A prize may be given to the one whose answers are the readiest.

TRADE PANTOMIMES

A variation of the old favourite Dumbo Crambo is called "Trade Pantomimes." The players divide themselves into two parties, called "The Masters" and "The Men." After consultation the Men agree upon some trade or occupation which they are to illustrate in dumb show. The Masters must guess from their motions what trade they have chosen, and for their help are told the first and last letters of the word describing it,

For instance, the Men decide upon the word "gardener," and, giving the letters "g" and "r," they stand in line and each performs in pantomime something representing a gardener's work-planting the seed, mowing with the scythe, digging, weeding, watering, etc. Not a word is spoken, and but one guess is permitted to each of the Masters. If one guesses correctly, the Men "lose their job." If no one can discover the trade indicated, the word is told, and they proceed to act something else.

After the second failure of the Masters to guess the word, the Men "strike" and they "quit work."

The Masters assume their places and take their turn at pantomime.

If any one makes a motion that is not descriptive of the chosen trade, in order to mislead, the whole "gang" is discharged and their opponents take their places.

TRAVELLING HINTS

One of the company announces that he is about to take a trip, and whispers to his neighbour to what country he is going. He then requests advice of three

players whether he shall go by land or sea, in what direction, and by what conveyance to go and return. Having received his answers, it is for him then to reconcile them and describe how he can reach his destination if obliged to act upon all the advice given him.

One may travel by balloon, bicycle, on sledges, camels, ox-carts, skates, by wheel-barrow, gondola, tram-car, diving-bell, automobile, naphtha launch, donkey, rail, go-cart, four-in-hand, yacht, chaise-à-porteur, omnibus, hansom-cab, "shank's mare," and to any part of the known world.

One person, for instance, may be required to go to St. Petersburg by water, and is advised to travel in a perambulator and return on stilts.

GHOSTS

The ghostly nature of the game does not appear at once; but the company gathers in a circle and the leader explains that they are to play a game of word-making.

Some one is requested to think of a word and name aloud only its first letter. Another at his left must accept the letter and add a second to it, having also some word in mind. The next player then thinks of a word beginning with those two letters in succession, and adds a third, being careful not to give one that shall complete a word that may stand alone. The forfeit for so doing is to lose a life, of which, at the beginning of the game, each person is supposed to have three. The penalty of three such delinquencies is that one becomes a ghost, is invested with a "winding-sheet (a sheet wound about one) and a mask cut from white paper-muslin. Thus relegated to the land of shades, they drop out of the game, except as haunting presences. Their object then is to induce some "living" one to

speak to them; when, if successful, that person so entrapped loses a life. The object is not wholly malicious, for the phantom most successful in seducing the living is awarded a prize.

An example may make the game seem a little clearer: The first player, thinking of the word "temple," gives the letter "t." The next thinks of "tract," and adds "r." No. 3 must now accept "tr," and, having "trap" in mind, gives out "a," No. 4 avoiding the "trap" set for him to induce the completion of the word, thinks of "transcript," and adds "s." No. 5, thinking of "transubstantiation," mentions "u." No. 6, hesitating beyond the allotted time of half a minute, loses a life. No. 6 having failed, No. 7 thinks of "d," to make the word "transude"; and No. 8, with "transudation' in mind, adds an "a," and so on.

"

The interest of the game culminates when but two players remain, when at length one is cornered. The victory remains to the player who forces his opponent to complete a word. If it be suspected that a person giving a letter has no word in mind, he may be challenged, and if he is unable immediately to mention the word he loses a life. If, however, the challenger has been mistaken, one of his lives is forfeited.

A volume of Poe's works would be an appropriate prize, or one of the many clever collections of ghost stories.

CENTURY COURT

This game, like many others, requires one person to leave the room, while the rest agree upon some century in the world's history with the characteristics of which they are familiar.

Upon the return of the exile he is at once taxed with

all the faults, failures, crimes, and abuses of the century which he is supposed to represent, or commended for its services to the world-its heroism, its great men, or any redeeming feature. He must make his own defence as cleverly as he can, or accept the compliments with becoming modesty, while he tries to guess what century it is for which he is held responsible.

When he thinks he has collected sufficient evidence to justify a conclusion, he addresses the company in legal phrase: "May it please the court that, whereas the century has been lauded and condemned with such impartial fairness, my sins have been brought home to me as to occasion most poignant remorse, I move that Miss whose ably pressed charge gave me the best clue to my identity, be the next person to be indicted."

White's "Eighteen Christian Centuries" would be a helpful guide in preparation for the game-the salient points of each century being accessible within few pages.

PUZZLE PANTOMIMES

The fun of this game depends much upon the spirit with which the pantomimes are given. The hostess in advance prepares as many slips of paper as there are to be guests; one of which is drawn, folded, or enclosed in an envelope by each person. Each in turn is expected to give in pantomime the revelation to the audience of what the slip of paper contained-which they are to guess-at the conclusion of each performance, secretly and silently writing their conjectures in booklets furnished them for the purpose. A prize may be given to the one whose guesses prove most correct. For instance, one young woman reads on her paper: "The staff of life." She rolls up her sleeves, or

makes the motions to suggest it, ties on an imaginary apron, perhaps finds a convenient sofa-pillow to thump and knead, and ends by consigning it to a supposititious oven under a chair-patted into the nearest possible similitude to a round loaf. A man may be condemned to represent "a pic-nic" all by himself. He walks as if over rough ground, cultivates an animated expres. sion, frequently interrupted by a cross frown, as he slaps his own face in pursuit of the elusive mosquito, goes through the motions of "doing the polite" to imaginary fair ones, and, sitting uncomfortably on the ground, eats with his fingers, as if under protest, constantly getting up and sitting down, as if obligingly waiting upon the wishes of others. He wipes his face with his handkerchief and fans himself with whatever he can lay his hands upon, as if suffering from intense heat.

YES AND NO

This good old game will bear frequent repetition. One of the party leaves the room. In his absence the rest choose a subject, which may be a person, place, object, idea, or event belonging to any period of the world's history or the domain of the imagination. Nothing is barred from choice.

The banished player is summoned, and must try by adroit questioning of each person in succession to discover what the object decided upon must be, putting his inquiries so that they may be answered by "Yes," "No," or "I do not know."

These three forms alone are allowed, which prevent such leading questions as shall reveal the mystery prematurely. The answers must be honest, on the surface at least, though misleading ones are not forbidden.