,transcriber's ,note3 ,bold text is surrounded by equal signs and italic text is surrounded by underscores4 ,,home ,,entertaining ,what ,to ,do and ,how ,to ,do ,it ,,home ,,entertaining ,,amusements ,,for ,,every ,,one ,,edited ,,by ,,william ,e4 ,,chenery ,illustration ,,boston ,,lothrop1 ,,lee ,,shepard ,,co4 ,,published1 ,,august1 #aiab ,,copyright1 #aiab1 ,,by ,,lothrop1 ,,lee ,,shepard ,,co4 ,all ,rights ,reserved ,,home ,,entertaining ,norwood ,press ,berwick ,smith ,co4 ,norwood1 ,mass41 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,preface ,,this collection of games1 tricks1 and pastimes is the result of many years' effort to find the most clever and practical diversions and entertainments suitable for the home4 ,each trick has been tested by the editor1 and each sport introduced has received most careful consideration in regard to ease of production1 as well as the enjoyment to be gained from it4 ,as no refined person of any age can find amusement in coarseness1 great care has been exercised in presenting only such diversions as are to be welcomed in a refined home circle4 ,the necessity for elaborate apparatus has also been avoided1 so that with dullness1 difficulty1 expense1 and ill-taste eliminated1 it is felt that this collection will supply a lack which has always existed1 as the many who have sought in vain for a bright1 safe1 and up-to-date book of really feasible entertainments will appreciate4 ,while this book contains much that is original1 especially in descriptive matter and ways of presentation1 it has of course been necessary to draw freely from the accumulated mass of tricks and 8sells0 that have in some form or other come down from unknown times1 and are recognized as being the common property of any who take pains to learn them4 ,as a matter of courtesy1 due acknowledgement is hereby made to all who have preceded me in this line of work4 ,a word of general advice to the amateur entertainer may be in order4 ,never tell the company what you are about to do1 unless the very nature of a trick demands that its outcome be stated in advance4 ,in this case1 do it as guardedly as possible4 ,if you state that you are to perform a certain trick1 you thereby greatly increase the chance of detection1 as the spectators will know what to look for1 and in that way will more readily arrive at the true method of bringing about the results4 ,do not allow yourself to be persuaded into performing a trick twice in an evening4 ,with the element of surprise gone1 the best performance loses much of its effect4 ,finally1 remember that a great deal depends upon the personality of the entertainer4 ,an easy flow of pleasantries1 which may or may not have to do with what is being performed1 adds to the entertainment of the company1 and at the same time helps much in diverting the attention of your friends from too close a scrutiny of your proceedings4 ,,william ,e4 ,,chenery4 ,,framingham1 ,,mass41 ,may1 #aiab4 ,,contents ,,page ,the ,magnetic ,ring #a ,to ,tell the ,hour #b ,the ,spirit ,calculator #c ,the ,square of ,sixteen ,numbers #e ,the ,square of ,nine ,digits #e ,making a ,bird ,enter a ,cage #f ,the ,handkerchief ,snake #f ,to ,pass ,your ,body ,through a ,postal ,card #g ,silhouettes #h ,gymnastics for the ,tongue #i ,the ,passenger to ,boulogne #i ,mind-reading #aj ,blowing a ,card on ,twine #ab ,naming a ,card #ab ,a ,horse ,race #ad ,a ,jam-eating ,contest #ae ,a ,potato ,race #ae ,guessing ,contests #af ,a ,phonograph ,concert #ag ,to ,lift ,fifteen ,matches with ,one #ah ,a ,donkey ,party #ai ,the ,dwarf ,exhibit #ai ,stick-and-,pea ,amusement #bb ,an ,introduction to the ,doll ,family #bb ,second ,sight #bd ,the ,blind ,feeding the ,blind #be ,an ,amateur ,vaudeville #be ,the ,elusive ,coin #be ,novel ,paper-cutting #bf ,the ,mysterious ,remainder #bg ,home ,field-,sports #bi 7a7 ,one-yard ,dash #bi 7b7 ,tug of ,war #bi 7c7 ,standing ,high ,jump #bi 7d7 ,hurdle ,race #bi 7e7 ,drinking ,race #cj 7f7 ,bun ,race #cj 7g7 ,cracker-eating ,contest #cj 7h7 ,rainy-,day ,race #cj ,the ,gentlemen ,nurse-,maids #ca ,new ,year's ,resolutions for ,others #cb ,can ,you ,draw a ,watch-face8 #cc ,the ,endless ,thread #cd ,the ,telltale ,glass #ce ,pairing ,ten ,half-dimes #cg ,deceptive ,heights #cg 7a7 ,of a ,hat #cg 7b7 ,of a ,barrel #cg ,slang #ch ,observation ,contest #ci ,the ,bargain-counter ,game #ci ,the 8,thirty-five0 ,trick #da ,an ,ink ,shock #db ,reading from ,folded ,papers #db ,blind ,man's ,buff with ,dominoes #dc 8,my ,aunt ,has ,arrived from ,paris0 #dd ,surprising ,strength #de ,card-passing ,contest #df ,a ,cobweb ,tangle #dg ,a ,novel ,masquerade #dg ,hit the ,bag #dh ,a ,pretended ,illusion #di ,dancing ,fairies #di ,describing a ,lady's ,costume #ej ,the ,wonderful ,hat #ea ,mirror-,drawing #ea ,the ,dancing ,skeleton #ec ,pitching ,cards at a ,hat #ed ,peanut ,guessing #ed ,peanut ,shelling #ed ,peanut ,rolling #ee ,the ,peanut ,hunt #ee ,progressive ,peanut ,party #ee ,your ,friends in ,black #eg ,,games ,packing the ,trunk #ei ,blowing ,ping-pong ,balls #fj ,doing the ,impossible #fj ,the ,game of 8,it0 #fa ,the ,game of 8,turtle0 #fc ,the ,game of 8,empty ,hands0 #fd ,simon ,says #fe ,passing ,bean-bags #ff ,buzz #fg ,can ,you ,laugh8 #fh ,an ,optical ,game #fh ,blowing the ,feather #fi ,throwing the ,handkerchief #gj ,going to ,jerusalem #ga ,find the ,whistle #ga ,the ,all-around ,story ,game #gb ,an ,obstacle ,game #gb ,impudence #gc ,rolling ,chase-ball #gd ,,tricks ,the ,sharpers ,outwitted #gf ,the ,raised ,hand #gh ,unconscious ,movements #gh ,the ,broken ,match ,restored #gi ,the ,cent and the ,hole #hj ,mysterious ,reading #ha ,the ,baffling ,card #hc ,a ,watch ,trick #hc ,silk from ,paper #hd ,the ,obedient ,ball #hf ,tricks with a ,pen #hg ,the ,dice and ,cup #hh ,the ,surprising ,paper ,bands #hi ,napkin-ring ,trick #hi ,the ,magical ,cups of ,tin #ij ,the ,elusive ,cork #ib ,the ,three ,pennies #ib ,a ,lesson in ,gravity #ic ,the ,tantalizing ,half-dollar #ic ,drawing ,matches to ,win #id ,eye-errors and ,ghosts #if ,the ,detaining ,hand-clasp #ih ,the ,pictorial ,nail #ii ,cane ,trick #ii ,,pantomimes ,general ,directions #aja ,aerial ,figures #ajc ,silhouettes #aje ,shadow ,pictures #ajf ,shadow ,show #ajf ,,card ,,tricks ,calling the ,cards #aaj ,the ,odd ,card #aad ,naming the ,cards #aaf ,a ,diamond ,ace of ,hearts #aag ,a ,three-card ,trick #aah ,detection by ,smell #aai ,naming a ,drawn ,card #aba ,grouping the ,kings #abc ,detecting a ,turned ,card #abd ,telling the ,number of ,transposed ,cards #abd ,the ,three ,packets #abg ,a ,card ,found at the ,second ,guess #abg ,pocketing a ,chosen ,card #abh ,to ,pick ,out a ,card ,thought ,of #aca ,the ,siamese ,aces #acc ,detection of a ,drawn ,card by ,color #acf ,mathematical ,detection of ,card #acg ,passing a ,card to ,top of ,pack #ach ,the ,trick of 8,thirty-one0 #adj ,,soap-,,bubbles ,blowing ,soap-bubbles #adb ,fantastic ,soap-bubbles #adc ,rebounding ,bubbles #ade ,,forfeits #adf ,,hallowe',,en ,decorations #adi ,invitations #aej ,receiving ,guests #aej ,the ,heads of ,bluebeard's ,wives #aeb ,the ,severed ,head #aec ,ghost ,stories #aed ,the ,unearthly ,look #aed ,luminous ,writing #aee ,the ,floating ,candle #aee ,ornamented ,apples #aef ,finding the ,candle #aef ,the ,full ,moon #aef ,cabinet ,manifestations #aeg ,spirit ,pictures #aeg ,parlor ,magic #aei ,the ,demon ,bell #afa ,the ,animated ,skull #afa ,the ,perilous ,ring #afb ,nose and ,goggle ,party #afb ,jack-o'-lanterns #afc ,the ,surprising ,candle #afc ,home ,entertaining ,what ,to ,do and ,how ,to ,do ,it ,the ,magnetic ,ring4 ,take a gold ring1--the more massive the better4 ,attach the ring to a silk thread about twelve inches long2 fasten the other end of the thread around the nail-joint of your right forefinger1 and let the ring hang about half an inch above the surface of the table1 on which you rest your elbow to steady your hand4 ,hold your finger horizontally1 with the thumb thrown back as far as possible from the rest of the hand4 ,if there be nothing on the table1 the ring will soon become stationary4 ,then place some silver 7say three half-dollars7 immediately below it1 when the ring will begin to oscillate backwards and forwards1 to you and from you4 ,now bring your thumb in contact with your forefinger 7or else suspend the ring from your thumb71 and the oscillations will become transverse to their former swing4 ,or this may be effected by making a lady take hold of your disengaged hand4 ,when the transverse motion is fairly established1 let a gentleman take hold of the lady's disengaged hand1 and the ring will change back to its former course4 ,these effects are produced by the aid of animal magnetic currents given forth by the hands of the experimenters4 ,to ,tell the ,hour of the ,day or ,night by a ,suspended ,quarter4 ,sling a quarter or a dime at the end of a piece of thread by means of a loop2 then1 resting your elbow upon a table1 hold the other end of the thread between your forefinger and thumb1 and thus suspend the coin in an empty goblet4 ,observe1 your hand must be perfectly steady2 and if you find it difficult to keep it in an immovable posture1 it is useless to attempt the experiment4 ,premising that the quarter is properly suspended1 you will find that1 when it has recovered its equilibrium1 it will for a moment be stationary2 it will then1 of its own accord and without the least agency from the person holding it1 assume the action of a pendulum1 vibrating from side to side of the glass1 and after a few seconds will strike the hour nearest to the time of day4 ,it is necessary to observe that the thread should lie over the pulse of the thumb1 and this may in some measure account for the vibration of the quarter1 but to what cause its striking the precise hour is to be traced remains unexplained2 for it is no less astonishing than true that when it has struck the proper number its vibration ceases1 it acquires a kind of rotary motion and finally becomes stationary as before4 ,the ,spirit ,calculator4 ,a piece of paper and a pencil are handed to the audience1 with a request that four different persons will each write down a row of four figures1 one under the other1 to form an addition sum4 ,the paper is then given to a fifth person to add up the figures1 but before he can call out the result the performer writes it down on a blackboard4 ,the secret lies in the fact that the performer is in possession of a piece of paper exactly the same in every detail as that handed to the audience1 on which1 previous to the entertainment1 he has had four rows of figures written in different handwritings4 ,in the course of the entertainment1 all is fair and aboveboard until it comes to adding up the sum1 when the performer1 in the act of giving the paper to the fifth person1 changes it for that of his own1 with the total of which he is already acquainted4 ,he has now only to run to the stage and write down the answer on the blackboard4 ,a more startling conclusion than the prosaic one above mentioned may be obtained by the use of sympathetic ink1 composed of sulphuric acid and water1 one part of the former to three of the latter4 ,writing done with this ink will be invisible until heat be applied1 which will bring out the characters in jet black4 ,the performer1 then1 being provided with a piece of paper bearing the answer written with the invisible ink1 gives a plate containing a little alcohol to the person adding up the sum1 and asks him to set fire to the alcohol1 first1 however1 taking careful note of the total4 ,the prepared piece of paper is now held over the flames caused by igniting the alcohol on the plate1 when the heat will bring out the answer1 which is proved to be correct4 ,the greatest care should always be exercised in producing any kind of flame4 ,the ,square of ,sixteen ,numbers4 ,arrange the numbers from #a to #af in a square1 so that the sum of the figures in any row1 vertical1 horizontal1 or diagonal1 will be #cd4 #af #c #b #ac #e #aj #aa #h #i #f #g #ab #d #ae #ad #a ,the ,square of ,nine ,digits4 ,how may nine digits be arranged in a rectangular form so that the sum of any row1 whether horizontal1 vertical1 or diagonal1 shall equal #ae8 #d #i #b #c #e #g #h #a #f ,making a ,bird ,enter a ,cage4 ,draw upon a sheet of paper an empty bird-cage and then very near the cage at the right draw a bird4 ,the problem is to make this bird enter the cage4 ,place a visiting-card between the two figures1 holding the card perpendicularly on the paper4 ,press the end of your nose on the border of the card and look at the cage and the bird4 ,you will thus see the cage with your left eye and the bird with your right4 ,but in a moment the bird will seem to move1 then enter the cage4 ,the ,handkerchief ,snake4 ,a fine black-silk thread is stretched across the stage from one side to the other1 the ends being in the hands of two assistants4 ,having obtained the loan of a handkerchief1 the performer1 standing behind the thread1 takes it diagonally by two corners and twists it up rope fashion4 ,he then ties three knots in it1 one a little below the centre1 one a little above the centre1 and the third at one end4 ,while this is being done1 the assistants raise the thread1 around which the last knot1 forming the head of a snake1 is actually tied2 but owing to the thread being invisible1 this will pass unobserved4 ,having made the last knot1 the performer drops the handkerchief on the floor1 when its imitation of a live snake will depend entirely on the adroit manner in which the assistants manipulate the thread4 ,finally1 it should be made to jump into the hand of the performer1 who should at once hand it with the knots still tied to the owner4 ,this is managed by the assistant at one end dropping the thread and the other one pulling it clear of the handkerchief4 ,other tricks may be invented4 ,to ,pass your ,body through a ,postal ,card4 ,fold the card once lengthwise in the middle so that there will be two equal flaps4 ,now commence at the folded edge and cut almost to the straight edge1 double thickness1 then commence at the straight edge and cut almost to the folded edge1 and so on alternately1 until there have been about twenty-five or thirty cuts made1 leaving a very small margin between each cut4 ,then cut each loop on the folded edge except the two outside loops1 and open4 ,silhouettes4 ,choose a part of the room where there is a clear wall space4 ,attach a piece of silhouette paper to the wall with thumb tacks or pins 7or against a broad board if you fear that the tacks may injure the wall71 the white side of the paper being out4 ,a lamp1 or better a candle1 having been placed so that it will throw a strong light on the sheet of paper1 turn off all the other lights in the room4 ,each one then takes his place between the lamp and the wall so that a clear shadow of his profile may be thrown on the paper4 ,now draw a firm1 strong line carefully around this shadow4 ,the sitter must sit perfectly still1 during the drawing4 ,if possible have a head-rest1 the shadow of which must not be seen upon the paper4 ,having thus outlined the shadow1 take the paper from the wall and cut out the silhouette neatly or pass it to another to do the same4 ,gymnastics for the ,tongue4 ,say these several times as rapidly and distinctly as you can3 8,she sells sea shells at the sea shore10 and these also3 8,john sawed six sleek1 slim1 slender saplings40 8,there was an old woman and she was a thistle sifter4 ,she had a sieve of sifted thistles1 and a sieve of unsifted thistles1 and she was a thistle sifter40 8,mixed biscuits40 8,gig whip40 8,six thick thistle sticks40 8,she stood at the door welcoming him in40 8,shoes and socks shock ,susan40 ,the ,passenger to ,boulogne4 ,the requirements for this touching picture are an orange1 a pocket-handkerchief or soft table-napkin1 and a wine-glass4 ,the orange is first prepared by cutting in the rind with a pen-knife the best ears1 nose1 and mouth which the skill of the artist can compass1 a couple of raisins supplying the place of eyes4 ,a pocket-handkerchief is stretched lightly over the glass1 and the prepared orange laid thereon4 ,the pocket-handkerchief is then moved gently backwards and forwards over the top of the glass1 imparting to the orange a rolling motion1 and affording a laughable but striking caricature of the agonies of a sea-sick ,channel passenger4 ,the performance terminates by draping the pocket-handkerchief hood-fashion over the supposed head1 and squeezing the orange into the glass4 ,the last scene1 however1 is disagreeably realistic4 ,mind-,reading4 ,before appearing to the audience1 fasten a fine black thread to the thumb 7or any part desired74 ,the other end is retained by an assistant seated back to the audience1 and in back from the performer1 so that the thread will not be noticed4 ,while the performer is promising a mind-reading exhibition1 the assistant will have time to make the thread tight1 and it must be kept so during the performance4 ,show a small blackboard1 or some other similar arrangement1 that can be held in one arm1 and ask any one to secretly suggest figures1 which are put down in columns1 for the purpose of addition4 ,the figures must be large enough for every one to see1 and it is advisable not to have too many1 as experience will show it takes too long for the trick4 ,the performer then mentally adds the right column of figures1 after which he secretly pulls the thread1 fastened to the thumb1 as many times as necessary to make the correct number4 ,the assistant counts the little jerks1 and then announces the number1 which proves to be the correct number to set down4 ,this is continued until all the figures are added4 ,if the sum of a column is a 8zero0 no pull should be made4 ,the details must be plainly understood between the performer and assistant1 and with a little ingenuity the trick will seem quite puzzling4 ,blowing a ,card on ,twine4 ,procure some of the nicest twine1 that is hard1 smooth1 and very slippery1 and cut into lengths of fifteen or twenty feet1 according to room available1 fastening both ends to something stationary4 ,the number of these lines may be optional1 but not less than two4 ,on each line1 near the end1 place a card four inches square1 with a hole exactly in the centre1 about three times the diameter of the twine4 ,care must be taken that the hole is large enough to allow the card to move properly but not too freely4 ,at a given signal the card is blown the length of the line4 ,the one arriving at the end first1 wins4 ,naming a ,card4 ,this trick can be shown at any time and at any place where two performers are together and desire to show a little skill to amuse their friends4 ,the idea in the trick is to announce that you can tell the name of a card written on a sheet of paper1 the paper folded and placed on the table1 all being done while you are out of the room4 ,after you have announced the trick and have left the room1 your assistant 7who of course acts as if he were disinterested7 takes a pencil1 and when some one names the card he writes it on the paper and folds it up4 ,for example1 we will say that the four of diamonds was named4 ,when he has finished writing the name of the card1 he1 in an offhand way1 places the pencil on the table1 so that the point would indicate four in an imaginary clock1 he of course sitting opposite to six4 ,the paper is then folded and placed in a casual way on the opposite side on the table1 in a section which we will designate as diamonds4 ,these sections may be like this3 diamonds at the top of the imaginary clock1 hearts at the right1 clubs at the bottom1 and spades at the left4 ,the face of the clock can be imagined to be about a foot or so round4 ,you may now be called in by anybody1 and upon entering1 you must1 to make the trick effective1 take up the paper1 and hold it to your forehead as if in deep thought4 ,of course you have taken in at a glance the entire situation1 and in a most mysterious way1 name the card4 ,in case a court card is named you will understand that a jack is eleven1 a queen twelve1 and if a king is named1 the pencil is not laid down1 the paper only being left to indicate the suit4 ,now some are bound to name the joker4 ,in that case your assistant simply places the paper on top of the pencil or uses some other arrangement agreed upon4 ,a ,horse ,race4 ,each man in the party receives a little bag containing one hundred beans4 ,each woman adopts the name of some horse4 ,strips of tape or paper are fastened at one end of the room farthest away from where the races are to begin4 ,all attached ends are on the same line4 ,the loose ends are held by the women on the other side of the room1 armed with scissors4 ,the men bet their beans on the outcome of the race4 ,at a given signal1 each woman begins to cut the tape1 the one to reach the end of her strand quickest being the winner4 ,the narrowness of the tape obliges the women to work with extreme care1 as well as quickly1 for if the strand is cut before reaching the end1 the 8horse0 is disqualified4 ,when the first entries have been raced1 if there are more women than strips1 more come forward for another 8heat10 and so on until all have competed4 ,the man winning the most beans in all the races wins the prize1 and each lady who comes out ahead receives something in appreciation of her dexterity4 ,a ,jam-eating ,contest4 ,for this1 thin slices of bread are spread with jelly or jam and placed upon a small plate at the edge of the table4 ,those who enter the contest must have their hands tied behind them1 so that they are obliged to eat their bread and jam without touching it with a hand4 ,the one who succeeds in disposing of his slice first receives a prize4 ,a ,potato ,race4 ,use peach-baskets for the goals4 ,potatoes1 apples1 or oranges are laid three feet apart in rows for the gathering contest4 ,each one must be picked up and carried on a spoon to the basket at the end of the row4 ,guessing ,contests4 ,a pumpkin1 a large ear of yellow field-corn1 a pint of peanuts in the shell1 a pound of pecans in the shell1 a basket of apples1 one chrysanthemum1 a large bunch of ,malaga grapes1 and a bough of oak leaves are the requisites for this entertainment4 ,these same articles may serve as decorations for the room during the evening4 ,the game is to guess the number of parts of each one of the list1 for instance3 ,how many grains on the ear of corn8 ,how many seeds in the pumpkin8 ,how many grapes in the bunch8 ,how many pecans in a pound8 ,how many petals on the chrysanthemum8 ,how many peanuts in a pint8 ,how many leaves on the oak bough8 ,how many apples in the basket8 ,of course1 the answers have actually been obtained beforehand1 except in the case of the chrysanthemum1 which is counted after the company have guessed4 ,a ,phonograph ,concert4 ,the removal of a large screen exposes a most extraordinary contrast4 ,it consists of a large square packing-box1 the open side being set across a doorway leading into another room4 ,on top of the box is fastened a clothes-wringer and a megaphone1 while a curtain conceals the part of the doorway not hidden by the box4 ,the record is a narrow slip of paper1 yards in length1 which is inserted between the rollers4 ,the crank is turned and the record announced amidst a grating noise peculiar to phonographs4 ,a person behind the scenes1 with his head in the box1 drawls out the subjects of the records1 making the scraping noise by rubbing something rough against a tin can4 ,the people who are to do the feats on the phonograph are in the room behind the curtain and1 as their turns come1 stick their heads into the box and shout through the megaphone1 which is sticking out of the hole bored through the box4 ,to ,lift ,fifteen ,matches with ,one4 ,on a match place fourteen other matches so that one third of the match1 with its phosphorus tip1 will be in the air and the other end resting on the table4 ,these ends should point alternately right and left4 ,if one is asked to lift them1 holding only one extremity of the lower match1 it seems clear that the fourteen matches on top will fall to the table by the force of gravity4 ,here is a way to render the operation feasible4 ,above the matches and along the angle formed by the interlacement1 place one last match4 ,they can now be lifted safely by the extremity of the under match4 ,the matches will take an oblique position1 embracing the upper one within their angle as though they were possessed of jaws1 and will remain without further support just as long as you wish4 ,by preference1 employ the largest matches you can find4 ,a ,donkey ,party4 ,each one tries1 blindfolded1 to pin a tail to a donkey drawn on a sheet4 ,the prize is given to the one who comes nearest to pinning it in the right position4 ,the ,dwarf ,exhibit affords one of the most amusing entertainments1 and will cause wonder to your friends as to where you got 8him40 ,two persons play the dwarf1 a third acting as the exhibitor1 who should prepare beforehand a humorous speech1 setting forth the history and accomplishments of the dwarf1 which will be told later4 ,to arrange and dress the dwarf1 place a table in a doorway between two rooms1 and cover it with a cloth or a curtain that will reach to the floor on the side farthest from the audience4 ,or the table may be placed entirely in the room next to that in which the audience is seated1 the edge of it reaching to the doorway1 so that the curtains between may act as a screen while you are getting the dwarf ready4 ,one person stands behind the table and places his hands on it4 ,these1 with his arms1 form the feet and legs of the dwarf4 ,over his arms should be drawn a pair of boy's trousers1 and on his hands should be a pair of shoes4 ,the trousers should be drawn down until they reach the heels1 like a man's4 ,this completes the lower part of the dwarf4 ,the second person stands behind the first and passes his arms around his shoulders4 ,by putting a coat over the arms and buttoning it down the figure of the first impersonator and then throwing a cape around his neck so arranged as to cover the head of the person behind1 you will complete the dwarf's dress4 ,of course1 you may have to improvise a jacket to fit1 or you may dress the dwarf fantastically1 as a ,turk1 or woman1 for instance1 but the means of doing so will suggest themselves readily4 ,the hands of the second person act as the hands of the dwarf1 and as the latter makes his appearance they raise his hat when he bows to the audience4 ,the exhibitor then begins his history1 which can be made very ludicrous2 and he should recite the various accomplishments of the dwarf1 including dancing1 and even his ability to suspend himself in the air without support4 ,the dwarf should then be invited to entertain the audience1 and he should begin by making a little speech1 in either a thin falsetto or a heavy bass voice1 assumed1 of course1 to add to the grotesque effect4 ,the second player makes gestures to the speech1 which in themselves will create a laugh4 ,then the dwarf should begin to dance4 ,the hands of the first performer do this1 and all of a sudden1 in the middle of a quickstep1 they both are lifted from the table and remain suspended in the air for a quarter of a minute4 ,then they drop to the table again1 and the dwarf appears to be exhausted with this unusual effort4 ,in making his parting salute to the audience the dwarf astonishes them all by putting both feet to his mouth and throwing kisses with his toes4 ,stick-and-,pea ,amusement4 ,a box of toothpicks and a pint of dried peas will furnish excellent amusement for children on a rainy day4 ,soak the peas until they can be pierced with a toothpick4 ,tables1 chairs1 boxes1 figures1 letters1 etc41 can be made by sticking the toothpicks into the peas4 ,an ,introduction to the ,doll ,family4 ,if you straighten a hairpin1 then bend one end of it until it resembles a shepherd's crook1 and hang it on the edge of a table1 it will swing back and forth many times like the pendulum of a clock4 ,the slightest touch sets it in motion1 and if you have just the right angle to the crook it will sway back and forth many times4 ,suppose you fix several hairpins in this fashion and set them all to swinging at once4 ,it will much resemble a lot of very slender gentlemen bobbing up and down in stately1 graceful bows4 ,very well2 suppose we have some real gentlemen to bow to us4 ,get two or three old magazines and look through the advertising sections4 ,you will find lots and lots of figures of all kinds1 men1 women1 and animals2 some of them just the size you want4 ,cut out some of these very carefully1 selecting those just a little longer than your bent hairpins4 ,now thrust a hairpin through one of the figures and hang the bent end of the hairpin on the edge of a table2 or1 better still1 a big book whose cover overlaps the leaves inside4 ,blow gently at the figure and it will answer by bowing most politely1 bobbing back and forth in the funniest way you can imagine4 ,now fix the rest of the figures in the same way and you will have one of the most amusing collections of dolls that ever was4 ,whenever you blow at them1 they all will nod and bow at once1 but no two will move alike1 for the shapes of their figures will all be different1 and the different ways in which their weight or centre of gravity inclines them will cause the various motions4 ,just try it with some of your little friends and see what fun these odd little actors will make for you4 ,second ,sight4 ,this cannot fail to make a hit1 providing the rule is not generally known by the audience4 ,take a piece of paper and write on it the figures #a1jhi4 ,fold this paper and ask one of your spectators to place it in his pocket without looking at it4 ,now ask another spectator to think of three figures 7a74 ,he having done so1 get him to write them upon another piece of paper4 ,now ask him to write the same figures under the first row1 only in reverse 7b7 order4 ,subtract the smaller from the larger 7c74 ,now reverse the remainder 7d7 and your total will be the answer on the piece of paper in the first spectator's pocket4 ,for instance3 7a7 ,number thought of #fba 7b7 ,result of reversion #abf ------ 7c7 8 8 subtraction #die 7d7 8 8 second reversion #eid ------ 7e7 8 8 addition #a1jhi ,the ,blind ,feeding the ,blind4 ,spread a sheet on the floor1 and having blindfolded two players1 seat them on the floor facing each other4 ,give to each a spoon and saucer containing some dry food such as ground pop-corn or wheat grains and let each attempt to feed the other4 ,an ,amateur ,vaudeville4 ,for the entertainment of a large number of people1 an amateur vaudeville program meets every requirement1 and does so in a unique manner4 ,if you go over your list of friends and acquaintances1 you will find among them many a clever person who has some talent which can be utilized in preparing the program2 this one can dance1 that recite1 another sings coon songs1 some do 8cake-walks10 some play1 others sing1 one can tell an ,irish story or a ,dutch one1 or perhaps perform a feat of legerdemain1 and so on1 until your program is filled4 ,the ,elusive ,coin4 ,set a coin upon the edge of a table1 and1 closing one eye by the opposite hand 7that is1 the left eye closed by the right hand and vice-versa72 attempt to knock it off with the forefinger of the disengaged hand4 ,you will find that your judgment is at fault1 and that1 in nine cases out of ten you are dabbing away at nothing but thin air4 ,to do this effectively1 you should stand at arm's length from the coin1 and you will be surprised at your apparent bad judgment4 ,novel ,paper-,cutting4 ,a long strip of paper is shown to the audience2 it is then rolled up into cylindrical form1 a few cuts are made with a scissors1 or if the paper is not too thick1 it may be torn with the fingers4 ,you make a twist or two1 and the audience are surprised to see what a good resemblance to a 8fir tree10 five or more feet in length1 makes its appearance in the performer's hands4 ,this is managed in the following way3 ,cut a strip of paper about nine feet long and eight inches wide2 to increase the effect1 the strip of paper can be made up of three or four short lengths of different colored papers pasted together4 ,roll the paper up into a cylinder of about #a inches in diameter1 then with a pair of scissors make cuts through the cylinder from one end1 to halfway down its length4 ,these cuts should be at small1 equal distances from each other around the roll4 ,then bend over into horizontal position each piece of loose paper to form the branches of the tree1 pull out from the centre of the top in the same way as for the familiar barber's pole2 the tree will then be complete4 ,to thoroughly grasp the idea1 the instruction should be carefully followed with scissors and paper in hand4 ,the ,mysterious ,remainder4 ,a mother of several children amused them frequently by the following simple puzzle4 ,it was a never-failing source of entertainment and a delightful mystery4 ,she never told the secret4 ,had she done so1 much of the charm would have been lost4 8,think of a number40 ,perhaps some one would think of four4 8,double it40 ,the child thought1 but did not say eight4 ,perhaps she would say1 8,add six to it40 8,divide it by two40 8,take away the first number you thought of and the remainder will be three40 ,sure enough1 four from seven does leave three2 the children were much puzzled to know how mother knew4 ,the next thing was always a request to try it again4 ,suppose #ajjj was chosen4 8,double it10 was the order4 8,add ten to it10 was the next command4 8,divide by two40 8,take away the first number thought of and the remainder will be five40 ,one might think of six1 another of eleven1 another of twenty4 ,the result was the same4 ,mother could always guess right4 ,when the children grew older they were surprised to learn that mother did not know the number thought of at all4 ,they learned for themselves that the remainder was always half of the number added4 ,home ,field-,sports4 7a7 ,,one-,,yard ,,dash4 ,this race consists in the attempt to push a penny a distance of one yard across the floor by means of the nose4 7b7 ,,tug ,,of ,,war4 ,a raisin is tied firmly in the middle of a long piece of twine1 and each contestant takes a firm hold of one end of the twine in his mouth1 and begins to chew this string for the raisin4 ,no one is allowed to use his hands4 7c7 ,,standing ,,high ,,jump4 ,three doughnuts are suspended in a doorway about four inches above the mouths of the jumpers4 ,the contestants with hands tied attempt to take a bite4 ,one bite from the doughnut wins a prize4 7d7 ,,hurdle ,,race4 ,the contestants take seats and thread six needles4 ,the one who gets through first is the winner4 7e7 ,,drinking ,,race4 ,each contestant is given a glass of water1 which is to be absorbed by means of a spoon4 7f7 ,,bun ,,race4 ,two poles are set up at a good distance apart1 connected with a clothesline1 from which are suspended strings of different lengths1 according to the height of each boy1 and a bun is tied to each string4 ,the boys line up1 hands tied behind their backs1 and at the signal each tries to eat his bun4 ,the constant moving of the line caused by their efforts makes it almost impossible to get a bite4 ,soon a boy gets a hold with his teeth1 gets his bun on the ground1 and1 with his hands still behind1 finishes the bun and gets the prize4 7g7 ,,cracker-,,eating ,,contest 7for girls only74 ,girls choose sides and line up facing each other4 ,each girl has a cracker which she is to chew and swallow as quickly as possible4 ,the side which has a girl able to whistle first wins the prize4 7h7 ,,rainy-,,day ,,race4 ,this race is run by several girls4 ,they stand in a line with a closed satchel in front of each one1 in which is a pair of rubbers1 a pair of gloves1 and also an umbrella4 ,when 8three0 is counted1 they open the satchels1 take out the rubbers1 put them on1 take out the gloves1 put them on1 open their umbrellas1 take the satchels and walk 7not run7 about one hundred feet to a line4 ,here they lower the umbrellas1 take off their gloves and rubbers1 put them in the satchels1 close them and return1 carrying the satchels and having the umbrellas closed4 ,the first one back to the starting point wins4 ,other additions may be made4 ,the ,gentlemen ,nurse-maids4 ,it is best to have several ladies1 who know the trick1 to dress the dummies1 as it is too long a task for one4 ,when the gentlemen are seated1 carefully blindfold each one1 and request him to double up his right fist4 ,upon the back of the fist mark the eyes1 nose1 and mouth of a face with a burnt match or a little water-color4 ,tie around this a doll's cap1 or a lace frill or muslin ruffle1 and fasten around the wrist a full white apron or skirt4 ,bend the left arm to lie across the waist1 and put the right fist into the inner bend of the elbow1 drawing the apron down over the right arm1 and each of the blindfolded gentlemen will appear to be tenderly nursing a young baby4 ,have blindfolds removed4 ,new ,year's ,resolutions for ,others4 ,the simplest entertainments are often the most successful4 ,the literary efforts are sometimes desirable1 but for a really enjoyable1 social time1 the following is sure to be a success4 ,this should be arranged on ,new ,year's eve4 ,resolutions for improvement in conduct for the coming year are then in order4 ,supply your guests with pencil and paper4 ,a party invited to see the old year out is quite sure to be an intimate one4 ,for the resolutions1 have each guest write a set of them for some one else in the party4 ,this may be decided by inviting each one to write of his neighbor or by writing the names on paper and letting each one draw his subject4 ,they are to be collected and read to the company4 ,the writer is at liberty to sign any name to his resolutions4 ,can ,you ,draw a ,watch-face8 ,some people have the happy faculty of seeing what they look at1 others go through the world blindly4 ,we may look at a familiar object numberless times1 and yet be ignorant of many of its striking characteristics4 ,an amusing little test of this faculty can be arranged4 ,there is no object with which we should be more familiar than the face of a watch1 yet when we attempt to reproduce it1 we will be astonished at our ignorance4 ,have prepared squares of cardboard with pencil attached4 ,if it is designed to use them as souvenirs1 one side may be decorated1 and the date and occasion written on it4 ,provide one of these for each guest1 and when you are ready for your entertainment request each of the company to draw on the blank side1 the face of a watch as he can remember it4 ,it is well to furnish something to use as a guide for the first circle1 as that has very little to do with the memory of detail1 and only rarely is one able to draw even an imperfect circle4 ,allow all the time required1 and when the papers are collected1 a committee can judge on the merits1 if it is designed to give a prize4 ,the ,endless ,thread4 ,the joker is seen walking about1 until some one observes a piece of white cotton thread sticking on the back of his coat4 ,of course1 the unfortunate individual is asked whether he has been sewing his buttons on1 etc41 being generally laughed at1 until some one attempts to remove the piece of cotton4 ,then the laugh is turned1 for1 as the obliging gentleman pulls the cotton away from the joker's coat1 so does it become longer until some hundreds of feet have been extracted4 ,the amusement is then brought to a climax by the gentleman turning round and drily remarking1 8,well1 ,i never6 ,you had better start putting that back now60 ,before entering the room1 the party that is going to play the joke should provide himself with a reel of white cotton4 ,without breaking the cotton1 two or three feet must be unwound and threaded through a needle1 which must be passed through the centre of the back of his coat4 ,then the reel should be deposited in his inside breast pocket1 and the coat put on2 afterwards pulling a little of the cotton through the garment to see that the reel works properly2 the needle1 of course1 being removed1 and the cotton being cut until only two or three inches project through the coat at the back4 ,now it will appear that the cotton is only sticking to the nap of the coat1 but as soon as any one pulls1 the reel will revolve and allow the thread to be dragged out until the supply is exhausted4 ,the ,telltale ,glass4 ,procure an ordinary glass tumbler1 and invert it on the table4 ,then request anybody present to lend you a penny4 ,placing the coin on the top of the glass1 you leave the room1 telling the company at the same time1 that if a person will take the penny and conceal it1 you will tell them1 when you return1 which person has it4 ,some one having concealed the coin1 you make your appearance1 and request each one round the table to place his first finger on the glass1 one after another1 and not all at once4 ,this done1 you take up the glass1 and place it to your ear1 remarking at the same time that1 by the aid of the sound which you hear1 you will be able to tell which person has the coin4 ,then you listen for a second or two1 put down the glass1 and turning to the person who has the coin1 make some remark1 such as 8,mr4 ----1 please give me the penny40 ,whereupon the person addressed produces the coin and hands it to you4 ,how you got to know who possesses the coin will seem remarkable to the company1 you having been out of the room when the coin was taken off the glass and concealed4 ,this is how it is done3 when you tell the persons to place their fingers upon the glass1 your confederate1 who is one of them1 must place his on after the person who has the coin4 ,pairing ,ten ,half-dimes4 ,place ten half-dimes in a row upon a table4 ,then taking up any one of the series1 place it upon some other1 with this proviso1 that you pass over just ten cents4 ,repeat this till there are no single half-dimes left4 #a #b #c #d #e #f #g #h #i #aj half-dimes4 ,place #d upon #a1 #g upon #c1 #e upon #i1 #b upon #f1 and #h upon #aj4 ,deceptive ,heights4 7a7 ,ask a person1 or several persons1 to point out with a finger or walking-cane1 on a wall1 above a table1 about what he supposes to be the height of an ordinary hat4 ,you will find he will place his mark about a foot above the table4 ,place the hat under it1 and he will find1 to his surprise1 that the space indicated is more than double the height of the hat4 7b7 ,the height of a common flour-barrel is just the length of a horse's face1 and much merriment may be made by asking the company to mark their idea of the height of a flour-barrel upon the wall4 ,in nine cases out of ten the mark will be several inches1 or even a foot1 too high4 ,slang4 ,the players may be young or old and of both sexes4 ,they are given pencils and paper and asked to write down all the slang words they can think of in five minutes4 ,when the time limit is reached the hostess collects the papers1 and reads the names and the list of slang words aloud4 ,this is where the fun commences4 ,imagine a quiet little mouse of a woman having the following expressions to her credit3 8,soak him10 8,chase yourself10 etc4 ,imagine a dignified old gentleman writing the following3 8,put out his lamps10 8,me for the dreamy eyes10 etc4 ,in one case1 a lawyer seemed to be right at home1 and at the end of the five minutes had a list of thirty expressions4 ,but the prize unexpectedly went to a little lady who could think of only one word of slang4 ,in presenting it1 the hostess said1 8,you have used the best ,english1 and the best slang40 ,the lawyer1 whose list of slang was the longest1 received a booby prize4 ,the point1 of course1 is that the least slang is the best4 ,observation ,contest4 ,have on tables and pinned on curtains1 etc41 quantities of small objects4 ,provide pads for all and let each have three minutes to observe each table1 each part of the room1 etc41 and then five minutes to note down in another room all that she remembers to have seen4 ,this is great fun4 ,the prize should be given to the one with the keenest power of observation4 ,the ,bargain-,counter ,game4 ,the ,christmas bargain-counter is a charming fireside game for ,christmas night that will amuse and at the same time instruct the nursery children4 ,the bargain-counter may be the nursery table set in front of the fireplace or hearth4 ,on the counter are laid as many as one likes of the toys which the children received from tree and ,christmas stockings4 ,one child is chosen to take charge of this play toy shop1 and a second child leaves the room after looking carefully first at all the toys on the counter to determine their names4 ,while this child is absent from the room a third child selects and hides one of the toys4 ,when the second child returns he must try at one guess to say which of the toys was sold during his absence4 ,if he guesses successfully he may be the next toyman4 ,to make the game more difficult two or more toys may be hidden4 ,another and slightly more difficult way of playing the bargain-counter game is to have the toyman change the positions of the toys while the child is out of the room4 ,the child on returning must rearrange them1 if he can1 in exactly the same positions4 ,they may be scraps of color instead of toys4 ,red1 orange1 yellow1 green1 blue1 and violet ribbons1 balls or ,christmas tree candles may be laid out in the order of the rainbow colors4 ,while one child is either blindfolded or outside the room1 the child in charge of the colors removes one from sight or alters the color order1 and the other child must guess the hidden color or restore the rainbow order on his return4 ,the 8,thirty-five0 ,trick4 ,an envelope1 handed to any person in the company at the outset1 contains a slip of paper1 bearing the number #ce4 ,this is kept in the person's pocket until the close of the trick2 or the number #ce can be written on the inside of a trick slate1 or elsewhere1 for production in due course4 ,the performer now goes around with a slip of paper1 which he hands to some one1 with a request to place any single figure thereon4 ,this done1 he gives the paper to a second person to place another figure under the first1 and so on to as many persons in succession as necessary4 ,as each figure is written1 he secretly adds all together until the total reaches #bf or over2 when this is the case1 he stops calling for more figures and1 retaining the paper1 remarks1 8,that will do1 thank you1 but ,i would like to place this gentleman's initials on the paper for the purpose of identification40 ,the initials are given and written on the paper by the performer1 who at the same time takes the opportunity thus afforded of placing another figure1 to make the sum total #ce1 at the foot of those already written4 ,this done1 the paper may be handed to any person to add up the sum1 for the simple reason that the trick cannot now fail4 ,of course no one ever thinks of checking the number of figures on the paper with the number of persons who wrote them4 ,the envelope containing the slip of paper is now opened1 and the two amounts compared4 ,an ,ink ,shock4 ,cut a piece of black paper to imitate spilled ink4 ,lay it flat on a white table cover4 ,beside it1 place an upset dry ink bottle4 ,this will shock the mistress of the house4 ,reading from ,folded ,papers4 ,for this trick1 you enlist the service of a friend4 ,each one is given a slip of paper and told to write on it a question4 ,fold up well and drop into a hat4 ,mix them up1 and1 holding the hat over your head1 pick out any paper1 and without unfolding it1 answer the question1 doing the same with the rest4 ,in order to do this1 you must know your friend's question1 and as you collect the papers1 slip it under the band inside the hat4 ,when performing1 take any slip1 but answer your friend's question first4 ,now open1 to prove yourself right1 and thereby see another question4 ,this is answered while the next is held1 and so on until the last1 when all and the one in the hat are mixed and left for the audience for investigation4 ,blind ,man's ,buff with ,dominoes4 ,sit opposite another player1 each placing his right foot on the other's left4 ,turn the dominoes face down and the game now begins4 ,of course each one must look at his domino before he plays it1 but he does not show it to the other4 ,the pressure of your foot on his shows the number with which you begin1 without the possibility of a blunder1 although playing the dominoes face downward4 ,he now counts the movements of your foot1 which indicate the number he is to match4 ,he then presses your foot with the number you are to match4 ,this is continued until all the dominoes are played4 ,when the game is finished1 turn the dominoes over to show that the numbers have been played with perfect exactness4 8,my ,aunt ,has ,arrived from ,paris40 ,a circle is formed1 all kneeling on the floor4 ,the leader says to the one on his right side1 8,my aunt has arrived from ,paris10 and the one addressed1 asks the question1 8,what did she bring you80 ,the leader answers1 8,a pair of scissors10 and at once imitates the opening and shutting of the scissors with two fingers4 ,this same question is asked1 answered1 and imitated by each one around the circle4 ,the leader again says1 8,my aunt has arrived from ,paris10 and the one addressed asks1 8,what did she bring you80 ,the leader1 still keeping up the scissors motion1 says1 8,a fan10 and at once imitates fanning with the other hand4 ,this goes around the circle as before4 ,the leader then announces in the same way1 8,a ,japanese doll10 and imitates by bowing his head backward and forward1 which goes around the circle4 ,then a rocking-horse is announced by the leader1 and is imitated by moving the body up and down1 all the while remaining on the knees4 ,this also goes around the circle4 ,finally in the same manner the leader announces a cuckoo1 and immediately gives the imitation of a cuckoo1 which is also done in turn around the circle4 ,all five imitations are to be kept up continuously by each one until the players are exhausted4 ,the one holding out the longest is the winner4 ,surprising ,strength4 ,just lightly put the tips of your fingers together4 ,if you invite any one to separate them by taking your wrists and trying to draw them apart in a direct line with each other1 they will be surprised to find that no amount of strength will avail them at all1 as the thing is really almost impossible4 ,place your clenched fists one upon the other1 and ask some one to separate them by pushing them aside4 ,they will be quite unable to do so1 although you are exerting your strength but little against them4 ,let them1 however1 approach you with the forefingers only1 and give a sharp rap at your knuckles in opposite directions4 ,you will find in this case that you are quite powerless against this1 and cannot keep your fists together at all4 ,card-passing ,contest4 ,divide the players equally and seat them in two rows facing each other4 ,the leader of each row is provided with a pack of playing cards4 ,at a given signal1 each leader passes one card to the next person1 who in his turn gives it to the next person1 and so on down the line until the last one drops it on the floor beside him4 ,the side that gets the last card on the floor first wins the game4 ,the cards may be passed to the right on each side1 moving in opposite directions4 ,a ,cobweb ,tangle4 ,have as many balls of twine as there are players4 ,starting at a given point1 fasten each end securely4 ,starting from this point1 wind the twine in every conceivable place1 wherever you care to have the players go2 under tables1 around chairs1 door-knobs1 upstairs1 and anywhere that can be made difficult without doing any injury to the surroundings4 ,when the winding is completed1 fasten the string to a small round stick about three or four inches long4 ,all this should be done before the guests arrive1 as it takes some time to do it4 ,when ready for the game1 have the guests draw the sticks and then proceed to wind the twine until they arrive at the end4 ,the one arriving there first wins a prize4 ,a ,novel ,masquerade4 ,each gentleman receives a printed card asking him to call at the house of a lady who is to be his partner for the evening4 ,the ladies change places with one another1 so that when the gentlemen call for them1 they will not be in their home but in the home of one of the other ladies4 ,as the ladies are masked and do not have to talk1 the gentlemen never find out their mistake until all are unmasked4 ,hit the ,bag4 ,a bag about the size of a person's head1 or larger if desired1 made of tissue paper1 or other very thin paper1 containing candy1 is suspended from the ceiling by a string so that it will be about six feet from the floor4 ,a person is blindfolded and a cane1 or a stick about the length of a cane1 is placed in the person's two hands1 allowing the farther end to touch the bag4 ,the performer is then requested to take three steps backward and then turn around three times1 alone4 ,when this is done1 he is requested to take three steps forward1 strike three times and break the bag4 ,the cane can have only a perpendicular motion4 ,each one tries the same1 until the bag is broken1 when all present scramble to see who will gather the most candy4 ,a ,pretended ,illusion4 ,place three coins on a table1 coins #a and #b being only a short distance from each other1 while the coins #b and #c are more than double the distance apart4 ,now point out to a spectator that a curious optical illusion can be observed by placing one eye on the level of the table edge and looking along the line of the coins4 ,the spectator having done so1 ask him which two coins he considers are the farthest away from each other and to point them out4 ,he will probably point out coins two and three4 ,you immediately point to the coins #a and #c1 and say you consider these coins are the farthest away from each other4 ,dancing ,fairies4 ,most of you have seen the smooth1 round beans called 8magic beans40 ,they were brought to this country several years ago from the ,east ,indies1 and were a great curiosity until their secret was discovered4 ,first get a half-dozen or more of the dancing or 8magic0 beans4 ,these are now sold in most of the large ,japanese stores4 ,cut out a half-dozen of tiny paper dolls4 ,they must be made so that they are light1 and so that their feet can be pasted securely to both sides of the bean4 ,cut out skirts of tissue paper which will cover the dolls' legs and hide the beans without touching them4 ,when these are made so that they will balance well1 place them upon a heated plate and soon every little fairy will begin to dance in a mysterious way4 ,describing a ,lady's ,costume4 ,when the guests arrive1 have them all meet in one room4 ,every gentleman is presented with a card on which is written the name of some lady present1 and the hostess announces that each gentleman must talk five minutes to the lady whose name his card bears4 ,the reason for the conversation is not divulged4 ,at the end of the appointed time1 the ladies withdraw1 and then the men are told to each write out a description of the dress the lady wore1 the color of her eyes1 of her hair1 the fashion of wearing it1 etc41 etc4 ,the ladies are now admitted and each one stands out1 while a description of herself and costume is read aloud4 ,the ,wonderful ,hat4 ,upon a table place three pieces of bread1 or any other eatable1 at a little distance from each other1 and cover each with a hat4 ,take up the first hat1 and1 removing the bread1 put it into your mouth1 letting the company see that you swallow it4 ,then raise a second hat and eat the bread which is under that1 then proceed to the third hat in the same manner4 ,having eaten the three pieces1 ask any person in the company to choose which hat he would like the three pieces of bread to be under1 and when he has made his choice of one of the hats1 put it on your head and ask him if he does not think they are under it4 ,mirror-,drawing4 ,to carry out this test you will need a sheet of paper1 a mirror about the width of the paper1 a pencil1 and another sheet of paper or a large card or book4 ,lay the paper flat on the table4 ,then prop up the mirror opposite you and the paper so that it is at right angles with the paper and reflects it4 ,you may stand the mirror against a pile of books if it has no standard of its own4 ,after you have done this1 take the extra sheet of paper in your left hand and hold it so that it is between your eyes and the piece of paper which is lying on the table4 ,you must hold the piece of paper in your left hand so that you cannot see the paper lying on the table1 except in the mirror4 ,you are now ready to begin drawing1 first announcing what you intend to draw4 ,it should be some simple object1 represented by some few straight lines1 such as a kite1 a box1 or a square1 with a straight line going from each corner diagonally across4 ,you draw with your right hand1 holding the paper with your left1 so that you cannot see what progress you are making except in the mirror4 ,watch the mirror all the time until the drawing is completed4 ,the ,dancing ,skeleton4 ,get a piece of board about the size of a large school slate and have it painted black4 ,the paint should be what is known as a dead color1 without gloss or brightness4 7,a large school slate would answer the purpose47 ,sketch out the figure of a skeleton on a piece of cardboard and arrange it after the manner of the dancing sailors and other cardboard figures for sale in toy stores1 so that by holding the figure by the head in one hand and pulling a string with the other1 the figure will throw up his legs and arms in a very ludicrous manner4 ,make the connections of the arms and legs with black string and let the pulling-string be also black4 ,tack the skeleton by the head to the blackboard4 ,the figure1 having been cut out is of course painted black1 like the board4 ,now to perform3 ,produce the board showing only the side upon which there is nothing4 ,request that the lights may be reduced about half1 and take position at a little distance from the company4 ,with a piece of chalk make one or two attempts to draw a figure2 rub out your work as being unsatisfactory2 turn the slate2 the black figure will not be perceived2 touch the edge of the cardboard figure with the chalk1 filling up ribs1 etc41 taking care that nothing moves while the drawing is progressing4 ,then manipulate with the fingers4 ,by pulling the string below the figure it will of course kick up its legs and throw about its arms1 to the astonishment of everybody4 ,pitching ,cards at a ,hat4 ,borrow a gentleman's hat and try to throw a pack of cards from a distance of two or three feet1 throwing the cards in one at a time4 ,peanut ,guessing4 ,fill a dish with peanuts1 and let each one guess how many are contained in it2 the one who guesses nearest wins4 ,peanut ,shelling4 ,give each contestant ten peanuts1 and at a signal let all begin to shell them1 removing also the inner skin4 ,the one who finishes first1 without breaking a kernel1 wins4 ,if one breaks into more than the two natural divisions of the nut1 another peanut must be shelled in its place4 ,peanut-rolling4 ,place peanuts across one side of the room at interval of about three feet4 ,give each contestant a toothpick4 ,at a given word they all commence to roll the peanuts across the room with the toothpicks4 ,the one who first gets his peanut across the room is the victor4 ,another row of contestants then take their places in the same way4 ,after all are through the victors in the different contests have a final contest4 ,the ,peanut ,hunt4 ,peanuts are previously hidden in every conceivable place in the rooms to which the guests have access4 ,the finder of the greatest number receives a prize4 ,progressive ,peanut ,party4 ,this is played exactly as all other progressive games4 ,arrange tables to seat four1 choose partners1 and provide score cards4 ,in the centre of each table1 place a bowl containing one hundred peanuts in the shell1 and lay a long1 new1 common hat-pin at each place4 ,at the head table have a bell4 ,before being seated to play1 each guest is to have the right hand securely tied down to the side by a ribbon or fancy cord4 ,when ready to commence1 a player rings a bell at the head table1 and all begin to spear nuts from the bowl2 when the bowl is empty at the head table1 the bell is rung and all count to see how many nuts they have1 the two having made the best score1 progress1 first replacing the nuts into the bowl ready for the next game2 the cards are then punched according to the score and the game proceeds4 ,five hundred may be the score limit1 the one who first gets the five hundred winning2 or it may be decided to have the game end when the players at the head of the table return to that table1 or at least two of them4 ,your ,friends in ,black4 ,there are various advantages about a silhouette party4 ,it admits of no small amusement1 for occasionally the queerest object may be twisted to fit a name4 ,the first thing to do is to prepare a list of your guests and find for each name something that will represent it4 ,set the wits of the entire family at work1 for on this task two heads are infinitely better than one4 ,the longer time you have for the 8rebusing0 of the names the more entertaining the list will prove4 ,do not leave out a friend because at first it seems almost impossible to picture his name4 ,the same license is allowed for a rebus as for poetry1 and a point may be stretched to make the drawing fit the name1 although it is not best to leave too much to the imagination4 ,for the mechanical part of the work provide ragged-edged cards of various sizes4 ,one name will demand a long1 narrow card for its representation2 another name1 a square card4 ,the best surface for this purpose is a heavy1 water-color paper which is neither smooth nor rough4 ,do not cut it4 ,crease it in such lengths as you wish to use1 then tear it with a very blunt paper-knife4 ,this gives an excellent ragged edge4 ,take the designs you have planned to use and trace them over black carbon copying paper on each card1 leaving a generous margin4 ,sketch no detail except the mere outline of a figure4 ,fill a pen with ,india ink and go very carefully over the outline4 ,allow it to dry2 then with a rather stiff1 small sable brush dipped in the ink fill in the silhouette till it is perfectly black and even4 ,allow it to dry1 and add in one corner the number which corresponds with the list4 ,there is a good deal to learn in the adaptation of a design for a silhouette4 ,if a human figure is chosen let it generally be in profile4 ,as a rule1 a full-face figure1 either in an animal or a man1 is almost meaningless unless it is full of action4 ,when the silhouettes are completed1 they should be pinned up in a conspicuous place1 so that they may all be seen and examined easily and prizes awarded to the most successful guessers4 ,,games ,packing the ,trunk4 ,a game adapted from the ,french1 that is very popular among the little people of ,america1 is a good test for the memory4 ,the children must sit in a circle1 and one1 as leader1 announces in this fashion3 8,i pack my trunk1 and in it ,i put0--mentioning some articles used in traveling1 as gloves1 brush or cologne4 ,the next child begins then1 saying what the leader has said and adding another article1 and so on around the circle1 each child repeating all the articles mentioned by the previous one in their correct order1 and then adding one more to the list1 which after a while assumes lengthy proportions4 ,if one boy or girl forgets one article or puts it in the wrong order1 he or she must drop out of the game1 and so on until only one child remains4 ,blowing ,ping-pong ,balls4 ,arrange the players with their hands behind them along the sides of a long extension table1 down the centre of which a row of ping-pong balls are placed at intervals of about two feet4 ,appoint two judges and place them at the ends of the table4 ,at a given word1 the players on both sides begin to blow the balls1 endeavoring to blow them off their opponents' side of the table and to prevent any balls from being blown off of their own side4 ,each ball blown off counts five points4 ,the game is #ajj points4 ,doing the ,impossible4 ,a sure way to raise a laugh among a party of friends1 is to claim that you can do an apparently impossible thing1 and then get your friends to try it2 then1 when they have tried and failed1 do the very thing they failed on1 in a simple way which has never occurred to them4 ,here is a deception which seldom fails to work and which always provides a lot of fun1 even to those who are fooled by it4 ,begin by saying something about ant-eaters1 which have such long tongues that they can touch the ground with them without lowering their heads1 and then ask one of your friends if he can put out his tongue and touch his ear4 ,he will try1 gently at first1 then harder1 and at length make the funniest faces by trying to do that1 which is of course1 impossible4 ,then others will try poking their tongues out of the corners of their mouths1 and trying to curl them around their cheeks until their ears are reached4 ,when they have finished1 you put out your tongue1 and touch your ear with your finger4 ,the ,game of 8,it40 ,here is a game that will amuse any party1 but you must first find out adroitly that there is at least one person in the company who has never been initiated into the mysteries4 ,this one is chosen to leave the room1 but before he goes he must be told that those in the room will select an object which he is to guess on his return4 ,he may ask as many questions as he wishes when the time comes1 one question at a time of each person consecutively1 but his questions must be so worded that they may be answered by 8,yes10 8,no10 or 8,i do not know40 ,when all this has been explained1 the guesser leaves the room4 ,the leader then arranges the party in a circle1 seating alternately a boy with a girl1 if possible1 and explaining that each person must think of the one sitting on his or her left1 as the object chosen1 and answer all questions as if they applied to that person4 ,you may imagine that the conflicting answers arising from such an arrangement will confuse the questioner1 and much fun will be derived by those in the secret4 ,for instance the questioner may ask of ,no4 #a1 who is a girl1 8,has it life80 ,no #a answers 8,yes40 ,he then asks ,no4 #b1 who is a boy1 8,is it pretty80 and ,no4 #b very naturally answers 8,yes10 for he is speaking of the girl at his left4 ,then of ,no4 #c1 who is a girl1 8,is it a girl80 and ,no4 #c1 thinking of the boy on her left1 answers 8,no40 ,all this throws the questioner off the track--it has life1 it is pretty1 but it is not a girl4 ,so he naturally asks ,no4 #d1 who is a boy1 8,is it a boy80 and ,no4 #d answers 8,no40 ,the questions will now be varied1 to find something with life that is pretty1 and is neither a girl nor a boy1 and the result will be very amusing4 ,or the questioner may ask such questions as 8,is its hair long80 8,does it wear short sleeves80 and so on1 and all the conflicting answers will tend to prolong the game to any desired extent4 ,the ,game of 8,turtle40 ,here is a game for boys who have good1 strong muscles4 ,it is called 8turtle40 ,any number may play1 and the game commences by all sitting in a row resting their chins on their knees1 and each holding his left ankle with his right hand1 and his right ankle with his left hand4 ,this is a very difficult position to keep4 ,at a given signal1 the turtles start for a goal a short distance away4 ,it is the object of the game for the turtles to waddle to the goal and back to the starting point without removing their hands from their feet4 ,the winner is1 of course1 the one who returns to the starting point first4 ,the ,game of 8,empty ,hands40 ,some member of the household produces a quantity of small cards4 ,the number is not quite sufficient to 8go round0 the company1 an intentional feature of the game4 ,four persons find themselves empty-handed when the bell rings4 ,this bell is a signal for the passing1 the object being to find some one without a card and rid one's self of the one in hand by passing it on4 ,no one to whom a card is offered is allowed to refuse it1 unless1 of course1 he already holds one4 ,if empty-handed he is obliged to receive the unwelcome gift and try to get rid of it as quickly as possible4 ,each time the bell rings which occurs at irregular intervals1 making it impossible to calculate1 the passing ceases1 and all having empty hands win a point to count towards the final prize4 ,the boy or girl having most points when the passing is over1 receives a prize4 ,simon ,says4 ,the players are arranged in a line1 the player who enacts ,simon standing in front4 ,he and all the others clench their fists1 keeping the thumb pointed upwards4 ,no player is to obey his commands unless prefaced with the words1 8,simon says40 ,simon is himself subjected to the same rules4 ,the game commences by ,simon commanding1 8,simon says1 #8,turn up1'0 on which he turns his thumb upwards1 followed by the other players4 ,he then says 8,simon says1 #8,turn down1'0 and brings his hands back again4 ,when he has done so several times1 and thinks that the players are off their guard1 he merely gives the word1 8,turn up10 or 8,turn down10 without moving his hands4 ,some one1 if not all1 is sure to obey the command1 and is subject to a forfeit4 ,simon is also subject to a forfeit1 if he tells his companions to turn down1 if the thumbs are already down1 or vice versa4 ,with a sharp player enacting ,simon1 the game is very spirited4 ,the simplicity of this game constitutes its chief charm1 as the very fact of its being so simple1 sometimes leads to inattention on the part of some of the players1 which is sure to result in their being caught4 ,passing ,bean-bags4 ,make twelve or fifteen bags1 six inches square1 of bed-ticking1 and loosely fill them with beans which have been washed and dried to remove the dust4 ,appoint two leaders1 who choose sides1 arranging the sides in lines facing each other1 with a small table at each end of each line4 ,the bean-bags being equally divided1 each leader deposits his share upon the table nearest him4 ,then1 at a given signal1 seizing one bag at a time with one hand1 with the other he starts it down the line1 each player passing it to the next1 until all the bags reach the last1 who drops them upon the table at his end of the line4 ,when all the bags have reached this table1 the last player1 seizing each in turn1 sends them back up the line to the leader1 who drops them upon his table4 ,whichever side first succeeds in passing all the bags down the line and back1 wins the round4 ,it takes five rounds to make a game1 so that three out of five must be successful for the winning side4 ,buzz4 ,this is a simple little game that needs no preparation1 but can be started in a moment when there is danger of dullness4 ,a large company can play equally as well as a small4 ,the leader instructs the company that they will now proceed to count in regular order until they come to seven1 any multiple of seven1 or any number having seven in it1 when they will substitute the word 8buzz0 for that number4 ,should they fail to do this they will be dropped from the circle4 ,this will continue until every one has blundered4 ,when the higher numbers are reached it takes one quick in quantities to follow it4 ,given properly it goes3 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #f1 buzz1 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa1 #ab1 #ac1 buzz1 #ae1 #af1 buzz1 #ah1 #ai1 #bj1 buzz1 #bb1 #bc1 #bd1 #be1 #bf1 buzz1 buzz1 #bi1 #cj1 #ca1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 buzz1 etc4 ,can ,you ,laugh8 ,this is a little entertainment that will fill in some vacant spot in an evening1 or will serve as an impromptu4 ,it can be tried either by the ladies or gentlemen4 ,if the ladies try it 7and this is likely to be more successful1 as they laugh easier than men71 let them stand in a row4 ,the gentlemen are then to endeavor to make them laugh by every means possible1 except to touch or threaten to touch4 ,the least departure from perfect soberness is called a laugh1 and the lady is to step out of the line and join the gentlemen in her endeavor to make the ladies laugh4 ,if it is desired that a prize be given1 it may be given to the lady who keeps from laughing longest4 ,an ,optical ,game4 ,present a ring to a person1 or place it at some distance and in such a manner that the plane of it shall be turned towards a person's face2 and then bid him shut one of his eyes1 and try to push through it a crooked stick of sufficient length to reach it2 he will very rarely succeed4 ,blowing the ,feather4 ,a simple and successful game is this old-fashioned one4 ,having provided a sheet or tablecloth and a small feather such as sofa pillows are stuffed with1 ask your guests 7all but one7 to be seated on the floor in a hollow square4 ,the tablecloth or sheet is then spread so that the players can hold the edges of the sides and ends up1 just under their chins1 thus stretching the cloth taut about a foot and a half above the floor4 ,upon the cloth the small feather is placed1 and the player who is left out of the square is then told that he must do his best to catch it either in front of or upon some one of the seated players1 who will then be obliged to take his place4 ,at a signal1 the players on the floor begin to blow1 and the feather flies hither and thither1 never resting1 while amid much laughter the player who is out flies hither and thither1 too1 until he catches it at last on some unwary individual or some one too weak from laughing to blow quickly and effectively4 ,throwing the ,handkerchief4 ,two sides being seated in two rows facing each other1 a knotted handkerchief is thrown suddenly at one of the players opposite1 calling out at the same time1 either 8,earth60 8,water60 8,air60 or 8,fire60 ,if 8,earth0 is called1 the player into whose lap the handkerchief falls must name some quadruped before the other can count ten2 if 8,air10 a bird2 if 8,water10 a fish2 and if 8,fire10 he must remain perfectly still4 ,should the player fail to name an animal1 or name the wrong one1 or speak when he ought to be silent1 he must drop out of the game1 and the player who threw the handkerchief at him1 may take and throw it at some one else4 ,but should he answer properly1 he must throw the handkerchief at a player on the opposite side1 call an element and count ten4 ,in this way the game goes on until all but one have dropped out1 the remaining one being the winner4 ,going to ,jerusalem4 ,get a line of chairs1 every other one facing an opposite direction1 one less chair than the number of people4 ,as the piano is played1 they march around the line of chairs1 and as the music suddenly stops1 each one tries to sit on the nearest chair1 and of course some one is left standing and is out of the game4 ,the music starts again1 and one chair is taken out4 ,the same thing is repeated until there are two people left to one chair4 ,it is very amusing to watch these two cautiously moving about this chair1 ready to seize it the instant the music stops4 ,find the ,whistle4 ,all the children but one sit down in a circle4 ,the one that is left standing1 must be the one who does not know the game4 ,some one takes a string1 fastens a whistle to one end of it1 and a bent pin to the other1 then quietly and secretly attaches the string by the hook to the person's back4 ,every time he turns his back toward any one1 the whistle is taken and blown4 ,so it goes until the whistle is discovered4 ,the ,all-around ,story ,game4 ,one person in the room begins to relate a story1 and after telling enough to interest the hearers and arouse their curiosity1 suddenly breaking off1 throws a knotted handkerchief at some member of the party1 calling upon him to continue the story4 ,this is kept up as long as possible4 ,the more absurd and improbable the better4 ,if any one fails to respond upon receiving the handkerchief1 he or she must drop out4 ,the one remaining last wins4 ,an ,obstacle ,game4 ,set stools1 chairs1 tables1 or anything that is an obstacle in the most convenient place in the room2 let those who are to take part in the game have two minutes to get their bearings4 ,then they leave the room and come back blindfolded4 ,in the meantime1 all the obstacles have been removed1 but the warning cries of 8,look out60 and the absurd attempts of the players to remember where the obstacles were1 make much fun4 ,impudence4 ,this is played with two packs of cards4 ,seat the players around the table and deal to them1 one at a time all around1 a whole pack of cards2 placing the other pack1 face downward1 in the centre of the table4 ,the first player begins by turning up a card from the pack on the table1 at the same time asking some uncomplimentary question1 which is supposed to apply to the person holding the corresponding card4 ,this unfortunate player has a speedy revenge1 however1 as it is his privilege to turn the next card and ask the next question4 ,example3 ,a turning up card--8,who is the most selfish person in this room80 ,b who holds the duplicate--8,evidently ,i am1 but turning another card who is the most conceited80 ,c--8,that must be ,i4 ,now turning card1 let us see who is the stingiest40 ,and so on till the pack is exhausted4 ,rolling ,chase-ball4 ,two teams may play this game1 and two big balls or footballs are used4 ,the teams line up in parallel rows1 the players not facing each other1 but behind one another all facing the same way4 ,the leader of each team holds a ball in both hands4 ,at the appointed signal1 the leader1 without bending his body or turning his head1 tosses the ball backward to the player behind him4 ,the ball is tossed backward again1 and so passes along the line4 ,the end player then runs to the head of the line1 and the whole process is repeated over again4 ,the end player again goes to the front1 and the game is continued until the original leader of the team is again at the head of his line4 ,the team first reaching its order of formation wins the game4 ,it is essential that the ball should travel swiftly4 ,should any player drop the ball1 he must run for it and regain his place in the line before passing it on4 ,should a toss be so strong as to pass above the player behind1 so that he fails to receive the ball1 the ball must be passed back so that the missed player shall handle it4 ,,tricks ,,the ,,sharpers ,,outwitted ,two naughty1 sporty ,bunco ,steers ,would go through country towns1 ,with cards and other games of chance ,to fleece the ,farmer ,clowns4 ,and though the ,farmers tried and tried ,to win1 ,i'll tell you that ,the harvest of those ,bunco ,steers ,was always mighty fat4 ,but one fine day1 while these two ,steers ,were at their naughty work1 ,a simple looking1 rustic ,fox ,addressed them with a smirk4 8,bah6 ,what a simple lot of stunts6 ,they're plain as two and two4 ,come1 let me show you now a trick ,that neither one can do40 ,three little sticks then1 side by side1 ,he placed upon the table4 8,now blow the middle one away1 ,good sirs1 if you are able40 ,the ,steers then tried and blew and blew ,till they could blow no more1 ,for every time they blew1 they'd blow ,the three sticks to the floor4 8,here's all the money that we've got10 ,the ,steers were forced to say2 8,now1 smarty ,fox1 perform the trick ,and take the cash away4 8,but if you fail1 please rest assured ,we'll whip you nigh to death4 ,you must not trifle with us two ,and make us lose our breath40 ,the ,fox just grinned1 8,i'll take the bet4 ,you'll see what ,i can do40 ,he fixed the sticks and put his paws ,upon the outside two4 ,and when he blew1 the middle one ,went sailing through the air1 ,and lifting up his paws he showed ,the other two were there4 ,the ,fox then quickly took the cash ,which they had posted handy1 ,and running off1 he cried to them1 8,now wasn't that a dandy80 ,and thus it is with lots of ,rogues ,as through this world they strut1 ,their wits are oft so keen and sharp1 ,it's but themselves they cut4 ,the ,raised ,hand4 ,tell some person to pick up a coin in one hand and hold that hand above his head while he counts twenty1 aloud and slowly4 ,before the person picks up the coin1 you leave the room and return just after he finishes counting1 but not so soon that you can see in which hand he had the coin4 ,nevertheless you tell him correctly every time1 which hand he had raised4 ,the way this trick is done1 is exceedingly simple4 ,on entering the room1 after the person has counted twenty you look at his hand4 ,the one which he has raised above his head will be white1 as the blood has run down from the fingers and hand2 the other one will remain its natural color4 ,unconscious ,movements4 ,slit a match at the wrong end and cut another one on the slant4 ,now place one within the other1 so as to form an acute angle1 and set these united matches astride the blade of a dinner knife4 ,impress on the experimenter to allow the phosphorus ends lightly to touch the table1 but on no account to move away from its surface4 ,the matches will now begin to march along the blade4 ,in order to render the experiment more attractive1 cause the two matches to imitate the legs of a little man by placing a painted puppet on top of them4 ,another way3 ,take two straws from a stiff broom4 ,cut one in half and fold each piece into the shape of a hairpin4 ,place one astride on each end of the long knife1 which you hold steadily1 and if on a level surface they will walk towards each other until they meet in the middle4 ,the ,broken ,match ,restored4 ,the performer requests a member of the audience to give him an ordinary wooden match1 first marking the same for the purpose of identification4 ,he then wraps the match in a handkerchief1 in which condition he hands it to a spectator with the request to break the match1 still enclosed in the handkerchief1 to pieces4 ,this is done1 after which1 the handkerchief is shaken out and the marked match falls from its fold quite restored4 ,the secret of this trick consists in having a duplicate match concealed in the hem of the handkerchief from the outset4 ,the marked match is simply lodged in the fold of the handkerchief1 the one in the hem being brought up to the centre and put into the hands of the spectator4 ,it is1 therefore1 the one in the hem that is broken1 the hem serving to retain the pieces1 the marked match falling out as the handkerchief is shaken4 ,a silk handkerchief with a narrow hemstitched border is the most convenient to use1 for the reason that the broken match is the more readily removed and a fresh one inserted for future occasion4 ,the ,cent and the ,hole4 ,in a piece of stout paper1 cut a circle three-sixteenths of an inch less in diameter than a penny4 ,ask any one to pass a penny through the hole without touching the coin or tearing the paper4 ,fold the paper exactly across the centre of the hole1 and then take it in both hands and ask some one to drop the penny into the fold4 ,let it rest just over the hole1 its lower edge projecting below4 ,bend the corners of the paper slightly upwards4 ,this elongates the opening1 and if the movement be continued1 the penny will after a second or two fall through by the force of its own weight4 ,the paper remains uninjured4 ,mysterious ,reading4 ,the performer takes a piece of paper about eight inches square and tears a strip about two inches wide off of each side1 then tears these two strips in half4 ,this gives four pieces of paper1 each two inches wide and four inches long4 ,upon these pieces of paper1 he requests different persons to write the names of persons who are dead4 ,taking the remaining piece of paper1 he tears into two strips and each strip is torn in half4 ,this again gives four pieces of paper1 the same size as the other four4 ,upon these pieces of paper1 the performer requests other persons to write the names of some living persons4 ,the holders of the pieces of paper are now requested to fold them over twice and place them in a hat4 ,the performer takes these pieces of paper from the hat1 one at a time1 and by simply holding them upon the top of his head1 can tell whether the name is that of a live person or a dead person1 making such remarks as cause it to seem the more mysterious4 ,to perform this1 take any piece of writing paper1 eight inches square1 and tear off both outer edges 7right and left7 for the first two strips4 ,these two pieces of paper have now one straight or smooth edge and one 7the torn edge7 rough edge4 ,remember this4 ,on these pieces are to be written the names of the dead4 ,when you feel them on top of your head1 if they have a smooth edge and a rough edge it is of course the name of a dead person4 ,the other piece of paper1 when torn into two strips1 has both edges rough1 and upon these pieces are written the names of living persons4 ,when you feel the paper on your head has no smooth edge1 both edges being rough1 it must contain the name of a living person4 ,the ,baffling ,card4 ,take an ordinary visiting card and bend down the ends at right angles to the card1 about a quarter of an inch1 then laying it on a smooth table1 ends down1 ask any person to blow it over4 ,this seems easy enough1 but it may be tried for hours without succeeding4 ,it is1 however1 to be done by blowing sharply on the table at some distance from the card4 ,a ,watch ,trick4 ,ask a person to think of a number on the dial of a watch from one to twelve1 but not to tell you what that number is4 ,then1 with a pencil1 you tap various numbers on the dial and he counts the tappings silently1 beginning with the next number higher than the one of which he thought4 ,that is1 if he thought of the number five1 he would count silently six1 seven1 eight1 nine1 etc41 or if he thought of nine1 for example1 he would count to himself ten1 eleven1 twelve1 thirteen1 etc41 etc4 ,when he has counted to the number 8twenty0 he must say1 8,stop10 and your pencil1 or whatever you are using to tap the watch1 will be on the number of which he thought but did not tell you4 ,there is just one point about this trick for you to remember4 ,when you tap the face of the watch with your pencil1 you also count silently1 beginning with one and counting to yourself1 one1 two1 three1 four1 etc41 etc4 ,it does not matter what numbers you touch for the first seven1 but the eighth tap must be on the figure twelve1 and then go around the dial backward1 the ninth tap on eleven1 the tenth on ten1 the eleventh on nine1 etc41 until you reach the one selected4 ,silk ,from ,paper4 8,i have three pieces of paper--red1 white1 and blue4 ,i am going to burn them4 ,i light them first4 ,i find they burn better that way40 ,the conjurer has previously at least four yards of red1 white1 and blue ribbons--twelve yards in all--stitched together at one end1 rolled up1 and placed under the top of the right arm4 ,the pieces of paper are picked up with the right hand1 and the ends are twisted together tightly1 otherwise the papers would burn too quickly and scorch the conjuror's hands4 ,the papers are held in the flames of the candle for a second1 and while they are burning1 the conjurer draws attention to his empty left hand1 and then to the fact that his right hand contains only the burning papers4 ,when the conjurer is going to show that he has nothing concealed in his sleeves1 he draws up the right sleeve with the left hand1 and takes the ribbon from under the arm4 ,then in order to be able to draw the left sleeve up with the right hand1 he is obliged to put the burnt papers into the left hand4 ,he draws up the left sleeve1 closes his right hand over his left1 and then crushes the burnt papers4 ,in doing this he gets hold of the piece of silk with his right hand1 and1 bringing his right hand slightly towards the body1 and turning a little to the left1 he throws his right hand vigorously forward and the ribbons unfold4 ,the ,obedient ,ball4 ,a wooden ball about two inches in diameter is given for examination4 ,a hole one-half inch in diameter runs through the ball4 ,a small cord is next passed for examination4 ,the performer runs the cord through the hole in the ball1 and causes the ball to run up the cord1 and stop wherever he wishes it to4 ,again the ball and cord are handed for inspection4 ,after the performer hands out the cord for inspection1 he lays it on his table1 and after the ball is duly inspected1 the performer picks up the cord and with it a piece of black silk thread1 and runs it through the hole in the ball with the cord2 the other end of thread passes out behind the scenes to his assistant4 ,take one end of the cord in one hand1 and the other end of the cord and thread in the upper hand4 ,now by pulling the thread taut1 the ball will stop2 when it reaches the bottom of the cord1 the assistant pulls the thread1 and causes the ball to ascend4 ,by dropping the black thread1 all can be examined once more1 to the mystification of all concerned4 ,tricks with a ,pen4 ,can you write your name with your left hand8 ,it is a good thing to know how1 in case you ever hurt your right hand4 ,can you write a looking-glass letter8 ,that always amuses children2 so if you have a friend who is ill1 send her a looking-glass letter to cheer her up4 ,practise by writing on a piece of paper held front of a mirror1 and soon you will find it is quite easy to do looking-glass writing4 ,looking-glass writing is done backward1 so that it looks all right when it is held to the mirror4 ,also see if you can write your name backward--that is1 begin at the last stroke and go back to the first--and as a last trick try to write your name upside down4 ,that is not at all easy1 but copy your signature upside down and you will be able to do it quite well after a little practice4 ,the ,dice and ,cup4 ,take from the backgammon board two dice and the dice cup or shaker4 ,hold the cup in your right hand by putting your thumb and second finger around the bottom of it1 at the same time holding one of the dice with the tips of the same finger and thumb4 ,next put the other die on top of the one you are holding4 ,you will1 of course1 need the aid of your left hand in arranging the dice and cup in your right4 ,now1 by a quick upward movement of your right hand1 send the top die flying up into the air1 and as it comes down catch it in the cup4 ,now comes the real trick--to get the other die in the cup also4 ,if you try to do this by throwing the die upward as you threw the first one1 you may catch it in the cup all right1 but at the same time you will be pretty sure to throw the first one out of the cup4 ,as for catching both together as they come down1 you will find that almost impossible4 ,the proper way to get the second die into the cup without losing the one that is already there1 is1 to let your hand drop suddenly1 at the same time letting go the die which you have been holding4 ,the die will drop too1 but not as rapidly as your hand1 so that you will have no difficulty in getting the cup under it and catching it4 ,the ,surprising ,paper ,bands4 ,cut three bands of paper about twenty-four inches long and two inches wide4 ,in preparing the first strip of paper1 simply gum the ends together1 for the second strip1 twist once and gum the ends together2 for the third strip1 twist twice and then gum the ends together4 ,now cut each of the bands in the centre lengthways and notice the results4 ,in twisting the papers1 it should be done unobserved4 ,napkin-ring ,trick4 ,while waiting for dessert at dinner1 it is fun for the family at table to exchange tricks4 ,one is the napkin-ring trick4 ,holding your napkin-ring in one hand1 look from your glass tumbler to some large object--say1 the sugar-bowl1--pretending to hesitate between the two1 then pick up the glass tumbler and say3 8,safer to take the smaller article40 ,then look around1 and say3 8,will any of you believe me when ,i say that ,i can push this glass full of water through this napkin-ring80 ,something may be added about a newly discovered way of compressing glass4 ,then you should set the glass down solemnly1 place your napkin-ring in front of it1 and1 with an impressive flourish of your hand1 thrust your finger through the napkin-ring and give the glass a shove4 8,there60 you may exclaim in triumph1 8,haven't ,i pushed the glass through the napkin-ring80 ,the ,magical ,cups of ,tin4 ,this little trick1 performed in a parlor1 will make you appear quite a magician4 ,get beforehand two perfectly plain tin cups1 without handles and with the bottom sunk about a quarter of an inch1 and straight sides4 ,on the sunken bottom of each put some glue1 and over it drop some birdseed1 so that it looks as if the cups were full1 whereas they are really standing upside down and the layer of seed is glued to the outside of the bottom4 ,when you are ready to perform the trick1 have a bag of the same kind of seed1 and1 standing off from your audience1 hold the cups so that they can see that they are empty1 but don't allow any one to approach you4 ,now take one cup and dip it into the bag of seed1 but instead of filling it1 turn it upside down1 so that when you take it out the seed glued to the bottom will show1 and every one will think it is full4 ,place the apparently full cup of seed under a hat1 but in doing so dexterously turn it so that the empty cup is upright and the glued seed at the bottom4 ,don't let your audience see this turn4 ,now take the other cup1 which is empty1 and let them see you put it under another hat1 but also turn this one1 so that they do not see you do it4 ,this brings the seed to the top and shows an apparently full cup1 and when you remove the hat1 after pronouncing some magic words1 it will look as if the cups had changed places4 ,remove the cups before any one has a chance to examine them4 ,the ,elusive ,cork4 ,lay any bottle of fair size with an open mouth on its side1 and lay in the mouth of the bottle a piece of cork about the size of a pea4 ,ask any of the spectators to try to blow the cork into the bottle1 and1 try as they may1 they will find that they cannot do it1 as the piece of cork will always fly back in the face of the blower4 ,the ,three ,pennies4 ,three pennies are placed flat on the table1 two tails and one head4 ,the two tails are together and the head penny is some inches away4 ,the coin with the head upwards must be placed between the other two coins without the tail penny nearest the head being taken away1 and the other coin must not be touched4 ,people not in the secret will not attempt to solve the problem1 as they say it cannot be done4 ,this seemingly impossible trick is quite simple once you have learned the secret4 ,throw the head penny flat with some force1 striking the tail penny nearest1 at the same time holding the coin4 ,this action will shoot the second coin 7which you must not touch7 and throw it some distance away4 ,all that is left to be done is to put the head penny between the two coins4 ,a ,lesson in ,gravity4 ,stand against the wall with the left side1 the cheek1 hip1 and foot touching it2 then try lifting the right leg without moving the body away from the wall4 ,it is laughable to see children trying to perform this feat1 for it is one of the things that are impossible to accomplish4 ,the ,tantalizing ,half-dollar4 ,place a boy with his back against the wall1 his heels standing firmly against it4 ,lay a half-dollar on the floor in front of him1 about a foot distant from his toes1 and tell him it is his if he can pick it up without moving his heels from against the wall4 ,in vain will he try to get the coin under the conditions prescribed1 for this feat is another of the impossible ones4 ,drawing ,matches to ,win4 ,take #ae matches1 bunch them up so they cannot be easily counted1 lay them on a table1 and tell some person that you will allow him to start the game1 by drawing from the pile one1 two or three matches--but no more4 ,tell him that you have the same privilege1 and that you intend that he shall draw the last match1 or1 at least1 that you will leave the last for him to draw4 ,if you watch your turns carefully you will succeed perfectly1 unless1 of course1 your opponent is acquainted with the system--and very few persons are4 ,if he should first draw one1 you draw one4 ,if his second draw should be three1 then you draw one again4 ,observe now that there are six drawn4 ,in order to assure yourself of winning1 make certain that this is the case either at your first or second draw--get six off the board4 ,then there are nine remaining4 ,the next time you draw let it make four with what he draws1 leaving five still to be drawn4 ,now if he draws three1 you take one2 if he draws two1 you take two1 and so on4 ,you will thus see that the last match will always be left to your opponent4 ,he will now surely want to try it again4 ,this time you begin the drawing by taking one1 as he did at first1 making a remark to that effect4 ,whatever number he takes1 it cannot make the six4 ,but should he follow your example and take but one1 you still must be careful and trust to luck and careful computation1 taking only one more on your second draw1 which will make three off4 ,the chances are small that he will take the remaining three to make the six4 ,but if he does1 it is an evidence that he is 8getting on10 and he may possibly 7but not probably7 beat you4 ,whether he does or does not1 you simply let him start out again1 and you proceed to follow according to his lead4 ,you will defeat him nine times in ten without your being compelled to make your play certain1 which can be done when you get your first draw1 as follows3 draw two2 he cannot then defeat you1 for whatever he draws1 he will still leave from one to three for you1 and you take the sixth off1 when the rest is easy4 ,better not do this until he is quite sure that he has 8discovered0 your method1 when this will put him all at sea again4 ,this game is great fun1 and will puzzle all of your friends4 ,eye-,errors and ,ghosts4 ,a few experiments with the eyes will be found very interesting1 and to the uninitiated1 very queer4 ,if you will hold up your forefinger about a foot from your face1 and look at a tree or object beyond it1 or at any tall object1 you will see your finger double4 ,then look directly at your finger and you will see the tree double4 ,the explanation is that each eye sees separately1 and when both are looking at the finger the right eye sees the tree or object on the right side of the finger and the left eye sees it on the left4 ,when1 however1 you look at the tree directly with both eyes1 each eye sees the finger apparently in a different place4 ,if you will cover the one eye and look with the other1 you cannot see either the tree or the finger double1 which is the proof of the experiment4 ,place two bits of white paper about a foot apart on a table4 ,cover the right eye and look steadily at the right-hand piece of paper with the left eye4 ,by stepping backward you will reach a spot where the left-hand piece of paper will disappear4 ,you can make the right-hand piece of paper disappear by looking at the left-hand piece of paper with the right eye4 ,when you have made one disappear in this way1 move your head ever so slightly backward or forward1 and the paper will instantly reappear4 ,the reason of this is that every person's eye has a blind spot on the retina1 and when an image of the piece of paper falls on the spot it cannot be seen4 ,instead of snatching the paper away after looking at it steadily1 look up at the ceiling1 and the image will be seen there4 ,these 8ghosts10 as they are sometimes called1 are caused by the action of light on the retina of the eye4 ,the ,detaining ,hand-clasp4 ,grasp a person firmly by the wrists as if you were about to handcuff him1 and say that you can clasp his hands in such a way that he cannot leave the room without unclasping them4 ,probably he will look sharply at you for a while1 trying to divine your purpose1 and if you maintain your firm hold on his wrists1 he will be led to believe that you intend to use your strength for the purpose4 ,then lead him to a table and seating him on a chair by it1 clasp his hands about one of the legs4 ,of course1 he cannot now leave the room without unclasping them unless he overturns the table or drags it with him4 ,the ,pictorial ,nail4 ,by having in your possession an extraordinarily strong magnet1 you can perform the following very effective trick4 ,prepare a large frame with a paper centre1 now take a crayon and draw a nail or a hook1 then borrow a key or key-ring and make the announcement that you will hang one of the articles on the picture4 ,this is easy if you have an assistant in the rear1 with the magnet attached to a stick1 which he holds directly in the rear of the drawn picture1 the magnet holding the article on the front4 ,cane ,trick4 ,measure the length of your forearm along a cane by placing your elbow even with its head and marking the point to which the tip of your middle finger reaches4 ,take hold of your cane with your middle finger1 covering the mark1 and your little finger nearest to the head4 ,the cane must be at right angles to the hand and be grasped firmly so that the tips of all the fingers are pressed tightly against the palm of the hand4 ,it is not 8fair0 to hold the cane obliquely4 ,now try to put the head of the cane to your lips4 ,if you succeed you are an exception to the general rule1 and even you will probably fail if you hold the cane1 in the same manner1 at a point a little further from the head4 ,but any one can do the trick easily by holding the cane at a less distance from its head than the length of his forearm4 ,,pantomimes ,general ,directions4 ,the best place for a pantomime show is where two rooms are connected by folding doors4 ,a screen or curtain can be fitted to this opening4 ,care should be given that this screen fits the opening so that no light can show over the top or from around the sides or bottom4 ,if the screen does not fit1 this can be remedied by hanging some curtains or other draperies at the top and on the sides1 and by putting carpets or rugs at the bottom4 ,now for the screen4 ,this is a sheet or square of muslin or light-colored calico1 tacked on a light wooden frame or to the opening4 ,the cloth must be stretched tightly1 as any wrinkles spoil the effect of the shadows4 ,dampen your cloth before tacking it on the frame1 and then pull it as tightly as you can before tacking2 when it dries1 it will be found to have drawn tightly1 and will be free from seams or wrinkles4 ,if you desire to have the shadows show up sharp and clear1 make your screen semi-transparent by painting it with a solution of paraffine wax1 dissolved in spirits of turpentine4 ,this1 of course1 should be done at least twenty-four hours before your show is to take place1 so as to give it a chance to thoroughly dry4 ,your theatre is now ready1 all but the light1 and that is prepared and used as follows3 ,first1 secure a large lamp1 and then a large pan1 which is filled with sand2 the lamp is to be in the centre of this pan1 and the reasons for this precaution are obvious1 as1 should the lamp be accidentally overturned1 it will not ruin the floor covering1 as the oil will be absorbed by the sand2 besides it obviates the risk of a fire or explosion4 ,you are now all in readiness for your performance4 ,the light is placed upon the floor about four feet from the centre of the screen on the actors' side of same2 the other side of the screen1 where your audience sit1 is1 of course1 in complete darkness1 otherwise the shadows of the actors would not be in evidence4 ,every one not engaged in the performance1 but who is behind the screen1 waiting for his part1 must be particular to keep back of the light1 so their shadows will not be thrown on the screen4 ,in making entrances and exits1 come on from the sides1 about two feet from the screen1 and you must remember that the farther you are from the screen1 and the nearer to the light1 the larger will be your shadow on the screen4 ,recollect1 too1 that you must be in profile1 or sideways to your audience1 otherwise the effect of your acting is lost2 as in case you face your audience your actions are all lost to them4 ,aerial ,figures4 ,a very funny entrance can be made by jumping over the light1 which gives the appearance on the screen as if you had just dropped through the ceiling1 and an exit by jumping over the light looks like flying up there again in a most weird manner4 ,a dummy figure 7suppose that of a witch1 riding on the conventional broomstick7 is suspended by a fine thread or wire on the side of the screen remote from the spectators4 ,behind this are ranged1 one behind the other1 and at right angles to the screen1 a row of lighted candles4 ,being all in the same line1 they throw one shadow only on the screen4 ,the figure is now made to oscillate slightly1 so as to impart some little motion to the shadow4 ,one of the candles is now removed from its place in the row1 and waved gently about1 now high1 now low1 the effect to the spectators being that a second shadow springs out of the first1 and dances about it on the screen4 ,a second and third candle as it leaves its place in the line produces a separate shadow4 ,it is well to have three or four assistants1 each taking a candle in each hand4 ,silhouettes4 ,the idea of projecting silhouettes with the hands on a wall or illuminated screen is an old one4 ,these shadows are best made on a screen1 which is illuminated by a single lamp enclosed in a projecting apparatus1 using acetylene gas4 ,the lens must consequently be of very short focus4 ,the electric light may be replaced at the amateur's house by a lamp1 or better by a wax candle4 ,the candle will do very well in a small room where one can be in total obscurity except for the candle light4 ,the chief fault of this light for shadowgraphy1 is1 that the distance from light to screen must necessarily be short1 or shadows will not be sharp4 ,the oil lamp should not be used if another better light can be obtained1 because the shadows must necessarily be somewhat blurred4 ,the main thing to be studied in the selection of a light is to get a brilliant point of light and not necessarily a large surface4 ,now1 an oil lamp1 having a large or probably double flame1 has too large a surface of illumination4 ,moreover1 the rays should always travel uninterceptedly to the screen1 never through the glass1 and never thrown from a reflector4 ,seeing that a glass chimney and reflector are almost indispensable to an oil lamp1 there is abundant reason for not using it4 ,if the lamp is used1 turn the edge and not the flat side of the light before the screen4 ,shadow ,pictures may be accompanied by a phonograph4 ,care must be taken in arranging the lights so that the shadows of the actors may be clear cut and not out of proportion to the size of the sheet on which they are thrown4 ,the concealed phonograph starts1 and presto6 the shadow actors behind the sheet seem to be the very embodiment of the voices of the records4 ,it is difficult to realize that a machine is talking4 ,especially is this true when the impersonators are sufficiently familiar with the words as to be able to form them with their lips1 although not really uttering them4 ,shadow ,show4 ,one of the most pleasurable forms of entertainment1 in which every boy and girl takes delight1 is the shadow show1 and a home-made one can be easily constructed and varied to your heart's content1 if you are at all ingenious4 ,first secure some light strips of wood one inch thick and two inches wide2 you will need two of these six feet long and two of them three feet long4 ,these are to be joined together1 making a frame six feet high by three feet wide4 ,next secure two strips one inch thick1 one inch wide1 and three feet long1 and two strips of the same size1 but one foot long4 ,attach the one-foot pieces to the three-foot strips six inches from each end4 ,this frame is to be attached to your larger frame1 twelve inches from the top4 ,your framework should be joined so that it presents a flush1 smooth surface at all of the joints of the two frames4 ,over your large framework you will now tack or glue black paper or muslin1 leaving the opening made by the smaller frame to be covered by white muslin1 making a semi-transparent screen #ab #bd inches1 upon which are to be shown the figures4 ,a piece of tape is stretched across the bottom of the screen1 close to the frame4 ,this holds against the frame the figures used in the show and at the same time allows a continuation of their feet in the cardboard from which they are cut to project below1 and so be held by the exhibitor4 ,by means of these continuations below the feet1 the exhibitor can make the figures glide along1 rock backward and forward1 or suddenly disappear by pulling them downward4 ,all the figures should be cut out of cardboard and should have the projection or continuation of the feet4 ,scenery can be cut out the same way1 and is quite easy1 as you only need side screens4 ,the scenes can be held by the tape strip or can be fastened to the sides by using thumb tacks4 ,the joints of the figures are made with bits of broom wire4 ,if you want the eyes of the comic figures to roll about1 string a glass bead upon a thread and insert in a place cut for eyes in the figure2 fasten the thread at either side with a bit of glued muslin4 ,during the performance1 this screen is illuminated by placing a light about three feet behind it2 the room in which the audience is seated being1 of course1 dark4 ,to shut out any light that may shine out at the sides or top of the doorway1 you should hang shawls or strips of your black paper muslin4 ,humorous and grotesque pictures may be cut out of newspapers and magazines1 pasting them on cardboard and then cutting out the cardboard4 ,the show may be a pantomime or the exhibitor may speak for the different characters4 ,all the figures to be used should be placed on a table or a chair near the exhibitor or held by an assistant4 ,with a little ingenuity you can make the figures so that the arms and legs and head work on pivots1 attaching them to thread so small that it will not cast a shadow on the screen4 ,there is hardly any end to the amusement you may have in this way4 ,,card ,,tricks ,calling the ,cards4 ,to begin with1 allow the pack of cards to be thoroughly shuffled4 ,when the pack is returned to you1 adroitly notice the value 7suit and denomination7 of the bottom card1 which we will suppose happens to be the four of spades4 ,now1 with apparent carelessness1 throw the cards face downward on a table and scatter them about with your fingers4 ,however1 you must not lose sight of the bottom card1 and wherever your fingers may push it your eyes should follow also1 in order that you may know exactly where it lies4 ,the spectators1 meanwhile1 are unaware of this knowledge on your part4 ,say to those present3 8,i will now present to you a mystery which is apparently very simple1 yet to my mind is a profound problem4 ,it is one of those mental wonders that cannot be readily understood1 and the deeper we study into them1 the farther we seem to be from the truth4 ,you will therefore observe closely and see what you see40 ,you continue3 8,i have1 as you probably noticed1 allowed ,mr4 ---- to shuffle the cards thoroughly and they have been scattered over this table at random4 ,i shall allow five cards to be selected and ,i shall endeavor to name each one before it is taken up4 ,in order that nobody's attention may be distracted1 ,i shall hold the cards taken up until the entire five have been selected4 ,to prevent any mistake1 let some person write the names of the cards upon a paper as they are called and see if ,i am correct40 ,you will then remark3 8,i will now call for cards1 one by one and shall ask ,mr4 ,brown 7any person desired7 to make the first selection4 ,mr4 ,brown1 you will please find for me the four of spades1 without turning the card over40 ,naturally ,mr4 ,brown smiles and says that such a thing is impossible4 ,you ask him1 however1 to simply rest his fingers upon the back of any card his fancy may dictate4 ,having touched a card1 you carefully draw it away from the table1 making sure that its face cannot be seen4 ,hold it in your hands1 close to your body1 in an easy1 unsuspicious manner1 just as if you were confident the four of spades had been selected4 ,let us suppose1 however1 that the card is the seven of hearts4 ,you remark3 8,i will next ask ,mr4 ,jones to touch a card in the same manner as did ,mr4 ,brown1 but ,i predict beforehand that it will be the seven of hearts40 ,the card is tapped1 and you pick it up1 as before4 ,let us suppose this second one is the ace of diamonds4 ,if so1 you ask ,mr4 ,smith to touch a card1 which you expect to be the ace of diamonds4 ,this1 you notice1 happens to be the queen of hearts4 ,you then ask ,mr4 ,robinson to touch a card1 which you intend shall be queen of hearts1 and after he does so you secretly ascertain that it is the eight of clubs4 ,up to the present moment1 four cards have been chosen4 ,for the fifth time1 you are to have a card selected 8by chance40 ,you decide1 however1 to save time1 that you will try your own luck and see if you can pick out the eight of clubs4 ,in doing this1 you allow your finger to rest1 with apparent carelessness1 upon the real four of spades1 the position of which you have known all the while4 ,having picked up the four of spades1 you place it with the others in your hand4 ,you are now able to produce the five cards you have named beforehand1 viz43 four of spades1 seven of hearts1 ace of diamonds1 queen of hearts and eight of clubs4 ,the effect upon spectators is indeed surprising4 ,much depends upon the tact which you employ in executing this trick4 ,you should first impress it in an indirect way upon the minds of those present1 that your experiment is one of actual prevision4 ,it is one of the rules of magic to lead the thoughts as well as eyes in a wrong direction4 ,be careful in picking up the cards4 ,do not let any one who is to touch a card get ahead of you by turning it over and thus exposing your trick4 ,in looking at the card after you have taken it into your hand1 do so adroitly--don't stare at it4 ,as the success of the trick depends upon knowing the location of one card1 do not make a mistake on that one4 ,the ,odd ,card4 ,request one of the company to place both hands flat on the table1 then insert between each two fingers of his right hand1 two cards or one pair at a time2 this will require four pairs of cards4 ,follow the same method with his left hand but place a single card instead of a pair between the third and little finger4 ,this will require three pairs and an odd card or fifteen cards in all4 ,now take the two cards which are between the third and little finger of his right hand and lay them down on the table1 separately1 side by side1 at the same time saying1 8,that is one pair40 ,then take the next pair1 separate the two cards and lay one on each of the cards already on the table and say1 8,there is another pair40 ,follow exactly the same method with the remaining pairs1 making the same remark with each until only the odd card remains4 ,when you come to the one card1 hold it in your own hand so that every one may see it4 8,now10 explains the performer1 8we have two heaps containing an even number of cards4 ,i have one card in my hand4 ,if ,i place this odd card on either of the two even packs1 it will make that pack odd1 will it not80 ,the audience appealed to in this manner will respond in the affirmative4 8,now on which pack shall ,i place this odd card80 ,the card is placed on the packet selected4 8,will some one in the audience kindly hold this odd packet80 continues the performer1 handing the packet to a lady or gentleman4 8,i shall hold the even packet4 ,my trick is this3 ,i shall undertake to pass one card from my packet which contains an even number of cards to the odd packet1 held tightly by your representative4 ,ready6 ,hold tightly1 sir4 ,one1 two1 three6 ,did you feel the card as it struck the pack8 ,no8 ,well1 sometimes the impact is imperceptible4 ,but the card has arrived nevertheless4 ,will you count the cards in your packet8 ,wait a moment1 sir4 ,in the beginning you had the odd packet1 ,i believe8 ,and now1 7,spectator counts the cards7 you hold the even card number while ,i have the odd number6 7,performer counts the cards in his packet47 ,isn't it wonderful80 ,naming the ,cards4 ,divide a pack of cards in halves1 and place these back to back1 when one half will be visible to the audience and the other half to yourself4 ,glance quickly at the card facing you1 and then place the cards behind your back4 ,place the card you saw over the card shown to the company1 show the cards1 and call the right card4 ,this will give you an opportunity of seeing the next card4 ,produce as before1 and do so until you have come to the last4 ,it is best1 in performing this trick1 only to keep a few cards turned towards yourself1 so as not to tire the company and possibly lead them to guess how you do the trick4 ,a ,diamond ,ace of ,hearts4 ,show the ace of diamonds1 the ace of spades1 and the ace of clubs1 and lay them face downward on the table4 ,pick up one ace1 which you place in the middle of the pack3 the second ace at the bottom1 and the third ace at the top of the pack4 ,then ask a spectator to cut the pack wherever he or she may like1 and no matter where the pack is cut1 the three aces will be found together4 ,commence by withdrawing the four aces from the pack3 the ace of diamonds you secretly place on top of the pack1 and arrange the other three aces fan-wise as follows3 the ace of hearts must be inverted1 and with the other two cards1 hide the lower part of the heart and the small heart in the indicator4 ,show the three cards thus arranged quickly1 and no one will imagine that the centre card is not the ace of diamonds4 ,lay the three aces face down on the table1 still arranged fan-wise1 pick up the centre card1 which is really the ace of hearts1 and without letting any one see its face1 slip it anywhere in the pack2 place the second ace at the bottom of the pack and the third1 after showing it1 on top1 of course covering the ace of diamonds which is already there4 ,it does not signify in which place the pack is cut1 the three aces will be found together when the two parts of the pack are reunited4 ,a ,three-card ,trick4 ,this requires the aid of three persons4 ,take three cards1 and1 holding them in front of the first person1 request him to choose one and think of it4 ,then lay the three cards1 face down1 in a row on the table1 and take three more cards1 which show to the second person1 and tell him to remember one of them4 ,place these cards on top of the other three1 and ask the third person to think of one of a third lot1 which you show him2 then lay the last three cards on top of the others4 ,you now have three packs of three cards each4 ,you lift one pack at a time1 and request each of the three persons to inform you which pack contains the card he thought of4 ,of course1 you know that the first person's card must be at the bottom of one of the packs1 the second person's card in the middle1 and the third person's card on top4 ,detection by ,smell4 ,this may be played upon some one who will take no offence at the result4 ,allow the person to shuffle the cards1 and then to select any one card1 returning the pack to the performer4 ,ask the person to remember the card and to show it to the audience4 ,while this is being done1 the performer turns his back1 stating that he does not want to see the card or get any clue as to what it is4 ,while in this position1 the bottom card of the pack is turned up--and the top card turned down4 ,turning around1 he asks the person who selected the card1 to hold it for a few seconds between the hands1 saying that the card will be found by the sense of smell4 ,the performer now asks some one in the company to procure a hat4 ,place it1 crown down1 a little distance from any one4 ,holding the pack tightly1 the person holding the card is now asked to thrust it into the pack wherever he likes4 ,the performer now puts the pack in the hat and1 taking out a few cards1 commences to smell of each one4 ,pushing the cards around1 the chosen card will be seen with its back the wrong way4 ,when ready1 take this card1 smell of it1 with appropriate remarks show it1 as the chosen card4 ,for a sensational conclusion1 you may bring the discovered card to the top of the pack1 and ask the person who selected the card to grip the pack tightly by a corner1 between the thumb and first finger of the right hand1 the thumb extending about half-inch and the finger more1 and turn the cards face uppermost4 ,the selected card is now1 of course1 at the bottom or lower portion of the pack4 ,suddenly hit the pack a strong downward blow1 which will knock all the cards on the floor1 except the one selected1 which will be left in the grip of the party who selected it1 staring him in the face4 ,naming a ,drawn ,card4 ,the conjurer1 having shuffled the cards1 asks a member of the audience to abstract any card he pleases1 to look at it1 and impress it firmly on his mind4 ,while he has been talking1 the conjurer has been squaring up the cards1 and he now holds up the pack between the thumb and second finger of his left hand4 ,any other way than this of holding the cards will do equally well so long as the audience can see that the cards are properly squared up4 ,the chooser now returns his card to the pack4 ,the conjurer then places the cards behind his back1 draws away three1 throws them on the table1 and asks the chooser if his card is among them4 ,the answer is 8,no40 ,the process of throwing three cards at a time on the table is repeated until the chooser says that his card is among the three exposed cards4 ,the conjurer then names the card4 ,the explanation is that when the card is returned to the pack1 the conjurer is careful to notice where it was returned1 whether near the top1 middle1 or bottom of the pack4 ,we will suppose that it was near the middle4 ,the conjurer places the pack behind his back and draws off three cards at a time from the top of the pack until he has shown--say eighteen cards4 ,he will know that the selected card was not among them4 ,he then draws the top card and the two bottom cards of the pack for the next three1 and he continues in this way until the chooser says that his card is among the three4 ,the conjurer then knows at once that it is the top card of the three1 because the other cards have come from the bottom of the pack1 and the chosen card has been replaced near the middle of the pack4 ,if the chosen card is inserted near the middle of the pack1 several cards from the top may be immediately placed on the bottom of the pack to save time4 ,grouping the ,kings4 ,select the four kings from a pack1 and also two jacks4 ,the kings you arrange in the shape of a fan1 and place behind the second one the two knaves1 therefore they are hidden from view4 ,you show the cards by holding them towards the audience1 so that they may be satisfied that the cards really are kings4 ,square them together so that one king will be on top1 then the two jacks and then the three kings1 and place them on the top of the pack4 ,you may remark1 8,ladies and gentlemen1 ,i propose to separate these kings1 the first 7which you hold towards them71 ,i will place at the bottom of the pack1 the second1 7which is a knave7 ,i will place a little higher up1 the third 7also a knave7 higher up still1 and the fourth 7which you again exhibit1 for it is really a king7 ,i will leave on top40 ,the kings are now three1 on top1 and one at the bottom of the pack2 consequently1 a single cut will bring them together4 ,after a little unnecessary pressing1 etc41 one of the company can cut the cards1 and kings will be found to be in company4 ,detecting a ,turned ,card4 ,the picture cards have commonly a narrow strip for the border2 this border is usually narrower at one end of the card than it is at the other4 ,place three or four of the picture cards in such a manner that either all the broader or all the narrower borders are placed uppermost4 ,request a spectator to invert one of the cards while you are not looking4 ,when done1 observe the cards and you will easily see which card is turned1 as its narrower border now lies on a level with the broader border of the other cards4 ,if they try to mystify you by turning none of the cards1 you will easily see that this is the case4 ,if the performer has a good memory1 the border may be placed any way1 taking due care to remember the positions4 ,telling the ,number of ,transposed ,cards4 ,the performer allows a spectator to cut a pack of cards into two heaps4 ,now1 while the performer's back is turned1 the spectator is requested to transpose any number of cards up to ten1 from one pack to another4 ,place the two packets together and square up the cards4 ,the performer deals from the top of the pack about twenty cards1 throwing them face downward on the table4 ,the performer now asks the number of cards transposed1 and after the spectator has replied1 the selected card is turned over1 and the number of its spots corresponds to the number of cards transposed4 ,thus if three cards were transposed1 a three-spot would be turned up4 ,the explanation is as follows3 ,the pack is pre-arranged in this manner3 on an ace1 laid face downward1 place a deuce2 on this a tray2 on this a four2 and so on to ten2 and then a jack1 queen1 and king4 ,these thirteen cards are on top of the pack1 and when the pack is cut1 the performer notes which packet contains the arranged cards4 ,he now requests some one to select one of the packets1 forcing the bottom packet4 ,that is1 if he selects the bottom packet1 use that1 if he selects the top packet1 say 8,i will take the other40 ,in any case arrange to use the bottom packet4 ,a spectator takes any number of cards up to ten from the selected packet and passes them on the other packet1 the performer turning his back while this is done4 ,the two packets are now placed together1 taking care that the packet on which the transposed cards were placed is uppermost4 ,now1 no matter how many cards were placed upon the arranged packet1 the fourteenth card from the top will always give the correct number1 so that in dealing off the cards1 the performer must not lose sight of the fourteenth card4 ,deal off about twenty cards1 throwing them carelessly on the table1 but allowing the fourteenth card to be a trifle more exposed than the others4 ,this will facilitate the choice of the card4 ,the performer now asks the number of cards transposed1 and after the spectator has replied1 the selected card is turned over1 and the number of its spots correspond to the number of cards transposed4 ,the ,three ,packets4 ,tell a person to choose as he pleases three cards from a euchre pack1 informing him that an ace counts for eleven1 a picture card for ten1 and the others according to the number of spots4 ,when he has chosen these three1 tell him to put them on the table and to place on each as many cards as spots are required to make fifteen4 ,that is to say1 eight cards would have to be put on the seven of clubs1 four cards on the ace1 and a five above the ten4 ,let him return you the rest of the pack1 and 7while pretending to count something in them7 count how many remain4 ,add sixteen to this number1 and you will have the number of spots in the three bottom cards4 ,a ,card ,found at the ,second ,guess4 ,offer the cards to some person1 and let him draw one4 ,you then hold the cards behind you1 and tell him to place his card on top4 ,pretend to make a great shuffling1 but only turn that card with its back to the others1 still keeping it at the top4 ,then hold up the cards with their faces towards the spectator1 and ask him if the bottom card is his4 7,while doing so1 you inspect his card at your leisure47 ,he of course denies it and then you again put the cards behind you1 turn over his card so it will face with the others and begin shuffling again furiously4 8,let me do that10 he will probably say2 so1 as you are perfectly acquainted with his card1 let him shuffle as much as he likes1 and then when you get the cards back again1 shuffle1 and show him his own card4 ,pocketing a ,chosen ,card4 ,the performer exhibits four cards1 held fanwise in his left hand and requests a spectator mentally to select one4 ,the performer then takes one of the cards and places it in his pocket4 ,upon spreading the cards again the spectator's card is missing and the performer draws the mentally selected card from his pocket4 ,four cards are arranged as follows3 king of clubs1 jack of hearts1 jack of spades1 and queen of diamonds4 ,behind the king of clubs1 the top card of the pack1 arrange these three cards1 queen of clubs1 king of spades and jack of diamonds4 ,at the outset1 the seven cards can be on the top of the pack1 the last named three cards1 of course1 on top of the king of clubs4 ,give the pack a shuffle1 taking care not to disturb the seven arranged cards on top4 ,rapidly count off these cards in such a manner that the audience cannot see how many cards you take4 ,arrange the king of clubs1 jack of hearts1 jack of spades1 and queen of diamonds fanwise in the left hand1 keeping the three extra cards1 the queen of clubs1 king of spades and jack of diamonds concealed behind the king of clubs4 ,it does not matter in what order the suits of the three concealed cards are arranged4 ,the proper method of holding the fan of cards is with the left side of the king 7and the three concealed cards7 pressed tightly in the crotch of the left thumb1 the opposite edge being held by the tip of the first finger of the left hand4 ,this will keep the cards from spreading and bringing the trick to a premature and disastrous conclusion4 ,the other three cards of the fan are held between the tips of the left thumb and second and third fingers4 ,turn your back to the spectators and hold the fan high above your head1 the faces of the cards toward the audience1 and request a spectator to think of one of the cards4 ,when the choice has been made1 square the cards1 inserting the little finger between the king of clubs and the three cards back of it4 ,then you say3 8,i shall now place one of the cards in my pocket10 and1 suiting the action to the words1 take the four cards you have just shown1 and holding them as one card1 place them in the pocket1 leaving the three extra cards in your left hand4 ,ask the spectator to name his card4 ,let us suppose he chose the king of clubs4 ,the performer replies1 8,the king of clubs8 ,ah1 then ,i read your mind correctly1 for ,i placed the king of clubs in my pocket4 ,let me show you first that the king has left the pack40 ,the performer spreads the three cards1 the queen of clubs1 the king of spades and the jack of diamonds1 on the table4 ,he then produces the desired card from the pocket4 ,as the order of the suits is known1 this part of the trick is a simple matter4 ,if the chosen card is the jack of spades the performer picks out the third card4 ,a little practice is necessary in order to make the selection quickly1 for there must be no fumbling in the pocket4 ,the spectator will never detect the substitution of the cards2 for the ingenious arrangement of the suits tends to confuse the mind4 ,to ,pick ,out a ,card ,thought ,of4 ,blindfold4 ,take twenty-one cards and lay them down in three rows with their faces upwards2 i4 e41 when you have laid out three1 begin again at the left hand and lay one card upon the first1 and so on to the right hand2 then begin on the left hand again1 and so go on until you have laid out the twenty-one cards in three heaps1 at the same time requesting any one to think of a card4 ,when you have laid them out1 ask him which heap his card is in2 then lay that heap in the middle between the other two4 ,this done1 lay them out again in three heaps as before1 and again request him to notice where his noted card goes1 and put that heap in the middle1 as before4 ,then taking up the cards with their backs towards you1 take the uppermost card off and reckon it one2 take off another1 which reckon two2 and thus proceed until you come to the eleventh1 which will invariably prove to be the card thought of4 ,this trick may be done without your seeing the cards at all1 if you handle and count them carefully4 ,to diversify the trick1 you may use a different number of cards1 but the number chosen must be divisible by three1 and the middle card1 after they have been thrice dealt as directed1 will always be the one thought of2 for instance1 if done with fifteen cards1 it must be the eighth4 ,the ,siamese ,aces4 ,two aces are removed from the pack1 which is then cut into three packets4 ,one of the aces is placed on the middle packet1 and while the performer is exhibiting the remaining ace1 one of the spectators 8maliciously0 transfers a few cards from either of the outside packets to the top of the middle heap4 ,the performer1 not noticing this disarrangement of the cards1 places the second ace on top of the first1 and the two on top of the middle heap1 presumably on top of the first ace1 although the spectators1 who blithely imagine they are in a conspiracy against the performer1 know otherwise4 ,the cards are now dealt from the bottom1 face upward1 and the two aces come together4 ,the solution of the mystery is as follows4 ,in taking out two aces--say the ace of clubs and the ace of hearts1 glance secretly at the top card of the pack4 ,for the purpose of explanation let us assume that this 8key0 card is the seven of spades4 ,now cut the pack into three heaps so that the top part of the pack will form the middle heap4 ,you must number the heaps in your mind from left to right1 #a1 #b1 #c4 ,the top card of the middle heap is the seven of spades4 ,exhibit the ace of hearts1 requesting the spectators to remember the card1 and place it on the middle pile4 ,while you are exhibiting the second ace 7the ace of clubs71 move a little distance from the cards1 and at this psychological moment1 a friend1 who acts as your confederate1 7although the audience is not aware of the fact7 transfers a few cards from either ,no4 #a or ,no4 #c to the top of the centre heap4 ,you are1 apparently1 oblivious of this manoeuver1 and place the ace of clubs on the ,no4 #a heap1 concluding by placing ,no4 #c on ,no4 #a and these on the middle heap4 ,inform the audience that you are about to illustrate for their benefit the surprising amount of affection that exists between cards of the same value4 ,for instance1 kings associate with kings1 queens with queens1 jacks with jacks1 and aces with aces2 of all cards1 you declare1 the aces are the most affectionate4 ,between them the bonds of sympathy are so strong that if they are separated only temporarily they will exert every effort to be reunited4 ,this sympathy is especially strong between a red ace and a black ace--between a club and a heart1 a diamond and a spade4 ,in fact1 each pair may be likened to the ,siamese twins1 except that the bond is sentimental rather than material4 8,you will observe10 adds the performer1 8that the ace of clubs and the ace of hearts were placed in different parts of the deck1 but so strong is the affection between these aces that ,i have not the slightest doubt they are at this moment reunited in some portion of the pack4 ,ah1 you smile incredulously2 but ,i assure you that what ,i say is literally true1 and ,i am prepared to make my assertion good4 ,observe1 pray1 that ,i shall deal the cards one at a time on the table1 and when ,i come to one of the aces1 the other will be with it40 ,the spectators1 knowing that the cards have been disarranged1 smile in expectation of the performer's discomfiture4 ,the conjurer proceeds to deal the cards from the bottom1 throwing them face upward on the table4 ,when the 8key0 card turns up the performer knows that the next card is an ace4 ,he slides this ace back with the third finger of the left hand1 and keeps on dealing until the other ace appears1 when he throws out the first ace4 ,a flashlight picture of the company at this moment would reveal an interesting study in chagrin4 ,detection of a ,drawn ,card by ,color4 ,previously separate the pack into two parts1 placing all the red cards in one pile1 and all the black cards in the other4 ,one of these packs you conceal in your pocket4 ,you let any person draw a card from the other pack1 and while he is examining the card1 substitute the pack in your pocket for the one you hold in your hand4 ,let him place his card in the pack you have taken from your pocket1 and shuffle as much as you please4 ,you will at once recognize the card he has drawn by the difference of color4 ,mathematical ,detection of ,card ,thought ,of4 ,arrange the first ten cards of a suit in a circle4 ,request some one to think of one of the exposed cards and to touch some other card in the circle4 ,mentally add the value of the card touched to the number of cards displayed 7#aj71 and then ask him to count the cards backwards1 until the number you have given is reached1 beginning at the card touched1 and reckoning that card as the number thought of4 ,the card at which he stops will be the one mentally selected4 ,for example1 we will suppose the three was the card thought of1 and the six was the card touched4 ,six added to #aj makes #af4 ,then request the player to commence counting the cards backwards mentally from the number thought of 7three7 at the number touched 7six7 and continue until #af is named1 touching each card as he counts4 ,with finger on six he mentally says 8three20 the five-spot he calls four2 the four1 five2 the three1 six2 the two1 seven1 and so on up to #af4 ,the mental count will end with the three-spot--the number thought of4 ,the designation of this time after time1 no matter what card is chosen1 will seem little short of miraculous to the uninitiated1 and will prove an unfailing amusement4 ,of course1 the evolution of the number to be counted--#af 7or #aj added to whatever card is touched7--must not be explained1 and the apparent haphazard choice of various numbers1 when the director says3 8,now count backward till you reach #bj this time10 or 8#ab10 or 8try to find any law you can if ,i say a little #ai10 will not appear due to tact or finesse1 but to be the result of some mysterious intuitive power4 ,passing a ,card to ,top of ,pack4 ,take off the top card of the pack and show it4 ,we will suppose it is the eight of hearts4 ,call attention to it and put it back on the top of the pack4 ,then1 without exposing the face of the card1 take it off the top of the pack again and put it in the centre of the pack4 ,do not push it fully in until you have held the pack up and shown that the card is what you said it was--the eight of hearts4 ,then square up the pack4 ,take off the top card and show it to your audience4 ,it is the eight of hearts which has apparently jumped from the centre of the pack1 where you put it1 to the top4 ,some one may say1 8,you have two eights of hearts40 ,give the pack to be examined and your friends will find that the pack is quite regular4 ,to do this1 arrange the pack in such a way that the seven of hearts is on top1 and the eight of hearts above that4 ,when you show the top card you really slide off the two top cards together4 ,hold them with the thumb at one end and two fingers at the other and the first finger at one side4 ,if you bend the card slightly1 there will be less chance of any one noticing that you are holding two cards4 ,you call attention to the fact that the top card is the eight of hearts1 and put the two cards1 still held as one1 back on the top of the pack4 ,then you draw off the top card1 which is the seven of hearts1 and slip it into the centre of the pack4 ,show part of the card just before you push it way in1 and if you contrive to keep a finger over the index in the corner1 nobody will know that the card is not the eight of hearts4 ,it is now in the hands of the performer to make the rest of the trick as mysterious as possible4 ,the ,trick of 8,thirty-one40 ,a trick often introduced by sporting men for the purpose of deceiving and making money is called 8thirty-one40 ,it is played with the first six cards of each suit1--the aces in one row1 the deuces in another1 the threes in another2 then the fours1 fives1 and sixes--all laid in rows4 ,the object now will be to turn down cards alternately and endeavor to make thirty-one points by so turning1 or as near to it as possible without overrunning it2 the one who turns down a card1 the spots of which make thirty-one or so near it that the other cannot turn down one without overrunning it1 wins4 ,the chief point of this trick1 is1 to count so as to end with the following numbers1 namely #c1 #aj1 #ag1 or #bd4 ,for example1 we will suppose that you are to begin1 you would commence with #c1 your opponent would add #f1 which would make #i2 it would then be your policy to add #a1 and make #aj2 then1 no matter what number he adds1 he cannot prevent you from counting seventeen1 which number gives you the command of the trick4 ,we will suppose he adds six1 and makes sixteen2 then1 you make #bd1 then he cannot possibly add any one number to count #ca1 as the highest number he can add is #f1 which would only count #cj1 so that you can easily add the remaining #a1 or ace1 and make #ca4 ,,soap-,,bubbles ,blowing ,soap-bubbles4 ,secure a lot of clean clay pipes1 and to make your bubble solution1 take a preserve-jar and fill two-thirds full of boiling water1 add three ounces of finely shaven ,castile soap1 a teaspoonful of sugar and four tablespoonfuls of glycerine1 shake this mixture thoroughly and then strain it through a piece of white cloth4 ,your solution is now ready for use4 ,strawberry or cranberry juice will make pink bubbles1 and orange juice will make yellow ones4 ,any color may be obtained by the use of aniline dyes4 ,it is better to let the solution stand two or three hours before using4 ,cover the dining-room table with a soft woolen cover1 place as many finger-bowls around as guests1 or one large bowl1 and fill with the thick soapy water4 ,have ready a good-sized wicket1 made by bending a wire and putting each end into a bottle1 so it will stand firmly4 ,place it in the centre of the table and request the guests to choose sides4 ,present each boy with a clay pipe and each girl with a fan1 to which is attached a tally card4 ,arrange the boys and girls on opposite sides of the table4 ,the boy nearest the head of the table takes the bowl and with his pipe blows a bubble4 ,his partner1 or the girl opposite him1 fans it1 endeavoring to make it go through and pass the arch without breaking4 ,if it passes successfully1 a gold star is placed on the tally2 if it breaks before reaching the arch1 a green star denotes the player's failure4 ,each boy may blow the number of bubbles agreed upon4 ,after receiving their stars1 the boy and girl pass to the foot of the table1 and the next boy and girl move up and try their skill at blowing bubbles4 ,the game is ended in six rounds4 ,fantastic ,soap-bubbles4 ,ordinary soap-bubbles are blown with a pipe1 a straw1 or small horn of some sort4 ,if a straw is used1 split one end into quarters1 about one half-inch long1 and bend the parts back at right angles to the straw4 ,the horn should be larger at one end1 but1 if you wish to obtain bubbles1 as large as your head1 you must have recourse to objects of quite different nature4 ,place around the body of a bottle a piece of common wire1 and twist the ends together in order to form a handle for the ring which is thus obtained4 ,steep this ring in the soapy water4 ,take it out carefully1 and you will perceive that the ring is furnished1 on the inside1 with a thin covering or skin of soapy water4 ,now hold the ring vertically before your mouth and blow gently but continuously at the centre of the soapy covering4 ,fashion two rings with handles out of plain wire4 ,the ring can be about six inches in diameter4 ,cover one of the rings with felt4 ,with this ring and with practice1 you can send the bubbles away up into the air1 and keep a half-dozen floating at one time4 ,then blow a big bubble1 holding the empty ring with a handle in the left hand1 and under the pipe4 ,when the bubble grows large1 it will stick to the ring4 ,now1 carefully take out the pipe1 dip into the soapy water and put the bowl of the pipe up inside of the ring into the big bubble1 and blow a small one inside4 ,then1 with a swing and a side movement1 liberate both bubbles into the air4 ,it may take a few failures to make a success of it4 ,with two felt rings1 8battledore and shuttlecock0 can be successfully played with soap-bubbles4 ,take a clay pipe1 fill up with cotton wadding loosely and keep in place at mouth of bowl by a wire screen4 ,wet cotton with gasoline4 ,let the bubbles float in air and light them with candle1 and they will explode with a big flame4 ,smoke-bubbles may be made by blowing in smoke after the bubble has been well started4 ,rebounding ,bubbles4 ,a good game is to have a small sheet held by a number of children and blow the bubbles upon this1 then they can be sent flying by drawing the sheet taut4 ,many ways may be devised to make blowing soap-bubbles attractive4 ,,forfeits ,,grasp the right ankle by the right hand1 and1 standing on the left leg1 bend it until the right knee touches the floor1 then rise slowly to a standing position again4 ,the left hand must be kept extended all the time and must touch nothing4 ,the right foot must not be allowed to touch the floor1 nor the ankle released from the right hand4 ,a large bottle is placed on its side4 ,the forfeit payer is seated upon this1 with the heel of his right foot resting upon the floor and the heel of his left against the toe of the right4 ,a good sized needle is then given him1 and a thread1 which he must endeavor to pass through the needle's eye without losing his balance4 ,set an ordinary chair front downward on the floor in such a way that the legs and back are horizontal4 ,ask the forfeit payer to kneel on the lower bar and to recover with his lips an object placed on the other end of the chair4 ,to put one hand where the other cannot touch it4--,this is performed by grasping the right elbow with the left hand4 ,to place an object on the floor in such a manner that no one can jump over it4--,this is done by placing it close against the corner4 ,hold an ankle in one hand and walk around the room4 ,for a forfeit1 a person is directed to compare any one of the company to some object and to explain in what way he resembles this object4 ,the victim stands on a chair and is posed as a living statue by members of the company in succession according to their various and sometimes very original conceptions1 such as placing the head1 shutting one eye1 opening the mouth1 placing the arm1 hand1 or foot to suit the fancy1 or make him assume any position4 ,place a stool on the floor against a wall4 ,stand from the wall1 with the feet twice the width of the stool away4 ,stoop down and seize the stool by the top in both hands and place the top of your head against the wall1 your back being almost horizontal4 ,lift the stool from the ground without assistance1 or try1 at any rate4 ,stick a pin in the centre of the crown of a hat1 allowing the head to project about half an inch1 and ask the forfeit-payer to extract the pin with the teeth1 the crown of the hat being previously blacked with burnt cork4 ,,hallowe',,en ,decorations4 ,on account of the great variety of houses1 decorations for ,hallowe'en and the arrangements for entertainment must be planned according to the situation1 and individual convenience4 ,the following are some suggestions4 ,the party may be ushered into a room decorated for the occasion with autumn leaves1 yellow pumpkins1 and anything else that may suggest itself to the host1 and lighted with pumpkin jack-o'-lanterns and candles4 ,all the lights are covered1 some with red and some with black gauze1 cambric1 or paper shades4 ,the openings of the doors and windows may also be covered with red and black cambric4 ,false faces1 as ugly as possible1 are placed about the room4 ,skulls of papier-mach are a great addition to the decoration1 and bones of any description1 thoroughly cleansed1 are effective4 ,if there is an open fire1 the host or an initiated guest may place upon it1 from time to time and as surreptitiously as possible1 chemical powders that burn blue1 green1 or red4 ,all the lights are turned low1 the room being lighted only sufficiently to permit moving about without falling over the furniture and to show the decorations4 ,the room may be decorated with festoons of drab yarn cobwebs1 presided over with great spiders cut from black and yellow flannel1 or imitation insects from toy stores4 ,invitations to the gentlemen should read1 8,please wear a black mask40 ,those to the ladies1 8,please come as a ghost40 ,receiving ,guests4 ,as the guests arrive1 they may be greeted by one or two huge ghosts nine feet high in a conspicuous place4 ,a small goblin may be concealed behind the flowing draperies of this ponderous apparition1 swinging the ghostly figure slowly forward to salute each approaching guest4 ,when the guests arrive they are met at the door by a ghost1 and when the last one has arrived1 they are all ushered into this weird place4 ,as the guests go into this room1 they should be blindfolded1 and have presented to them an old glove filled with wet bran and chilled on ice4 ,there may be also a piece of wet fur and a prickly pin ball in the hands of a ghost with instructions to quietly touch with these uncanny objects1 the hands or faces of other guests4 ,at the sound of a muffled gong1 the party is conducted to a chamber of horrors4 ,as each one enters this place1 a huge paper bag may be burst over his head and a far-away voice be heard sounding through a garden hose4 ,running water splashing over a cow-bell tied to a faucet will give the sound of rushing water and also keep the bell tolling dismally4 ,newspapers cut into strips and nailed to the cross-beams dangle about the heads of the victims1 and a hidden electric fan sets the papers in motion and adds damp breezes to the charm of this pleasant region4 ,the bandages are now removed and alcohol and salt fires furnish a dim light and give the party a ghastly appearance4 ,great care should always be taken in doing this4 ,some of the sights to be seen are described in the following sections4 ,the ,heads of ,bluebeard's ,wives4 ,this effect is easily produced4 ,a rod is extended horizontally across the rear of the room1 about six feet from the floor2 from this a sheet is hung1 the bottom reaching and tacked to the floor to keep it flat like a white wall4 ,young ladies standing at intervals behind the sheet protrude their heads through perpendicular slits cut at the proper height to suit the stature of each lady2 the upper part of the slit is fastened closely around the throat by a pin at the back of the neck4 ,a strip of red flannel is fastened around the throat where the neck comes in contact with the sheet1 and a few splashes of carmine on the sheet below each head produce the appearance of blood4 ,the hair of each is gathered up and fastened to the rod above by a piece of ribbon4 ,the face of each is powdered1 and the eyes1 with a dash of lead-color under them1 are kept closed4 ,at a little distance off the effect is startlingly real4 ,the ,severed ,head4 ,this always causes a sensation and should not be suddenly exposed to the nervous1 but the operation is not so terrible as might be imagined4 ,a large table1 covered with a cloth sufficiently long to reach to the floor all around and completely hide all beneath1 is placed in the centre of the room4 ,a boy or girl with soft1 silky hair1 being selected to represent the head1 must lie upon his back under the table1 entirely concealed1 excepting that portion of his face above the bridge of his nose4 ,the rest is under the table-cloth4 ,his hair must now be carefully combed down1 to represent whiskers1 and a face must be marked upon the cheeks and forehead2 the false eyebrows1 nose and mouth1 with moustache1 must be strongly marked with black1 and the real eyebrows covered with a little powder or flour4 ,the face should also be powdered to a death-like pallor1 and the effect is very startling4 ,the horror of this illusion may be intensified by having a subdued light in the room in which the exhibition has been arranged4 ,ghost ,stories4 ,the party can now return to a suitable place for games4 ,if the parlor is a small one1 each one is expected to tell a ghost story4 ,the ,unearthly ,look4 ,take a half-pint of spirits and1 having warmed it1 put a handful of salt with it into a basin2 then set it on fire and it will have the effect of making every person look hideous4 ,this must be performed in a room4 ,be careful that no sudden draught blows the flame upon one's clothing1 or any other inflammable substance4 ,luminous ,writing4 ,fix a small piece of solid phosphorus in a quill1 and write with it on paper2 if the paper be then placed in a dark room the writing will appear luminous4 ,the ,floating ,candle4 ,here is an amusing and inoffensive diversion which looks very much like one of our ,hallowe'en games called 8ducking for apples40 ,the young folks are ranged around a tub of water in which a piece of candle is floating1 and a prize is offered to him1 who1 without touching the tub with his hands1 will remove the candle from the water by his mouth alone4 ,this may look very simple and very easy to most of my readers2 but let them try it4 ,this trial they may make at home1 with a bucket of water instead of a tub1 and a piece of ,india-rubber instead of a candle2 and they will be surprised at the result4 ,bring your mouth as close as possible to the article and inhale it with your breath1 while seizing it with your lips4 ,apples may also be used4 ,ornamented ,apples4 ,if you plan to hold a ,hallowe'en party next fall1 you can prepare a part of the fun this summer4 ,cut out in stout cloth the initials of whomsoever you intend to invite4 ,paste the initials securely on the sunny side of apples4 ,when the apples are ripe1 the initials will remain in light yellow on a red background4 ,the fun of eating fruit marked with one's own initials or monogram will be an unusual one for your guests4 ,should you have the detail of your party pretty well in mind1 you will readily think of a number of devices which you may 8appleize0 in this fashion4 ,witches1 for instance1 can be thus 8painted0 on the fruit4 ,finding the ,candle4 ,this is an admirable penance4 ,the victim1 having been shown the position of the candle1 is securely blindfolded1 and after having been turned around once or twice1 is requested to go and blow it out4 ,the ,full ,moon4 ,an original moon can be made from a cheese-box covered with cotton cloth1 on which a very jolly face is painted4 ,this can be drawn up by a string and pulley1 and illuminated by a candle placed behind it4 ,cabinet ,manifestations4 ,the medium has a boy with her about seven years of age and quite small4 ,he comes in with her1 under her skirt or cloak1 and is not noticed4 ,she enters a cabinet1 passes her hands through openings in the sides of the cabinet and her hands are held by a committee1 or1 her hands may be securely tied together before going into the cabinet1 and all the usual cabinet work goes on4 ,the boy rings the bells1 plays musical instrument1 etc41 etc4 ,the cabinet is made of some black material and the transparent gauze is of some light color4 ,the boy may be dressed all in black4 ,spirit ,pictures4 ,the performer shows a wooden frame1 on which is a piece of cloth1 both sides of which are shown1 and this is placed on an easel4 ,a lamp is then placed behind a cloth1 thus rendering it transparent and impossible for any one to touch from behind without being seen4 ,lights are then lowered a trifle1 a little music1 and a spirit picture is slowly precipitated upon the cloth in colors1 this being visible to every one present4 ,for this experiment1 procure the following ingredients from some druggist3 sulphate of iron1 for blue2 nitrate of bismuth1 for yellow2 sulphate of copper1 for brown2 make solutions separately of each1 by dissolving a small quantity of each ingredient in warm water4 ,now make a solution of prussiate of potash1 and put it in a bottle atomizer4 ,with a brush for each color1 make a picture1 landscape1 portrait or1 anything you desire1 on a screen of unbleached muslin4 ,when dry1 these are invisible4 ,show the screen and set it on an easel in front of cabinet4 ,slightly dampen the muslin and place a lamp back of it on a chair1 lower lights a trifle2 your assistant or medium in cabinet takes the atomizer1 and from behind sprays all over the back of screen with the solution of prussiate of potash1 which slowly brings colors out4 ,the effect is weird1 and1 although perhaps not artistic1 it is a novelty and is apparently done by unseen agency4 ,if a light is placed at back of screen1 the audience can see that no one approaches the screen4 ,a little music covers the sound of the atomizer4 ,always see that the atomizer is screwed up air-tight before using it4 ,parlor ,magic4 ,make a hole in one side of each of six candles1 cutting through until the wick is severed4 ,these holes must be at various distances from the top--different in each candle4 ,now1 if you should light one of these candles1 it would burn steadily until the flame got down to the hole1 when the cut in the wick would cause the candle to go out4 ,if you should light them all together they would go out at different times1 as the holes are at different places4 ,this is where your trick comes in4 ,place your candles in a row on a table1 with the holes away from your audience1 and then light all six4 ,now1 you begin to relate a story about a little girl who was alone in the house and was afraid of the dark1 and who lighted six candles to keep up her courage4 ,she heard queer noises about the house1 and drew close to the light1 and then 7pointing to the candle with the hole nearest the top7 the first candle went out6 ,of course you time your first words1 so that you say 8out0 just before the flame reaches the hole4 ,as you reach the second point in your tale the second candle goes out1 and so on throughout the rest of the six4 ,you may have the holes vary but a fraction of an inch in their distances from the top of the candle1 and tell a very short story1 or you may have your tale a long one1 with the distances of the holes from the top of the candle1 varying an inch or so4 ,by first lighting one candle and watching it burn for a few minutes you can tell almost exactly how long the flame will take to reach a given point4 ,if you do not have the candles go out in rotation1 but skip around from the first to the fifth1 then to the second1 to the sixth1 the fourth and third1 you can still further mystify your audience1 and if your story be well told the effect will be very pretty indeed4 ,the ,demon ,bell4 ,a small bell is examined and found to have no clapper4 ,it is then presumed it can make no sound1 save by visible means4 ,however1 the performer sets it upon a small examined table1 which stands quite close to audience1 and at command1 the bell begins to ring4 ,it obeys every demand made upon it1 yet no means of producing sound can be found4 ,to produce this effect1 use a small call-bell1 such as used on a table4 ,a black thread is carried across the stage1 and one end is permanently fastened1 while the other is in the hands of an assistant1 who stands out of sight4 ,in the middle of thread is fastened a small shot4 ,the assistant uses this as a clapper1 and when examination is desired1 he drops the thread and shot on the floor1 where they will not be visible4 ,the ,animated ,skull4 ,this is a model in papier-mach1 and being hollow1 is very serviceable4 ,it is caused to rise from the hat by means of a black thread1 which is carried through a staple immediately over the performer's table1 thence through another staple out of sight and down to the assistant4 ,the ,perilous ,ring4 ,put flour on a plate in the shape of a high pyramid4 ,on the very tip of the pyramid place a ring4 ,arrange the guests in line1 and have each one in turn cut away part of the flour with a knife1 warning them not to cut near enough to the ring to make it fall1 or the one doing so will suffer a dreadful penalty4 ,if the crowd is small each will have several turns4 ,the flour must be cut away until the ring falls4 ,it becomes very exciting toward the end1 as each one tries to cut away as little as possible4 ,when the ring finally drops1 the unlucky one must pick it out of the plate with his teeth4 ,of course he gets flour all over his nose and chin4 ,nose and ,goggle ,party4 ,to fun-loving people who enjoy the grotesque1 great sport will be found in giving a ,nose and ,goggle ,party4 ,here two objects will be gained3 merriment and disguise4 ,each guest wears a false nose and goggles4 ,the nose may be purchased1 or clever fingers can make it of heavy cardboard covered with chamois4 ,jack-o'-,lanterns4 ,the effect of these may be heightened by sticking pins through pumpkin seeds and placing them in the comers of the eyes for the irises and into the mouth for teeth4 ,this makes the lantern exceptionally attractive and 8realistic40 ,the ,surprising ,candle4 ,this is a very clever contrivance1 calculated to cause consternation and astonishment to any individual with ordinary nerves4 ,supposing yourself to be the victim1 how would you feel if1 when retiring to bed in some strange establishment1 just as you were thinking of blowing out the candle1 it should suddenly explode with no small report1 the light be extinguished1 and in place of the flame a small ghost with outstretched arms would appear1 shining with a phosphorescent glow8 ,i venture to think you would be very1 very much surprised2 and yet this is the effect produced by this ingenious construction4 ,by examination it will be found that the lower half of the candle is really a thin cardboard case1 enameled to resemble a wax candle1 and containing a small ghost whose arms fly apart when released from their bondage4 ,to the bottom of this ghost is affixed a wire spring4 ,the upper half of the candle is perfectly ordinary1 and merely stuck on to the lower portion2 the joint being hidden by a rubbing of wax4 ,on top of the ghost's head a few gunpowder caps1 such as are supplied at toy shops for children's pistols1 are laid4 ,now the candle can be lighted1 and it will burn quite respectably until it reaches the caps1 which1 by their explosion1 cause everybody's attention to be drawn in that one direction1 just in time to see the appearance of the ghost1 it being forced upwards by the action of the spring simultaneously with the discharge4 ,the wicked little image should be liberally coated with luminous paint1 and the effect can be better imagined than described4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the foregoing are only a few of a vast number of similar diversions1 but they are ones most to be commended1 and will be sufficient to produce many an hour of harmless mirth1 and very likely lead to the acquirement of much useful knowledge1 as well4 ,,the ,,end4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,obvious punctuation errors repaired4 ,page #abf1 repeated word 8any0 removed from text 7takes any number of cards7 ,page #afa1 8mache0 changed to 8mach0 7papier-mach1 and being7