This is an admirable winter game, as it affords exercise and laughter for all ages.

A young lady is requested to take her place at the piano; some chairs are placed down the centre of the room, back to back, just one less in number than the players. Suppose there are twelve children to play, you place eleven chairs, ten back to back, one extra. Then the twelve children dance hand in hand round the chairs in time to the music. Suddenlysometimes in the middle of a bar-always just when you do not expect itthe player lifts her hands off the piano. Everybody must then attempt to get a seat, and, as there are only eleven, one will of course be left out. She or he is then out of the game, and must sit down and watch it. Then a chair is taken away, ten being left. The dancers resume their dance as soon as the music begins; the moment it stops, they try to get a chair each, and one is, of course, again left out; then another chair is taken away, and the dance resumed. The game goes on, losing a dancer and a chair each time, till two dancers and one chair only are left.

Then the two dance wildly round the chair, and when the music suddenly stops, one sits down, and the other is "out" like the rest.

To make this game more exciting, the "Mamma," if it is a birth-day or any special occasion, will have a box of bonbons or some fruit to give to the winner-i.e., the last who gets a chair-and she will let it be sufficient for distribution by the victor.

ADA. Let us play the "Summer Garden" this evening.
MABEL. How do you play it?

ADA. These are the rules; Mdlle. Magne wrote them out for me. I will read them, and you must try and recollect them.

1st Rule. The players are to divide. Half are to take the name of insects-half of flowers; but the flowers and insects must be summer insects and flowers.

2nd Rule. The insects, who should be boys (if there are any boys among the players), must sit on one side; the flowers (little girls) on the other. 3rd Rule. One of the party will, of course, fix on a butterfly. He or she is to stand in the middle of the party, who should form two half-circles.

4th Rule. Whenever the word "gardener" is mentioned, the little girls extend their right hands, in token of welcoming him. The insects, on the contrary, are to jump back, in token that they fear him.

5th Rule.-When the word "watering-pot" is uttered, the flowers must raise their heads as if eager for water; the insects must drop on one knee, and hold down their heads.

6th Rule.-At the mention of the "sun," all must rise - insects and flowers-and clap their hands with joy at his name.

7th Rule.-Each player must speak the moment his or her name is mentioned, and, if possible, continue the sense of the last speaker's words.

8th Rule.-The name of a flower or insect must not be mentioned twice in the same game.

CHARLES. Well, let us begin to play. We shall soon learn it then: hearing the rules is not of much use. A game can only be learned by playing it.

ADA. Choose your names, then, and I will write them on this piece of paper, that the Butterfly may remember them.

CHARLES. I will be the Admiral Butterfly; Mary, the Lily; Mabel, the Rose; Honora, Violet; Anna, the Sweet Pea; Ada, Scarlet Geranium; Fanny, Magnolia.

ANTHONY. I will be a Bee; Granville, a Ladycow; James, a Gnat; Edward, a Wasp.

ADA. Now we will begin. Sit down, all of you, and when your names are mentioned, jump up from your seats and begin to talk. Of course, I mean one at a time. Now, Butterfly, describe the summer garden.

They all sat round, attentive and ready to play their several parts, when Charles, who stood in the midst, began.

CHARLIE. What a delightful garden this is! The day also is very pleasant. The sun shines.

At the word "sun," all stand up but Mary.

ADA. Mary, pay a forfeit. You should have stood up at the word "sun." CHARLIE. The lily is a very ungrateful flower, and

MARY (suddenly recollecting). And does not deserve to be so fair, if it forgets the rays to which it owes its beauty.

As she speaks, Charlie sits down.

MARY (continues). If it had been the ill-natured wasp, in

EDWARD (quickly). -deed, you would not have wondered, but I should. Why do you think me ungrateful, proud flowers? I am not. I sting, to

be sure, but only in self-defence or in fear. I am far from ungrateful, I assure you. Ask the rose

MABEL (quickly). Who will say that it is very unjust to speak unkindly of any one, even a poor insect. The perfume of my leaves springs from a kind charitable heart. Ask the bee

ANTHONY. How kind the Queen of Flowers is, and he will tell you that her goodness equals and adds to her beauty. Only the magnolia

FANNY. Can rival her in sweetness; and I think both are more prized for their perfume than their beauty. The scarlet geranium—

ADA. Is a very handsome flower in its way, and its red coat is very effective amongst plainer flowers; but for perfume, give me the violet!

HONORA (not having to go on with a speech, rose quietly, and remarked) Here comes the gardener!

Instantly the flowers all put out their hands, and the insects jumped on one side.

HONORA (continues).—With his watering-pot.

The flowers rose and looked upwards; the insects dropped on one knee, and put down their heads, all except Granville, who, being possessed of a great share of curiosity, looked about to see what the others were doing, and was instantly called on for a forfeit.

HONORA (continuing). He waters the graceful sweet pea

ANNA (laughing). Who welcomes gladly the cool drops of water, and is glad to see that some fall on her dear neighbour, the modest violet. HONORA. Oh, sweet pea! You

ADA. Stop! A forfeit! Sweet pea has been named before.

HONORA. But I was going to speak to her-

ADA. No matter. You should have said, "My graceful friend," or used some other round-about way of speaking, as the Members of Parliament do, in order not to repeat "sweet pea."

HONORA. There is my penknife, then. May I go on speaking?

ADA. Yes.

HONORA. I hope the water-drops will not hurt the dear little lady-cow, which is creeping on my green leaves.

ADA. Granville! Granville! Do you hear?
GRANVILLE. Oh, it is I! I forgot my name.

Lady-cow!

There's my string. Must I talk now? Well, I am not hurt at all by them, thank you, Miss Violet ; my coat is thicker than Baron Butterfly's

CHARLIE. Who is ready to begin again.

This game depends greatly on the fun and wit of the children who play it; but it is an excellent one for collecting forfeits, as it requires great attention in the players, who will not otherwise catch their names or remember their duties.

THE AVIARY.

The players sit in a circle. Honora, who is chosen to be "Bird Merchant," goes round, and each player whispers in turn the name of the bird she chooses to call herself.

When all have given their names, the bird merchant says, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have an aviary of great variety and beauty. To which of my birds will you make a bow? To which will you tell a secret? From which will you pluck a feather?" ADA. Name your birds, and we will tell you.

HONORA. I have a gentle dove, a charming nightingale, a canary in a cage, a cuckoo, an owl, a pheasant, a swan, a duck, a snipe, a tomtit, a hawk, a water-wagtail.

ADA. I will tell a secret to the owl; I will make a bow to the dove; I will pull a feather out of the pheasant.

HONORA. The owl is Anthony: you must whisper by and bye something that he is to do, and he must obey you. The dove is Fanny: you must make her a bow without smiling. The pheasant is Anna: she must give you a forfeit. I just tell you this to show you what happens to each in consequence of your choice. But the game is this: I must go round all the circle first, and every one must answer the three questions. At the end of it the birds say which of them has lost a feather, and they pay a forfeit. Every one who owes a bow to a bird pays it. Every one who has a secret must whisper it.

If any bird does not have a feather pulled from her wing during the game, she becomes bird merchant the next time.

ADA. That will be a funny game; but you must re-name Anthony, Fanny, and Anna, or we shall know who the dove, pheasant, and owl are. Or may we not choose the same bird a second time?

HONORA. Oh! you may all choose the same birds if you like, there is no rule against it.

So the three were re-named and the game went on. The bird of Paradise and the peacock had so many feathers stolen from them that they paid five or six forfeits each, while the bows and whispers contributed greatly to the mirth of the happy party.

FORFEIT GAMES DEPENDING ON NUMBERS. ROBIN HOOD'S ARROW.

ADA. The rules of this game are as follow:

1st Rule.-No one must mention any number with ten in it, under pain of paying a forfeit and being out of the game.

2nd Rule. The one who buys the arrow offered for sale takes the place of the one who sells it; thus each sells it in turn.

3rd Rule. The one who has just sold the arrow must not be asked to buy it till the game has gone three times round.

4th Rule.-The answers must be given promptly before the seller can wave her hand three times, or a forfeit must be paid.

5th Rule. No number once named must be repeated, under pain of incurring a forfeit.