Probably this speaker will make several mistakes, and receive four paper horns on her head. Then the speaker after her must say, "Good-morning, genteel lady always genteel. I, a genteel lady always genteel, come from that four-horned lady always four-horned, to tell you that she owns an eagle with a golden beak, silver claws, a lace skin, diamond eyes, and purple feathers." Each of these sentences goes round the entire circle, always taking in more "horned ladies," till at last the sentence will become: "Good morning, four-horned lady always four-horned. I, a three-horned lady always three-horned, come from that two-horned lady always two-horned (pointing to the left), to tell you that she owns an eagle with a golden beak, silver claws, lace skin, diamond eyes, and purple feathers." Every mistake (even the difference of a word, or omitting to point to the left, or to bow after each speech) incurs a horn. The best plan for playing this game is to let the same player begin each fresh sentence-for instance, to send "the eagle with the golden beak" round first, then the "silver claws," and so on. No lady must be called "genteel" who wears the paper horns, and any taistake in the number she wears incurs another horn for the blunderer. At the end each horn is ransomed, as forfeits are. Half the company leave the room. While they are absent, the others fix on a verb which the absent ones are to guess and perform. By-and-by, when their decision is made, they call in the leader of the outside party, and say, “The verb we have chosen for you rhymes with pie" (or any other word chosen.) The leader retires, and discusses with her followers what the verb can be. It is best to take those which will rhyme with the noun given, in alphabetical order. "Buy" would come first for "pie." The party enter and begin to buy of each other. If right (that is, if "to buy" was the word chosen), the spectators clap their hands; if wrong, they hiss. Speech on either side would entail a forfeit. If hissed, the actors retire, and arrange what next to do. "Cry" would be the next rhyme, or "dye," or "eye," or "fly," or "hie," or "sigh," or "tie," all of which are acted in turn, till the clap of approval announces that the guess is a successful one. Then the spectators go out, and become in their turn actors, in the same manner. A great deal of the fun of this game depends on the acting and on the choice of the verbs; but it is almost sure to cause great amusement. The Wild Beast Show. A screen must be placed at the end of the room; behind it is placed a large mirror and a light. The showman stands before the screen, and offers to exhibit nis wild animals to any person who will promise not to describe what he has seen when he comes out. Then the person who gives the promise and demands almittance is asked what animal he wishes to see. On his naming one the showman proceeds to describe it. The description should be very witty, and should have some application (either complimentary or satirical) to the person who wishes to see the show. The person is then admitted behind the screen, and is shown himself in the looking-glass. Shadows. This amusement, which was very popular for several winters at the Crystal ¡Palace, is done by fixing a white sheet tightly across the room, and placing a large covered lamp behind it on the floor. The actors dance and act behind the sheet, on which their magnified shadows are cast by the lamp. Occasionally they jump over the lamp, and thus appear to disappear by running up into the ceiling. A very amusing pantomime may be thus represented. We think it is improved by the Leader of the game acting as a "Chorus," and announcing the purport of each scene. A skilful arrangement of light by any scientific friend present will multiply the effects in a very wonderful and pleasing manner. The best kind of pantomime is one of an old miser, who has a dancing daughter. She dances around him while he hugs his money-bags; finally, she jumps over the lamp, and appears to run up to the ceiling and disappear. The old man follows her; a thief breaks in to steal the bags of gold; he is pursued by a comrade, who wishes to share the spoil. They fight, but are both startled by the entrance of Columbine's lover, Harlequin, and also run up to the ceiling. Of course the actors must promote the delusion by their gestures, moving their hands and feet as if climbing upwards. A dance between the lovers, and their final disappearance in the ceiling, is a good finale. The Giantess. This is a very amusing deception. A tall young lad is dressed in a petticoat. Then a large umbrella is covered over its silk ribs with a gown and cloak; a ball, for a head, is tied on the point of the umbrella-stick above the dress, and a bonnet and thick veil put on it. The umbrella is partially opened, so that its sticks set out the dress and cloak as a crinoline does. The player gets under it, and holding the handle up as high as he can grasp it, appears like a gigantic woman. Somebody knocks at the hall door to pretend that there is an arrival; and a minute or two afterwards the footman is to open the drawing-room door and announce "Miss Tiny Littlegirl." The giantess then walks into the drawing-room, to the amazement of the company, bows, etc. It has a good effect to enter holding the umbrella-handle naturally, and then to raise it by degrees, which will give a comical appearance of growth. We have seen the giantess thus appear to rise till she peered over the tops of the highest pictures in the room. The effect is exceedingly funny. She may talk to the company also, bending her head down towards them, and speaking in a shrill tone of voice. In clever hands, the giantess causes a great deal of fun.. The Great Orator. A Leader of the game is elected; he invites the guests to come and hear Mi. Blaine, Mr. Philipps, or any other distinguished orator, on any given subject. It requires two persons to deliver the oration. The one who is to speak puts his arms behind his back; a shorter friend (well concealed by the window curtains) passes his arms round the speaker's waist, and supplies with his own the latter's want of hands. He is then to gesticulate to his friends words, and the fun of the performance consists in the singular inappropriateness of the action to the speech, the invisible gesticulator making the orator absurd by his gestures. A table placed before the speaker, and a good arrangement of the curtains, makes the illusion very perfect. The speaker must be able to keep his countenance, as his gravity is likely to be severely taxed by his friend's pantomimical illustration of his speech. A Blind Judgment. A young lady is blindfolded. The Leader of the game then brings the players, one by one, up to her, and requires her opinion of them. She is not restored to sight till she has given a just opinion of some one in accordance with the judgment of the company. Those presented must be quite silent, and endeavor to step lightly, so as not to let her guess whether she is giving her opinion of a young lady or a gentleman. This game, also, is a trick. This and That. Two players agree what to do. One leaves the room, but before she does so her companion whispers to her, that when she says the word "that" the right object will be indicated. Fanny leaves the room. ADA. Now one of you must touch something in the room, and Fanny will tell us what it was. Mabel touches the sofa-cushion. ADA. Very well; now call Fanny in. Fanny enters. ADA. Mabel has just touched something, Fanny; was it this (touching a book)? FANNY. No. ADA. Is it this (touching her mamma's work)? FANNY. No. ADA. Is it this flower-pot? FANNY. NO. ADA. Is it this basket? FANNY. No. ADA. Is it that cushion ? FANNY. Yes. 1. Where was Humboldt going when he was thirty-nine years old? 2. Which is the most ancient of the trees? 3. Which are the most seasonable clothes? 4. Why are lawyers and doctors safe people by whom to take example? 5. What injury did the Lavinia of Thomson's "Seasons" do to young Palemon? 6. Why are wooden ships (as compared with ironclads) of the female sex? 7. At what time of life may a man be said to belong to the vegetable kingdom? 8. Which are the lightest men-Scotchmen, Irishmen, or Englishmen ? 9. Which are the two hottest letters of the alphabet? 10. Why is cutting off an elephant's head widely different from cutting off any other head? Who is the man who carries everything before him? 12. Which are the two kings that reign in America? 13. When may a man's pocket be empty and yet have something in it? 22. Why should we never sleep in a railway carriage? 23. When is a boat like a heap of snow? 24. What 'bus has found room for the greatest number of people? 25. Who is the first little boy mentioned by a slang word in the History of England? 26. Why is Macassar oil like a chief of the Fenians? 27. Why is a nabob like a beggar? 28. What sort of day would be good for running for a cup? 29. What is the difference between a spendthrift and a feather bed? 30. Is there any bird that can sing the "Lays of Ancient Rome?" 31. What have you to expect at a hotel? 32. What comes after cheese? 33. When does a man sit down to a melan. choly dessert? 34. What notes compose the most favorite tunes, and how many tunes do they compose? 35. When may a man be said to breakfast before he gets up? 14. Why is a clock the most modest picee of | 36. Why is a hotel waiter like a race. furniture? 15. Why is U the gayest letter in the alphabet? 16. Why are corn and potatoes like Chinese idols? 17. Which is the merriest sauce? 18. Why is a cat going up three pairs of stairs like a high hill? 19. Why is a lead-pencil like a perverse child? 20. Why is a horse like the letter O? 21. Why are penmakers inciters to wrongdoing? horse? 37. When is the soup likely to run out of the saucepan ? 38. What is that word of five letters, of which, when you take away two, only one remains? 39. When are volunteers not volunteers? 40. Why is the letter B like a fire? 41. Why is the letter R a profitable letter? 42. What word may be pronounced quicke by adding a syllable to it? 43. What is the difference between a dairy- | 72. What relation is the door-mat to the maid and a swallow? 44. Which animal has the most property to carry with him when he travels, and which two have the least? 45. How many sticks go to the building of a crow's nest? 46. Why was Robinson Crusoe not alone on his desert island? 47. Why are there no eggs in St. Domingo? 48. What is invisible blue? 49. Which is the most wonderful animal in 50. Which peer wears the largest hat? scraper? 73. What vegetable most resembles little Fanny's tongue? 74. Why is gooseberry jam like counterfeit money? 75. What is that which has never been felt, seen, nor heard-never existed, and still has a name? 76. Why is a congreve-box without matche superior to all other boxes? 77. Why is a postman in danger of losing his way? 78. What is that which comes with a coach. goes with a coach, is of no use to the coach, and yet the coach can't go without it? 53. Why are bakers very self-denying people? 79. 54. Why is whispering in company like a forged bank-note? 55. Which constellation resembles an empty fire-place? 56. What is the last remedy for a smoky chimney? 57. What relation is that child to its father who is not its father's own son? 58. When does a cow become real estate? 59. Why are dissenters like spiders? 80. What three letters give the name of a famous Roman general? Why would it affront an owl to mistake him for a pheasant? 81. If your uncle's sister is not your aunt, wnat 82. Of what profession is every child? 85. Why is chloroform like Mendelssohn? 60. Why did Marcus Curtius leap into the 86. When is a sailor not a sailor? letters of the alphabet of more impor- 91. What tree is of the greatest importance in tance than the others? 67. What is the way to make your coat last? 68. Why is an alligator the most deceitful of animals? 69. Why is it impossible that there should be a best horse on a race-course? 70. Why are fowls the most economical creatures that farmers keep? 71. When may a ship be said to be in love? history? 92. Which is the most moral food-cake or wine? 93. Why is a good resolution like a fainting 94. Why is a carpenter like a languid dandy? |