Our ladies' book / R. H. McDonald Drug Company.

  • R.H. McDonald Drug Company
Date:
[1891]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Our ladies' book / R. H. McDonald Drug Company. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    How to Entertain a Small Company. CASE of balls, “athomes” ■■ where dancing- is universal, and other ceremonious dis¬ plays of fashion, especially in larg-e cities, though de¬ lightful in their way, are so much alike, and partake so httie of the social enter! ain- ments of friendship, there is really nothing for the hostess to do, excejjt make proper pros isions for the necessaries of the entertain¬ ment, to dress becomingly without endeavoring loout¬ shine her guests, to receive them cordially, and make herself as agreeable as pos¬ sible in a general way. At such festivities, guests are privileged to go or come at any hour, but unless you lind yourself something of an acquisition, or are he’p- ingto receive or entertain, it is a good thing as a gen¬ eral rule, to arrive late and leave early; in truth, if one wishes to be fashionable, one must go late. If, however, one is invited to a dinner, he must arrive at the hour named. But now let us supyiose our hostess has to entertain a few friends who care litfe for cards, and less for dan¬ cing. In such an event a few passing hints may be of service, although each ho^^tess will, of course, make it a point to provide herself with resources to suit the assem¬ blage, the times and the locality. /e leave unmentioned kissing games and forfeit games, because they are suited only to very special gaiherings. In the first place Verba will always prove a good stand¬ by, and, if you have not a copy, send to iis immediately ten cents and receive, posti'aid, our valuable package, ; which includes that charming game. No money you in- , vest will ever repay you better. No household should be without several copies of it. Another very interesting game is Destiny. An intelli¬ gent person of ready vnt is selected for the Oracle, and sent oxit of the room for a few minutes. The rest of the company, seated in a semi-circle whisper each to each, a person’s name (preferable of one present), to the left hand neighbor, and a sentiment to the right hand neighbor- ladies giving gentlemen’s names and the gentlemen ladies’ names. The Oracle is then called in and takes his seat, and begins an imaginative narrative suited to the circum¬ stances and to the assembly before him—the more brd- jlant his part the more interesting the i)roceedings. Suppose, for instance, he knows a pleasantry about any two persons present, and he remarks, ’beginning with the first person seated on his left, whom we will call Miss A: “ What did you. Miss A, say was the name ot the gentle¬ man you heard so passionately pleading with a fair damsel for a token of affection, the other evening, at such and such a place?” (She then gives you the name previously whispered to her.) It may not be the person about whom it would be true, but the hit will be nearly as good and not a few present may appreciate its full force. What is more, promiscuous bhishes may reveal unsuspected develop¬ ments in other directions. The Oracle then continues and asks Miss A. again: “ And what was the tender and expressive sentiment that he swore to be his watchword and guiding talisman?” (She here repeats the sentiment previously whispered to her ) It may or may not suit and the awkward or appro¬ priate association will generally cause innocent confusion or merriment. , ^ . The Oracle then proceeds to player B._ In this way, by bringing in matter from society, politics, art, literature and whatever other fields suggest appropriate material, a very superior diversion can be enjoyed. Something more lively is Dvmh Scramho. The com¬ pany divides in two about eciual in number and equally matehed parties; one side goes out, the other side chooses quietly a word—let us say for a somewhat hard one—sheen; they then inform the side out that they have chosen a woi d that rhymes wth lean. The side out must now act without speaking the different words they think of that rhyme -with lean until they hit the proper word. If the side that is in and forms the audience cannot guess any word that is properly acted, or if the side out act the right word, then the side in must go out and try to find whatever word the other side chooses. A more animated sport yet is to place in a double line one more chair than players; then march around them in a circle, keeping step to the music of a performer on an instrument or the voice of some one singing. Whenever the operator or singer stops you must all sit down as rapidly as you can, and whoever fails to find a chair drops out. The number of chairs is diminished by one, and so you keep on until only one person remains, who wans the game. Budeness should be carefully avoided in this and every other spart, especially towards ladies. For those who play cards w e have been told an excellent round game is to take from the pack enough small cards ' to make them divide evenly among the number of players,' then foUow exactly the laws of whist, except that each player generally iTajs for himself, and every trick he takes counts 1 point, if four play, and 2 points if more than four play; but whoever takts the trick with the jack of clubs in it has 10 taken oft' his score, or charged against what he may get. If, therefore, you get the jack of clubs dealt to you try to work it off on someone else by throwing away when you cannot follow suit, or in some other way. Taking the trick with the jack in it makes one feel blue, hence the name of the game—Dine Jack. For those who may have cards, but do not play them, they may serve w ell in Questions a7id A nswers. Have four packs, Vvith tw o different kinds of backs, sav red and blue. Deal one blue pack to the gentlemen and one red pack to the ladies. Then the dealer places before her tw^c packs—one red backs, one blue backs. To start the game she then begins and asks a question siich as: “Who has been fiii’ting this evening?” And she then draws the first blue card before her—say the knave of hearts—and w hichever gentleman has the knave of hearts is the guilty person. He i hen askS a question, say: “What sweet charmer has been the cause of my transgression ?” The leader draws now a red back—say the queen of hearts—and the lady with the queen is the accomplice; she, in turn, asks a question, and so the game proceeds until all the cards are draw n. This is a very interesting game when properly played. ^ Bean-Bags, to those who can keep their temper. Is an exciting and amusing game. Divide the company in cwo equal parties, arranged about a yard apart in two parallel rows facing each other. Have, say, two dozen stoutly sewn bags, about eight inches long by four wide, and filled comfortably full of beans. The bags m- st be so that they can be easily and quickly grasped by the hand. Choose two judges, and place one at each end of your lines, each with a table in front. Haye the bean- bags In two piles of twelve each before one judge, who is to give the signal to start, when the bags must be passed singly along each line, passing separately through each hand of each player down to the table at Ihe other end, there stacked up and returned as rapidly as possible. The contest is to see which side can get the bags down and back first. In case a bag is dropped by any one. it must always be picked up by the hand of that person farthest' from the table toward which it i8going,and when dropped ■ from a table must always be put back on table before passing. Whichever side gets the bags down and back first a certain number of times is declared the winner. This is a game in which those who keep cool and pay close attention are almost sure to win, and it is interest¬ ing when properly played. It is particularly desirable to haye good persons at each end ot the lines. We strongly advise each and every lad idy who reads this book. tcT p“urcha8e a bottle of New Style YinegMrBTten and use it for herself and children, as her judgment dictates. It will cure all diseases of the system that come from Indigestion,—and the complaints resulting from indigestion are legion,—it will purify the blood, strengthen the neryes, and brace up the system generally.