,library of ,congress7                  
,frontispiece3 ,girl on a swing         
,,healthful ,,sports   ,,for   ,,young  
,,ladies2   ,,illustrated ,,by          
,,eleven ,,elegant ,,engravings1 ,,from 
,,drawings ,,by ,j4 ,,dugourc1          
,draughtsman to ,his ,majesty the ,king 
of ,france2   ,accompanied by           
,descriptions1   ,,translated ,,from    
,,the ,,french ,,of ,,mademoiselle ,,st4
 ,,sernin1   ,,and ,,interspersed ,,with
   ,,original ,,poetry ,,and            
,,anecdotes4    ,,london3   ,,printed   
,,for ,r4 ,,ackermann1 ,,repository ,,of
 ,,arts1 #aja1 ,,strand4   ,,by ,w4     
,,clowes1 ,,northumberland-,,court4     
,,preface4   ,the most eminent          
physicians dwell particularly upon the  
necessity there is for young ladies1 as 
they advance towards womanhood1 to take 
active and regular exercise2 and to     
avoid1 as much as possible1 all         
sedentary amusements4 ,that love of     
variety1 however1 so natural to the     
human mind1 and which is particularly   

observable in children1 renders it a    
matter of some difficulty to diversify  
their sports1 so as to discover a       
sufficient number of games that require 
exertion3 we1 however1 flatter ourselves
 that this has been accomplished1 in the
 little ,work here presented to the     
reader in an ,english dress4 ,they will 
find in it instructions for playing at a
 great number of games1 of such a nature
 that they cannot fail of being         
conducive to their health2 and which1   
while they afford an innocent relaxation
 from study1 will be eminently useful in
 forming that easy and graceful         
carriage1 which can only result from the
 free and active motion of the limbs1   
necessarily produced by frequently      
playing at these games4  ,the prose part
 of the work has been faithfully        
rendered into ,english from the ,french 
original2 but the ,proprietor is        
indebted to the author of the ,tours of 
the original ,dr4 ,syntax1 who has      
enriched this little ,repository of     

,youthful ,sports1 with some elegant    
verses1 illustrative1 in a moral point  
of view1 of the games described4        
,,healthful ,,sports  ,,for  ,,young    
,,ladies4     ,,the ,,swing4   ,madame  
,d',hernilly was accustomed to pass1    
every year1 several of the summer months
 in the country3 a particular           
circumstance obliged her to go there    
sooner than usual1 and her husband1 who 
was one of the chief magistrates in the 
capital1 was not able to accompany her4 
,her only companions were her two       
daughters1 both young girls4 ,there was 
very little society to be met with in   
that part of the country where ,madame  
,d',hernilly's castle was situated3 the 
nearest town1 which was at a distance of
 two or three leagues1 was a small      
place1 with but few genteel inhabitants2
 and1 even were it otherwise1 she would 
not have been tempted to mix with her   
neighbours4 ,solitude was her choice and
 her device1 till the time of the       
vacation3 at that period she expected to

 be joined by her husband and her only  
son4 ,the visits she received in the    
mean time were confined to those of two 
ladies in the neighbourhood1 and their  
daughters1 and these were admitted only 
on condition that they brought with them
 no men1 not even those of middle age4  
,adela and ,ernestina1 the daughters of 
,madame ,d',hernilly1 found this lonely 
life very dull2 in fact it suited ill   
with the vivacity of their age2 and1 in 
order to enliven it1 they managed to    
prevail upon the two ladies1 their      
neighbours1 to leave behind them at the 
castle three young persons who          
accompanied them there on a visit4 ,this
 addition to the family was delightful  
to ,adela and ,ernestina1 for they were 
equally in want of employment and       
amusement4 ,they had read over and over 
all the books they brought with them    
from ,paris4 ,as their masters had not  
accompanied them1 they did not pursue   
their studies regularly1 but only took  
occasionally a few lessons upon the     

piano-forte1 and of singing1 so that a  
great portion of their time was         
unemployed4  ,a moralist has said1 with 
much reason1 that the mind requires     
relaxation2 and as it is necessary to   
seek employment1 in order to preserve   
oneself from the evil habits which are  
the offspring of idleness1 so it is     
equally requisite to relieve the fatigue
 of labour by recreation2 a proper      
mixture of both keeps up the spirits1   
and preserves the health of the mind as 
well as that of the body4 ,in mixing    
with society we lose the remembrance of 
past troubles1 and even present ones    
weigh less heavily upon our spirits4    
,the mind1 in short1 resembles a        
fruitful soil1 like which it should     
sometimes be suffered to lie fallow2 or 
rather it may be compared to a farmer   
with whom a landlord is obliged to act  
leniently1 and to give him time for     
payment1 for fear that by demanding his 
rent too strictly1 the farmer's         
resources should fail1 and he should be 

ruined4  ,our five young friends were   
not obliged to rack their brains to find
 amusement4 ,in the beginning of the    
visit the youngest1 named ,adriana1     
taught the grown-up girls those dances  
which they had learned in their childish
 days1 but had already forgotten2 8,my  
fine ,castle10 8,we will not go again to
 the ,wood10 8,the ,duke de ,bourbon10  
c4 c4 ,these are things out of date1 we 
must allow1 but they will always be new 
for children1 and our imitations of them
 are1 after all1 lifeless copies2 they  
want the spirit of the originals8,the   
,chevalier de la ,marjolaine10 8,the    
,tower10 8,take ,care10 8,hands ,round10
 amused even ,madame ,d',hernilly1 who  
herself did not disdain sometimes to    
join in them4  ,the pleasure which they 
found in renewing their childish games  
gave to our young people the idea of    
taking advantage of a swing1 which was  
already erected in the garden4 ,persons 
of a more advanced age1 and             
distinguished by grave occupations1 did 

not look upon it as any disgrace to take
 the exercise of swinging1 during the   
months of ,august and ,september1 when  
the castle was crowded with guests4 ,the
 posts which supported the swing were a 
little decayed since the preceding year1
 but they were soon repaired4 ,madame   
,d',hernilly recommended prudence to the
 young people in partaking of this      
amusement1 and1 as an additional        
precaution1 she took care to be present 
whenever they enjoyed it1 and strictly  
ordered that no one should swing in her 
absence4 ,they were prohibited standing 
upon the seat2 neither were two persons 
allowed to get in at the same time2     
,ernestina1 or ,agla1 or another of     
their friends1 placed themselves by     
turns upon the seat1 which was furnished
 with a soft cushion2 and1 while the one
 who took the exercise grasped the cords
 tightly with her two hands1 two or     
three of her companions pulled the end  
of the cord1 and thus made it go        
backward and forward4  ,satiety would   

not have interrupted this amusement1 but
 bad weather came on suddenly1 and it   
was impossible for our young folks to   
frequent the garden4 ,thus thwarted in  
their favourite sport1 they set their   
wits to work to find out some other     
agreeable pastime4  ,adriana regretted  
the swing less than her play-fellows3 a 
new doll1 which had been sent her from  
,paris1 was her faithful companion2 and1
 shall ,i add1 the others envied her    
happiness8 ,they contrived1 however1 to 
participate in it1 for1 under the sly   
pretence of amusing little ,adriana1    
they made much of her doll4 ,they took  
pains to dress her1 to curl her hair    
nicely1 and to put on her cap to the    
best advantage4 ,they made dresses for  
her1 and even pretty little             
rose-coloured silk slippers4 ,in short1 
the doll's drawers were soon completely 
filled with a very handsome wardrobe4   
,they were just beginning to tire of the
 amusement1 which making the doll's     
clothes had at first afforded them1 when

 one morning1 ,agla1 one of the young   
visitors1 happening to open a book by   
chance1 read aloud1 that it was by      
trying the effects of the reflection and
 the refraction of the light through the
 fragile partitions of soap bubbles1    
that the great ,newton had discovered   
the properties of the prism1 and        
decomposed the rays of the sun4  ,madame
 ,d',hernilly expressed her admiration  
of this phenomenon in natural           
philosophy2 but she did not understand  
the subject sufficiently to give her    
little auditors much information upon   
it4 8,but pray10 cried ,adriana giddily1
 8why should we not try to make some    
discoveries ourselves1 by blowing soap  
bubbles1 they are so pretty80 8,oh fie10
 cried the elder girls1 very            
consequentially2 but one of them        
immediately added1 8,i remember to have 
read in ,la ,fontaine1 this excellent   
thought#8,nothing is useless to people  
of sense4'0  8,it is indeed a very just 
idea10 said ,madame ,d',hernilly1 8and  

,i think1 my children1 you will do well 
to take advantage of ,adriana's         
proposal40 ,the matter was then put to  
the vote1 much in the same manner as    
they had learned from the newspapers1   
the national affairs are decided in the 
chamber of deputies4 ,ernestina1 and one
 of the young visitors1 ranged          
themselves on the left1 to shew that    
they rejected a motion for playing at   
such a childish game2 ,adriana1 and her 
companions1 took the right side1 and    
they were lucky enough to secure the    
support of the centre1 of which ,madame 
,d',hernilly was the only member2 they  
had consequently a majority1 and it was 
decided that they should play at blowing
 soap bubbles4 8,who knows10 said ,agla1
 smiling1 8whether we shall not1 like   
the illustrious ,newton1 make some new  
and great discovery40 ,this idea raised 
their impatience to begin1 and luckily1 
the preparations for their experiment   
were soon made4 ,a chambermaid brought  
some soap suds1 rather thick in a china 

basin2 ,adriana chose among some little 
bits of straw1 the one which suited best
 with her design1 and slit the extremity
 in four parts1 then dipped the end she 
had slit in the soap suds1 and blew in  
the other extremity of the straw4 ,each 
blew in her turn1 and formed bubbles    
which reflected all the brilliant       
colours of the rainbow1 but which1      
unfortunately1 were as transient as they
 were beautiful4  ,madame ,d',hernilly  
astonished the young people very much1  
by explaining to them the process by    
which enamellers formed the balls of the
 thermometer3 it is done by blowing     
through a glass tube1 the extremity of  
which is made red hot1 and softened by  
the fire of a lamp4 ,she added1 that    
they had adopted this method also in    
glass manufactories1 and that goblets1  
bottles1 in a word1 almost all the      
utensils which we use in glass and      
crystal1 are blown in a similar manner4 
,our little band now struggled with each
 other1 to see who should form the      

largest bubble1 and who should make it  
rise highest in the air3 one of them    
waved her pocket-handkerchief to make it
 rise higher and higher1 till the bubble
 burst1 and the illusion was destroyed4 
,madame ,d',hernilly1 who recollected   
some verses on the subject of this      
amusement1 took the opportunity of      
repeating them1 and impressing their    
moral on the minds of her young         
audience4     ,,blowing ,,bubbles4      
,see how the cherub children play   ,and
 force the bubbles on their way1        
,which1 as in various course they sail1 
,borne by the zephyr's gentle gale1     
,catch the tints which ,phbus gives     
,while the arial globule lives2   ,but  
soon it bursts1 and all is gone1   ,the 
children mourn their pleasure done4     
,say1 do we not too often see   ,mankind
 in this same sport agree2   ,who their 
intrinsic good forego1   ,for the bright
 gleams of outward show4   ,this        
amusement did not last longer than the  
morning1 and at night our juvenile group

 were again at a loss for something to  
do4 ,adriana was once more the first to 
find out a new species of amusement4 ,in
 hunting about1 she1 at length1         
discovered some cards1 and immediately  
began1 with great alacrity1 to arrange  
files of soldiers and to build houses   
with the cards4 ,the elder girls found a
 malicious pleasure in throwing down her
 houses1 just as she had brought them to
 the last story2 and in blowing upon her
 soldiers in order to make them fall1   
just before the file was properly       
arranged4 ,as ,adriana was              
good-tempered1 she put up with their    
tricks quietly1 though she meditated    
perhaps in her own mind some method of  
soon taking her revenge4  ,madame       
,d',hernilly seized the occasion which  
the cards presented to her1 to give the 
young people some account of the manner 
in which they were first introduced4    
,almost all historians agree in saying1 
that they imagine games with cards were 
first invented in the reign of ,charles 

the ,sixth of ,france1 in order to      
procure that prince some amusement      
during his long illness4 ,as a proof    
that this is the fact1 they cite the    
register of the chamber of accounts1 in 
which there is the following passage3   
8the sum of fifty-six sous ,parisis1    
7which was a very considerable sum in   
those times71 was paid to ,jacquemin    
,gringonneur1 a painter1 for three packs
 of cards1 adorned with gold and divers 
colours1 and different devices40 ,this  
passage proves nothing more than that   
,gringonneur was a card-maker1 but not  
the inventor of any game4 ,in making    
further researches1 we find that        
,charles the ,fifth1 predecessor of     
,charles the ,sixth1 had prohibited the 
playing at cards1 and that they were    
already known in ,spain towards the year
 #accj1 under the name of ,naipes4  ,all
 the ,european nations give to the four 
principal cards of each suit1 the names 
of ace1 king1 queen1 and knave1         
according to the denominations which    

correspond in each language2 but the    
names of the four suits vary2 hearts and
 spades are pretty nearly the only ones1
 the appellations of which are analogous
 in the different languages4 ,the       
diamond is called carreau in ,french1   
and oros1 which means jewel1 in         
,spanish4 ,the club called in ,french   
trfle1 and in ,spanish bastos1 has1 like
 the diamond1 a corresponding           
signification in the ,spanish and       
,english languages1 because the name in 
both signifies a stick4 ,in ,germany1 it
 was formerly made like a cross1 and it 
still retains the name of kreuz4 ,these 
little hints may be found worthy of the 
attention of those persons who seek to  
discover the origin of cards4  ,the     
young ladies questioned ,madame         
,d',hernilly about the rules of the     
different games at cards3 but1 upon this
 point1 she did not think it right to   
satisfy their curiosity4 8,it must be   
owned10 she said1 8that we find fewer   
examples among women than men1 of an    

inordinary fondness for cards1 but we   
cannot be too much upon our guard       
against the love of play3 recollect1    
besides1 the observation1 unfortunately 
too just1 which one of our poets makes  
upon the avidity with which people      
sometimes give themselves up to         
gaming3#8,we begin by being dupes1 and  
end by being cheats4'0  8,long live our 
childish games60 cried ,ernestina1      
8these at least do not occasion any     
remorse40     ,,the ,,shuttlecock ,,and 
,,the ,,see-,,saw4   ,the weather       
cleared up1 and the young people resumed
 their usual walks in the garden4 ,the  
swing was out of order1 and ,madame     
,d',hernilly would not permit them to   
make use of it till it was repaired4    
,the imagination of our juvenile group  
quickly suggested something to supply   
its place4 ,a plank1 placed across a    
very solid marble bracket1 which they   
happened to find on the ground in the   
middle of the bower1 was fastened to it 
by iron cramps1 in order to render it   

more secure4 ,the gardener1 one of those
 ingenious fellows to whom we give the  
name of jack-of-all-trades1 because he  
knew a little of every thing1 and was   
besides a very decent mason1 smith1 and 
even blacksmith1 seconded the impatience
 of the young ladies3 the see-saw was   
soon ready1 and ,adriana and ,agla were 
the first to spring upon it4 ,they were 
both of them of the same height1 and    
about the same weight1 conditions quite 
necessary for the players at this game4 
,madame ,d',hernilly watched that their 
alternate ascent and descent should be  
managed without any jerk1 which might   
derange the machine1 or1 which was      
worse1 make the young ladies1 who were  
seated at each extremity1 lose their    
balance4  ,illustration3 ,girls on a    
see-saw  ,i recollect at this moment    
some moral lines upon the game of       
see-saw2 they are rather obsolete1 and  
the versification is not distinguished  
for its elegance1 but the lines contain 
a maxim well worth remembering1 the     

force of which could not be heightened  
by the finest language3    ,behold the  
play-game2 those who rise   ,seem as    
they would reach the skies2   ,but soon 
they find that they descend1   ,and to  
the earth as quickly tend4   ,thus      
,fortune guides the rolling ball1       
,while these ascend1 the others fall4   
,there are some see-saws of a double    
construction1 which are mounted upon a  
revolving pivot1 four persons may       
balance themselves at the same time upon
 these machines1 two and two2 the one   
who descends touches the ground lightly1
 with his foot to the right or to the   
left2 it results from this1 that the    
persons who play move continually in    
rotation in one direction or another2   
this variety of motion is indispensable1
 for the head would become giddy if the 
players moved very long in the same     
direction4  ,when ,adriana and ,agla    
were tired of their new sport1 two of   
the elder girls mounted the see-saw1 and
 while they were enjoying this exercise1

 two others occupied themselves with a  
more common amusement2 each of them1    
armed with a battledore1 threw to one   
another a shuttlecock4 ,this game is too
 well known to our young readers1 for   
any description of it to be necessary4  
,such of our little friends as are      
curious respecting the manners1 customs1
 and amusements of distant countries1   
may like to know1 that in ,china1 and   
other countries of ,asia1 they play at  
shuttlecock with the foot4 ,the ,chinese
 shuttlecock1 like ours1 is decorated   
with feathers1 but they place at the    
bottom a small bit of lead1 or some     
pieces of copper money to render it     
heavier2 they make use of the instep to 
push it1 as is frequently done at the   
game of football4 ,the following verses 
were written upon the play of           
shuttlecock by ,pannard1 and are thus   
translated3    ,reason1 whene'er your   
humour's gay1   ,you treat us just as   
children play1   ,when with their       
battledores they force   ,the           

shuttlecock in airy course4   ,about you
 beat us as you please1   ,till tir'd1  
we wish the game to cease2   ,and1 when 
we fall upon the floor1   ,you pick us  
up to play1 as you have done before4    
,illustration3 ,girls with shuttlecocks 
and rackets  ,when all the young ladies 
were tired of the game of see-saw1 and  
that ,adriana had taken1 or tried in    
vain to take1 a sufficient number of    
butterflies1 the whole party united and 
continued to play at shuttlecock4 ,it is
 not impossible for four or five people 
to amuse themselves together1 when they 
have a sufficient number of battledores1
 but it is better to do it by turns1 or 
in the following manner4 ,when a player 
fails to send back the shuttlecock which
 is sent to her1 she should give up her 
place to another1 and if the new player 
fails1 she also should in her turn yield
 her place to a fresh competitor1 and so
 on1 till each enjoys the amusement in  
rotation4 ,such was the method pursued  
by our young players2 but we do not know

 whether disputes might not sometimes   
have arisen from it1 had not ,madame    
,d',hernilly1 as we before observed1    
always mixed in the sports of the       
children1 and1 by her presence1         
prevented squabbles4  ,the famous       
,christina1 queen of ,sweden1 was very  
fond of the game of ,shuttlecock4 ,one  
day1 during this queen's stay in        
,france1 in the time of ,louis ,,xiv41  
she asked the learned ,bochart1 whom she
 had attracted to her court1 to play    
with her4 ,he did not need much         
entreaty1 but immediately taking off his
 cloak1 began a game with her ,majesty4 
,some of his friends ridiculed his      
complaisance1 but they were wrong2 a    
refusal would have been at once pedantic
 and ill-bred4  ,before we quit this    
subject1 we must say a few words        
respecting sognettes1 or1 as we call    
them in ,english1 battledores4 ,they    
are1 as every body knows1 little hoops  
of wood bent in an oval1 and the        
extremities1 united to form a handle1   

are kept together by strips of white    
leather bound round them4 ,the interior 
of the battledore is a netting made of  
catgut1 which is stretched lightly4     
,those learned people who found fault   
with ,bochart for making use of the     
battledore1 have written several grave  
dissertations1 for the purpose of       
ascertaining whether the ancients were  
acquainted with this game2 those who are
 of opinion they were1 cite this verse  
of ,ovid3    ,reticuloque pil leves     
fundantur aperto4  ,this passage of the 
,latin poet evidently means a net-work1 
upon which not shuttlecocks1 but light  
balls1 were tossed backwards and        
forwards4  ,as to our young             
rattle-pates1 they were not at all      
curious to learn whether the amusement  
was of ancient or modern invention2     
leaving that to be ascertained by graver
 heads1 they entered with so much ardour
 into the spirit of the game1 that time 
flew unperceived1 till their amusement  
was at last interrupted by the castle   

bell announcing the dinner-hour4  ,on   
the following day1 as there was not a   
sufficient number of battledores and    
shuttlecocks for every body1 one of the 
young visitors1 named ,valeria1         
contrived a very ingenious means of     
supplying their place4 ,she took a small
 hoop1 which she had procured from a    
barrel of oysters1 and bound it round   
with pink and white ribbon2 five or six 
young persons1 armed with sticks1 stood 
in a group1 one of them threw this hoop 
to a great height in the air1 and each  
of them caught it and threw it up again 
in her turn4 ,when any one failed1 they 
were obliged to quit the game for a     
moment1 or to give a forfeit4 ,this is  
called the game of the 8flying ring10 it
 resembles in many respects the play of 
the 8funnel10 which we shall speak of   
by-and-by4  ,sometimes1 in order to     
heighten the pleasure of the game1 the  
players added three little bells to the 
ring1 and these bells striking while the
 ring turned in the air1 served to      

announce its approach4     ,,the ,,games
 ,,of ,,thread-,,my-,,needle1 ,,and     
,,the ,,wolf4   ,madame ,d',hernilly's  
birth-day was celebrated by her family  
without parade or ceremony3 the         
offerings upon this occasion were those 
of the heart alone4 ,the neighbouring   
farmers1 and superior class of peasants1
 presented themselves at the castle1 to 
offer their congratulations to ,madame  
on the return of the day2 their little  
girls1 dressed in white1 brought her    
flowers4 ,madame ,d',hernilly received  
with pleasure the simple offerings of   
these worthy people1 for whom she       
prepared pleasures suited to their      
taste4 ,the court of the castle became  
the theatre of a fte champtre1 which not
 only lasted the whole day1 but was     
prolonged during the evening1 by the    
light of a number of small lamps4 ,the  
villagers amused themselves with        
dancing1 and at night they were regaled 
with a simple collation4  ,illustration3
 ,girls amusing themselves outdoors     

,while the villagers were enjoying the  
dance1 their children were diverting    
themselves in the gardens of the castle 
with the young ladies and their         
visitors4 ,as the games which they      
commonly played would not suffice for   
the amusement of so many1 ,ernestina1   
who had a very ready invention1 proposed
 to them a new game1 which she assured  
them was quite original4 ,we know that  
children1 and particularly young persons
 who are just past childhood1 play      
sometimes at a game called 8,who will   
laugh last80 ,the mode of playing this  
game is very simple2 they look each     
other full in the face1 using at the    
same time every effort to preserve their
 gravity1 and the first who smiles1 even
 in the slightest degree1 gives a       
forfeit1 or else her companions impose a
 slight penance upon her4  ,ernestina   
invented a game of this sort1 in which a
 great number of persons might be       
engaged at once4 ,it was a trial who    
should remain the longest time          

motionless in the same place4 ,this     
play1 it must be confessed1 did not     
promise much amusement1 but the         
preparations were entertaining enough4  
,madame ,d',hernilly's daughters had the
 greatest trouble to make the young     
villagers comprehend what they were to  
do2 some of them1 as soon as they were  
placed in proper positions1 and desired 
to remain without moving as long as they
 possibly could1 turned round           
immediately to the opposite side1 and   
asked1 with great simplicity1 what they 
were to do8 ,the confusion which        
resulted from these blunders was very   
diverting to the lookers-on4 ,at last   
every thing was arranged1 and the game  
might have gone on smoothly enough1 but 
for want of patience in the players1 who
 very naturally got tired of this silent
 amusement as soon as they began it2    
and1 passing at once from one extreme to
 the other1 in which1 by-the-by1 they   
resembled many grown people1 they       
adopted the proposal of a pretty little 

peasant1 to play at the game of         
8,thread-my-needle40 ,they comprehended 
with great facility the explanation     
which she gave them of it1 and they     
began to play at it immediately4  ,the  
young ladies1 their visitors1 and the   
villagers1 took each other by the hand1 
and formed a long file3 they arranged   
themselves in such a manner that the two
 tallest girls were at the end of this  
file1 and one of the most active at the 
opposite extremity4 ,the lot fell to    
,agla to conduct the joyous band2 and   
while the two last remained fixed in    
their places1 with their arms raised1   
she passed under them1 and all those who
 followed her did the same3 after making
 a circuit1 ,agla returned between the  
second and the third1 then between the  
third and the fourth1 and so on1 till by
 coming nearer and nearer1 she found    
herself obliged at last to make a turn  
under the arm of the young girl who was 
next her2 this is the termination of the
 game4 ,each of them took her turn in   

this manner to pass under one another's 
arms1 as a thread drawn through a       
needle1 and1 directed by a skilful hand1
 successively runs through all the      
meshes of a web4  ,this exercise does   
not require any particular degree of    
agility1 the main point is to hold each 
other by the hand firmly1 and to take   
care that you do not lose your hold4    
,half an hour was long enough to tire   
our young revellers of this game1 and   
they had recourse to another somewhat   
similar to it1 called queue-le-leu1 or  
sometimes more simply termed the wolf4  
,they tossed up to see who should be    
wolf2 the chance fell upon ,adriana1 who
 stood alone on one side during some    
time2 her companions1 holding each other
 by the tails of their gowns1 ranged    
themselves behind a tall and active     
female villager1 who was to play the    
shepherdess4 ,it was expressly agreed   
upon1 that ,adriana should only take the
 last of the flock1 and the shepherdess 
took all possible care to prevent her   

getting at that one4 ,the struggle was a
 little unequal1 because the            
shepherdess's movements were quicker and
 more abrupt than those of the poor     
little wolf4 ,fortunately1 those girls  
who formed the tail of the flock1 had   
not so much strength or agility as their
 shepherdess1 they relaxed by degrees in
 their exertions1 and ,adriana took     
advantage of it to catch the last2 the  
file was then thrown into disorder1 and 
they suffered themselves to be taken one
 after another4 ,as fast as ,adriana    
made a captive1 it was placed behind    
her1 and the flock of wolves became at  
last so formidable1 that they completely
 surrounded the sheep1 and not one of   
them could escape4 ,valeria1 ,ernestina1
 and the others1 each in their turn1    
became the wolf2 and when they were     
tired of this game1 they divided into   
groups1 and played at 8hide and seek10  
8puss in the corner10 8paquets10 and    
other sports1 which the villagers       
delight to play at in their rustic ftes4

  ,illustration3 ,girls playing with    
yoyo and balls     ,,the                
,,cup-,,and-,,ball1 ,,the ,,devil1 ,,the
 ,,solitaire1 ,,emigrant1 ,,dominos1 c4 
,the ,misses ,d',hernilly received from 
their brother a delightful present1 and 
one worthy of the affection which these 
amiable children bore to each other4    
,young ,d',hernilly had learned by a    
letter from ,ernestina1 that the        
companions whom his sister met with at  
the castle1 were younger than           
themselves1 and that1 in conformity to  
the taste of their little friends1 the  
,misses ,d',hernilly had resumed the    
trifling and puerile amusements of their
 childish days4 ,upon receiving this    
intelligence1 ,victor ,d',hernilly went 
immediately to one of the most elegant  
toy-shops1 and purchased a complete     
collection of all sorts of games1 which 
he sent to his sisters by the first     
opportunity4  ,my little readers will   
easily conceive1 that the arrival of    
this present occasioned a grand         

rejoicing among the young inmates of the
 castle4 ,each vied with the other who  
should first try the 8cup-and-ball10 the
 8solitaire10 and the other play-things1
 some of which were unfortunately gone a
 little out of fashion1 such as the     
8,devil10 and above all1 the            
8,emigrant10 the name of which alone is 
sufficient to indicate its origin4      
,madame ,d',hernilly who still continued
 to share in the amusements of the      
children1 was particularly attentive to 
them while they were engaged in these   
new games2 she made them keep at certain
 distances from each other1 lest they   
should be hurt by the ball of the       
cup-and-ball1 or by the fall of the     
devil4  ,the cup-and-ball1 in the       
management of which the celebrated      
,marquis of ,bivre is said to have      
excelled1 is of ancient origin1 since   
mention is made of it in ,rabelais4 ,it 
is composed of two parts1 which are     
united by a small cord1 the strongest1  
and at the same time1 the most flexible 

of its kind that can be procured4 ,one  
of the parts is a wooden or ivory stick1
 pointed at one extremity and rounded at
 the other2 the cord fixed in the centre
 of the stick1 supports a large ball1   
pierced through the middle by a hole1   
the cord which is passed through the    
smallest opening1 comes out at the large
 one2 then a knot is tied at the end1   
which secures the ball from falling     
down4  ,the player begins by twirling   
the ball so as to give it a very quick  
motion in a perpendicular direction2 you
 must wait a few seconds till you feel  
that the ball begins to move less       
quickly2 this is the moment to throw it 
up1 and if the aim is good1 the ball    
will be caught in the cup1 or with a    
more skilful player upon the point1     
which is called the spindle4 ,there are 
some players so clever1 that they will  
catch the ball every time2 two people   
may play at this game by trying in a    
given number of throws1 which will first
 be able to catch the ball4  ,an ancient

 historian1 named ,estoile1 tells us    
that ,king ,henry the ,third of ,france 
amused himself very frequently at       
cup-and-ball4 ,this game came suddenly  
into very great favour in the middle of 
,louis the ,fifteenth's reign2 it was in
 fact so much the fashion1 that the     
actresses had the cup-and-ball in their 
hand even upon the stage4  ,the         
,emigrant was at one time quite as much 
in vogue1 and it deserved it1 on account
 of its singular mechanism1 which though
 very simple causes it to remount of    
itself the whole length of the cord from
 which it descends4 ,the ,emigrant is a 
double disk1 made of ebony or ivory2 the
 two parts of this disk are united in   
the centre by a ball1 which is of the   
same shape1 and which forms a single    
piece2 the ball is pierced with a hole1 
through which a cord is passed1 the cord
 is knotted at the extremity in the same
 manner as the string of a cup-and-ball4
 ,you wind this cord round the ball1 and
 then raising it by one end1 you let the

 toy drop1 retaining only the end of the
 cord2 the toy falls1 but it has        
acquired a force of rotation1 which     
obliges it to roll itself round the cord
 in an opposite direction1 and it thus  
winds itself up almost to the very end  
of the cord4 ,it would in fact return of
 itself into your hand1 only that a part
 of its impulse is destroyed by the     
friction and the resistance of the air2 
you are therefore obliged to second its 
motion by the alternate play of the     
hand4 ,the ,emigrant descends and       
ascends without ceasing1 unless it gets 
deranged by the string getting out of   
the rut1 which is formed by the middle  
of the ball4  ,you may play with the    
,emigrant not only by giving it a       
vertical motion1 but also a horizontal  
one2 and you may make it go1 if you     
choose1 like a censer1 but this last    
method is not free from inconvenience1  
for if the string should chance to      
break1 the disk may hurt the people who 
are near the player1 or it may smash the

 looking-glasses or china4  ,the ,devil 
is a toy still more dangerous to        
furniture2 it is indeed so much so1 that
 one cannot without imprudence play with
 it in a room4 ,most people remember    
this noisy plaything1 for it was much in
 vogue a few years ago4 ,it is in some  
respects1 the reverse of the ,emigrant2 
but it is moved by the same principle4  
,it consists of two hollow balls1 which 
are cut out of the same piece of wood1  
and united by a common stalk4 ,sometimes
 instead of wood1 the toy is composed of
 tin1 pewter1 or even crystal2 it is    
hardly necessary to observe that the    
,devils of this last substance are the  
most expensive and the most fragile4    
,each ball is pierced with a hole into  
which the air enters1 and from which it 
escapes with impetuosity as the         
instrument turns round2 a continual     
noise results from this1 similar to that
 made by a ,german top4 ,the rotation of
 the ,devil is kept up by the alternate 
play of a small cord1 suspended between 

two sticks placed in each hand of the   
player4 ,you may throw this plaything   
very high1 even to the distance of      
fifteen or twenty feet1 and yet retain  
it upon the string2 but this cannot be  
done without exposing the poor ,devil to
 the chance of falling every instant2   
and it does not long survive repeated   
falls4  ,it seems likely that this game 
has been brought from ,india by the     
,english1 for it has been long known in 
,china1 and it is represented in some   
engravings sent from ,china1 by the     
missionaries thirty years ago4          
,adriana1 although the youngest of the  
girls1 had seized upon a toy1 the use of
 which requires both stillness and      
reflection2 consequently1 she did not   
expect much amusement from it4 ,it is   
called the ,solitaire1 because it can be
 played by a single person4  ,the       
,solitaire is a sort of octagon table1  
in which thirty-seven holes are made in 
the following order2 three upon the     
first row1 five upon the second1 seven  

upon the third1 fourth1 and fifth1 five 
upon the seventh1 and three upon the    
eighth and last row4  ,the thirty-seven 
holes receive little pegs of bone or    
ivory which are taken out at pleasure2  
but you must leave one of the holes     
towards the middle empty4 ,you take the 
pegs at this game in the same manner as 
at draughts1 jumping in a straight line 
over those who leave behind them an     
empty space4 ,you may take away the pegs
 in whatever way you think proper1 but  
at the end of the game there must remain
 only one peg2 if two or three1 or a    
greater number1 should remain so        
separated1 that they cannot be taken one
 after another1 the game is lost4  ,the 
combinations of this game are very      
varied1 and after you have won one game1
 you find it very difficult to play     
another exactly in the same manner4     
,this difficulty is a good deal         
increased by the manner in which players
 exercise themselves1 in leaving at     
different times a hole empty in various 

parts of the board1 first in one place1 
and then in another4  ,there was at this
 time a continued and heavy fall of     
rain1 which obliged our young friends to
 remain for some days within doors4     
,fortunately1 ,victor's liberality      
enabled them to amuse themselves as well
 in the house as in the open air4 ,in   
the parcel he had sent to them1 there   
were two sorts of shuttlecock2 the one  
we have already described1 and another  
in which the shuttlecock is received on 
each side in a sort of funnel attached  
to a long handle4 ,this exercise is less
 active than battledore and shuttlecock1
 because it is necessary that both the  
players should stand in a straight line4
 ,the dining-room was sufficiently      
spacious to admit of their playing this 
game with perfect convenience#a4  ,adela
 and ,ernestina laughed very heartily at
 seeing ,tee-totums among their         
brother's presents2 even ,adriana       
herself thought that this play was      
somewhat too childish2 nevertheless1    

after they had ridiculed ,victor for    
sending them ,tee-totums1 they          
demonstrated at last by playing with    
them1 that his foresight was not        
useless4 ,when they had played at this  
game in their infancy1 they had never   
troubled themselves to seek the         
signification of the letters marked on  
each side4 ,all their pleasure consisted
 in trying who should make the totum    
spin the longest4 ,sometimes they       
themselves made a totum of a            
button-mould into which they drove a    
nail1 a pin1 or a little wooden peg4    
,when ,madame ,d',hernilly explained to 
them what was meant by the letters      
engraved in black on the sides1 they    
conjectured that the amusement had been 
invented by grave professors of science1
 or at least by some of their pupils1   
who had made a certain progress2 for    
each of these letters ,p4 ,a4 ,d4 ,t4 is
 the initial of a ,latin word expressing
 divers chances of the game4 ,the letter
 ,p4 is the beginning of the ,latin word

 pone1 which signifies put down2 the    
person who throws it is obliged to put  
down a counter to the pool4 ,the letter 
,a4 is the initial of accipe1 that is to
 say1 receive2 the player who throws it 
gains a counter4 ,d4 the first letter of
 the ,latin word da1 in ,english give1  
obliges you if you turn it up1 to pay a 
counter4 ,if ,t1 the first letter of    
totum1 which signifies all1 should turn 
up1 you take all that is in the pool4   
,we need hardly tell our young readers1 
that it is from this word totum1 that   
the game takes its name4 ,there are some
 totums that have a greater number of   
sides than others2 this causes an       
infinite variety in the game1 and       
greatly increases the chances of gain or
 loss4 ,the totums with twelve sides1 do
 not differ much from a ball in form2   
but they are not turned upon a pivot1   
they are only rolled by the hand4 ,the  
sides are numbered up to twelve1 he who 
gains the highest point wins the game1  
and as this play does not require any   

profound combinations1 they have given  
it the familiar name of ,jack4  8,it is 
a pity10 said ,adriana1 8that ,victor   
did not send us a ,jack40 8,oh10 cried  
,adela1 8we may manage to have one with 
two dice1 which will produce the same   
numbers from two to twelve40 ,madame    
,d',hernilly surprised her daughters    
very much by proving to them1 that at   
the game of dice1 the chances were not  
equal1 and that they would find by      
calculation1 it was probable they might 
throw one number more frequently than   
another4  ,in the first place1 you can  
never throw the simple number #a1       
because you are obliged to make use of  
two dice2 the lowest number you can     
produce1 must therefore be #b1 which is 
formed by the two aces2 there is        
consequently only one means of producing
 this number3 #c may be formed in two   
ways1 that is to say1 with the ace of   
one die1 and the #b of another2 and then
 with the #b of the first1 and the ace  
of the second4  ,number #d may be formed

 in three ways1 by the double #b1 by #a 
and #c1 and by #c and #a4 ,number #e has
 four chances1 namely1 #b and #c1 #c and
 #b1 #d and #a1 #a and #d4  #f may be   
thrown in five different ways2 first1   
the double #c2 second1 #b and #d2 third1
 #d and #b2 fourth1 #e and ace2 fifth1  
ace and #e4  ,the chances are most in   
favour of the number #g2 it may be      
formed first by #f and ace2 second1 by  
ace and #f2 third by #e and #b2 fourth1 
by #b and #e2 fifth1 by #d and #c2      
sixth1 by #c and #d4  ,the numbers which
 follow these1 decrease in the same     
proportion as the preceding ones have   
augmented2 therefore there are five     
chances for number #h1 as there are for 
number #e2 the #i like the #d has four  
chances2 the #aj is gained in three ways
 like the #c2 and the #aa is made by two
 different combinations like the #b2    
lastly1 the number #ab can be produced  
only by the double #f4  ,it is very     
necessary to understand these           
combinations at the games of tric-trac1 

or backgammon2 the knowledge of them1 in
 fact1 constitutes the whole art of     
placing the men skilfully4  ,players at 
different games1 down even to the very  
game of goose1 have made use of these   
combinations in order to calculate the  
probable chances of the different       
numbers4 ,there is an infinite variety  
of drawings upon pasteboard designed for
 these games4 ,the game of the goose1   
and similar ones1 are disposed from #i  
to #i2 but you cannot stop there1 and it
 is not possible to arrive at the last  
number #fc1 till you have surmounted a  
great number of obstacles4 ,as a proof  
of this1 we need only observe how often 
it happens1 that when a person is nearly
 at the end of the game1 and upon the   
point of winning it1 he throws #f1 which
 is one of the most common throws1 and  
thus going beyond the required number is
 obliged to begin the game again4 ,the  
bridge1 the well1 the prison1 and death1
 that is to say1 the figures which      
represent these quicksands1 are arranged

 in such a manner1 that one falls into  
them by the numbers #f1 #g1 and #h1     
which come every instant4 ,in speaking  
upon this subject1 ,ernestina said      
facetiously1 that a comic poet was not  
in the wrong in making one of his       
personages say3    ,these games ,i      
prefer1 which the spirit amuse1   ,and  
'tis a nice game1 this same game of the 
,,goose4  ,adela1 who had seen her      
parents play at tric-trac1 asked the    
meaning of the words carmes1 sonnes1 c41
 which she had heard pronounced at this 
game4 ,madame ,d',hernilly informed her1
 that they call the two aces leset2 the 
two trays ternes2 the two fours carmes2 
the two fives1 quines2 the two sixes    
sonnez4 ,there is no particular         
denomination for the double deuce4      
,with three dice1 the chances are still 
more multiplied1 and it would be very   
easy to calculate them2 three points    
alike are called raffle1 that is to say1
 a raffle of aces1 a raffle of trays1 a 
raffle of sixes1 c4 c4  ,from explaining

 the chances of the dice1 ,madame       
,d',hernilly turned to that of the      
osselets1 or knuckle bones1 which the   
ancients used nearly in the same manner 
as we do dice4 ,they placed two or three
 in the dice box1 and they reckoned a   
certain number of points according to   
what was turned up4 ,the game was1      
however1 looked upon only as a childish 
amusement4 ,phrates1 king of the        
,parthians1 wishing to reproach         
,demetrius1 king of ,syria1 for his     
habitual levity1 sent him some golden   
osselets4  ,our children employed the   
little bone which is found in the leg of
 mutton1 and which we call cramp-bone1  
or else small pieces of ivory cut to    
resemble it4 ,the convex side is called 
the back1 the opposite side which is    
concave1 is called the hollow1 and the  
two other sides are called the flat     
sides4 ,the osselet is thrown up into   
the air1 and before it falls1 the player
 is obliged to place those which remain 
upon the tube one after another upon the

 back1 upon the hollow1 and upon the    
concave side2 another osselet is then   
thrown up1 and before it returns into   
his hand1 he must successively snatch up
 all those which are on the table1 or   
else he must make them pass under the   
thumb and forefinger of his left hand1  
which is extended2 these different      
combinations are called making the back1
 the hollow1 the wells1 the fricassee1  
the raffle1 c4  ,the ,misses            
,d',hernilly1 and their young friends   
amused themselves very little with the  
osselets which ,victor had sent them2   
they declared that such a fatiguing game
 was fitter for boys than girls4 ,but   
though they thought little of the       
osselets1 they prized very highly a     
superb set of dominos1 which were made  
of mother-of-pearl1 and had the spots   
marked with golden nails4 ,madame       
,d',hernilly thought that this elegant  
token of ,victor's affection for his    
sisters1 would not be very long safe in 
the hands of those little rattle-pates  

and their giddy associates2 she         
therefore took charge of them herself1  
and presented the children with a common
 set in their stead4  ,each ,domino is  
divided into two parts1 and each part   
presents seven combinations2 namely1 the
 six points of the dice1 and the white  
space3 it is for this reason1 that the  
dominos are #bh in number4 ,each player 
takes at random a certain number of     
dominos1 which he places before him in  
such a manner1 that his adversary cannot
 distinguish how many there are4 ,the   
person who has a double six1 or for want
 of that1 a double five1 or any other   
number doubled1 begins the game3 the    
others1 for three or four may play at   
it1 place by turns1 a corresponding     
domino to one of the extremities of the 
domino which is put upon the table4 ,if 
any one has not a domino to correspond  
with the others1 he is passed by1 and   
loses his turn2 this is called sulking4 
,when there are only two1 it is called  
fishing4 ,you take at first very few    

dominos1 for example1 three1 or at most 
five4 ,when you sulk1 instead of letting
 your adversary play1 you draw from the 
dominos which remain1 until you have    
drawn the required number2 in           
consequence of this1 it sometimes       
happens1 that the player draws more than
 half the set4 ,the game is won by the  
player who has first used all his       
dominos4 ,if the game is closed1 and    
that no one can place their remaining   
numbers either to the right or the left1
 he who has the smallest number of      
points1 or if the points are equal1 who 
retains the least number of dominos1    
wins the game4 ,the winner reckons in   
his favour the number of points which   
his adversary has not been able to      
place1 and they begin again until one of
 the players has gained the number #ajj 
as at picquet4  ,the young neighbours   
were obliged to absent themselves for a 
few days from the castle1 they soon     
however returned2 and they passed whole 
evenings in playing at domino4 ,each of 

the players marked by means of a card   
the numbers they had gained4 ,madame    
,d',hernilly informed them1 that their  
manner of reckoning up their numbers1 by
 cutting a card in different places1 had
 a great resemblance to the abacus1     
which the ancient ,romans made use of in
 counting2 and the souan-pan1 which the 
,chinese employ for the same purpose4   
,on one side is a large hollow1 with    
four slits to mark the units2 on the    
other side is a mark reckoned equal to  
fifty1 and four others1 which are each  
equal to ten4 ,you might by this means1 
count beyond ninety-nine1 but in        
multiplying the slits1 you might go to  
several millions1 or even millions of   
millions4  ,this kind of arithmetic is  
much more expeditious than that of      
writing down and adding up columns of   
figures1 but it is attended with one    
very great inconvenience1 that of       
leaving no trace of detached            
calculations2 so that you cannot        
ascertain afterwards whether you have   

not committed some error4  ,the         
children's fondness for dominos1        
subsided at last like their other whims1
 and they condescended to play with the 
onchets4 ,adriana deceived by the       
similarity of sound between this word   
and checs1 the ,french name for chess1  
supposed they were the same game2       
,madame ,d',hernilly explained the      
difference1 which was very considerable2
 but although she was tolerably skilful 
at chess and draughts1 she thought that 
their combinations were too complicated 
for young people4 8,when you are older10
 said she1 8,i will make you acquainted 
with a charming poem1 written by ,crutti
 on the game of chess2 but in order to  
comprehend the poem1 you must be        
acquainted with the rules of the game4  
,i shall content myself to-day with     
reading you some verses descriptive of  
the subject40        #a ,this game and  
those that follow are represented in the
          border of the print4          
,,chess4    ,in order due1 the king1 the

 queen1   ,the knights and other ranks  
are seen3   ,a picture true of martial  
strife1   ,such as appears in human     
life4   ,the contest of the mind        
succeeds1   ,the stratagems1 the daring 
deeds3   ,queens yield them to the      
subtle foe1   ,and even monarchs are    
laid low4   ,the battle's lost1 the     
battle's won2   ,the contest o'er1 the  
game is done4    ,kings1 queens1        
knights1 pawns1 whate'er their name1    
,whate'er is their dignity or fame1     
,are hustled in the bag from whence they
 came4          ,when ,madame           
,d',hernilly had read the verses1 they  
renewed their conversation about the    
game of onchets4 8,the grand question10 
cried ,madame ,d',hernilly1 8is whether 
these little ivory fish1 or these       
figures of kings1 queens1 knaves1 and   
horses1 should be called onchets1       
honchets1 or jonchets2 those who make   
very laborious researches after the most
 trifling things1 assure us1 that we    
should say honchets1 because the word   

may be used to signify little men4 ,i am
 of the opinion of those who call them  
jonchets1 which is derived from the game
 being originally played with straws1   
instead of these little sticks of ivory 
and gold4 ,after all1 my children1 there
 is no need to trouble ourselves        
respecting the name of the game1 the    
only essential thing about the amusement
 is that it should divert you40  ,this  
game is most amusing when played by two 
persons only1 although it is possible   
for three or four to join in it4 ,they  
draw lots to decide who shall begin2 the
 player who gains the chance1 holds in  
his fingers one of these little hooks1  
the other takes the bundle of fish and  
figures which he strews over the table2 
the first then seizes with his hook upon
 as many of them as he can catch1 but it
 requires a great deal of address to do 
this according to the rules of the game2
 for if the pieces in contact with the  
one which you covet happen to move in   
the slightest degree1 you are obliged to

 resign your turn to your adversary1 and
 this continues on both sides till all  
the pieces are taken4  ,the young people
 easily comprehended the instructions of
 ,madame ,d',hernilly1 and soon became  
proficients in the game2 they reckoned  
the king for fifty1 the queen forty1 the
 knave thirty1 the horse twenty1 and    
each plain fish for ten4 ,the player who
 contrives to get together the greatest 
number of points1 wins the game4    ,in 
every time1 at ev'ry age1   ,by grave   
and gay1 by fool and sage1   ,or more or
 less1 we're sure to see   ,the love of 
dear variety4   ,the ,cup-and-,ball     
thrown to and fro   ,the pious game of  
,domino#b   ,amuse by turns1 with       
various games   ,of other shapes and    
other names1   ,while1 without meaning  
any evil1   ,some may prefer to play the
 ,devil4        #b ,this game was       
invented by a monk to amuse the monastic
          orders1 who are forbidden to  
play at cards4     ,,hide-,,and-,,seek4 
,it is still a question among the       

players of this game in ,france1 whether
 one should say hide1 hide1 ,mitoubat1  
or hide1 hide1 ,nicholas8 ,the          
frolicksome group whose plays we are    
describing1 did not care a jot which was
 most proper2 in fact1 they seldom gave 
themselves the trouble to reason either 
upon the names or the choice of their   
diversions4 ,they were induced to engage
 in this1 from a circumstance which we  
are about to mention4 ,the amusements   
which were practised at the castle of   
,d',hernilly1 were very much talked of  
in the neighbourhood1 and the fame of   
their sports drew a number of youthful  
visitors to the family4 ,we have before 
observed1 that young ladies alone were  
admitted2 among those who presented     
themselves were several new-married     
ladies1 who did not blush to join again 
in the innocent diversions of their     
childhood4 ,the young ladies and their  
visitors passed a whole day in juvenile 
sports1 without feeling a moment's      
uneasiness1 except when the hour came   

which by summoning them to partake of a 
repast1 interrupted their games4        
,illustration3 ,girls playing           
hide-and-seek  ,there are several ways  
of playing at ,hide-and-,seek3 sometimes
 one of the children went and hid       
herself in a dark corner1 as far as she 
could from the others1 but always within
 a certain distance2 the others then ran
 about in every direction within this   
space to find her1 and the one who      
succeeded in doing so1 concealed herself
 in her turn in the best hiding-place   
she could find4 ,the ladies'-maids1 and 
some of the other female domestics1     
exerted their skill to aid those who    
wished to hide1 in discovering the most 
secret corners2 but care was always     
taken to avoid all dangerous places1 as1
 for example1 steep stairs1 from whence 
they might have been precipitated at the
 moment when they were on the point of  
being seized4  ,another way of playing  
at hide-and-seek1 is to form a circle1  
and to set a person to seek through it  

for a particular object1 which each of  
the others contrives to conceal from her
 view2 a pocket-handkerchief1 a         
snuff-box1 or1 in short1 any toy or     
trinket1 will serve for this purpose4   
,formerly they used to make use of a    
slipper1 but always upon the express    
condition1 that it should be very clean3
 this is1 however1 a shabby sort of     
expedient1 and ought to be proscribed in
 good company3 when it is adopted the   
game is called ,hunt-the-,slipper4  ,our
 readers will readily conceive1 that the
 ,misses ,d',hernilly and their         
companions1 did not condescend to hunt  
the slipper3 but when they were tired of
 hide-and-seek in the way we have       
described1 they seated themselves in a  
semi-circle upon the grass1 in a very   
picturesque part of the garden1 where   
flowers1 of the most varied and         
beautiful hues1 at once delighted the   
eyes1 and gave a delicious fragrance to 
the air4  ,mademoiselle ,valeria1 one of
 the new comers1 voluntarily offered to 

play the dull part of the seeker4 ,a    
young lady went round the circle holding
 up the drapery of her shawl1 in order  
that ,mademoiselle ,valeria1 who held   
her hand before her eyes1 promising at  
the same time not to cheat1 might not   
see to whom she gave the handkerchief4  
,as soon as she had given it1 she cried 
aloud1 8,it is done20 at this cry1      
,mademoiselle ,valeria began the round2 
the pocket-handkerchief which she       
pursued with ardour1 circulated rapidly 
from hand to hand1 and was concealed by 
the players in the folds of their dress4
 ,it is necessary for the seeker to     
guess exactly who the person is who     
holds it1 and to seize her in the act4  
,poor ,valeria found it very difficult  
to do this1 for at the moment that she  
thought herself sure of finding the     
handkerchief1 the one who held it slily 
slipped it to another1 and it arrived in
 the twinkling of an eye1 at the very   
extremity of the circle4  ,after a long 
and vain search1 ,valeria succeeded at  

last in seizing the handkerchief in the 
hand of ,adela1 who being now obliged to
 become a seeker in her turn1 retired to
 a fountain1 and turning her back to her
 companions1 waited till it was time to 
begin the search4 ,she did not wait     
long1 the signal was speedily given1    
and1 more lucky than ,valeria1 she was  
only a few minutes before she succeeded 
in discovering and seizing the          
handkerchief4 ,a third and a fourth     
speedily took her place in turn4 ,at    
last1 ,ernestina suffered the           
handkerchief to be found in her         
possession4 ,this was a real triumph to 
all the rest1 because ,ernestina was    
supposed to understand the game better  
than any of them1 and she was1 besides1 
very active1 so that it was extremely   
difficult to catch her2 in fact1 she    
would have escaped then1 if a           
mischievous neighbour had not purposely 
been too long in receiving the          
handkerchief which she passed to her4   
,they cried bravo on all sides1 and     

mischievously determining to tease      
,ernestina1 they formed a little plot   
against her1 while she was standing on  
one side1 waiting for the game to begin4
 ,the hour approached for leaving off   
play1 and they quickly agreed to finish 
with a little cheating trick4 ,the      
pocket-handkerchief for which ,ernestina
 was to seek1 was placed at a great     
distance under a tuft of flowers1 and   
they made believe to pass it from hand  
to hand4 ,ernestina was completely duped
 by this stratagem2 her young friends'  
hands moved with so much rapidity that  
she never perceived they passed nothing2
 for1 to render the illusion more       
complete1 they every now and then shewed
 her the corner of a gown1 the end of a 
shawl1 or sometimes another             
handkerchief4 ,ernestina eagerly caught 
hold of what she saw2 but she was soon  
made sensible of her error1 by long and 
loud bursts of laughter4 ,however1 she  
took these disappointments very gaily1  
and passed rapidly on1 first to the     

right1 and then to the left1 till she   
became fatigued and out of breath4 ,the 
mirth of her young friends grew more    
noisy2 their suppressed laughter and    
whisperings1 and perhaps also some      
inadvertence on the part of the youngest
 players1 warned her at last1 that they 
were making game of her4 8,i am         
certain10 cried she1 8that the          
handkerchief is at a distance from this 
spot1 and that you only make believe to 
pass it1 and that is not the game40     
,they were obliged then to confess the  
trick they had played her4 ,ernestina   
was half inclined to be angry2 but she  
had been often told that ill-humour     
alters the prettiest features2 and      
perhaps this idea had some share in     
making her quickly get the better of    
hers2 for she immediately resumed her   
gaiety1 and returned to the castle1     
saying that she should one day take her 
revenge4 ,her comrades defied her to    
realize her threats2 when she promised  
them that they would be caught sooner   

than they expected4 ,perhaps1 after all1
 she was herself the first who was      
caught2 for at her age we are easily    
deceived1 because the credulity1 natural
 to youth1 lays us open to imposition4  
,madame ,d',hernilly1 to whom ,ernestina
 related her adventure1 laughed very    
heartily at it1 and said it was not the 
first time people sought to discover    
mysteries1 where there were none4 ,she  
gave1 as an example of this1 the        
following singular anecdote of the      
celebrated ,catherine ,,ii41 ,empress of
 ,russia4 ,this sovereign was one day   
surrounded by some of the gravest of her
 courtiers1 and becoming tired of their 
pedantic dissertations1 she said1       
8,permit me1 gentlemen1 to interrupt for
 a moment the important discussion in   
which you are engaged1 in order to      
consult you about a charade which ,i    
have read in the last ,mercure de       
,france1 and which ,i cannot solve4 ,it 
is this2 #8my first is a cavity1 my     
second is a cavity1 my whole is a       

cavity4'0  ,our statesmen1 with all the 
suppleness of true courtiers1 turned    
their conversation immediately from     
politics to the charade4 ,nothing could 
be more easy than to find hollow        
objects1 which might be supposed to form
 one of its three parts2 but they tried 
in vain to discover any term which could
 be applied to the whole4 ,the ,empress 
made a pretence to slip out of the room1
 leaving her counsellors profoundly     
occupied with their endeavours to solve 
the charade1 which they were heartily   
vexed at being unable to do at last4    
,the next day1 however1 they discovered 
that the ,empress had merely been       
amusing herself at their expense1 for   
they found that there was no such       
charade in the latest ,mercure de       
,france1 which had arrived at ,st4      
,petersburgh4  ,this was not the only   
time that ,catherine sought1 by jokes of
 this kind1 to divert the ennui         
attendant upon a throne2 and to lighten 
the painful yoke of etiquette4 ,we might

 relate more than one trick of this sort
 which she has played1 not merely upon  
different persons1 but very often upon  
the inhabitants of a whole city4 ,on    
more than one occasion1 the people of   
the capital have tormented themselves   
during whole days to discover the       
solutions of problems and enigmas1 which
 in reality had no meaning4             
,illustration3 ,girls playing seated    
blind man's buff  ,,blindman',s ,,buff1 
,,and ,,hot-,,cockles4   ,the next day  
the family were once more alone1 and the
 young people were obliged to find out  
games which did not require such a      
considerable number of players4         
,blindman's ,buff was the first that was
 chosen by this joyous little group4    
,adriana1 as the youngest1 had her eyes 
bound1 and ran after her companions4    
,madame ,d',hernilly took upon herself  
to call out1 in order to warn the one   
who was blinded1 when she approached too
 near a tree1 or any other object that  
might endanger her safety4 ,adriana ran 

about during some time without catching 
any body2 at last ,ernestina suffered   
herself to be caught1 out of compassion 
no doubt1 and she pursued her young     
friends in her turn4 ,this play lasted  
the greatest part of the day1 but a     
storm coming on towards evening forced  
them to seek a shelter1 and they retired
 to the drawing-room4 ,as they          
complained of being obliged to leave off
 their game1 ,adela advised them to     
continue it in the hall1 which was very 
spacious4  ,madame ,d',hernilly         
disapproved of this proposal1 because   
she thought the game would endanger the 
furniture2 but being always desirous to 
contribute to the amusement of the      
children1 she told them that they might 
play at ,blindman's ,buff sitting4 ,this
 game is not attended with any risk to  
the furniture1 and may be played without
 inconvenience even in a small room2 it 
is besides more amusing perhaps than the
 other1 particularly if it is played by 
candle-light4  ,the young people        

applauded ,madame ,d',hernilly's idea2  
but they agreed at the same time that   
they would not begin to play till after 
dinner4 ,they had scarcely dined when   
visitors arrived1 whose company was     
almost as tiresome to the mistress of   
the house1 as to the children4 ,our     
young readers will easily conceive with 
what impatience the latter waited for   
the moment when the departure of the    
guests1 would leave them at liberty to  
begin their sport4 ,at last it arrived1 
the visitors retired1 and our gay young 
troop immediately formed themselves into
 a circle in the middle of the saloon4  
,as ,ernestina was to be blinded1 they  
covered her eyes with a muslin          
handkerchief2 every one then changed    
their place1 and she was conducted into 
the middle of the group1 and had the    
liberty of seating herself upon the knee
 of whatever person she pleased2 but she
 was obliged1 without putting her hands 
upon the person whom she touched1 to    
guess who it was4  ,as the young folks  

were all differently dressed1 the touch 
of their clothes would furnish an easy  
means of discovering them1 but they did 
every thing in their power to prevent   
the one who was blinded from profiting  
by this circumstance3 ,adriana1 who had 
a plain cambric muslin gown on1 drew    
upon her knees the skirt of her next    
neighbour's ,merino pelisse4 ,ernestina 
deceived by the touch1 exclaimed that it
 was ,madame ,d',hernilly or ,adela2    
they called out1 triumphantly1 8,wrong6 
wrong60 and poor ,ernestina had to begin
 her round again4  ,this game amused    
them during the whole evening1 and they 
liked it so much1 that in some days     
afterwards they began to play at it     
again1 with as much eagerness as the    
first time2 but they varied the manner  
of playing at it1 and by so doing1      
heightened the amusement it afforded    
them4 ,this new method1 which we must   
call playing blindman's buff in shadow1 
was as follows3  ,one of the young      
ladies stood facing the wall1 and she   

was enjoined not to look behind her3 an 
,austral lamp was placed upon a table at
 the bottom of the saloon1 and there was
 no other light in the room4 ,all the   
party then passed between the lamp and  
the person who stood with her face to   
the wall1 so that their shadows fell    
upon the wall2 the lady who stood with  
her face to it1 was obliged to guess as 
each shadow passed whose it was4        
,madame ,d',hernilly's daughters1 and   
their young companions1 exerted all     
their ingenuity to disguise their       
figures1 that they might avoid being    
caught4 ,at first they passed pretty    
quickly in succession1 because they were
 not yet well acquainted with the game2 
but at the fifth or sixth game1 when    
,madame ,d',hernilly occupied the post  
facing the wall1 they made use of all   
the little artifices they could think of
 to lead her into error4 ,ernestina1    
,adela1 and ,adriana1 vied with each    
other in endeavours to disguise their   
shadows most effectually4 ,their        

postures were so whimsical1 that ,madame
 ,d',hernilly could not succeed in      
discovering any one4  ,to increase the  
difficulties1 they resolved to put a    
cheat upon her1 and slily brought a     
young servant girl to take a part in the
 game without her knowledge4 ,this girl 
presented herself at first with a       
gardener's hat on2 and presently        
afterwards1 she put on the pouch and    
belt of the game-keeper1 and clapped a  
villager's cap upon her head4 ,after    
that she crawled along upon her hands   
and feet with a postilion's jack-boot   
upon her arms4 ,madame ,d',hernilly was 
obliged to say that she 8threw her      
tongue to the dogs40 ,this phrase is    
used to signify that you give up2 and   
uncouth as it sounds in our language1   
,madame de ,sevign has condescended to  
employ it in one of her most sprightly  
letters#c4  ,they deliberated upon the  
penance which they should inflict upon  
,madame ,d',hernilly2 and they agreed   
that she should be obliged to embrace   

those of the company whom she loved     
best1 and that she must do it without   
making the others jealous4 ,she tenderly
 embraced her daughters and their young 
friends2 and though her preference for  
her daughters was too natural to be     
doubted1 they did not perceive that     
there was any difference in her manner  
of caressing them1 and their companions4
 ,she therefore fulfilled the express   
condition of the penance1 which was in  
fact a pleasure1 rather than a penance  
to her4  ,they then played one more     
game2 ,ernestina soon found herself in  
the same situation as ,madame           
,d',hernilly1 and she was consequently  
obliged to submit to a penance4 ,they   
gave her a fable to read1 of which the  
following lines form the concluding     
moral3    ,sometimes smooth and         
sometimes rough1   ,is the game of      
,blindman's ,buff4   ,between the blind 
and those who see1   ,it oft produces   
treachery4   ',twere better then1 amid  
the strife   ,that mingles in the scenes

 of life1   ,as the best guard 'gainst  
those who flout you1   ,to keep an open 
eye1 and look about you4  ,these        
childish amusements were interrupted for
 some time by the arrival of a new      
present from ,victor1 the kind brother  
of the ,misses ,d',hernilly3 it         
consisted of some new music4 ,their     
father had added several instructive    
books to ,victor's gift2 and the young  
ladies were delighted with both4 ,their 
occupations now became as serious as    
possible2 they were engaged the whole   
day at the harp1 the piano1 and the     
,solfeggio2 they hardly allowed         
themselves even a short interval to walk
 in the garden1 gather flowers1 or      
admire the beauty of the fruits which   
were approaching to maturity4  ,if by   
chance bad weather obliged the company  
to confine themselves to the            
drawing-room1 the young people read     
extracts from voyages and travels1      
written in such a manner as to suit     
their capacity1 divested of those       

scientific details which are            
uninteresting to people of the world1   
and cleared at the same time from all   
that could be detrimental to the        
youthful and delicate mind4 ,these      
extracts united all that is most        
pleasing in history and romance1 and    
they were free from the dryness of the  
one1 and from all that is dangerous in  
the other4  ,one evening ,madame        
,d',hernilly took her work-basket into  
the park1 where she seated herself at   
the foot of a majestic oak1 surrounded  
by beautiful plane trees1 and began to  
amuse herself with her work4 ,the young 
visitors1 of whom we have spoken1 had   
left the castle for some days1 on       
account of a slight indisposition of    
their mamma1 but they came to pass this 
evening with ,adela and ,ernestina4 ,the
 young people amused themselves with    
roving about the park2 the evening was  
delightfully serene1 the last rays of   
the setting sun were gradually          
disappearing before the brilliant disk  

of the full moon1 which arose at the    
opposite extremity of the horizon in    
mild and cloudless majesty4 ,the lovely 
serenity of the scene invited the young 
friends to the pursuit of rural         
pleasures1 but the heat of the day was  
not sufficiently abated1 to enable them 
to run about and give themselves up     
without restraint to active exercise4   
,madame ,d',hernilly found that it was  
too dark to pursue her embroidery any   
longer1 when the young people came and  
grouped themselves about her4 ,adela    
proposed to return to the house and     
practise some music4 8,we should do much
 better10 cried ,adriana1 8to stay      
here40 8,but what should we play at     
then80 cried one of the others4 8,oh10  
replied ,adriana1 8at what you will1 no 
matter1 provided it is play40 8,let us  
dance hands round10 said ,ernestina4    
8,no10 said ,adela1 8it is too hot40    
8,well then1 let us play at blindman's  
buff40 8,oh10 cried ,adriana1 8we have  
played at that so much2 besides1 ,i am  

always afraid you will cheat me1 you    
know how you caught me the last time40  
,adriana alluded to a little trick which
 her companions had put upon her4 ,three
 weeks before1 they played one day at   
blindman's buff upon a very extensive   
lawn1 which was surrounded on all sides 
by gravel walks1 where there was no     
breakneck place to fear4 ,it was        
expressly settled that they should not  
go beyond the lawn1 and that whoever    
passed its limits1 should be looked upon
 as caught1 and submit to be blinded    
accordingly4  ,it was ,adriana who was  
blinded1 and on the faith of their      
agreement1 she went quietly groping     
about for almost a quarter of an hour2  
meantime1 the other rogues all passed   
the lawn1 and mischievously left her to 
seek them in vain4 ,when she found out  
the trick she was almost angry1 and even
 ,madame ,d',hernilly reproached the    
others gravely for having broken their  
express agreement4  ,ernestina proposed 
that they should play at a game1 the    

movements of which do not require much  
activity2 it is blindman's buff with the
 wand4 8,what is that80 cried ,valeria4 
8,oh10 said the frolicksome ,ernestina1 
8,i will soon shew you40  ,they hastened
 to gather from the banks of a little   
rivulet which ran through a garden laid 
out in the ,english taste1 a pliant     
branch of a weeping willow2 they        
stripped it of all its leaves1 and left 
it about a foot and a half long4 ,they  
were proceeding to draw lots to         
ascertain in the usual way who should be
 blinded2 when ,ernestina1 who was very 
good-natured1 offered of her own accord 
to take the disagreeable part of the    
blind one3 the others accordingly put a 
bandage over her eyes1 and made sure    
that she could not see1 when they gave  
her the wand to hold4 ,each of the      
others then took hold by turns of the   
opposite end of the wand1 they put it to
 their lips and whispered a few words1  
endeavouring at the same time to        
disguise their voices4 ,ernestina who   

had proposed the game1 and who was      
supposed to be well acquainted with it1 
became the victim of her good-nature1   
for she remained a long time unable to  
guess at any of the whisperers2 she was 
lucky enough1 however1 to succeed at    
last1 and each of the others were       
obliged to submit to be blinded in their
 turn4  ,adriana shewed a good deal of  
cleverness at this game1 and managed for
 a long time to avoid being caught2 at  
last1 the one who was blinded contrived 
by a little sly trick to make her betray
 herself4 ,she threw her off her guard1 
and in her surprise1 she spoke without  
disguising her voice2 she was           
consequently immediately recognised1 and
 triumphantly seized4 ,it was ,ernestina
 who played this trick1 which ,adriana  
resolved should not pass unrevenged1 and
 accordingly she made use of every      
effort to catch ,ernestina1 who being   
the cleverest of the party contrived for
 a long time to escape4 ,adriana might  
easily have seized upon ,adela1 or      

,valeria1 but it was ,ernestina only    
that she wished to catch1 and at last   
she succeeded4  ,illustration3 ,girls   
playing blindman's buff  ,when          
,ernestina's eyes were bandaged1        
,adriana went to ,madame ,d',hernilly1  
who had till then remained seated at    
some distance without taking any share  
in the game1 but at the desire of       
,adriana1 she now drew near and held the
 wand4 ,while she thus stood facing     
,ernestina1 she remained silent1 and the
 adroit ,adriana1 who was close to her1 
muttered a few words1 interrupted every 
now and then by a titter4 ,as ,ernestina
 knew nothing of ,madame ,d',hernilly's 
holding the wand1 she guessed           
repeatedly1 but always in vain4 ,at     
last1 wearied out with her ill luck1 she
 declared she gave it up1 and ,adriana  
to complete her little revenge1         
acknowledged the stratagem she had      
practised1 saying1 8,so you see1        
,ernestina1 the plotter is caught in his
 own trap40 ,this joke terminated their 

sport at blindman's buff1 but as it was 
yet too early for them to retire to     
their apartments1 they determined to    
finish the evening with another game2   
and they made choice of ,hot-cockles4   
,madame ,d',hernilly1 who wished to put 
an end to their little tricks of        
deceiving and cheating one another1     
practices which we hope our young       
readers will condemn as being highly    
improper1 determined to play herself the
 part of the confessor2 each of the     
young people came in succession1 and    
placing her hand upon ,madame           
,d',hernilly's lap1 spread her right    
hand upon her back1 and remained in this
 position which is called1 being the    
penitent1 till she could guess who      
struck her4  ,the rules of this game are
 extremely simple1 but there is one     
precaution necessary in playing it1 that
 of not striking too violently4         
,excesses of this sort were not much to 
be apprehended where the players were   
all young ladies2 however1 we must      

confess1 that some of them felt inclined
 to give heavy blows2 ,madame           
,d',hernilly1 who saw this1 took great  
care to rein in their impetuosity4 ,she 
obliged them also to the strict         
observance of the rules1 one of which   
was1 that two persons should never      
strike at the same time4 ,whenever this 
happened1 the person who gave the last  
blow1 ought to take the place of        
penitent2 and ,madame ,d',hernilly took 
care always to inflict the penalty with 
inflexible severity4  ,while they were  
at play1 the nursery-maid came to tell  
them that supper was ready4 ,ernestina  
wanted her to hide behind a bush for a  
little while1 and then to strike        
,adriana1 who1 of course1 would be a    
long time before she could guess who    
gave the blow4 ,madame ,d',hernilly1 who
 regretted having in a former instance  
lent herself to a deception1 even though
 it was an innocent one1 would not      
permit this little deceit to be         
practised4 ,she broke up the game1 and  

the children found1 in their light and  
simple supper1 a refreshment after the  
fatigues of play4 ,they then retired to 
bed1 where exercise1 combined with their
 temperate repast1 ensured them good    
repose4    ,place this among the golden 
rules1   ,which you may learn in moral  
schools2   ,when you receive a secret   
blow   ,be sure that you can name the   
foe2   ,nor let ,suspicion's vain       
pretence1   ,risque your revenge on     
,innocence4  ,there is also another     
description of hot-cockles1 called      
8,brother1 they strike me40 ,there are  
two penitents1 the one who finds himself
 touched with the corner of a           
pocket-handkerchief1 calls out to the   
other1 8,brother1 they strike me40 ,the 
other replies1 8,who strikes you80 and  
the first one must guess4 ,but one of   
the players is a false brother2         
sometimes he himself strikes1 and       
sometimes his companion2 he takes care  
not to name himself4 ,the game does not 
finish till the person upon whom the    

trick is played perceives the cheat2 but
 if his comrades are clever1 the        
illusion may last a good while4 ,the    
false brother complains that they strike
 him too violently1 and is the first to 
call out and to complain of the trick4  
,at the expiration of a certain time he 
gives up to another1 who purposely      
allows himself to be caught2 and this   
serves to prolong the joke and the game4
 ,at last they own to their deceived    
comrade1 the trick they have been       
playing him1 and they comfort him by    
telling him1 that in future he may catch
 others in the same manner4       #c    
,the letter in which ,madame de ,sevign 
speaks of the         marriage of ,de   
,lauzun with ,mademoiselle ,d',orlans4  
,,the ,,hoop ,,and ,,the                
,,skipping-,,rope4   ,a complete change 
took place at the ,castle of            
,d',hernilly2 the master of the house   
and his son arrived to pass the vacation
 at the castle4 ,the gentry of the      
neighbourhood also hastened there to    

enjoy the last fine days of autumn4     
,several young companions of ,victor    
renewed their acquaintance with him1 and
 they gave themselves up to games much  
less sedentary than those played by the 
ladies4 ,the young people of both sexes 
very rarely met during the week-days1   
but they walked and conversed together  
on the ,sundays and holidays2 sometimes 
during the latter they amused themselves
 with country-dances in a temporary     
ball-room raised in a grove4 ,victor1   
who played very well on the flute1 was  
occasionally one of the musicians1 but  
more frequently appeared among the      
dancers4  ,illustration3 ,girls playing 
with hoops  ,when the boys had a        
holiday1 they amused themselves in the  
park with noisy sports1 such as prison  
bar1 leap frog1 le cheval fondu1 c4 c4  
,the little ones played at the poison   
ball1 the skipping-rope1 and the hoop4  
,madame ,d',hernilly's daughters were   
very frequently the witnesses of these  
sports2 they admired the cleverness     

which the boys shewed1 but they did not 
envy them their amusement4  ,one day1   
,victor and his friends went with their 
preceptor1 a walk of some miles to join 
in a village feast4 ,adriana and        
,ernestina found in the hall several of 
their playthings mingled with the books1
 maps1 c41 which they used at their     
studies4 ,among the rest they found a   
hoop1 and a skipping-rope4 ,they were   
impatient to try whether they could use 
these with any dexterity2 though at the 
same time1 they were a little ashamed to
 be seen at such masculine exercises4   
,their young neighbour ,valeria         
conquered their scruples2 she said1 that
 she had been in a school where the     
young ladies were permitted to play at  
these games1 because their governess    
considered that they afforded a         
healthful exercise1 but the players were
 obliged to observe that moderation1    
which the delicacy of their sex1 as well
 as their tender age1 required4  ,they  
found ,valeria's reasoning very good1   

and they determined to practise the     
games with that moderation which she    
recommended4 ,the weather1 which till   
then had been very warm1 changed on a   
sudden2 a cold sharp wind had succeeded 
to the most suffocating heat4 ,nothing  
could be more healthful1 therefore1 than
 those games which required activity4   
,as there were only two hoops1 they     
resolved to make use of them by turns4  
,each had recourse to the assistance of 
a stick to enable her to manage the     
hoop1 which she trundled sometimes      
forward1 sometimes on one side1 and     
sometimes she turned it round4 ,it was  
agreed that the game should be adjudged 
to be won1 by the lady whose hoop       
arrived first at the goal without its   
having fallen to the ground4  ,this was 
a matter which could not be managed     
without great difficulty1 on account of 
the turnings and windings which they had
 to pass2 the trees1 hedges1 and other  
obstacles also made the hoop upset every
 moment4 ,added to this1 the young      

ladies in imitation of what they had    
seen their brothers do1 were mischievous
 enough to try to take advantage of     
those who played with them1 and by      
pushing their hoops a contrary way1 to  
occasion those of their competitors to  
fall1 in order that they themselves     
might have a better chance of being     
first at the goal4  ,while two of them  
were amusing themselves at this game1   
the others having seized on a           
skipping-rope1 made their young friends 
skip alternately4 ,the two young ladies 
who held the cord moved it circuitously1
 but gently2 a third1 and sometimes     
several of them jumped with their feet  
close together through it4 ,sometimes   
they practised the most difficult steps 
which they had learned from their       
dancing-master1 or tried who could rise 
the highest from the ground in cutting  
capers4 ,the most boisterous endeavoured
 to imitate the boys1 and like them they
 asked for vinegar1 that is the term    
which they use when they want the rope  

to go more quickly4  ,when ,victor and  
his companions returned1 they were quite
 delighted to find that the young ladies
 had been playing at their games4       
,victor proposed the next day that they 
should all play together2 but the young 
ladies very properly refused4 ,they     
contented themselves with being         
spectators4 ,the boys1 who were some of 
them first-rate players both at the     
hoop1 and the rope1 shewed considerable 
skill and strength4 ,victor excelled in 
the double leaps1 the chevaliers or     
knights' cross1 and he even performed   
several triplets with infinite grace and
 lightness4  ,the player who performed1 
without interruption1 the greatest      
number of the knights' double crosses1  
won the game4 ,the cord turned with so  
much swiftness in ,victor's hands1 that 
you could hardly believe he held it if  
you had not heard it whiz in the air1   
for it passed between his feet and the  
floor of the apartment without touching 
either1 and it was almost imperceptible 

to the sight4  ,when they had each      
amused themselves singly1 as long as    
they liked with the rope1 they formed   
into groups of six or eight1 to dance in
 the middle of the long skipping-rope4  
,the first who touched the rope with his
 foot stopped the play2 he was obliged1 
by way of penance1 to stand on one side1
 and was left out of the game till some 
one else had failed in it4     ,,the    
,,rope4    ,masters and misses1 by your 
leave1   ,i beg this kind advice to     
give2   ,whate'er your games1 whate'er  
your plays1   ,let them no rival anger  
raise4     ,but play as sisters should  
with brothers2   ,for recollect this    
wholesome truth1   ,to man as useful as 
to youth2   ,ambition's drum1 and       
,fancy's toy   ,excite the man and charm
 the boy2   ,but know1 you dear1        
delightful elves1   ,you ne'er can truly
 please yourselves1     ,while you give 
pain to any others4  ,illustration3     
,girls skipping rope   ,two may play    
together with the same rope1 each of    

them holding one end1 one with the      
right1 and the other with the left hand4
 ,we must1 however1 observe1 that they  
cannot do in this manner1 either the    
double turns1 or the knights' cross2 it 
would be difficult1 if not impossible4  
,it is necessary to move so as to keep  
time exactly2 both parties must also    
turn the rope with the same degree of   
swiftness4 ,when the movements of the   
players are perfectly in unison1 they   
may overrun a good deal of ground       
without the motion of the cord being    
interrupted4  ,the ,misses ,d',hernilly1
 to whom this idea had been             
communicated1 took advantage of it to   
run races with the rope4 ,nothing could 
be more graceful than their manner of   
performing those races2 several grown-up
 people1 who were lookers-on1 agreed    
that the skipping-rope1 thus used1 was  
as conducive to health1 as it was useful
 in giving the young ladies an easy and 
graceful carriage1 and that they might  
amuse themselves with it not only       

without impropriety1 but with advantage4
     ,,bowls1 ,,nine-,,pins1 ,,and      
,,siam4   ,the premature coldness of the
 air forced the company at the ,castle  
to renounce all sedentary amusements4   
,while the ladies and gentlemen occupied
 themselves with billiards2 the boys    
played at bowls1 ball1 humming-top1 and 
,german top4 ,the young ladies got hold 
of the bowls and nine-pins4 ,they were  
lucky enough to discover three places   
which had been purposely adapted for    
this amusement1 in a part of the garden 
which was very little frequented by     
,victor and his companions4 ,some of    
them1 who did not like bowls1 amused    
themselves with playing at              
,puss-in-the-,corner4 7,see the         
,frontispiece47  ,illustration3 ,girls  
playing nine-pins  ,the ground destined 
for this game was a straight path1 which
 had on each side a small bank1 to      
hinder the bowl from running out of the 
path4 ,they divided the bowls equally1  
and they drew lots to determine how they

 were to play4 ,the lady1 who drew      
,number one1 threw the jack1 that is to 
say1 the only small bowl at a distance2 
the jack is regarded as the goal2 the   
player then rolled one of her bowls as  
near as she could to it4 ,number two    
came next2 the one who drew it1 tried to
 approach still nearer to the goal1 or  
to displace the bowl which the preceding
 player had thrown4 ,numbers three and  
four followed in their turn4  ,instead  
of each playing upon their own account1 
the best method is to form two parties1 
every member of each party having the   
same interest4 ,the art of the game     
consists sometimes in drawing2 that is  
to say1 to drive at a distance the      
adversary's bowl1 if it has approached  
very near the goal1 in order that the   
player who follows you1 may be able to  
get nearer the goal than your adversary4
  ,while the ,misses ,d',hernilly and   
their young companions were playing at  
this game1 they were frequently teased  
by their nursery governess1 who kept    

calling out to them1 8,take care1 young 
ladies1 you will dirty your clothes40   
,they often disputed which had won the  
game by approaching nearest the goal2   
and as1 on these occasions1 there was   
sometimes less than half an inch        
difference1 the thing was not easily    
determined4  ,speaking of this game1    
reminds us of a strange circumstance    
which happened to the celebrated        
,marshal ,turenne4 ,as he was one day   
walking upon the ramparts of a city in  
which his troops then were1 without     
servants1 or any mark of distinction1 he
 was accosted by a group of workmen who 
were playing at bowls1 and who begged   
that he would decide a difference which 
had arisen between them about the game4 
,the ,marshal measured the distance with
 his cane1 and then pronounced judgment4
 ,the man against whom he had decided1  
revenged himself by abuse4 ,the ,marshal
 smiled1 which irritated the angry      
player still further4 ,at this moment1  
the officers belonging to the ,marshal's

 suite1 came up and addressed him as my 
lord2 the poor workman1 equally         
frightened and ashamed when he found    
whom he had insulted1 threw himself at  
,turenne's feet1 to implore his pardon4 
,the ,marshal raising him1 said kindly1 
8,my friend1 you were wrong in supposing
 ,i would deceive you40  ,our young     
players had very seldom any dispute at  
nine-pins1 for it was easy to reckon the
 nine-pins that were thrown down1 and   
those which remained standing4 ,madame  
,d',hernilly put the young ladies in    
mind of an anecdote which is related in 
the memoirs of the younger ,racine4 ,the
 great poet ,boileau became disgusted   
with poetry in his old age1 and grew    
passionately fond of nine-pins4 ,such   
was his address1 that sometimes he threw
 down the nine with one stroke4         
8,acknowledge10 cried he one day1 8that 
,i possess two great talents1 which are 
equally useful to the state and to      
society2 that of playing at nine-pins to
 perfection1 and that of writing        

tolerable verses40  ,when the game is   
played with small nine-pins1 and that   
you throw the bowl only a short         
distance1 the players throw alternately2
 but it more frequently happens1 that a 
player has two throws running1 and this 
is the manner in which they proceed4    
,number one throws his bowl at a        
distance to the place marked for the    
goal2 he must1 in this first throw1     
knock down at least one pin1 otherwise  
he is obliged to remain there for a     
time2 this is what they call making     
white cabbage1 and he gives up the turn 
to the player on the opposite side4 ,but
 if he has thrown down one or two pins1 
and particularly that in the middle1    
which alone reckons for nine points1 he 
throws a second time1 throwing the bowl 
from the place in which it has          
previously stopped4 ,he then reckons the
 points he has gained1 and leaves the   
place to ,number two1 and so on4 ,the   
grand difficulty of this game is not to 
make more points than is necessary3 the 

number is usually #ba2 and if1 after    
having gained #ai points1 you happen to 
throw down two pins1 you win the game2  
but if you are so unlucky as to throw   
down three or four1 you burst1 and are  
obliged to begin the game again4 ,this  
occasions great variety1 and renders the
 strength of the two players equal4 ,it 
requires a great deal of practice to    
enable you to gain the dexterity        
necessary to knock down at once a       
considerable number of nine-pins1 and   
you can never be certain of throwing    
down one1 two1 or three1 just at the    
moment you wish4  ,adriana had less     
taste than the others for this game1 it 
required too much precision2 and1 at the
 same time1 a degree of strength above  
her age4  ,ernestina1 ,valeria1 and the 
rest of the eldest girls1 received1     
about this time1 a present of a set of  
nine-pins1 of a different sort from     
those we have been speaking of4 ,they   
compose the game called ,siam4 ,you lose
 at it1 also1 by making too many points2

 and you are then said1 as in the other1
 to burst4 ,your fate is decided more   
frequently by chance at ,siam than at   
nine-pins1 for you cannot always guide  
the quoit at will1 which serves to throw
 down the pins4 ,the quoit is made of a 
hard close wood1 the edge of it is cut a
 little sloping1 so as to describe a    
curve it is directed circularly either  
to the right or to the left4  ,this game
 is very common in ,india1 and as it was
 introduced into ,france during the     
reign of ,louis ,,xiv41 by people in the
 suite of the ambassador of ,siam1 who  
was at that time at the ,court of       
,versailles1 it has retained the name of
 their country4  ,the nine-pins are not 
all of the same value2 those which are  
ranged in a circle reckon each for one  
point2 three others which form the point
 of the opposite side count for #e1 #d1 
and #c2 the one in the middle is called 
the ,siam1 but it is necessary to throw 
that down by itself1 otherwise the      
player loses all the points he has      

gained before1 and is obliged to begin  
again4  ,the rock upon which the player 
is apt to split1 is1 as we have already 
said1 the going beyond the number of    
points fixed upon2 and no skill can     
avert this danger which may arise from  
the slightest chance1 such as the least 
unevenness of the ground1 or even a     
little sand upon the quoit2 from causes 
thus trivial1 the game is frequently    
lost1 just at the moment that the player
 appears to be on the point of gaining  
it4  ,our young people amused           
themselves1 for the rest of the autumn1 
with a review of the games which had    
delighted them during the spring and    
summer2 they returned to the capital in 
the beginning of ,november4 ,the young  
ladies eagerly resumed the lessons which
 they took from their different masters4
 ,victor1 who for the first time1       
obtained a prize at the ,university1    
entered into a higher class1 where he   
strove with a laudable emulation to     
surpass his fellow collegians4 ,the     

,misses ,d',hernilly1 instructed by the 
first masters in the knowledge of       
languages1 and in every other           
accomplishment suitable to their rank1  
passed their leisure hours in society1  
selected for them by their mother1 and  
chiefly under her own eye4 ,between     
study and relaxation their time flew    
rapidly1 but both the young ladies and  
their brother1 often recollected with   
pleasure1 the amusements they had       
enjoyed at the castle ,d',hernilly1 and 
looked forward with delight1 although   
without impatience1 to the period when  
returning to the country they should    
once more resume their healthful and    
exhilarating sports4    ,thus in their  
early season1 gay1   ,in life's         
delightful month of ,may1   ,between    
those necessary hours1   ,when kind     
instruction gravely pours   ,its various
 lessons on the mind1   ,of knowledge   
useful or refin'd3   ,thus female youth 
their time employ1   ,to strengthen     
,health or waken ,joy1   ,while         

,reason's rip'ning state prepares   ,for
 other pleasures1 other cares4     ,,the
 ,,end4     ,,london3   ,,printed ,,by  
,w4 ,,clowen1 ,,northumberland-,,court4 
,transcriber's ,note3  ,words and       
phrases in italics are surrounded by    
underscores1 like this4 ,dialect1       
obsolete and alternative spellings were 
left unchanged4  ,obvious printing      
errors1 such as backwards1 upside down1 
or partially printed letters1 were      
corrected4 ,unprinted letters and       
punctuation were restored4  ,footnotes  
were numbered sequentially and moved to 
the end of the chapter in which the     
related anchor occurs4  ,descriptions of
 illustrations were added4  ,the        
following were changed3    d',hernilly  
to ,d',hernilly3 ''',d',hernilly        
expressed her admiration'''   comma to  
stop3 '''another a shuttlecock4 ,this   
game'''   claok to cloak3 '''taking off 
his cloak'''   stop to comma3           
''',whenever this happened1 the person  
who'''   colon to semi-colon3 ''',excite

 the man and charm the boy2'''