at their outer ends, and the ends of his moustache an upward curve, was but the work of a moment, and he appeared "a very devil." "Friar Tuck" was accommodated with a brown bath-gown and rope girdle, with a sofa-pillow to add rotundity. "Punch" was provided with a mask with hooked nose and chin tipped with red --and a peaked cap ending in a tassel, while Red Riding Hood stood confessed in a cloak of Turkey red, carrying a basket on her arm.

The guests not being on formal terms, the affair was a merry frolic, ending with a dance.

The hostess declared that it was not half so much trouble to get up the "properties" as to find favours for a cotillion, and the guests averred that to an ordinary dance it added the charms of a costume ball," with no trouble of preparation.

Fortunately-perhaps not wholly by accident-the "Twelfth-Night King" was the "prince of good fellows" and did much to make the affair the success that it proved.

A CAKE CARNIVAL FOR TWELFTH-NIGHT Twelfth-Night was to the pastry-cooks what Easter is to the florists of our own day-the opportunity to distinguish themselves by most wonderful achievements.

All London turned out on the eve of Twelfth-Night to look in the pastry-cooks' windows, lighted with unaccustomed brilliancy and gorgeous with cakes of all shapes, sorts, and sizes, often surmounted by marvellous structures, from a dragon emitting fire to a miniature man-ofwar, furnished with tiny loaded guns, that went off with a loud report.

The "four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie" was not all a myth, for live birds were concealed under the

pastry of enormous pies, and, when liberated, flew about the room, "which gave much delight to the company," according to Horace Walpole.

Cakes, then, must be conspicuous at any TwelfthNight celebration, and one hostess last January invited her friends to a merry frolic at which a modern adaptation of Twelfth-Night features was attended with success. It was called an "Animated Cake Carnival," for which the guests were requested to appear in costumes representing familiar cakes and to guess each other.

A girl in classic draperies of white cheese-cloth, with large wings of cotton batting, was lovely as "Angel Cake," to whom a contrast was afforded by "Gingersnap" in a snuff-coloured gown, her pockets supplied with many of the "snappers" used in mottoes, which went off from time to time.

A pretty girl dressed as a bride was intended to suggest "Wedding Cake," and seemed to be successful in conjuring visions of the special variety of the cake, if not of the plummy loaf itself.

"Sponge Cake" was all in soft, yellow cheese-cloth, a bath-sponge forming the crown of a hat, of which the brim was of the material of the gown.

The most difficult puzzle of the evening was the wearer of a gown covered with newspaper, with a fringe of "ticker-tape" in short lengths. An erection on her head was made of bits of paper, on which were typewritten words bidding one "Vote for Cupid!" "Vote for Home-Rule!" She proved to be "Election Cake," once so popular.

A gown trimmed with strings of raisins and dried currants in festoons represented "Fruit Cake," and no costume was prettier than "Nut Cake" in noisette brown,

with green leaves galore, and crowned with a wreath of green filberts.

The men, though not required to come in costume, conformed to the spirit of the occasion by wearing small patty-pans as boutonnières.

When the fun began to flag, the guests were set guessing the following cake riddle:

What kind of cake should a geologist eat?-Layer cake. What kind for a pugilist?-Pound cake.

What kind for a lover?-Kisses.

What kind for a gardener?-Fruit cake.

What kind for a glover?-Lady-fingers.

What kind for a man who lives on his friends?-Sponge cake.

What for a politician?-Election cake.

What for a jeweler?-Gold and silver cake.

What kind would one have who ate all these?— Stomach-ache.

This last answer was whispered in confidence.

A cake-knife was the prize given to the most successful guesser.

A cake-walk made a merry "finale" to the evening. A cake of imposing dimensions, iced and decorated with candied fruits, was mounted on a round, flower-decked table in the centre of the room, and the contestants, indulging in all sorts of antics and capers, danced or marched around it.

They were expected to emulate the toilettes, airs and graces which marked the competitors in a cake-walk on a Southern plantation long ago.

The girl, with hair braided in numberless pig-tails, each tied with a ribbon of a different colour and her escort with flashy neck-tie, enormous shirt-collar, and paper sunflower boutonnière, won the prize.

CHAPTER XV

February

A LEAP-YEAR PARTY

NLY in one year out of four does the opportu

nity occur to enjoy the fun and frolic that constitute some of the privileges of Leap-Yearand one of the secrets of happiness is to take whatever of pleasure the hour brings. A Leap-Year party may be given at any time through the year; the favourite dates are December 31st and February 29th.

Upon receipt of an invitation upon which the numerals of the year are conspicuously written at the top of the sheet, and the words "Leap-Year Dance" in the lower left-hand corner, the young women hasten to write to the men with whom they wish to dance the cotillion, requesting that pleasure-though it is wise first to inform themselves whether or not the gentlemen in question have been included in the invitation.

On the evening of the entertainment many favoured swains are the recipients of large boxes from the florists -who usually have a sense of humour that may be appealed to-containing a tiny buttonhole bouquet in the midst of many wrappings-like a needle in a haystack-or one of huge proportions, composed of cabbage leaves, or an onion or cold-slaw cleverly wired to make a burlesque imitation of a chrysanthemum. These, of course, must be worn at the dance.

Upon the arrival of the young men, they crowd together and hold each other's hands, after the manner of some timid débutantes, while the girls give themselves lofty airs of lords of creation. Some copy the type of male creature who refused to dance the early part of the evening, remarking that he "always let the girls look and long for him a little while first!"

The hostess may delegate the duty of receiving the guests upon their entrance to her husband, if she chooses -or, perhaps, rather, if he choose-and stalk about as if disclaiming any responsibility.

The men find seats; the girls walk about or stand in groups near the door. They may, and should, solicit introductions, and are brought up to the men by host or hostess.

As the music strikes up, the girls seek the desired partners, often selecting for especial devotion some man whose absence of conceit makes the flattery innocuous.

In the pauses of the dance, the young women gallantly fan their partners for a moment or so, but soon transfer that attention to their own faces in apparent thoughtlessness after the manner familiar to girls as one of the ways of mankind.

When walking about the room, the girls offer their arms to the young men, which are accepted, of course, but many have to be instructed in the proper manner of resting but the tips of their gloved hands upon the forearms of their escorts, at the bend of the elbow.

Compliments are in order, and mock declarations, if made, so that the fun is enjoyed on both sides.

At supper-time the men get their revenge for any teasing of which they have been the object, and, seated at their ease, they sometimes keep their partners running back and forth to supply abnormal demands of