solution of alum, and, having spread a few drops of it over a plate of glass, it will rapidly crys- tallize. When this plate is held between the observer and the sun or a lamp-flame, with the eye very close to the smooth side of the glass plate, there will be seen three beautiful halos of light at different distances from the luminous body. The smallest, which is the innermost cir- cle, is the whitest, the second is larger and more colored, with its blue rays extending outward, and the third is very large and highly colored. PAPER BOATS. PAPER BOATS. Take a piece of paper measuring about four by three inches ; fold it across the middle, as shown by dotted line Fig-Z Fig.l in Fig. 1; then turn down the corners of the folded side (ab, Tig- 3 Fig. 2). You now have Fig. 3 ; turn up the edge c d toward 84 PAPER BOATS. you, and fold it ; turn up the other edge away from you, and fold it against the other side, which gives you Fig. 4. Tig- 4 Bend over the points c d in either direction, also the other two corresponding points, so that the outline of the triangle 9 is continuous. You can cut off these little corners if you PAPER BOATS. 85 like ; but the boat is somewhat stronger, however, by let- ting them remain, and after a little experience, you will find no difficulty in disposing of them. This little hat- shaped form you now open (Fig. 5) and press together, with the points e f meeting each other, which gives you Fig. 6. Bend the point/ up toward you till it meets the point l two circular disks for these wheels, and dovetail the paddles into their edges as seen in Fig. 2. Next cut out two half circles of your thin wood for paddle-boxes, and bore a hole in each for the axle of the wheels. These are to shield the upper half of the wheels from the wind. Now take a piece of tin, in shape like Fig. 3, and wide THE WOODEN WINDMILL. 213 enough to accommodate the wheels on either side, and nail it to the edges of the paddle-boxes, as seen in the Fy .1 figure ; the ends, a, are to be nailed upon the deck of the steamer, and answer the purpose of keeping these boxes Fig- 3 in position. Paint this boat black and green, the latter occupying the lower third of the hull, while a narrow line of yellow or white around the top relieves the som- 214 THE WOODEN WINDMILL. berness of the upper part. The paddle-boxes should be black, with narrow lines of light red radiating from a small semicircular figure of the same color near the bot- tom. This boat should also be fitted with a small mizzen- sail, made of tin or thin board, and painted white. The top of the paddle-boxes is buff or light yellow, and the wheels or windmills are a bright red. In this steam-boat, a "dummy" walking- beam, cut out of a single piece of thin wood, can be added if desired, and should be painted in solid black, or, if liked, it can be striped like that in the "Toy Steam -boat," elsewhere described in this book. The smoke-stack in this, as well as the screw-propeller, should be nailed in place before the first painting. If you should care to take the trouble, the walking- beam can be made to move by simply cutting away the hull between the paddle-boxes, to allow the crank to turn in, and bending the axle of the wheels in the form of the crank described in the "Toy Steam-boat." A long slit must also be cut in the tin cover of the paddle- boxes, to allow of the play of the connecting-rod. Small flags of bright-colored strong cloth can be placed in the proper places if desired, and really add considerable to the bright, pretty effect when first made ; but as they are soon ruined by the combined influences of sun, rain, and wind, they are hardly desirable, unless the boat is in THE WOODEN WINDMILL. 215 some position where it can be easily reached, and the little flags changed for new ones, as they become faded or torn. THE EEGATTA WINDMILL. Take two sticks of wood, abont three feet long, and one inch in diameter ; fasten them together at their cen- tral points, so that their arms shall be at right angles with each other (see Fig. 1) ; and bore a large hole through the point of intersection. From shingles cut out four boats, each eight inches long, and fit them with masts ; next cut from strong new cloth four small tri- angular pieces for sails, and sew them to the masts ; fasten the lower corner by a strong bit of cord to the stern, as seen in Fig. 2 ; then cut a small flag from red 216 A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. flannel and nail it to the top of the mast. You can paint these boats if you like, and also the cross-pieces upon which they are finally nailed. Care must be taken that they all head the same way. Observe their positions in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows the affair finished and mounted on its pole. Place them in as high a position as possible, so that they may catch the breeze from all directions. A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. The microscope is, as every boy knows, an optical in- strument, which enables us to see and examine objects which are too small to be seen by the naked eye. The arrangement of the solar microscope is similar to that of the magic lantern, the sun taking the place of the lime- light usually employed. In this form of the magic Ian- A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. 217 tern, two difficulties are to be overcome ; one, the neces- sarily fixed position of the instrument ; and the other, the very inconvenient habit the sun has of constantly changing his position ; so that it would be impossible to adjust the lens without the aid of a mirror, to throw suf- ficient light in upon the object to be examined. Both of these obstacles are surmounted in the simple arrangement of the solar microscope here described. I I \ / a c / 1 1 \ Fifl First make a strong frame of wood, seven-eighths of an inch in thickness, that will exactly fit in the lower half of the window when the sash is thrown up ; and in the middle of this fit an upright board a foot wide, which has a hole cut in its center ten inches in diameter. Fasten it 218 A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. strongly in place by four nails driven through the frame, and well into the ends of the boards, or, if more conven- ient, by long screws inserted in the same places. Fig. 1 shows the position of the board a, also that of the nails b. The open spaces, c, are to be closed by several thick- nesses of brown paper pasted or tacked across on the inside Fif of the frame. The upper part of the window must also be closed, so that no ray of light shall enter the room, except through the hole d. Before proceeding further, it may be well to remark, that, as perhaps the largest part of the work is the cut- ting of no less than seven circular holes of various sizes, through as many pieces of board, a scroll-saw will be A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. 219 found an almost indispensable aid to the construction of this apparatus. Also, that the window in which this microscope is used must necessarily have a southern exposure. In Fig. 2 we have a disk of half-inch wood, twelve inches in diameter, with an opening in the center four inches across, to hold the condensing lens, a; bis a, mir- ror live inches wide and ten inches long, turning on an axis which passes through the supports, c c, the latter being at- tached to the disk. These supports should be long enough to admit of the mirror turning entirely around without touching the disk, and are fastened in place by screws passing through the disk and into their ends. When the r\ Fig 3 mirror is in place, cut the slit d parallel with the edge of the mirror, for the wire e to pass through. The manner of attaching the wire to the back of the mirror is seen in Fig. 3. The back is first covered with paper to prevent 220 A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. its scratching ; then the wire is bent and laid in place, and lastly, a piece of very strong paper is pasted over Fzy.4 the wire and entire back, and caught down over the edge of the front, forming a narrow frame to the glass ; the ends of this wire should pass through rather small holes A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. 221 in c c, so that it will not turn easily out of position. A handle (see /, Fig. 4) should be placed on the other side of the disk, and just across the lens from the slit d. Next take two pieces of wood, fifteen inches square and half an inch thick ; in the center of one cut a hole twelve inches in diameter, while in that of the other cut another round hole only ten inches across. In Fig. 4, which represents a section of this microscope, g is the central board of the screen, marked a in Fig. 1 ; h is the piece you have just made, with the central opening twelve inches in diameter ; and i is the second piece, which measures fifteen inches square, but has a hole of only ten inches diameter in its center ; d, which has a dotted surface, to distinguish it from the frame- work, is the large disk (Fig. 2), which, you remember, is just twelve inches in diameter, and, consequently, will exactly fit the opening in h ; if these edges are rough, sand-paper both with a coarse quality first, finishing them off with a finer kind. When d is in position, and moves easily but not loosely in h, place i over it and fasten it in place with screws, passing through i into Ji ; but h, of course, must first be strongly nailed or screwed upon g. You will now see that by turning the handle, f, the position of the mirror, which is fastened to this disk, can be easily changed so that it shall face in any direction, while by drawing the wire, e, it can be turned so as to re- 222 A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. fleet the sun's rays through the lens, a, from whatever quarter of the heavens it may be shining. This double adjustment of the mirror and lens enables you to throw the rays of the sun through the opening in upon the ob- ject, o, at any hour of the day. As the mirror is ad- justed in Fig. 4, the sun must be very low, as its rays, to strike the mirror, would necessarily be nearly horizontal. Fiy-5 The lens, a, should be held in place by two pieces of whalebone, bent around on either side of it, at the edge of the opening in d ; this lens is four inches in diameter, and has a focal length of nine or ten inches ; its adjust- ment had better be left till everything else in the micro- A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. 223 scope has been finished. Fig. 5 shows the appearance of this when completed. As the outer part of the work is fitted, we will now turn our attention to the other, or inner, side of the screen. In Fig. 4, the board j is eighteen inches long Fig 6 by ten inches wide, and half-an-inch thick. In the mid- dle is a small circular hole, one and one-half inches in diameter. This is fastened to the middle board, g, by the four horizontal posts, p, each six inches long. Now take a square piece of half-inch board, live 224 A BOY'S SO LAM MIC EO SCOPE. inches across, cut a circular hole two inches in diameter in the middle, and fit into this hole a pasteboard tube four inches long, which is painted black on the inside. The edge of the circular hole in j should also be black. In Fig. 6, which represents this board, you will notice two cleats, I Z, fastened to the back of Jc ; these are also made of half -inch wood, and are five inches long by one wide. In Fig. 4, the position of Jc and I is seen in connec- tion with the longer piece,// the center of the openings in/ and Jc should form one and the same horizontal line. The opening between I and I is for the glass slides upon which the objects to be examined are placed. After these parts are fastened in their proper places, make a pasteboard tube, with a black inner surface, as represented at /?, about four inches in length, and inclose in one end two lenses, each one and one -ha If inches in diameter, and each having a focal length of four inches. Fit this tube in the one marked m. Now, having every- thing in place, fit in the lens, a, so that it will send the rays of light directly through the hole in j upon the object in Z, and fasten it securely in place with your bent whalebones. The screen upon which the image is thrown can be the opposite whitewashed surface of the room, if by a proper adjustment of the tubes the image can be made distinct, or it can be a sheet stretched over a frame-work of light A BOY'S SOLAR MICROSCOPE. 225 wood ; the latter is preferable, as it can be more easily brought in focus. Of course, in this form, as in any- other "magic lantern," the nearer the screen to the lan- tern, the longer the tubes m n; but the image, which is smaller, gains in brilliancy of illumination, while with these conditions reversed, the results are the opposite ; a larger image, but less bright in appearance. The same light being spread over a larger surface is necessarily less strong. SOME OBJECTS FOR THIS MICROSCOPE. The objects which can be examined by aid of this in- strument are many in number, and can be readily pre- pared by simply inserting them between two pieces of glass, sufficiently small to slide in the opening I Z, and pasting bits of brown paper over the edges to hold them in place. In this manner the legs of flies and mosquitoes, the heads of the latter with their venomous sting ; hairs of the dog and cat, also from the human head ; tiny sections of human skin ; down from the butterfly' s w^ing, obtained by dusting off a few of the tiny particles upon a glass plate ; the pollen from different flowers ; spores of the puff-ball and tiny grains of dust, all make very interest- ing subjects for study, when magnified and thrown upon the screen in the darkened room. 8 226 SEA-MOSSES. One of the most interesting experiments with this form of the magic lantern is made by throwing the image of a drop of some solution, like sulphate of copper, upon the screen, and watching the process of its crystallization ; sulphate of copper and of iron ; hyposulphite of soda, which latter may be colored by adding a very little per- manganate of potash to the solution. The eels in a drop of vinegar, drops of stagnant water, and the larvae of the mosquito are also interesting objects, when viewed by the aid of this powerful magnifier. SEA-MOSSES. No boy who has lived on our coast, or, indeed, who has spent much time near the sea, could have failed to notice and admire the beautiful feathery mosses which sway about so gracefully under the surface of the water. The most delicate mosses are not found upon the open sea- beach, but in the more sheltered bays and inlets near the coast, and one who has never given them especial atten- tion cannot fail to be impressed by the great variety of form and color to be found within a small space of water. Ranging in color from the palest pink or straw to the deepest purple or brown, and from the lightest sea-green to the darkest shade of olive, they are capable of being SEA-MOSSES. 227 arranged in most beautiful bits of coloring, while the del- icate, fine specimens, united with the coarser varieties, add to the effectiveness of the whole. To gather and arrange these mosses is not as difficult a task as most people imagine. Any boy can, with a little care, make a fine collection, which would be valued very highly by some inland friend who cannot reach the sea-shore every year, or perhaps not more than once or twice in a life- time. If any of you, my boy readers, have any such friend, do not fail to collect a quantity of the mosses com- mon to the waters near you, and arrange them on cards for their preservation. In gathering your mosses have an old tin can filled with water in the bottom of the boat, and after detaching from the stones, throw them imme- diately into the can. When you get home they can be left in the can of salt water over night, if you have not the time to attend to them at once ; or they may be put into a basin of fresh water, and left for awhile to wash away the salt and sand that remains on them. When they seem perfectly clean, take two or three carefully up on a bit of paper and throw them into a basin of clean water. Now the delicate part of the process is reached. Have a number of square pieces of unglazed paper at hand — ribbon paper is very good for the purpose — and thrust them carefully into the water under the bit of moss you desire to take out. With a long, slender darning-needle 228 SEA-MOSSES. carefully arrange the tiny filaments, so that they shall form a graceful composition, and raise the card carefully from the water. It is not necessary to exercise as much care with the coarser " silver mosses," as their more wiry branchlets naturally assume graceful positions, and the water flowing from the surface of the card does not so easily disarrange their positions. When all the mosses have been taken up on cards, fasten each to a table or shelf to dry. This is done by driving a pin through one 8EA-M0SSES. 229 corner of the card into the edge of the shelf or table, and allowing it to remain undisturbed until both the moss and paper are perfectly dry. They may now be mounted upon cards prepared for the purpose, and their names, with the locality where they were found, neatly written beneath ; or they may be preserved in a case or frame. The illustrations show two different arrangements of sea-mosses for the frame. In the first, that seen in Fig. 1, they are glued upon a background of fine white card- 230 ANTIQUES AND HORRIBLES. board, one layer superimposed above another, until they extend forward from the card for an inch or more. Their stems are finally covered by a small, well-striped scallop- shell which has been washed clean and varnished. It is perhaps needless to add that the effect is very pretty. The " silver mosses " are best adapted for this arrange- ment. The design given in Fig. 2 is quite grotesque in its ap- pearance^ and appeals rather more to the average boy's taste than the former arrangement. Red and brown mosses are used entirely, unless the effect seems too somber, in which case a little "silver moss" may be introduced on the back to lighten it a trifle. Tiny baskets, made of pretty scallop-shells nicely fitted together and varnished, are often filled with the coarser varieties of moss, and are very pretty ; but if they are unprotected from the dust they are soon destroyed, and unless covered with a glass case or inverted thin plain glass tumbler, they hardly pay for the trouble of making. ANTIQUES AND HORRIBLES. This is another of the mechanical toys which was com- mon during my childhood. The whole affair is so simple that a small boy could make it, in a less finished form at ANTIQUES AND HORRIBLES. 233 least, and the most sullen little fellow in all the land could not fail to be amused by the grotesque procession of clowns and hobgoblins, kings and countrymen, birds and fishes and animals, whose names no naturalist could tell, and whose like was never seen on this earth before. This pro- cession travels on and on, as long as the crank is turned. The above illustration gives some idea of a few of the many members of the band, but any boy at all ingenious, will see that he has a variety — the more grotesque and outlandish the better the effect. Fig. 2 shows a section of the machinery ; the box-like covering is removed, and the frame-work exposed to view. First procure a board, a, about twenty by eight inches ; next two rollers upon which the band is to turn, for you must have seen that these little images are made of thin cardboard, attached to an endless band of strong cloth. These rollers should be rather larger than broomsticks, and held in place by four uprights, c. Only two of these can be seen in the cut. A table, d e, extends between the rollers and is sup- ported by four legs, /, which should be of sufficient length to make the top, d e, come just below the upper section of the band, g g are boards, the same width as the bottom, a, and of sufficient height to make a good foundation for the top, and to allow free passage of the procession. None of the figures should be much over three inches in height, and none should be attached to 234 ANTIQUES AND HORBIBLES. the cloth in more than one place ; that is, by only one foot, as they would be unavoidably torn in passing over the rollers if more firmly fixed. The top and front are of A :**■") -Tv; w *&* ^J Js> to 1 3£!E 5^ WWWff 1 pasteboard, and the whole exposed surface is covered with pretty wall-paper. On the right roller at the back end, fix a small crank, or handle, and the machine is started by turning this. When about to give a grand exhibition, be careful to turn in the right direction, and not set the whole procession running backward, as you might easily do if unobserving or forgetful. The images are much more amusing if painted in bright colors. Use plenty of blue, red, yellow, black, and white paint, with a touch here and there of rich green and purple ; and you may perhaps almost make your audience believe that Fourth of July is here again, and they are viewing the " Antiques and Horribles" through the large end of a spy-glass. THE MUSICAL CHICKENS. 235 Tig. I THE MUSICAL CHICKENS. One of the most pleasing toys for children, which may- be counted among those made by boys themselves, is this little coop of chickens. Make a box like Fig. 1, leaving off the top and back boards until the works are placed within it. The little bars which separate the chickens are thin strips of wood. In Fig. 2, a represents one of the chickens, which is also made of thin wood and painted yellow ; a hole is made at 5, to allow the pass- age of a strong stiff wire, upon which the chickens turn, and by which they are also kept in place. At the end, c, of each, a strong piece of linen thread is tied through a small hole bored for the purpose, and each line is caught to a separate nail, driven in the bottom of the box, just 236 THE MUSICAL CHICKENS. below the chicken, in such a manner that when it is drawn tightly in place it will just touch the roller d. Fig. 1 shows just where each chicken is placed, and how far their heads protrude through the bars. The ends of the wire, 5, which holds them in place, can be fastened on one side by simply pushing one end into a hole bored partly through the wood to receive it ; the other should be slipped into a groove made for it, and fastened in place by a wedge nailed just above it when in position. Fig. 3 shows the roller in full, and the little blocks or cams which are placed along its surface. These little cams are made of wood, not more than three-eighths of an THE MUSICAL CHICKENS. 237 inch thick, and are placed at such distances from each other along the roller that the middle point of each shall come opposite one of the threads. Between these blocks, but so situated that they will not come in contact with any one of the threads, are little quills, driven into tiny gashes made in the roller. These quills are an inch long, and should all be of the same length. One end of the roller is fitted with a crank, while the other is fastened in place by a wooden pin or long nail. Below this, at either end of the box, is a curved bridge, e, Fig. 3 1X^ a t^t into which grooves are cut and slender brass wires drawn very tightly, as seen in a violin. The curve made by the wires, however, is unlike that in the above-named instru- ment, being concave instead of convex. Now it will be seen that by placing the roller in such a position that the quills will strike the wires with some force as the wheel revolves, a constant tinkling sound like that of a toy piano 238 CAPTAIN S.'S PEG PUZZLE. is the result ; and at the same time, as the little blocks come in contact with the strings, they pnsh the thread backward, and in so doing lower the point c, and conse- quently raise the head of the chicken. The top of the extension in front of the bars is made of thin board and painted green, while a slight sprinkling of yellow over its surface represents the meal the chickens are supposed to be eating. The remainder of the box may be painted to suit the fancy of the maker. CAPTAIN S.'S PEG PUZZLE. One bright summer morning, which seems but a short while ago, unless I stop and count the years that have passed since then, we children were invited to take a sail across the bay with one of the kind-hearted old captains who owned a trim little cat-boat, which her owner was wont to boast would beat any other craft of her length in the harbor. But there was not much chance of beating anything on the morning of which I write, for, although a light northerly breeze was stirring when we intended to start, the girls of our party took so much time in which to get ready, that by the time we were fairly under way we were scarcely able to fill our sail. However, we man- aged to make some little headway, and in the course of CAPTAIN 8:8 PEG PUZZLE.. 239 two hours reached the beautiful rocky point covered with its grove of fine old trees, which, but for the delay in starting, would have been reached much earlier in the day. This point was quite a favorite spot for excursion- ists, and was hailed with delight by most of our party. We boys, however, cared more for the little Sea Dog, and the companionship of old Captain S., than for the walks on shore. So, claiming our full share of the good things packed in the baskets stowed away in the cabin, we decided to remain on board and share our picnic with the captain on the bay. After all were on shore, and the hampers had been taken to the grove, we hoisted the sail and made for deeper water ; but there was no wind, and we had to con- tent ourselves with looking at the glassy surface around us, and feeling that we were in a boat away from shore, even if not in rapid motion. We ate our lunch as we lis- tened to a delightful story told by the captain, of how his ship was once chased by a pirate, and only escaped through the timely interposition of a snow-storm. We next tried our hands at the oars and rowed some distance further from the land. Finally, as we were about to re- turn for the others of our party on shore, a small piece of wood Fred found on the cabin floor changed the cur- rent of our thoughts, and we saw for the first time the little device I am about to describe. This bit of wood. 240 CAPTAIN 8:8 PEG PUZZLE. which he had picked up was a thin strip of a cigar-box cover. In one end was a circular hole about an inch in diameter, in the middle was a square hole of the same diameter, and at the extreme end was still another open- ing, in the form of an isosceles triangle, the perpendicular being of the same length as the side of the square. Fig. When Captain S. saw the piece of wood he challenged us each to make one peg which should exactly fit all three holes. "But it can't be done, Captain," we both exclaimed at once ; " the holes that have corners couldn't be fitted with a round peg, and the peg large enough for the square would be too large for the triangle," contin- ued Fred, as he examined the openings more carefully. " But it can be done," answered Captain S., with a pecul- iar kind of chuckle he always gave when very much CAPTAIN 8:8 PEG PUZZLE. 241 pleased. "It can be done, for I have done it hundreds of times." He had done it hundreds of times ; had made one peg which should fit a round, a square, and a triangular hole, and fit them nicely ! How was it to be done \ We thought it over, and tried to study it out ; we even took out our jaekknives and whittled away at an old broken thole-pin which lay in the bottom of the boat. But we couldn' t make it work ; there were always the corners to be filled, and little spaces would be left if we tried to compromise, and make the pin less round as it increased in length ; then the triangle! that wouldn't accommodate itself to any shape we could devise. We whittled away for over an hour, now and again receiving a little encouragement from the captain, who greatly enjoyed our successive failures. During the meantime a brisk south-west wind had sprung up, and we were bounding over the water at a delightful speed ; but we paid little attention to the sail ; in fact, we hardly knew we were moving at all, so intent had we become to solve the mystery. After the others of the party came on board, we soon fired them with our enthusiasm, and every bit of available wood and every jackknife was brought into use. But not one of the party was bright enough to hit upon the right shape. I shall never forget the fun made of us by the girls — not one of whom, by the way, could sharpen a lead- 242 CAPTAIN 8:8 PEG PUZZLE. pencil decently — when the captain finally showed us how the thing was done. Asking one of the older boys to take the helm, he picked up a bit of wood we had thrown aside as too small, whipped out his jackknife, and in less time than it takes me to write it, had the peg made and fitted to the holes. How he made it fit so well in so short a time has never ceased to be a source of wonder to me ; but probably the practice of years, w^hile off on lonely whaling cruises, had something to do with his dexterity. He first whittled out a cylinder, which exactly fitted the circular hole ; then he cut it off, so that its length should be the same as the diameter of the square (see Fig. 2). Now, by putting this sideways into the square 111 \ \ jjj III JI Fiff-2 Ficj>3 Fig- 4 opening, it fitted it perfectly. Lastly, leaving the base of the cylinder undisturbed, he cut away from either side until he had a shape like Fig. 3, which, when looked at from another point, presents the appearance of Fig. 4, and would, of course, perfectly fit the last and triangular opening. SLATE GAMES FOR CHILDREN. 243 SLATE GAMES FOR CHILDREN. A slate is one of the most useful presents which can be given to a child. Long before the little hands can fashion letters, or the infant mind comprehend them, the baby- fingers can make marks and scratches upon the smooth surface and derive considerable amusement from the ex- ercise. As the little one grows older, these meaningless scrawls gradually change to more intelligible forms, and then it is that the " Tit-Tat-To," so very old, and yet so delight- fully new, to every little girl or boy in their turn, comes into play. iSGgiiilig TIT-TAT-TO. This game is played on a figure similar to the above, 244 8LATE GAMES FOR CHILDREN. made on an ordinary slate. The players alternately mark in the figure, the one a cross, and the other a nought ; he who first obtains a row, either horizontally, perpendicu- larly, or diagonally, wins the game, and calls out the fol- lowing rhyme : " Tit-Tat-To, my last go ; Three jolly butchers all in a row." The object of each of the players is equally to obtain such a row and to prevent his opponent from obtaining one. AIR, EARTH, OR THE SEA? This game — which is sometimes called Birds, Beasts, and Fishes — is instructive as well as interesting to chil- dren who have some slight knowledge of natural history. It is played as follows : Two boys take their slates, and each writes down the first and last letters of the name of some bird, beast, or fish, first stating whether it belongs to the air, earth, or water, or from which category the name is selected, and puts a cross for each of the inter- mediate letters. For example : James writes upon his slate T x x x r, and remarks, as he passes it to his com- panion, " the earth." Charles selects a bird and marks upon his slate as follows : E x x x e, saying, at the same time, "the air." They exchange slates, and each tries to SLATE GAMES FOB CHILDREN. 245 guess the name of the beast or bird indicated, and fills up the blanks accordingly. It is evident that those in- dicated above are respectively tiger and eagle. TUKKS AND RUSSIANS. The slate should be divided into three divisions, the top and bottom divisions each having a small compart- ment marked off therein, as shown in the annexed diagram. 246 SLATE GAMES FOR CHILDREN. One of the two end divisions should be allotted to the Turks, and the other to the Russians, and marks put therein, to represent the soldiers of the respective na- tions. Each player having provided himself with a well- sharpened pencil, the game is played as follows : The players decide the order of play, and the first selected being supposed to be a Turk, places the point of his pen- cil at the spot marked in the smaller compartment of the Turkish division of the slate and draws it quickly across the slate in the direction of the opposing army. The pencil will, of course, leave a line marking its track, and all the men of the opposite side through which the track passes count as dead. Each player plays al- ternately, and he wins who first kills all the men on the opposite side. The track of the pencil must be rapidly made and must be either straight or curved ; any track in which there is an angle does not count. Sometimes the players turn their heads or close their eyes when making the track. THIRTY-ONE. Although this game is usually played upon a board similar to the one in the cut, and with small wooden blocks made for the purpose, a slate properly marked off SLATE GAMES FOR CHILDREN. 247 would answer very well for the board, and bits of paste- board, marked with the necessary figures, do equally well for the blocks. The game consists of playing these bricks or squares of pasteboard, so that the column added up makes just thirty -one. As only two persons play together, suppose William 6 | 6 J 6 | 6 J and Mary are contestants. Mary commences the game by playing a six ; that is, she slides one of the blocks numbered six over to the right-hand side of the board. Then William plays block No. 4. This makes ten. Mary then plays two, and William follows with a five, making seventeen total. Now, some calculation is neces- sary if either will win. Mary, after some study, ventures 248 SLATE GAMES FOR CHILDREN. a five, and William plays a six. It is now only necessary for Mary to slide No. 3 over to the right side, to make the total thirty-one and beat. That move of Mary's — which was made after consider- able deliberation — was not a safe one, as William could have moved over a one and made the total only twenty- three. This would require eight more to complete the re- quired thirty-one, and as six is the largest number on the blocks, William would have had the last play and gained the contest. Rules for Thirty-one. The object of each player is to gain thirty-one, or nearer thirty-one than his opponent, without going over that number. Put the blocks or bits of pasteboard on the left side of the board ; and each in turn moves any piece they like to the other side. Each player moves alternately one piece at a time. Add together the numbers on all the blocks moved. until one or the other gains thirty-one, without going over that number. The player gaining this number by his individual block wins. The final honor is given to him who wins three out of five single games. SOLITAIRE. 249 SOLITAIEE. During the long winter evenings, we cannot have too many games to amuse the younger members of the house- hold, and a variety is always acceptable. Where the family is large and the means small, and especially in the country where boys are forced to rely upon their own devices in the way of amusement, few of the ready-made games find their way into the household. Now boys, and girls, too, let me whisper to you so softly that your city cousins may not hear — you are no losers because of that fact. A great part of the enjoy- ment of a thing consists in the making of it. And many of the games which are best enjoyed by children all over the land you can, with a little ingenuity and some trouble, perhaps, make for yourself. Among the many things which a boy can make, there are very few more interesting or fascinating than the sim- ple game of Solitaire, or, as it is more frequently called, The Peg Puzzle. Take a piece of smooth board, from nine inches to a foot square, cut out the corners as indicated in the illus- tration, and bore holes in the positions indicated by the dots. Out of soft pine or other suitable wood whittle thirty- 250 SOLITAIRE. two pegs, which are to fit into these holes ; the middle or thirty-third hole is to be left empty. The game consists in removing all the pegs excepting one from the board, and that one is to be left in the middle hole. This is effected, as in "checkers," by a series of capt- f £ * 9 • 3 ? • IX • 8 • li • 19 • 5 6 • • 20 • IF • I 2 • • 18 • £9 • 23 m 16 • • It • 13 • Z5 • 27 • 24 • 31 • 31 • 22 • 28 % • SO ures ; that is, when taken off the board, the peg re- moved must first have been jumped over by another peg. In beginning the game, peg No. 1 jumps over peg No. 2, and is placed in the central hole. No. 2 is then removed from the board. As the hole occupied by No. 2 is now empty, peg No. 3 jumps over No. 4, and is placed in the BATTLEDORE AND SHUTTLECOCK. 251 empty hole No. 2. No. 4 is removed, and the moves continue in like manner as those described. The following is a key to the solution of the puzzle, but should not be consulted until you find it impossible to accomplish the feat without its aid. KEY. 1 to centre 6 to 8 20 to 19 3 to 2 13 to 2 11 to 18 5 to 4 x to 1 24 to 14 2 to 3 15 to 2 26 to 25 7 to 4 16 to 14 25 to 17 8 to 6 2 to 13 28 to 14 9 to 7 18 to 11 17 to 25 11 to 3 20 to 19 29 to x 7 to 4 8 to 21 x to 27 22 to 20 30 to 24 32 to 25 27 to centre, BATTLEDORE AND SHUTTLECOCK. If any of my young boy friends wishes to make a use- ful, and at the same time acceptable, present to a sister 252 BATTLEDORE AND SHUTTLECOCK. or girl friend, he cannot do better than make a set of this pretty and amnsing game. The battledore is readily made with a hickory stick and a piece of hoop, and the shuttlecock with a cork and a few short feathers. The forms of the two are shown in the illustrations. The game is played by two players, each having a bat- tledore, and each bats the shuttlecock from one to the BIJYG TOSS. 255 other, the one failing to return it when it is batted to him within possible reach losing a point in the game. A game consists of twenty points, and the best two out of three games gains the match. RING TOSS. This light pastime for the summer lawn, or for the par- lor on a winter' s evening, is one of the most graceful and pretty games ever invented. Although particularly in- tended for the fairer sex, boys are generally the most skillful, if not the most graceful, competitors in the game. This game is played with a target-post, more or less ornamental, as the skill and taste of the maker may de- cree, and a number of light rings or small hoops, ranging from five to ten inches in diameter. The rings are nicely made of old hoop-skirt wires, bent in the desired shape, and strongly fastened with cords, the whole covered with bright silk or ribbon ; the greater variety of colors used the brighter the effect of the game. The ribbons need not necessarily be perfectly fresh, as in winding the rings any soiled spots can readily be hidden. It is also better to have the rings divided into three sets or sizes, and all those of each set as nearly as possible of the same size. For instance, if eighteen rings are to be 256 CHECKERS. used, let six be about five inches in diameter, six more be seven or eight inches, and the remaining six to be ten inches across. The game is simply to toss the rings so as to fall on the target-post. The smaller the rings the higher the count. For the large rings one point is scored, for the next in size two points, and for the smallest or five-inch rings, three points — fifty points being a full game. The distance on a lawn which the player stands from the target-post is twenty-five feet. In the parlor it is fif- teen feet. CHECKERS. As I write the above title, I wonder if there is a boy or a girl in this great American land who does not own a checker-board, or does not know how to play this delight- ful game. The game was brought to us from England, we cannot say how many years ago, probably by the first settlers in these then lonely wilds. This game of checkers is a scientific one and is gov- erned entirely by calculation. So, in order to become a good player, one has to give considerable time and thought to the subject, which is perhaps as good mental discipline as many of our less interesting school studies. CHECKERS. 257 The game is played upon a board or table, divided off into thirty-two white and thirty-two black squares, with twelve white and twelve black men or checkers. The board can be made out of thin wood, or upon a 5 1 z jJM K 7 HODHl 9 \13 17 14 18 15 19Wt~Z0 Zl \Z9 Z5 / SO 25 W^Jm 26 JlW&IL 31 BT^hI strong piece of pasteboard, the white squares left the original color of the material used, and the black colored with ink or paint, whichever is most conveniently at hand. 258 CHEGKEBS. For the checkers, small pieces of wood may be used, or black and white buttons be substituted in their place. The table or board should be so placed that each player shall have a black square at his right hand, if playing on the white squares, or a white square, if playing on the black. The men move obliquely forward until they arrive at the last, or the adversary' s head row, when they are made kings and can then move backward as well as forward. To distinguish a king from a common man he is crowned, by placing another checker of the same color on top of him, as soon as he reaches the king's row. The adversary's men are taken by leaping over them, and must be taken whenever offered or exposed. No move can be recalled after the man has been quitted; that is, after the finger has been removed from him. The players have the first move in each game alter- nately. Checkers may best be learned by playing, for awhile at least, upon a board on which the white squares are num- bered, some authorities advising the placing of permanent numbers in a corner of each white square, so as to be seen when the men are placed. The numbers are arranged as follows : 1 being on your right hand and 4 on your left ; number 5 the right hand of the second row, and 8 the left, and so on. See illus- tration. CHECKERS. 259 The black men are placed upon 1 to 12 ; the white on 21 to 32. In order to understand the game more readily, it may- be of some assistance to beginners to show how a simple game might be played. Suppose B., who has the black men, makes the first move from 11 to 15. W. follows him with 22 to 18. B. now moves from 15 to 22, jumping over 18, and capturing it by the move. 22 is now exposed, so W. is obliged to take it, and to do so moves from 25 to 18. B. now com- mences a new line of moving, and passes 8 to 11. W. moves 29 to 25 thus breaking his king's row. B. 4 to 8 ; W. 25 to 22 ; B. 12 to 16 ; W. 24 to 20 ; B. 10 to 15. Now W. moves 27 to 24, and loses the game by so doing. B. follows with 16 to 19, thus exposing 19. As it is a law in the game that the opposite side must take up the exposed men, W. is obliged to jump 19, and moves from 23 to 16 in so doing. B. moves from 15 to 19; W. 24 to 15 to jump 19 ; B. 9 to 14 ; W. 18 to 9, and captures 14. B. now sees 15 and 22 exposed, and moves from 11 to 25, thus captur- ing both men by the act. W. 32 to 27 ; B. 5 to 14, jump- ing 9. W. 27 to 23 ; B. 6 to 10. W. 16 to 12 ; B. 8 to 11. W. 28 to 24 ; B. 25 to 29, and is made a king. W. now moves 30 to 25, but as 29 is a king and can move backward as well as forward, B. moves from 29 to 22 and jumps 25, but exposes the king, which is quickly captured by W., 260 CHECKERS. who moves from 26 to 17. Now both sides proceed m a quiet manner for a time, B. moving from 11 to 15, W. 20 to 16, B. 15 to 18, W. 24 to 20. B. captures 23 by moving from 18 to 27, and W. takes 27 by jumping from 31 to 24. B. 14 to 18 ; W. 16 to 11, which is taken by B. who moves 7 to 16. W., in turn, takes 16 with 20, which he jumps over to 11. B. 18 to 23 ; W. 11 to 8. B. 23 to 27, and W. now gains another king by moving 8 to 4. B. moves 27 to 31 and also gets a king. The king, you remember, can move backward, so W. moves from 4 to 8 ; B. 31 to 27. W. 24 to 20 ; B. 27 to 23. W. 8 to 11 ; B. 23 to 18. W. 11 to 8, and B. 18 to 15, which shows the game is lost toW. The two following problems are given for practice, and are intended to materially assist the learner in gaining some knowledge of the intricacies of the game. THE SPIRIT JEW'S-HARP. 261 SOLUTION TO NO . l. SOLI JTION TO N 0. 2. Black to move and win. White to move and win. Black. White. White. Black. 1st move 6 to 1 5 to 9 1st move 18 to 14 5 to 1 2d move 10 to 15 9 to 5 2d move 14 to 9 lto 5 3d move 15 to 18 5 to 9 3d move 22 to 17 5 to 14 4th move 1 to 5 9 to 6 4th move 17 to 10 21 to 25 5th move 18 to 15 21 to 17 5th move 10 to 15 25 to 30 6th move 5 to 1 6 to 9 6th move 15 to 19 30 to 25 7th move 15 to 18 9 to 5 7th move 27 to 32 25 to 22 8th move 18 to 22 17 to 14 8th move 19 to 24 20 to 27 9th move 1 to 6 5 to 1 9th move 32 to 23 White wins. 10th move 6 to 2 14 to 10 11th move 22 to 18 1 to 5 12th move 18 to 14 White loses. THE SPIRIT JEW'S-HARP. During the Christmas holidays, when families are home for the season, and entertainments are the principal things desired in the long bright evenings, perhaps a few more tricks may not come amiss. Among these the spirit jew's-harp will be sure to amuse and at the same time mystify both the older and younger members of the company, who will probably form the audience on these Christmas or New-year's evenings ; and will form a pleasant entertainment between the acts of a 262 TEE SPIBIT JEW'S-HARP. charade or the lapses in the music. Briefly described, the trick is as follows : A jew's-harp is placed in the mouth, and played upon for awhile with the finger in the ordinary way. Grad- ually, however, the performer moves his hand away, but continues the motion of playing some distance from the mouth, while the instrument continues to play quite as clearly and distinctly as before. The hand may wave above the head, or in any position, to show the audience that no thread or string is connected with the tongue of the instrument, but must keep up the motion of playing as long as the sound continues to come. Procure a jew's-harp with a very flexible tongue, and cover the end with a smooth ball of sealing-wax. Now place the instrument in your mouth with its tongue pointed inward, and if your tongue is placed against the ball of sealing-wax and suddenly pushed out, and as sud- denly released, a sound will be produced much as if it was pushed out in the ordinary way with the finger. After a time you will find it possible to produce differ- ent notes upon it, and with some practice will find it as possible to play tunes as by the common method. It will now be seen that during the whole performance the music is elicited by the tongue, and not by the finger as at first appears ; the placing the forefinger of the right hand to the mouth, and moving it as if playing in the A NEW WAY TO KINDLE THE FIRE. 263 ordinary way, is simply a little ruse to mislead the audience. The performer should so stand that the light does not shine too strongly upon his face, and thus expose the ab- sence of the tongue of the jew's-harp, and a complete mastery of the instrument in the inverted position should be acquired before one attempts the trick in public. A NEW WAY TO KINDLE THE FIRE. There are many ways given for producing fire, but the following is the most unique, and at the same time con- venient, of all these various methods, as it consists in simply blowing the flame from the mouth, and so ignit- ing the camp-fire or whatever else one wishes to burn. To all appearances you fill your mouth with raw cot- ton, and then, taking a fan in your right hand proceed to make the fire. First a stream of blue smoke will be seen curling from your lips, and after a moment or two a bright spark will appear in the mass of cotton in the mouth. This spark is quickly followed by others until at last a clear bright flame bursts forth. Many of the audience may not believe that it is a gen- uine flame, but a paper may be lighted from it and 264 A NEW WAY TO KINDLE THE FIRE. passed around the room, which will soon convince the most skeptical that it certainly is bond fide fire. To perform this trick, procure from a chemist a piece of amadon or German tinder. This is an inexpensive material, brown in color, and soft and silky to the touch. Tear off a small piece — perhaps as large as a dime — and roll it in a small bit of cotton wool, having already lighted one end of the tinder. Place this with other cotton in your hand, and you are ready to produce all the fire your audience may demand. First place the cotton which conceals the lighted tin- der in your mouth — it will not burn you — and then some of the loose cotton you have in your hand ; and remem- ber to draw the breath in through the nostrils, but breathe it out through the mouth. This will fan the tinder and in a moment ]ight the cotton in front of it, so that the smoke will begin to pass out with the breath ; then the sparks will appear, and finally the flame, as described above. While placing fresh cotton in the mouth, you may take advantage of the fact that your hand is before your mouth to let some of the burnt cotton fall out. By exercising a little tact your audience may be mystified for a long time, and, in fact, will probably be unable to guess the secret at all, unless you yourself divulge it to them. A HOME-MADE COMPASS. 265 A HOME-MADE COMPASS. Break a knitting-needle in two pieces, and magnetize one of the pieces by passing it two or three times over one of the poles of a strong magnet. Insert this piece through a small cork. Fix an ordinary needle in the end of the cork with the end projecting. Break the other piece of the knitting-needle into two equal parts ; and having wound one end of each with thread pass the other end into the cork, as seen in the illustration. Next procure a small brass thimble, deeply indented, and balance the cork upon it by dropping melted sealing- wax upon the thread- covered ends, first on one side and then on the other, until the equilibrium is established. A small round box is next needed, and having fitted 266 A HOME-MADE COMPASS. the top with a disk, like that seen in Fig. 2, cut the central hole large enongh for the easy movement of the cork. JNow place the thimble on the bottom of the box, hold- ing it in place with a few drops of glue. (Le Page's liquid glue is best for this, as for all occasions in which glue may be required in constructing the objects de- scribed in this book ) Balance the cork upon it, with the needle-point resting in one of the indentations on top of the thimble, the magnetic need]e having been temporarily taken out. Now adjust the cardboard disk in place. Lastly, insert the magnetized needle, and your compass is completed. This compass can be made very useful upon the various A HOME-MADE COMPASS. 267 excursions into the woods which boys are always fond of taking, and, as a simple mechanical toy, much amusement may be derived from it. By presenting the south pole of the magnet to the north pole of the compass, and jerking it quickly away, the moment am of the needle will carry it around several times before the impulse is exhausted. The same experiment may be tried with the magnetized blade of a jackknife. The magnetic needle does not point to the north pole of the earth, but to a point called the magnetic pole. This variation, or declination, is, from the Atlantic region of this continent, a few degrees westward of the direct north. The arrow indicates about the average variation ; and if the compass be so placed that the needle will rest directly over it, the line £T. S. will more nearly indicate the true north and south. The card should be held in place not by glue, but by a few very short pins (filed off and re- sharpened). Then if the needle is shaken from its perch, the card can be re- moved to permit its re-adjustment. 268 BOW TO MAKE A CIRCLE. HOW TO MAKE A CIRCLE. Many of the operations described in this book require the making of circles of various sizes. Those readers who own a pair of dividers, especially if they are furnished with a pencil-holder, will find this an easy matter. Those who are not as fortunate may be glad to learn the following ready way of describing circles accurately to any size desired. One of the common substitutes for dividers is a loop of string or thread passed around the pencil-point, and a pin inserted in the center of the proposed circle. This is a tiresome and vexatious method, as it is difficult to tie the loop at just the right length when a circle of a specified size is to be made, the stretching of the thread adding to the perplexity. The loop is also very ready to slip up and down on the pencil or pin, making it altogether a matter of unusual good fortune to obtain a satisfactory result. The better way is to take a strip of stout paper or thin card, about half an inch wide and a ]itt]e more than half the length of the circle's diameter. A strip cut from a postal card will serve the purpose admirably. Near one end of this make a hole large enough for the insertion of the pencil-point. Toward the other end make a pinhole, the distance of which from the first THE MAGNETIC CIRCUS. 269 hole must be half the diameter of the circle required. Stick a pin through this hole into the center of your pro- posed circle ; place the pencil-point in the other, and you can achieve your result with accuracy and ease. THE MAGNETIC CIRCUS. This mechanical toy is comparatively simple in its con- struction, and will serve as the foundation for one of the 270 THE MAGNETIC CIRGU8. many Saturday shows, which are so dearly prized by most of the bright, active boys in onr land. A good-sized soap-box serves as a table on which the toy is to rest. The back is removed, and a ' hole cut in the top admits the passage of the crank. It is perhaps unnecessary to add that the exposed surface of this box should be papered, or covered with a cloth curtain, in such a manner as to give it a decorative effect. The attraction of a magnet or iron is the principle on which the " circus" is made to work. Procure or make from thin wood a box about a foot square, and five or live and a half inches deep. Cut a hole through the central point of the bottom, to allow of the passage of the crank. Now from a board cut a round disk which shall revolve easily inside the box, and pass through its center an axle which shall be long enough to form a support for the ring-master on the top or stage, and extend down through the top of the soap-box, where it ends in a crank by which the whole machinery is worked. On the top of this disk, and a short distance from the edge, fasten a common horseshoe magnet, which should be about four inches long, and can be bought at almost any toy store for ten cents. This must be fastened in an upright posi- tion by means of staples, as seen in the illustration. After the magnet is arranged so that it will revolve THE MAGNETIC CIRCUS, 271 easily, fit the top of the box with a stiff pasteboard cover, which shall just clear the magnet ; and mark upon this a circle which is to represent the ring of the circus. i wpmi : w iiiiiiHiUmli Out of stiff pasteboard cut the ring-master, and with a small nail or strong pin fix him in place. Now from four thicknesses of pasteboard cut out a horse and rider, some- thing like that represented in Fig. 3, and insert between the layers which form each forefoot, a nail, the head of which extends slightly below the pasteboard. File these nail-heads so that they shall be smooth and rounded. 272 THE MAGNETIC CIRCUS. Glue the two layers together to form the legs of the animal, and spread them slightly apart, as seen in Fig. 4 (which gives an end view of the object), having already glued all four layers to form the body of horse and rider. Various horses of different colors, forms, positions, and with or without riders, may be made in a similar manner ; and elephants or other animals may be substituted for the horses, and made to move around the track, as if subject to the master' s whip. After the glue is dry, the outside edges should be rounded and the roughnesses removed by the use of a rasp and sand-paper. The ring-master should be so fastened, facing the horse, as to turn with each revolution of the axle. The back of the box is fitted with a pasteboard or cloth screen, painted to represent stage scenery, and supported on either side by uprights, from the top of which float banners. For further decorations the twigs of evergreen trees are added, those of the larch or spruce, or perhaps best of all the small branches of the juniper or cedar tree, are best for the purpose. When these tiny stage trees become brown and faded, they can be easily exchanged for fresh ones, or may be painted with green paint, if a new supply is not readily obtainable. The front of the box may be papered with fancy wall- TO PRODUCE RAISED FIGURES ON AN EGG. 273 paper, or otherwise decorated to suit the fancy of the maker ; and the one who supplies the motive power, or, in other words, turns the crank, should be kept out of sight of the audience if possible. As the horses are not connected with any visible motive power, the cause of their revolution will be enveloped in a mystery which will add vastly to the entertainment of the little folks. TO PRODUCE RAISED FIGURES ON AN EGG. Melt some tallow, and with it paint on the shell of an egg, making letters, numbers, profiles, or any outline which your fancy may suggest, or the fineness of the brush may permit. Then immerse the egg in strong vine- gar. After the lapse of a few hours, whatever is covered with the lines of tallow will project slightly, the vinegar, which is mainly acetic acid, having dissolved away the unprotected surface. By painting with a fine brush an intricate scroll or vine pattern, carrying it all around the egg, the result is very pretty, giving somewhat the effect of carved ivory. 274 TO FIND THE NUMBER OF DA TS IN THE MONTH AN ARITHMETICAL CURIOSITY. Write the nine digits in their order, and multiply them by 9 ; the result will be composed of units, excepting the next to the last, thus : 123456789 9 1111111101 Multiply by 18, instead of 9, and the product will consist of 2's. By 27, and it will be 3's. In this manner all the digits may be obtained by multiplying by the multiples of 9 ; as 36, 45, 54, etc. ONE WAY TO FIND THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN THE MONTH. Count the knuckles of the hands, with the spaces be- tween them; all the months with thirty-one days will fall on the knuckles, and those with less than thirty-one in the spaces. Thus, beginning with the forefinger of the left hand, July will come on the knuckle of the little fin- ger ; then beginning with August on the forefinger of the right hand, December will be reached at the knuckle of the third finger. SOME ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTS. 275 SOME ELECTRICAL EXPERIMENTS. Considerable amusement may be derived from the elec- trical phenomena manifested by a sheet of stout brown paper, when friction is applied to it. Having warmed such a sheet, and rubbed it with the dry palm of the hand, or some woolen fabric, giving six or eight smooth, steady strokes, with considerable pressure, and all in one direction, away from the body, then place a bunch of keys in the center of the paper, and lift it by the ends ; a spark of electricity may now be taken from the keys. If ordinary unglazed paper be immersed in a mixture of equal parts of sulphuric and nitric acids, then well washed with plenty of water and dried, it becomes ex- tremely electric. If placed on a wooden table, or, better still, on a waxed cloth, and rubbed with the hand, it at- tracts feathers, pith-balls, fragments of paper, or other small light objects. When suddenly stripped from the waxed cloth in a darkened room, the entire surface will have a luminous phosphorescent appearance. A spark can be taken from it by holding the finger about half an inch from the sur- face. If placed against the wall it will adhere to it and keep its place for several minutes. This paper retains its electrical properties a long time. When weakened, it is sufficient to slightly heat it to re- store all its energy. 276 THE ELECTROPHOBUS. THE ELECTROPHORUS. This instrument, whose name, derived from the Greek, means bearer of electricity, consists of two parts ; first, a cake or disk of resin, or of shellac and wax, these sub- stances being melted and poured into a tin mold ; second, a disk of brass, or sometimes of thin, well-dried wood, covered on each side with thin sheet-brass or even thick tin-foil. This should be fitted with a glass handle, to in- sulate it ; a stout, round bottle of moderate size will answer. The cake of resin is rubbed vigorously ; a sur- face of fur is the best to use for this, such as a cat-skin or fox-tail. The disk is then taken by the handle and rested on the cake, and its upper surface touched a moment with the finger ; then, on withdrawing the disk from the THE ELECTROPHORVS. 277 resin, a bright electric spark can be obtained from it. By- resting it once more on the resin, again touching and withdrawing it, another spark may be elicited, and so on for eight or ten successive trials. The scientific explanation of this phenomenon is, that negative electricity is excited in the cake by friction. When the disk is applied, the electricity does not pass into it from the cake, but is induced in the disk by the law of electrical polarity ; the lower surface being cov- ered with positive electricity, while the negative is re- pelled to the upper side, from which it is drawn by the finger. Then, when the disk is lifted, the spark of posi- tive electricity may be drawn. If the construction of the instrument just described ap- pears too formidable a task to my young readers, perhaps they may yet be inclined to experiment with A SIMPLE ELECTROPHORUS. Take a lacquered iron " tea-tray ; " cut a sheet of stout brown paper so as to fit the flat part of the tray, and ^k two strips of paper at each end by means of sealing-wax. These strips serve as handles by which to lift the paper, and the sealing-wax, being a non-conductor, prevents the electricity from passing off. The tray is also insulated by placing it upon two tumblers. The sheet of paper is now heated quite hot, placed on a 278 THE ELECTROPHORUS. wooden table, and rubbed with a hard and very dry clothes-brush. Then it is lifted and placed on the tray. The paper is negatively electrified ; it induces a simi- lar state in the lower side of the tray, which should be touched a moment with the finger ; then lift the paper from the tray. An electric spark can now be taken from the latter. The strips by which the paper is lifted can be brought together, and held by the thumb and finger of one hand, leaving the other free to take the spark. The paper may now be replaced. By touching the lower surface of the tray, and lifting the paper as before, another spark may be obtained, and so on for several times, if the air be dry. A LEYDEN JAR. 279 THE EBONITE ELECTEOPHORUS. This piece of apparatus, also called Pfeiffer's electro- phorus, is composed of a thin sheet of ebonite, measuring about six by eight inches. A small sheet of brass, about five by three inches, is fixed on one side. With this, electricity may be evoked with unusual readiness. It is placed flat on a wooden table, and rubbed succes- sively on both sides with the open hand ; if lifted in the left hand, and the right hand is presented to the brass, a spark will be received. A LEYDEN JAU. This may be made as follows : Fill a plain glass tum- bler two- thirds full of shot ; insert the bowl of a spoon in the shot, leaving the handle projecting. Hold the turn 280 THE PITH DANCER. bier in the hand, and bring the handle of the spoon near to the electrophorus — previously prepared for action — so as to receive its spark. On repeating this a few times, the electric fluid will be accumulated in the "jar," and the many small sparks may be obtained as one large one, by approaching the finger to the spoon, still holding the tumbler in the other hand. This idea may be varied by using a large wide-mouthed bottle or small jar, instead of the tumbler, and covering the outside nearly up to the top with tin-foil. If that rare treasure, a bullet- mold, is to be had, a ball may be formed on the end of a stout wire, and used instead of the spoon, the end with the ball being the projecting one, thus making an article corresponding more nearly to the regular professional pattern. THE PITH DANCER. This fastidious little skipper never dances except to piano music. It is fashioned from pith, cork, or other light material. Generally it has a human head and body ; but when we consider its dancing extremities, we must regard it as a quadruped, or even a tripod, as the case may be ; for it stands on three or four stout hog's bristles. These may be borrowed from the floor- brush, THE OBEDIENT BOTTLE. 281 and should be even at the lower ends, that the dancer may stand erect. It should be painted in a gay and con- spicuous manner, to compensate for its diminutive size, and a mantle of colored tissue-paper may add to its con- sequence. When the image is complete, stand it on the sounding-board of the piano, which should be operated with vigor. The dancer will respond to the lively notes with edifying briskness and vivacity. THE OBEDIENT BOTTLE. Fashion a shape like a small bottle, out of pith, paper pulp, or some other light substance. Cut a bullet in two, and fasten the base of the bottle to the flat portion of one 282 THE OBEDIENT BOTTLE. of the halves. A straight piece of large wire, the length of the bottle, should be provided, and a hole made down through the center of the bottle, into which it will slide readily, and remain with the end out of sight. This hole % D may be made with greater ease before attaching the bullet. This object can be made to yield apparent obe- dience to the commands of its maker. If he orders it to remain upright, he will place it on the table without in- serting the wire, when nothing but constant pressure will induce it to lie prostrate. Then, taking it into his hands, and skillfully introducing the wire while the attention of A TRIPLE BRIDGE. 283 the observers is directed elsewhere, he next orders it to lie flat ; and, as the weight of the wire overbalances it, it will tumble over as often as it is set up. The bullet should be covered with thin paper as smoothly as possible, and the whole affair painted, to better conceal the modus operandi. THE IMMOVABLE CARD. If a card, such as an ordinary visiting card, is turned down about a quarter of au inch at each end, at right angles to the rest of the card, and then placed on a table so as to rest on the turned edges, you may safely chal- lenge most persons to blow it so as to make it turn over on the other side. It would naturally seem easier to over- turn a card so prepared, than one whose shape remained unchanged ; but whoever tries it will find that the facts are otherwise. The card can be overthrown, however, by blowing on the table, toward the card, as the stream of air is then reflected against its under side. A TRIPLE BRIDGE. This may be constructed by means of three table-knives, in the manner illustrated in the figure. Three goblets or 284 AN ILLUSTRATION OF "INERTIA* tumblers will serve as the piers ; these are to be arranged in a triangle, a little farther from each other than the length of the knives. Lay two of the knives on the table, with the blades crossing each other. Then pass the blade of the third knife over the uppermost blade of the other two, and under the undermost ; then take them up and place them with the ends of the handles on the rims of the glasses. The bridge now sustains itself, and if a mod- erate weight be placed upon it, it will be all the firmer. AN ILLUSTRATION OF " INERTIA." Inertia is defined as the tendency of a body to perse- vere in its state either of rest or motion. It is generally AN ILLUSTRATION OF "INERTIA." 285 used in the sense of persisting in a state of rest. Among the many illustrations of this property of matter, is one which figured in the text-books of thirty or forty years ago, and which the boys of that time adapted to their amusement by constructing the apparatus here illus- trated. It consists of three parts : the board which forms the base, a post about six inches high, and a strip of stout whalebone, or dry, elastic wood. The board should be as much as seven-eighths of an inch in thickness, and the elastic strip or spring should be firmly inserted in an inclined slit cut through the board. The places of the spring and post should be so adjusted to each other, that when the latter is secured solidly by a good-sized screw passing up through the board, the former will press with its upper end against the top of the post (as shown by the dotted line) with some degree of force. The top of the post should be hollowed slightly, to re- tain the ball ; and the appearance of the whole will be improved by a coat of shellac or paint. Now place a card on the top of the post ; and if it is sufficiently level, a marble or bullet may be induced to remain on it, directly over the column ; if not, a large bean, a spool, or a coin, will prove more tractable. Draw back the spring with the thumb and finger, as in the il- 286 AN ILLUSTRATION OF "INERTIA." lustration ; let it go suddenly, and it will snap the card away, leaving the superimposed object resting quietly on the top of the column. The same principle is sometimes illustrated by balanc- ing a card on the finger, placing a coin on the card, and snapping away the card with the other hand, the coin remaining on the finger. Another way is to pile up a small tower with ''check- ers" or " draughts." By a quick blow with a ruler, one checker may be knocked from between the others, with- out overturning the tower. OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 287 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. Perhaps one evening of this ever delightful season might not be more entertainingly spent than in witness- ing an exhibition of some feats in Magic, if any lad of the company could become sufficiently expert in the art to render them with a fair amount of skill. There are many of these mysterious tricks performed by the professional "Thaumaturgist" or " Prestidigita- teur," but as most of them require a complicated or ex- pensive apparatus, I shall only call your attention to such as are comparatively simple, and require but few " aids" or materials for their fulfillment. HOW TO PALM A COIN. As it is necessary for any boy or girl who intends to become an expert sleight-of-hand performer to be a suc- cessful pa 7 ver, this is naturally the first lesson to be learned. Indeed, very few of the tricks performed by an expert prestidigitateur would be effective without its use. To explain this art is difficult, although it is an easy matter to show how the thing is done. By the aid of an illustration may be seen, however, the final position of the coin, or how it is held while it is palmed. If possible, balance a half-dollar on the tip of the second finger of the right hand ; but if not at first easily 288 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. accomplished let the coin rest on the tips of the second and third fingers, steadying it, in this position, by touch- ing it lightly with the thumb. Close the hand quickly and the coin will rest in the palm. Then, by throwing the thumb forward, the ball of the thumb will hold the silver piece on one side, and that part of the palm which lies between the second and third fingers holds it securely on the other. Practice this well, and be sure you can depend upon yourself to accomplish it perfectly with the left as well as the right hand, before you try any of the following tricks in the presence of a critical audience. HOW TO PASS A COIN. Borrow of your audience two half-dollars and lay them on your table. OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDA Y AMUSEMENTS. 289 Next shake your sleeves and let your friends see that you have no coins hidden about you. When they are convinced that such is the case, pick up one half-dollar with the thumb and second finger of your right hand. Palm this in your right hand while you pretend to pass it to your left, of course making a motion with the left hand as if it received and still held the coin. The right hand will then seem to be empty, although still holding the half-dollar. Next pick up the other coin with the right hand, and place the hand behind you, be- ing careful to keep the left well in front, and always in sight of your audience. Make some few remarks con- cerning the difficulty of the trick, and at last pronounce the magic word "Pass"; at the same time clink the two coins together, as if one had hit the other in the meeting. Then bring the right hand forward, and, opening it and the left at the same time, show that the coin has actually left the latter and entered the former, as you promised it should do. HOW TO BOB PETER AND ENRICH PAUL. Twenty pieces of money are necessary for this trick ; and two-cent pieces, or quarters, are perhaps the most convenient sizes to use. Of these, borrow fifteen from your audience, the other five have at hand, but concerning which your friends are to know nothing. 10 290 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS, Having borrowed them from the company, count out five, and give them to one of your audience, while to an- other you give ten, and after having seen that the latter counts his carefully, take those given to the first, mutter some cabalistic nonsense, and order them to pass into the hands of the one who has the ten pieces. Finally, request him to count them again, when, strange to relate, he will find that he has fifteen, instead of the ten pieces which he was supposed to have. The trick is performed in this manner : Upon receiving the money, throw it upon a plate or box cover — the plate is the best — and passing it to the first person, request him to take ^ve of the pieces away. Now give the remaining money, with the plate, to the second, and ask him to drop each coin as he counts it, on the plate, that all may know he has counted correctly. Then comes the only difficult part of the trick. Ask the one who has counted the coins to hold both his hands, while you pour the money into them, and taking the plate in your left hand, pour the contents into your right, where you have already Jim more palmed (the five the audience have not seen). Now pour the fifteen into the hands of number two, and impress upon him the im- portance of keeping his hands well closed over the money. This will prevent his noticing that an addition has been made. Take the five from person number one, and pre- OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 291 tend to place them in your other hand, but instead palm them. Do your talking and command the money to pass. If you have taken proper care in palming your coins, the audience, as well as the one holding the money, will be greatly amazed by the trick. DANGER OF REPETITION. In almost any performance of this kind, the audience, especially if of one's intimate friends, are anxious for the performer to try again whatever strikes them as strange or mysterious, being of course on their guard to watch certain movements, at points in the performance which they had scarcely noticed before. So it is very unsafe to try any trick over again imme- diately after it has been once performed, or in fact during the same evening ; although perhaps it might be safely done if a number of different ones intervened. If be- seeched to try it " just once more," make as graceful an excuse as you can, and suggest in its place something equally interesting. THE INEXHAUSTIBLE HAT. For this trick, seven half-dollars are required, and are concealed in the right hand by " palming," as the five two-cent pieces were hid in the former trick. 292 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. First, borrow of one of your audience a tall silk hat, promising to return it "as good as new" at the end of the performance. Let the audience examine it to see that the owner is not in league with yourself, and then, walking to the back of the room, place it upon a table. While walking toward the table, with the back toward the audience, palm your coins, which should be held in some convenient pocket, readily accessible when the moment comes for using them. Next, turn to your audience, having your coins well concealed in your right hand, and request some one to lend you six half-dollars ; but immediately, under the pretense of disliking to trouble them, step forward, and, excusing yourself for the liberty, take a coin from the folds of a lady's dress, by simply letting one of those concealed in your hand slip to the end of your fingers. If you have had sufiicient practice in "coining" you will find no difficulty in doing this, and your audience will be inclined to believe you actually found the money secreted in the fabric, although they may believe you had some hand in placing it in its hiding-place. If you have been thus far successful, go to the hat, and, calling attention to the fact, drop the half-dollar into it ; then, as if you imagined some one was doubtful whether the coin was really in the hat, make some remark to the effect that if they do not believe you dropped it you will OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 293 do so again, at the same moment thrusting your hand down to the crown to take it in sight again. At the moment the hand is in this position, carefully place the six half-dollars on the bottom, and let one remain in the palm. Pick up one of these six, and hold- ing it high, let it drop, being careful, however, that it does not hit the other live. The coin in your hand you proceed to take from any unusual place which may occur to you — the window cur- tain, portiere, a gentleman's beard, or a lady's coiffure, are those most naturally suggested. As soon as yon take a half-dollar from its hiding-place, you pretend to place it in your left hand, and from there command it to pass to the hat, but in reality you palm it in your right where it is ready for the next position from which you desire to take it. Proceed in this way until you have gathered in six half-dollars. As these have been lying quietly in the hat during all this time, you have no anxiety about sending them there, and must simply avoid going near it while apparently fill- ing it with the money. When the last silver piece has been sent to its destination, request the audience to select some one of its members to count the money in the hat, and see that none has been lost in its flight hence. It will, of course, be found all right, and great will be the curiosity to know how you placed it there ; but do not 294 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. allow yourself to be influenced into trying it a second time, for with the close watching you will undergo your secret will be discovered. ANOTHER HAT TRICK. The hat may well be called " inexhaustible," for all manner of things may be made to come from its prolific crown, and in such profusion, that a receptacle of double its size would hardly contain them. If two boys have learned the art of palming well, they may assist each other, and, if at all ingenious, invent a variety of tricks for an evening's amusement. The following is but a suggestion, which may be varied by different materials : Let them borrow from the audience two tall silk hats, and place them upon chairs standing some distance from each other. Each having provided himself with a small rub- ber ball — the one resembling the other as nearly as possi- ble — they are ready to proceed. The hats were of course empty when passed to the stage, but as the first boy takes his place, back of the chair which contains a hat, he should glance down into it, and with surprise, draw out a ball which he has had concealed in his right hand, show it to the audience and then pretend to put it in his left hand, but instead palm it in the right ; at the same time extending his left toward his partner. The second OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 295 boy stretches out his right arm as if to receive the ball, and at the moment his hand touches the fingers of No. 1, he lets that which he has been palming in his right hand slip down to his fingers, as if he had just received it from his friend. Now, pretending to change it to his left, he palms it, as No. 1 has done, and finally drops his left hand, which is supposed to hold the ball, into the hat in front of him, at the same time giving the side or crown a rap with one of his fingers, to imitate the falling of the ball. This same thing may be repeated indefinitely, until you have balls enough to stock the village. When you see the audience is beginning to tire, let No. 1 say, " My hat is empty ; shall I help you count the balls in yours?" No. 2 nods assent, and looks down, as if ex- pecting the hat to be full. He must then pretend great surprise, and taking up the hat must turn it upside down, gently shake it — remembering it is borrowed — and with the audience wonder what has become of all the balls. Eggs, small lemons or oranges, little china dolls, and a number of small toys may be substituted for the rubber balls above given. THE PERAMBULATING EGG. This trick is one of the easiest, while at the same time one of the most pleasing, of the magician's arts. In it an egg, apparently without any impulse beyond that which 296 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. resides within itself, travels over a hat, and after recon- noitering it in its every nook and corner, passes gracefully- over to another, and commences its journey of discovery around the second in much the same manner it has traversed the first. Two hats are borrowed from the audience, and a dish of eggs is placed upon the table by their side, when the per- former requests the lady stationed at the piano to give some music, and the exhibition commences. The egg which is used is merely a shell, the inside having been sucked or blown out through tiny holes made at either end. A slender silken thread is tied to the upper button of the performer's waistcoat, while attached to the other end is a small piece of wax or other sticky substance. Just before the performance commences, show the dish of eggs, and then pass away from them and back of your audience, to show that they (the eggs) are in no way attached to your person. As the music strikes up, walk to the table, take the shell from the dish, making it appear that you had no choice, but took the first one you chanced to touch, and place it inside the hat, at the same moment pressing the bit of wax to its side. As the egg is in the hat it is necessary for it to pass out upon the outside surface. To do this the hat is slowly moved downward until the egg is even with the brim ; OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 297 then by careful management and a little practice, the effect is produced of the egg walking up the hat instead of the hat being lowered to the egg. You may now take the egg in your hand and, holding the hat with the crown upward in a horizontal position, place it beneath the egg, and turn it slowly away from yourself. The effect will be that the egg is traveling up hill. By placing the other hat close to the one upon which you are perform- ing, and slowly drawing it under the egg, the latter will appear to pass over to the crown of the second hat, and very much the same movements may be repeated on this as on the first. THE MAGIC DISPATCHEK. Borrow a quarter or half-dollar from your audience, and ask the owner to place some mark upon it by which it may be identified. Wrap this in the corner of a hand- kerchief, and give it to some one to hold. Next take a ball of yarn, and having placed it in a tumbler, ask some other person in your audience to hold his hand over the top of the tumbler in such a way that the ball will be kept in place, and the yarn will run smoothly through the fingers. Hold one end of the yarn some distance from the tumbler, or near where the coin is held, and in- form your audience that, as your dispatcher is in good working order, you will proceed to send the coin your 298 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. friend has in his hand into the very center of the ball of yarn. Take the opposite corner of the handkerchief from the one holding the money in your right hand, and hav- ing counted one, two, three, command the coin to pass, at the same instant snatching the handkerchief from your friend's hand. Next commence to unwind the ball, be- ing careful to keep some distance from the tumbler while so doing. As the yarn is nearing its end, the silver piece will drop upon the bottom of the tumbler, and nothing is left for you to do but to request the owner of it to step forward and see if it is the one he lent you. In this, as in many of the tricks you have already learned, very little preparation is required. First, a coin OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 299 of the same denomination as the one borrowed is sewed in a corner of the handkerchief. The ball is wonnd upon a stick of a particular shape, which is drawn out when the coin is to be substituted in its place. This stick should be about two and a half inches long, one and a quarter inches wide, and an eighth of an inch thick, rounded off at one end, and scraped until it is perfectly smooth. When winding your ball, be careful to have the rounded end of the stick in the center of the ball, and the other end projecting slightly on one side. After you have procured your coin, palmed it, and given the handkerchief containing the other into the hands of some person to hold, go for your ball, which should be at some distance from your audience, that you may have time to draw out the stick and insert the coin in its place, while you are walking back to the table upon which is your tumbler. The trick is now done, but the audience must be kept ignorant of the fact, while your conversation and subse- quent acting should shroud it in all the mystery possible. THE TURKISH KING TRICK. A few years ago I had the good fortune to see a famous magician perform. Many and wonderful were the things 300 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. he did, and at times it seemed as if other than human skill mast be aiding him in his craft. Among others, he gave the following trick, which was as enthusiastically applauded as many of the others. It had for me no element of strangeness, as I was already initiated into its secret. Since it has ever been a favorite in the little amateur performances we have from time to time been in the habit of giving, I hope it may gain a wider popularity in the larger circle of friends to whom I am about to disclose it. To the public it appears as follows : A plain gold ring is borrowed, placed in a handkerchief, and given to a person to hold. A small stick is held by two others, in such a position that its center is hidden by the handker- chief ; each person holds an end. The magician com- mands the ring to pass, at the same moment snatching the handkerchief, a corner of which he has taken, away from the one holding it — when behold ! the ring, which a OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 301 moment ago was in the spectator' s hand, is now whirling around the stick, which it evidently has just reached. It is performed as follows : When the ring is taken from its owner, it is palmed, and not placed in the hand- kerchief, as one is led to suppose, the handkerchief being supplied, as you probably have already guessed, with a ring which is sewed in its end. In passing the stick to the holders, you have simply to pass it through the right hand, in the center of which your ring is palmed, and, of course, through the ring itself. Then, holding it until it is hidden by the handkerchief, is not difficult to do. When you first take up the stick, be sure and use your left hand, so that you will have it ready to pass through your ring without any awkward or suspicious movements. Finally, pulling the handkerchief suddenly and quickly across the stick, causes the ring to whirl upon it very much as if it had just dropped in its place. It is always well, when performing with the handkerchief, to have a second and similar one in your pocket, to show in case suspicion should be aroused concerning it. HOW TO MELT AND BE-COLTST A HALF-DOLLAB. Supply your table with a candle in a light candlestick, and a glass of water. When ready to perform, request some one of your audience to lend you a half-dollar, sug- gesting at the same time, that a new bright coin would 302 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. best suit your purpose. Have it marked that the owner may be sure of its identity. If nothing but dull coins are to be found, have a small bottle of ammonia at hand, and holding the piece in your hand, pour a few drops of the liquid upon it ; let it stand a few moments and then wipe with a bit of cloth. Treat both sides in the same way, and brighten up the edges in like manner. All this while you may be talking of this treatment, as if it were intended to render the metal more fusible, but be careful not to mention what the fluid is, or for what it is really intended. This treatment is, of course, not necessary in the case of new coins, in which case it can be omitted. When the silver is bright, a,nd presents the appearance of a new coin, take it between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, look at it carefully, and then pretend to drop it into your left hand, but instead palm it in your right. Now continue to move your left hand as if working the coin around in it, keeping up a continual flow of small talk during the whole performance. The difficulty of melting silver, the amount of heat required, and the com- parative hardness of different metals, forming good sub- jects, with which you will become familiar before your public exhibition. To render the idea of palming an apparent impossi- OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 303 bility, take up the candle in your right hand. This will render the holding of the coin less troublesome, and ap- pear to your audience as a conclusive evidence that the half-dollar is in your left hand. After you have pretended to place the coin in your left hand, do not for an instant forget to appear as if it really was there, and keep that hand always in sight of your audience. Having taken the lighted candle in your right, hold the left hand above the flame, and move the fingers as if al- lowing the silver to pass down, drop by drop, into the candle itself. If, just before this, previous to taking the candle, you could catch up the glass for a drink and drop a spoonful of water into the hollow of your left hand, the dropping of it into the candle-flame would add to the impression of melting silver. You can wet your hand slightly in many natural ways, as no one would imagine the water had anything to do with the trick. Continue to pretend to drop the silver, until it would naturally be gone ; then, without removing your hand, open it and announce that the half-dollar is melted, and can be found in the candlestick ; assuring the donor that he need not be alarmed, as you can bring it out as it was before it went in, if he will but have patience. Put the candlestick down upon the table, and pretend to pick out bits of silver from the various parts of it with 304 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. the right hand, placing them as they are gathered in the palm of the left hand. At a convenient moment, when the right is exactly above the left hand, drop the half- dollar into it, and the trick is done. But it would not do to let the audience know this, so you must continue to work the left hand as if molding the coin in shape, blow- ing with the mouth into the palm as if cooling the heated mass ; toss it from hand to hand as if to cool it more rapidly, and finally return it to the spectator from whom it was borrowed. BURNING THE CENTER FROM A HANDKERCHIEF. The young performer will find but little difficulty in performing this simple sleight-of-hand trick successfully. A lighted candle, a small stick, or magic wand, and a piece of thin cambric or muslin about six inches square, are the materials required. Place the lighted candle on your table, and the wand on another table or shelf some distance from the former with the bit of cambric behind it. Now borrow of some lady present a handkerchief, a gentleman's being inconveniently large. Take the hand- kerchief by the center, pull it carefully between the fin- gers and thumb of left hand, and advance toward the candle. Just as you are about to burn it, stop and say, as if in OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 305 answer to some remark overheard, "Oh, no, I have not changed the handkerchief. See ! " and at the same time allow another inspection of it. Suggest now to its owner, if, in case her handkerchief is burned, she would like it restored again to its proper condition ; and, upon her answering in the affirmative, announce the necessity of the magic wand for that pur- pose. Walk to the spot where the wand is lying, and take it up, managing to pick up at the same time between the left thumb and forefinger the bit of cambric ; the center of this piece should be pointed outward so that it may be readily pulled out at the desired moment, the remainder being neatly rolled up and palmed under the thumb. This piece should have been rolled up with the central point slightly projecting when first placed on the shelf, and the performer should manage to turn his back toward the audience for a few moments when taking up the wand. Place the wand in one of your coat pockets as you advance toward your candle, and again take the hand- kerchief, putting it this time into the left hand, and pull up the small piece of material, completely hiding the center of the real handkerchief between the second and third fingers and the palm of the hand. The portion of the cambric extending beyond the thumb and forefinger may now be safely burned, and 306 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. the audience may be sure the handkerchief is burned, as you can make some display of rolling it up in a ball, tak- ing care, however, to separate the burned piece from the real article. Now take the wand from the pocket, and at the same time manage to drop the small semi-burned piece of muslin unperceived into the pocket ; touch the handkerchief with the wand, and, after some magic word or words, return the handkerchief to the owner to be ex- amined, remarking that you hope not even an odor of smoke is noticeable about it. Whenever displaying feats in magic, it is better for the performer to go forward among the audience if he has anything to show or have examined, than to allow the latter to come to his portion of the room. His table has often some things upon it which if seen near by would do much toward dispelling the mystery connected with his works. A wide space should be left between his table and the front row of spectators, as he often has occasion to step between the two in some of his feats. The lights also should be judiciously arranged, so as not to shine too directly upon his hands or person, or even upon his table. Always have everything you can possibly need in some easily accessible place, and in just the position most convenient to be taken. Decide beforehand what tricks you will perform, and OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 307 in just what order they are to be given. Of course, all the materials are not to be spread on the table at the commencement of the entertainment, as they would be in the way, and confuse you in your first acts ; but they should all be at hand, and while articles are being exam- ined which have passed through the various vicissitudes in a former trick, you can utilize the time when the atten- tion is thus carried away from yourself to gather to- gether and properly place the materials for your next feat. Never be induced to perform a trick a second time, unless nearly a whole evening' s performance intervenes. Even then it is pretty sure to be detected. THE MAGIC EOPE. Take a piece of clothes-line, six or seven yards long, and pass it among your audience for inspection. While it is going its rounds, have your hands securely tied with a handkerchief, which should be passed around the wrists and knotted on one side. When the rope is returned to you, drop one end be- tween your arms, or inside the handkerchief, and request some one to take both ends of the rope and pull, to make sure your hands are firmly tied. It would now seem im- possible to get the rope off, unless the hands were untied 308 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. or the ends released. After two or three rapid motions, however, the rope drops to the floor, while yonr hands remain tied as at first. First, do not have your hands tied so tightly that yon cannot move them ; this can be arranged by holding them slightly apart while they are being tied. After the rope has been pulled by the holder, it is somewhat relaxed ; and then, by rubbing it between the wrists a loop may be formed, into which the second finger may be slipped. The whole hand is now readily thrust through, and only a jerk is necessary to send the rope upon the floor. In performing this trick, work as quickly as possible, that your movements may not be easily followed. A CAMPING-OUT COOKING-STOVE. Although the winter season is now well upon us, and its reigning king, Jack Frost, jealous if we but mention OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 309 the " camp-fire," has covered its very site with ice and snow, we need not fear incurring his displeasure by the following exhibition. Procure an old silk hat if possible, and pass it among your audience for inspection. Have upon the stage, or at your end of the room, a table, with a drawer open at the back. In this drawer have a small cake in the tin in which it was baked. Let it be made in a patty-pan if convenient. Beside this cake have a small tin cup, which will fit rather tightly into the mouth of a china jar you have also provided. On the top of the table have an un- lighted candle, the jar, which should be porcelain if pos- sible, a basket containing a few eggs, a pitcher of water, some flour, and a box marked sugar. The hat, after hav- ing been examined, is returned to you ; and the cake, along with the cup which is to receive the eggs and flour, are put into it. This is effected as follows : Take the cake and cup in your left hand, keeping it down behind the table, and your hat in the right hand ; bring the cake and cup up to the edge, and immediately cover it with the hat, which you begin brushing with your right. Keep up a running discourse all the time, so that the movement will seem natural, and not be suspected. In a moment or two partly withdraw the left hand, and grasping the brim of the hat, turn it upside down upon the table. If the tin is not in a good position to catch the eggs and flour which 310 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. you are to drop into it, palm a penny and pretend to find it in the hat, chiding your audience for carelessly over- looking it, remarking that although a useful thing to have, it is not exactly a proper ingredient for cake. Of course, while pretending to pick up the coin, you can ar- range the tin cup on top of your cake in the middle of the hat. Be sure that it stands firm. Now proceed to break one or more eggs, and drop the contents into the hat, taking especial care that they drop into the cup. Next throw in a spoonful of sugar, and then pour a few drops of water and one or two spoonfuls of flour into the jar, and stir well with a spoon. Pour the contents of the jar into the cup, and then, under pretense of draining the last drop into the hat, force the jar down over the cup, and work it around until the cup is well pushed up into the mouth of the jar. It is needless to add that you must pretend all the while that you are scraping or shaking out the mixture. The jar can now be taken out and carelessly placed behind the sugar-pail or any other object, to prevent the edge of the tin cup from being seen. The trick is now completed, the only necessary thing to do is to keep up the acting until the cake is supposed to be finished. First, stir it well by moving the spoon around quite actively in the hat ; then light the candle, and, informing OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 311 your audience that the cake is ready for baking, take the hat in one hand and hold it over the candle for a minute or two, occasionally glancing in to see if it is doing well. In a short time announce that it is baked ; and after blowing out the candle, take the cake from the hat, turn it out upon a plate, and placing a knife by its side, pass it to some one to cut, and politely request your friends to try it, and judge upon the efficacy of your camp-stove. If the hat was borrowed, return it with thanks to its owner, and congratulate him upon having such a useful article always on hand. NECESSITY OF A SOBER COUNTENANCE. In most, in fact all, of these exhibitions, it is absolutely necessary that one should keep a sober countenance while performing. ~No matter how hard your audience laugh, do not allow the shadow of a smile to flit across your face. If you do it will take away much of the effective- ness and half the mystery, from whatever you are doing. I once had a young friend, a quick bright boy, who was very successful in palming, and in many of the other elements in sleight-of-hand tricks, but he had a ridicu- lous and unconquerable habit of laughing whenever his audience laughed, and, in fact, of sometimes anticipating the laugh, and commencing before his friends saw any- thing worth laughing about. 312 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. He was of course not successful, and was never watched with as much interest as his brother, who, although not as clever, was as sober as a judge from the beginning to the end of the performance. No amount of hilarity in the audience affected him in the least. If he found it was impossible to make himself heard, he stood still and waited; but always with the same quiet, calm counte- nance he would have worn had he been walking up the aisle of a church. Learn to command your countenance, as one of the most important requisites of a successful magician. THE GKEAT CHINESE EOPE FEAT. Many years ago this trick was exhibited in a show-win- dow on Broadway, but as probably most of the people who then saw it have long since forgotten how it was performed, I give the following account : Two ropes, each about three yards in length, are given to the audience to examine, which of course are pro- nounced perfect ; then they are passed through the sleeves of a coat, in such a way as to suspend it ; the ends are then given to two boys to hold. The performer then places his hand inside the coat, and having re- quested those who are holding the ends of the rope to pull, the coat falls to the floor, having in some mysterious manner worked off the ropes. OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 313 Of course, the whole secret of this trick depends upon the arrangement of the ropes, which are of themselves perfect. After they have been examined, and are re- turned to the performer, he pretends to measure them, and while so doing manages to bend each rope double ; that is, he brings the two ends of each together ; while still holding them he contrives to slip a small elastic band over the center of one, and bringing the middle of the other alongside of it, he slips the band over both, thus tying them together, as shown in the illustration. Now holding this juncture carelessly in his left hand, over which arm a coil or two of the rope is thrown, he passes the ends marked A through one sleeve of the coat, and the end marked B through the other, and these are the ends he gives to the two persons to hold. 314 OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. If he now slips off the rubber band, the coat will fall ; but each person will have both ends of the same rope in his hand, and the mystery would be easily solved. To remedy this, however, the performer, under pretense of making the trick still more difficult, takes an end from each of the holders, and proceeds to tie a single loop, as seen in the illustration, thus reversing the ends, which he then returns to them. Of course, when the band is taken off, each person has but one end of either rope in his hand. TO PULL A STRING THROUGH A BUTTON-HOLE. Tie together the ends of a piece of string about two feet long ; pass it thus tied through a button-hole of your coat. Hitch the two ends on your thumbs, and catch up with each little finger the upper string on the thumb of the opposite hand ; then, stretching the hands apart, the string will appear in a very complicated tangle. If the hold of the right thumb and left little finger, or vice versa, be then loosed, and the hands quickly separated, the string will come away from, and appear as if it had passed through, the outside edge of the button-hole. TO UNITE A PARTED STRING. Take a piece of string about four feet long ; hold the ends, pointed upward, between the first and second fin- ger and thumb of the left hand, and the first finger and OTHER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AMUSEMENTS. 315 thumb of the right hand, letting the remainder of the string hang down in a loop. Now bring the right hand close to the left, crossing at right angles that end of the cord held in the left hand, and continue to pull until half the length of the string has passed the left hand, at the same time slipping the third finger of the left hand be- tween the two parts of the string. The first finger and thumb of the right hand should then seize the string at a point just below the little finger of the left hand, the third finger of that hand at the same time drawing back the string toward the palm of the hand. The part of the string now held horizontally between the two hands is only the continuation of the end held in the left hand, though it will appear to be the middle of the string. This piece of the string some one of the audience should be invited to cut, and thus apparently divide the string in halves, although in fact he only cuts off two or three inches. Place all the ends of the string between the teeth, with- draw the short piece with the tongue, and show the re- mainder, apparently as the string was at the commence- ment. Of course, the string must not be measured, or the trick will be detected. 316 A MINERAL GARDEN. A MINERAL GARDEN. Fill a clear glass jar — a fruit jar will answer the pur- pose — with sand, to the depth of two or threa inches ; insert a few pieces of sulphate of iron, sulphate of cop- per, and sulphate of aluminum, so that they will be barely covered with the sand. Now fill the jar to within about three inches of the top with a solution of silicate of soda, commonly known as " water-glass," which can be procured at most large city drug stores. This should be diluted with three times its bulk of water before it is poured in ; and care should be taken not to stir up the sand and disarrange the chemicals. After standing about a week, the silicates of the various bases will appear in a luxuriant and variously colored growth, resembling vegetation. Now the silicate solution may be displaced with clear water, which should be poured in very carefully, so as not to break or disturb the vegetation. This permanent miniature forest will be found to present a very attractive appearance, and as no pruning or weeding are required, the young gardener will probably feel that his trouble is well repaid. Its development from day to day will be watched with interest by all the members of the house- hold, although it will be of especial value to the invalid, THE CRYSTAL VASE. 317 to whom any new and interesting object to watch is a blessing indeed. Another pleasing and ingenious device I insert for the benefit of this class of my readers, wishing, in the mean- time, that it might be in my power to make their in-door life so bright and full of interest, that they would forget the more active sports of their sturdy brothers and sisters, or at least cease to regret their enforced confinement. This little affair I shall call THE CEYSTAL VASE. This sparkling ornament will almost make itself, so little trouble is required. You have only to half fill a tall glass tumbler with water, and put in half a teacupful of table salt, then let it stand. As the water dries out, put in a little more, adding salt also in due proportion ; and keep this up for ^ve or six months. By degrees an incrustation of crystals will fill the tumbler, and spread gradually down the outside ; ex- tending and thickening till the whole vessel is covered with an irregular glittering mass, which might well be the work of the ice-sprites in the kingdom of Jack Frost. As the crystals approach the bottom of the tumbler, the 318 THREE CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY GIFTS. latter should be set in a saucer ; when the tiny stalactites have enveloped this also, the vase is complete. Should it be desired to enhance still further the deco- rative effect of this by the use of color, a blue tint can be communicated by adding a little indigo blueing to the salt and water. Should other colors be desired, almost all of those employed in coloring alum crystals (see page 25) may be used with equal success in this case. By adding different colors at different times, a variegated effect may be produced. The gradual growth of the crystals, and enlargement of the mass, is a very interesting spectacle. THREE CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY GIFTS. When speaking of Christmas presents in an earlier por- tion of this book, I unintentionally omitted three quite interesting and easily made puzzles, which are always pleasing sources of amusement to the young folks, and sure to while away many half-hours on stormy days. Such presents are always valuable additions to the nur- sery closet, and in an indirect way are as gratifying to mamma and nurse as to the little recipient himself. The first of these is called the OCTAGON PUZZLE. This puzzle consists of twelve irregular pieces of stiff THREE CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY GIFTS. 319 pasteboard or wood, which are to be arranged in the form of an octagon. Although these pieces can be cut from pasteboard, they are more lasting, stronger, and better every way if made of wood. White holly, such as is employed for brackets, is a nice material to use. With a jig-saw cut four pieces in shape like that repre- sented in Fig. 1, four like Fig. 2, and four more like Fig. 3 ; rub the edges down with sand-paper, and, if you like, paint each set a different color. When the paint is dry, varnish them. 320 THREE CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY GIFTS. Pack them in a small pasteboard box, which you can neatly cover with paper — any fancy color will do — and you will find your little brother or sister will be as well pleased with them as with many toys which have come direct from the store. Another puzzle of the same character as this is THE CEOSS PUZZLE. In this, as in the Octagon, the pieces composing the cross may be made of pasteboard, but are better and 1 1 stronger if made of the white holly or other thin " bracket wood." THREE CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY GIFTS. 321 Cut three pieces — with the jig-saw, of course — in shape like Fig. 1, one piece like Fig. 2, and one like Fig. 3. These pieces may be of any size, but relatively each one must correspond with the sizes and shapes indicated in the diagram. Paint as fancy may dictate, after smoothing the edges off with sand-paper. Pack in a box treated like that used for the " Octagon Puzzle." The last of these interesting puzzles is known as the SQUARE PUZZLE. Of the pasteboard or white holly cut out eight squares of whatever size desired ; divide four of them into halves by cutting them from corner to corner, so there are in all twelve pieces. The puzzle is to form a square of these twelve pieces. The illustration shows how this is done. 11 322 A SIMPLE FOUNTAIN. When these puzzles are given to the little folks, no " key " should accompany them, but the children should try to put them together without help. If, however, you find they begin to lose interest, show them the first step, and encourage them to try to finish it by themselves. There are great differences in children in this respect ; some persevering and unwilling to be helped at all, while others become discouraged at the smallest obstacles and refuse to try. The latter should be encouraged by a little help, care being taken, however, that they do a con- siderable portion of the work themselves. No doubt this " indolence," as it is sometimes erro- neously called, is generally due to a weak physical condi- tion, rather than to inferior mental powers. A child of this temperament, instead of being ridiculed by his more vigorous companions, should be encouraged and stimu- lated to action ; and such games or puzzles as those con- tained in this book are just the things to accomplish this end. A SIMPLE FOUNTAIN. Take a bottle holding eight or ten ounces, and insert a tube in the cork. A fine glass tube or even a pipe-stem will answer. THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. 323 The tube should reach nearly but not quite to the bot- tom of the bottle, and should fit air-tight in the cork. Fill the bottle about three-fourths full of water, and blow with considerable force down the tube. Upon re- moving the mouth, the water will spurt out, forming a miniature fountain ; which will continue to play as long as any water remains in the bottle. THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. A few months ago, a friend who had been for several years a resident of Japan, came home to America for a visit, and brought with her a bright little son and daugh- ter, neither of whom had ever set foot on our American shores before. The children were delighted with their American cousins; and evidently could not find words strong enough to sound the praises of the new games and sports which they were constantly learning. Their lives had been spent with Chinese or Japanese nurses ; and although kind-hearted and devoted as my friend assured me these people were, the little exiles must have had a sorry time of it in their foreign play- room, when compared with our own boys and girls. The respect and almost reverence with which they regarded Jack, the most daring scapegrace in our family, would 324 THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. have been very amusing had it not been pathetic. What Jack did was always marvelous in their eyes, and into many an unsuspected trap they were beguiled by his mischievous pranks. They were what most of you boys and girls would call very green, when they first reached us, but under Jack's tuition, I fear that next winter — in fact, at the very time you are reading this— perhaps they will be trying the same tricks upon their innocent Japan- ese nurse that Jack tried upon them. It will not be strange if that long-suffering personage does not in his secret heart have less respect for this illustrious nation than he has been wont to have before. But if so ignorant in most things, these children were very ingenious and uncommonly happy in making things of paper. One rainy morning, about a week after they came to us, I had occasion to go into the nursery for something, and was quite surprised to find the children busily en- gaged in folding paper. Edith had brought down some rice-paper from her trunk, and with the help of her brother, was fashioning all sorts of odd things from it ; while the younger members of my own family were look- ing on with intense interest. I left the room, after watching them for a few minutes, but an hour later, upon entering it again, found them still employed in the same amusement. THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. 325 It seems that their nurse had been in the habit of teaching them many Japanese arts to keep them still while under his charge. Their nurse was a man, strange to say, as very few female servants are employed in either China or Japan, and now they in their turn were teach- ing these to us. I confess the graceful, pretty things they were making had quite a fascination for me, and I even left off what I had been doing, and became a pupil with the youngsters. I took up the article which they were just beginning to learn, and, following my little teacher's directions, I made what I have styled "The Fan from Nagasaki," because my little instructress was born and lived in that city, and learned her art from a native Jap, and not because the fan itself, if it can strictly be called a fan, came from that region. The children called it by a delightfully odd Japanese name, which you would find it hard to pronounce even if I should invent a way of spelling it. Edith used Japanese or rice paper for those she made ; but we found a stout quality of brown wrapping-paper, not too stiff, answers nearly as well. If brown paper is used, a rectangular piece about two feet long, by one and a half feet wide, is a good-shaped piece to use. Mark off each of the edges which measure eighteen inches into six equal parts, each division being of course 326 THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. three inches long (see Fig. 1). Now double the paper on the line at x, and you have a shape like Fig. 2. Fold the uppermost half under at the line a a, and again outward at the line b b ; then fold the under half in precisely the same manner, and your paper is like Fig. 3. Upon examining the edge a a a, two openings between the folds will be seen ; whereas at the edge b b b, three openings will be found. The hand has next to be placed in the middle of these three openings, and the paper spread out toward the right and toward the left ; that middle fold lying flat or unfolded for the time being. Another figure is now made like Fig. 4. Now commenc- ing at one end of this long strip, crinkle it the whole length as you would a lamplighter top, making the folds even, about a quarter or half an inch wide. Be careful not to make these folds wider than this, as the THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. 327 fan does not work as well when they are wide. You have now a figure like that seen in Fig. 5 ; and if your folds have been carefully and firmly creased, your paper is pre- pared to make all sorts of strange shapes. I think Edith told me her nurse could make sixty -five different forms from a similarly folded bit, and most of these she was able to reproduce ; but as it is some time since the chil- dren left us to visit other friends, and I have not given the subject a second thought till now, I find I have for- gotten how many of the more intricate ones were formed. Perhaps with the directions for these my readers will catch the knacky as we Yankees call it, and can improvise some forms unlike any of these, for themselves. What- ever you succeed in making, you may be quite certain that the Nagasakian nurse, away off on the other side of the earth, is ahead of you, and has made the same form before; for his sixty -five must include about everything one could possibly fashion from its folds. In Fig. 6, the lower edge of Fig. 5 is held between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, while the top is spread out like a fan. For Fig. 7, take Fig. 6, insert the fingers at a, and pass them round to b, raising the paper outward. Fig. 8 is a continuation of 6 and 7, as the upper layer of the overhanging edge in Fig. 7 is raised by passing the finger under it at c, and bringing it out at d. Fig. 9 is a reverse of Fig. 8. Catch the paper by the 328 THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. part now uppermost, pinch that part well together, and loosen the part which was confined in Fig. 8. It must be remembered that every time the fan is changed, the paper must be pinched into its original form, Fig. 5. It will now be necessary to make that change. After creasing the folds firmly in place (Fig. 5), lift up the upper part a, bring the lower plaits b well together, and hold them for the handle. With the dis- engaged hand, arrange the upper part in the form of a sunshade. Another form may be got by raising the upper layer of the sunshade cover, a species of cup or goblet. By drawing out b until it is at right angles with the up- right, the goblet form is nearer correct. Now reverse the paper, and spread out the lower part THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. 329 so that it may represent the body of a wine-glass ; that which in Fig. 10 was the top of the sunshade, is now the foot of the glass, as seen in Fig. 11. The Chinese lantern (Fig. 12) is as easily made. Open out all the paper, and twist it around ; catch it now by the central part, and by compressing the central folds well together, these wheels are produced (Fig. 13). The hat, or cup and saucer (Fig. 14), is readily made by opening the paper out again, and catching it at the two ends. We now come to a new form of subjects, so the original form (Fig. 5), must once more be reverted to. If the paper is caught at both ends, it can easily be folded so as 330 THE FAN FROM NAGASAKI. to form Fig. 15, and a table-mat may be made by draw- ing it out like Fig. 16. A "nappie" dish, oval in form, and resembling Fig. 17, may be made from Fig. 16, by simply raising np the sides a and b. By pressing the paper inward, Fig. 18 is obtained. Fig. 19 is made by drawing the paper out again, and letting it loose at the end. Thus you see, by pulling out some parts and drawing in others, a quantity of things could be made other than these I have shown. It would be quite interesting if every boy and girl who reads this, would try on some rainy day to see how near to the sixty-five he or she could come. If two or three friends in the same neighborhood should unite their THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. 331 forces, and count all which are unlike, without reference to the maker, they might not fall so far short of the illus- trious Japanese — I wish I could remember his name — after all. THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO RIG HER. Boat making and sailing are most fascinating pursuits, and we do not know but the old saying, " When a man has taken to boat-sailing, he is a sailor to the end of his days," is to a certain degree applicable to the boy who intelligently fits out his tiny craft, and sends her on little voyages across the neighboring pond. If the sailing is to be done on water of any depth, there is one caution we should like to give at the very outset : Learn to swim before you sail Tier. No mere pleasure is worth risking one's life for, and accidents will happen even to the most careful boys. After this, you may play on or near the water with as much safety as on the land. Aside from the pleasure, one learns an extremely useful lesson in making a miniature model yacht, and in sailing her. A certain familiarity with the rigging, and the looks of the thing, will thus be obtained, and if your fingers have patiently set up shrouds and stays, and rove the mimic halyards, they will be less at sea with the ropes and stays of a real vessel. 332 THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO RIG HER. Many boys living near the sea, and accustomed every day to see vessels lying at anchor, or sailing in and out of the harbor, have very hazy ideas concerning the rigging of any kind of craft. Well I remember in my early days of being obliged to run down to the wharf to see where to attach my topmast. Whether it belonged forward or aft of my mast I had not the slightest remembrance, and yet scarcely a day went by without my seeing a vessel in some form or other. Boys are not the only persons, however, who look at things and do not see them. The power of minute and careful observation is a rare quality, and the majority of people go through life without forming the habit, or in- deed dreaming they have not made the best use of their sight. For the benefit of the boys who belong to this class, and those less fortunate ones living inland where yachts are unknown, I write this chapter. In several of our large cities, ponds are set apart for the especial purpose of sailing toy vessels. They are the exclusive property of the boys, and any fine afternoon in season, and frequently out of season, if the ice does not interfere, crowds of boys may be seen sitting on the edges of these "lakes," intently watching the graceful fleet as it skims lightly over the water. The sixty-acre lake in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, and Conservatory Lake, Cen- a Keel. b Bowsprit. c Stern. d Mast. e Topmast. / Boom. g Gaff. h Forestay. i Shrouds. j Jib-stay. k Topmast-stay. I Topping lift. m Main-sheet. n Ensign. o Throat halyards. p Peak halyards. q Burgee. r Reef points. 334 THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. tral Park, New York, are both set apart for the owners of these miniature yachts ; and it is wonderful how many older people, as well as the boys themselves, take interest in this amusement. The building and sailing of tiny yachts is carried to a much greater extent in England than in this country. There the Prince of Wales is deeply interested in the sport, and has instituted a " Royal Yacht Club," pre- sided over by himself, which has regular yacht regattas. These regattas take place on Serpentine Lake, in Hyde Park, every summer, and are considered quite important events. The yachts belonging to this club are very ele- gant affairs, one of them being valued at $5,000, yet none of them are over five feet in length. We do not expect our boy readers to emulate their British cousins, but with the following simple directions we feel confident they can, with a fair amount of skill in the use of tools, and careful labor, make a very respect- able miniature yacht, which shall be correct as far as she goes in both form and rigging. In the fashioning of a miniature boat, the hull is the first thing which claims our attention ; and in making this, two elements are to be considered, rapidity and stability. The rapidity or ease with which a vessel moves through water, is gained by a narrow hull — that is, narrow in pro- portion to its length — which, to be sure, renders the ves- THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO RIG HER. 335 sel somewhat unstable ; but this instability may be over- come by loading the keel with lead. There is danger, however, of carrying this to too great an extent, by low- ering the vessel so much that the friction against her sides more than counteracts the fine proportions of her build. Hence a skillful designer reconciles these two points. There are two types of model recognized in yacht building : First, the English cutter model, which is nar- row, and quite deep in proportion to width, with its keel heavily weighted to secure the necessary stability. This model is best adapted to rough cruising in strong winds and heavy seas, such as prevail on the English coasts. Second, the American : This, our model, is much wider, or, in nautical phrase, has much more beam in proportion to length and depth. Indeed, it is often so shallow as to merit the term "slumming-dish," ofttimes applied to this class of vessels. These boats are usually fitted with center-boards, which can be lowered or raised according to the need of the moment, instead of the deep keel of the English model, American vessels having the advantage of smoother water in which to make their cruises. The sheltered surface of Long Island Sound and the bays which adjoin it at either end, afford excellent sailing grounds for those owned in New York and the vicinity. 336 THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. For the toy boats our boys may desire to make, a medium between these two types will probably be found preferable in practice. The center-board may be ruled out at once, as both itself and the well in which it plays would require more time and patience in their construction than most boys would care to give. It is much better to have your boat too wide than too narrow, as a capsize is far more disconcerting to the aver- age young yachtsman, than a slight inferiority of speed. For a sloop yacht, the greatest width should be about one-third the length ; and the point of greatest width, or beam, should be somewhat nearer the stern than bow. Probably the best way to make a toy yacht is to pro- cure a piece of wood, which is about three times as long as it is wide and deep, and whittle out your hull as your judgment or fancy may dictate ; keeping in mind a few essential points, however, to insure ultimate success. First, draw a line from the middle point of one end to the middle point of the other end of the top of the block ; this will serve as a guide to the bow and the center of the stern. Care should be taken not to make your vessel too blunt at the bow ; as a sailor would say, " the lines at the bow should be fine when they meet the water." The elegant appearance of the boat is increased by giv- ing an overhang to the stern, instead of running it up THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. 387 vertically ; and if the young builder is confident in the use of his tools, a sheer, as it is called, of the lines at the top, or the gunwale, will add greatly to the grace of its appearance. For the benefit of those who do not under- stand the meaning of the word sheer, it may be explained that it is the gradual and graceful downward curve from bow to stem, noticeable in the bulwarks of vessels when seen from one side. It is perhaps superfluous to add that great care should be taken to have each side of the craft alike, for if a pre- ponderance of weight is on one side, the vessel will tip ; while if the curve is unequal, she will not sail evenly. The hollowing out of the inside is most conveniently accomplished with a sharp gouge and mallet, while the hull is secured firmly in a vise. When this is finished, a hole should be made in the bottom to receive the lower end of the mast, and care should be taken not to bore through the hull, as it would be difficult to stop the in- gress of water through it. We have now come to the keel, which must be firmly attached to the hull. The best way to do this is to drive three slender brass screws through the bottom of the boat, with ends projecting from one-fourth to one-half an inch along the line of the proposed keel. Make a temporary box around these, inclosing a space equal to the length and breadth of the keel, with strips of thin wood, such as 338 THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. cigar-box wood ; strips of heavy pasteboard may answer the purpose sufficiently well. In either case this mold should be firmly attached to the hull, in such a manner that after casting the keel it may be readily removed. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this is to paste it in place by means of narrow bands of stout paper. The in- side of the mold must be rubbed with oil or lard to pre- vent the ]ead from adhering to its sides. This lead must be melted over a very hot fire, so that it will not cool too rapidly upon entering the mold, in which case it would not hold together as well. When cold, the mold may be detached, and the keel will be held firmly in place by the three screws. The deck should be made of thin board, cut so as to accurately fit the top of your hull. If a sheer has been given to the bulwarks, it is of course much more difficult to fit the deck accurately, as it should follow the curve. It will very likely be found necessary to steam the board used, to make it sufficiently flexible. It will be possible to use stout pasteboard for the purpose, if both sides and edges are given a couple of coats of paint, which treat- ment should also be applied to the inside of the hole for the mast. This hole should be placed very slightly farther astern than the hole already mentioned, made in the bottom of the vessel. The effect of this will be to ffive the mast a THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. 339 slight rake. This is always the case with the masts of a schooner yacht, but builders of sloop yachts occasion- ally omit the rake and "step" the mast in a vertical position. The bowsprit may be fastened by two staples made of small wire, and driven down over it. One is driven down into the stem, or extreme forward point of the hull, and corresponds to what is called the "gammon iron" in a full-sized craft; the other secures the "inboard" end of the bowsprit, or that which is nearer the stern. This end is called the heel, and should nearly reach the mast. The outer end should project beyond the hull to a distance of nearly one-third the latter' s length. The rudder can be whittled from a thin piece of wood, in the shape shown in the figure ; the upper part or head is round, and passes up through a hole in the overhang. The top of this rudder-head is squared off to fit the hole in the end of the tiller or helm. The rudder is " shipped ' ' very much as a barn-door or window-blind is set in place. Suitable hinges for the rudder of a toy boat can be made of pins from which the heads have been filed. Two pins may be bent double for staples, and inserted into the "stern-post" of the vessel; while two others bent at right angles may be driven into the rudder, the project- ing ends hanging down through the staples. The rudder should turn with sufficient friction to hold its place, at 340 THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO RIG HER. whatever angle it may be set. The hollow of the boat should not extend back into the overhang, as water might enter it through the rudder- hole. The mast is composed of two parts or pieces ; the lower part is what is always understood when the "mast" is spoken of. The smaller piece, fastened to the upper end of the mast, is called the topmast. The "mast," which extends above the deck to a dis- tance equal to about three-fourths the length of the hull, passes through the hole in the deck already mentioned, and rests firmly in the hole made for it in the bottom of the hull. The lower end of the topmast is lapped on in front of the upper end of the mast, as seen in the figure, and may be secured in place by two loops of fine brass wire. The spars of next importance are those which stretch the mainsail. The larger is called the "boom," and ex- tends along the lower edge or "foot" of the mainsail ; while the other, which is called the "gaff," is secured to its upper edge or "head." The boom is equal in length to the mast ; the usual meaning of the word is here in- tended, i. e., the lower part. The gaff is a little over one- half the length of the boom. The mast and topmast taper slightly toward their upper ends, while the gaff is nearly the same size throughout its entire length. The boom generally THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. 341 swells a little, being somewhat larger in the middle than at either end. The boom and gaff are adjusted to the mast by a "jaw" on either side, forming a crotch, which keeps them from slipping off. Builders of miniature yachts wil], however, probably find it more convenient to whittle the ends of the spars in the form of a crotch than to attach jaws as separate pieces. Other smaller spars which enter into the equipment of racing craft, will be mentioned in speaking of the sails. The standing rigging is now to be considered ; this consists of stays and shrouds. "Shrouds" are ropes which lead from near the head of the mast to either side of the vessel, where they are fastened into the chain- plates. These are strong iron bands firmly bolted to the timbers. The shrouds of the model yacht, however, can be attached to copper tacks driven into the sides. They — the shrouds — are tied around the mast just below the point where the lower end of the topmast ends. In "real" yachts these shrouds end in loops which en- circle the mast, and rest upon, or are held in place by blocks called "hounds" attached to either side. But young ship-builders will probably find it will answer all purposes to make a slight notch on either side of the mast, at the point indicated. A sloop yacht has usually two shrouds on either side, 342 THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO RIG HER. while in a large ship there are four or five, making, as is known, a good-sized ladder. The " fore-stay " runs from the same point on the mast to the top of stem. In case the reader may be ignorant of the meaning of nautical terms, it may be well to say here that by "stem" is meant the piece of timber in the hull placed farthest forward, also called " forefoot" and " cutwater." The " fore-stay" may be passed through the staple al- ready mentioned, which fastens the bowsprit to the hull. The jib-stay passes from mast-head to outer end of bowsprit. The topmast-stay runs from the top of the topmast to the forward end of the bowsprit ; here it is sometimes passed through a hole in the end, and brought down to the forefoot, near the water line. The bob-stay runs from the end of the bowsprit to the stem, and acts as a brace to offset the strain of the ' ' head- sails," or the sails in front of the mast. In a large yacht it is necessary that this stay be very strong ; and in such cases it is often a substantial strip of iron or steel. A yacht has, also, what are called "backstays," which run on either side from head of "topmast" to points on the sides somewhat abaft, or back of the places where the shrouds are attached. There are also " cross-trees," with " topmast shrouds" THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. 343 leading from them to the top of the topmast ; but these, as well as the backstays, may as well be dispensed with by our juvenile naval architect, as a complication of un- necessary cords is to be avoided on a miniature craft. We must now take up the sails, the most important of which is the mainsail. The shape of this may be suffi- ciently well understood from the figure. The edge next the mast is called the "luff," while the outer or longer side opposite to this is called the " leech." The upper and lower edges are called respectively the " head " and "foot." The lower after corner of this sail is called the "clew," the lower fore corner the "tack," while the upper after corner is called the " peak." The "mast-hoops" are attached to the "luff" and run up and down the mast as the sail is raised or lowered. In vessels of miniature size, these may be supplied by small brass curtain rings. The "foresail" also runs on small rings or loops which slide on the forestay. The jib, in like manner, is attached to the "jib-stay" ; the "jib-top- sail" or "flying- jib" to topmast-stay. It may be well to dispense with the forestay, and to en- large the jib so as to occupy the additional space thus given, as the work will be less, and the appearance quite as good. It now remains to consider the "gaff- topsail," which occupies the space between the topmast and the gaff. 344 THE MINIATURE YACHT AND HOW TO BIG HER. This sail is set in quite a number of ways ; in a sloop yacht it is usual to stretch it on two light spars, which are contiguous to mast and gaff. Beside these, racing yachts in light winds carry a ''bal- loon jib," which is simply an extremely large jib-topsail ; and a "spinnaker," which is used in going before the wind. It is shaped like a large jib, and is spread by means of a small spar extending along its foot, called the "spinnaker boom," so that it may take the wind on the side opposite the mainsail. These sails are spread by means of running rigging. First, the halyards, by means of which the sails are hoisted. The mainsail usually has two halyards, one line being attached to the gaff near where it touches the mast, which is called the "throat halyards." The other is smaller, encountering less strain, and is termed "peak halyards," as it raises that part of the sail after the luff has been hoisted. The gaff-topsail of a regular yacht also has two hal- yards, one of which raises the edge next the mast, and the other draws its foot out to end of gaff. The " jibs " are each raised by one "halyard " attached to head or upper corner. In a small boat like that we are considering, one hal- yard for each sail will be amply sufficient. In fact it is a frequent practice to keep the sails permanently spread ; A SCHOONER YACHT. 345 which has this in its favor, that they are much smoother, much less wrinkled, than when furled between cruises. The " topping lift " is a Kne which leads from the head of the "mast" to the outer end of the " boom," which it keeps from falling on deck when sail is lowered. The sheets are not sails, as the reader not conversant with nautical expressions would suppose, but ropes, or lines, which keep the sails in their proper position in respect to the wind. The main-slieet, which controls the mainsail, is attached to the boom at a point just above the stern, to which the other end is led. Here it is fastened to a cleat. The sheets of the headsails are fastened to their " clews" or lower aft corners, and led to cleats near foot of mast. In large craft the sheets are passed through a number of pulleys in order to secure sufficient purchase. In addition to the rigging already mentioned, many other ropes might be enumerated, such as the "down- hauls," " outhauls," " spinnaker brace and guy," " bow- sprit shrouds," etc., but as has already been said, the less confusion of cords in a miniature craft, the better. A SCHOONER YACHT. In this the length should be greater in proportion to its other dimensions than in the sloop yacht. The mainmast 346 A SCHOONER YACHT. should be stepped a little abaft the middle point of the hull. The foremast is stepped about midway between the mainmast and the stem, and should be very nearly as high as the mainmast. The f oretop-mast, however, should be decidedly shorter than the maintop-mast. The bowsprit of the schooner yacht should be some- what thicker and shorter in proportion than that of the sloop yacht, and is lengthened to the desired extent by means of a small spar resting on its top, which is called the jib-boom. The forestay comes down to the bowsprit head, instead of to the stem. The jib-stay runs from the mast-head to the jib-boom, through which it passes a short distance from the end of the latter. The topmast stay extends from the upper part of the topmast to the end of the jib- boom. The two latter stays pass from the jib-boom to the " martingale," a short spar, which has a hook at its upper end. This hook passes through an iron ring on the under side of the head of the bowsprit. The martingale extends downward toward the water, while the stays pass through it, or through iron loops affixed to either side, and are fastened to the stem or the upper part of the bows. As in the sloop, one or more stout bobstays connect the bowsprit head with the stem. The two masts are braced together by means of certain ISil iPlifeiiilliilliiilillliii 1 A SCHOONER YACHT. 349 stays, of which the most important is the spring-stay, which connects the mast-heads. Two other stays extend from the maintop-mast to the foremast head. (See figure.) a Mainmast. b Foremast. c Bowsprit. d Jib-boom. e Martingale. / Spring-stay. The mainsail and its gaff-topsail are similar to those of the sloop, but the foresail is much smaller, as it must pass between the masts in tacking, and varies little in breadth from head to foot. A schooner yacht has a maintop-mast staysail, which is used in racing, and comes down nearly to the deck. Its sheet is rove through a block at the after end of the boom, 350 A SCHOONER YACHT. whence it is brought back to the stern and " belayed" to a cleat. "Belaying " is the nautical term for winding a rope on a cleat or belaying pin ; which is done as a boy winds his kite string, on each end alternately, in figure-eight style. The fore gaff-topsail is not provided with spars or booms at its edges, but has rings along its luff, like those of the lower sails, which run on the foretop-mast. The sails of a large vessel have ropes called bolt -ropes, sewed entirely around their edges, which may, of course, be dispensed with in the sails of the miniature yacht, as they will be sufficiently strong without such aid. The reef -points are short lengths of small rope, arranged at equal distances from each other, in rows parallel to the booms ; they pass through the sail and hang down on either side. There are usually two rows of these on the foresail, and three on the mainsail, while the larger headsails are also provided with them. Before the sails are put on or bent, it will be advisable to paint the yacht. A coat of paint should have been given to the inside of hull as well as under side of deck, to prevent the wood from becoming water-soaked in case of leakage. Custom has rigidly prescribed the colors for the exterior of a yacht, above the water line ; either black or white, with a narrow gold line below the gunwale, being univer- A SCHOONER YACHT. 351 sally employed. Below the water line greater latitude may be given to individual taste ; either dark green, brown, or black, may be used, according to the preference of the owner. The greatest pains are taken to keep the bottom of a racing yacht in the smoothest possible condition. It is usually covered with black-lead and polished to the ut- most degree. This treatment is often renewed three or four times in the course of a season. The mast should not be painted, but stained a bright yellow, with a little raw sienna in oil. When dry it should be shellacked ; in fact, the latter will form a good coating for the painted surface of the hull as well. If the shellac be thick, it may of itself stain the mast to a suf- ficient extent, but in that case — if thick — it should not be used on the white hull. The short space where the main- mast and topmast overlap each other should be painted the color of the hull. The bowsprit should be the color of the hull, and the jib-boom stained like the masts. The deck may be painted with white, to which enough sienna has been added to give it a buff tint. The prow, or upper portion of stem just below the bow- sprit, is usually carved and gilded ; and the stem is occa- sionally decorated in like manner ; but although there seems to be no limit to the increasing richness and ele- gance of the interior of our American yachts, the tend- 352 A SCHOONER YACHT. ency of the time leads more and more toward a severely- plain and quiet treatment of the exterior. A yacht always carries a little triangular flag at the topmast-head called the "burgee." A schooner yacht, of course, flies two of them, one at each mast-head. These are simultaneously hauled down at the moment of sunset. A national flag, called the " en- sign," is generally hoisted at the peak of the mainsail. These instructions apply equally well to the papier- mache boats described at page 90, which have the advan- tages of lightness and ease of construction. 3^77-3 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 020 237 104 8