The American Girl’s Handy Book.
CHAPTER I.
FIRST OF APRIL.
THIS is the children’s own day, and no assumption of dignity on the part of their elders can deter them from exercising the privileges granted to them by acknowledged custom and precedent.
“April fool! April fool!” cries my little nephew, as he dances with delight to see his aunt walk out of the room with a piece of white paper dangling from a hooked pin, attached to her dress.
“April fool! April fool!” shout the children in the street, thus announcing the success of some practical joke.
“April fool!” laughs everyone at the table, when some unfortunate bites into a brown, wholesome-looking cruller, only to find it a delusion and a snare, the coat of a cruller, but the inside of cotton.
“April fool! April fool!” is what even the little sparrows seem to chirp, as with a “s-w-h-e-r-r” they sweep down from the tree and, frightening away the kitten, take forcible possession of her bone. What does all this mean? Why is the first day of April called “All-Fools-Day,” and when or where did the custom of the day originate? Who can tell? No one seems to know. Even the derivation of the word April does not appear to have been definitely settled, and this saucy month, with her mischievous tricks and pranks, her surprises and mysteries, fools and puzzles our wisest men.
Through many centuries the observance of All-Fools-Day has descended to us. In many climes and many countries this day is chosen as the proper time for playing tricks on the unsuspecting.
“Festum Fatuorum,” or “Fools’ Holiday,” is what it was called in England at the time of the arrival of the early Christians in that country.
Easily caught like the mackerel, which are plentiful on the French coast in April and are said to be deficient in understanding, the April fool in France derives his name from that fish, and is called “Poisson d’Avril” or “April Fish,” and again, “Silly Mackerel.” From the cuckoo, a bird that does not know enough to build its own nest, the appellation of “gowk” is taken, and is given to the foolish one in Scotland who allows himself to be duped on this day.
In India at the festival called Huli Festival held on the last day of March, the natives make merry at the expense of their friends, just as we do, and their fool is called “Huli Fool.”
So in the East and in the West, in the North and in the South, in the oldest nation as well as the youngest, is this ridiculous custom observed, and, as if to make it still more ridiculous, no one apparently knows why.
Now, girls, since this holiday has descended to us from so far back that its origin appears lost in the dim twilight of past ages, there surely must be some reason for its existence, and that reason may be, that “a little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men,” and is therefore wholesome as an occasional diet. So why not help to perpetuate it; not with rude, practical jokes, but with comical surprises, and absurd, but unembarrassing, situations. Much harmless fun can be derived from the privileges of this day, devoted as it is to nonsense, and we introduce the April Fool Party as an excellent means of concentrating the fun, and furnishing plenty of merriment to the young folks who are bent on having a good time.
First of April Party.
I remember, when quite a little girl, I was granted the privilege of celebrating my birthday, which came on the 1st of April, with a candy-pull, and a few days previous to the event I started joyfully off to invite my friends. The invitations were laughingly given and accepted, and it did not occur to me that I would be suspected of playing a joke, although the party was to be on April-Fools-Day. It seems, however, that my good intentions were doubted, and the children were undecided whether to come or not. I had begun to suspect that a joke was to be played on me by their all remaining away, before they finally arrived in a body, having taken the precaution of coming in that way, so that if the party were a hoax they would all be fooled together.
I relate this incident that warning may be taken from my experience, and that it may be understood how important it is to make the guests invited to your First of April party realize that the invitations are given in good faith, and that your friends are expected to be on hand at the appointed time.
It is well, in giving a party of this kind, to have the whole programme laid out beforehand, so that everything may go smoothly and nothing be forgotten.
The few methods of April fooling given here need not constitute the whole entertainment; the list may be added to by the young hostess, who will, no doubt, have many ideas of her own to carry out. We will head our list with the
Mirror Tableau.
This novel tableau is made ready in the following manner:
In a door-way, or bay-window draped with full curtains, place a large mirror. Instead of having the curtains suspended from the usual pole, it is best to stretch a wire across the space and slip the curtain-rings upon that, as they will slide more readily on the wire; and when it is time to draw back the drapery it should be done quickly. A table placed before the curtains will serve as a barricade, keeping the too curious from taking a peep at the hidden mysteries before they are ready to be revealed.
At the time selected, remove the table, and request all those desiring to see the tableau to arrange themselves in front of the curtain, and to remain perfectly quiet, as any movement will disturb those taking part.
If the front rows of the audience can be induced to kneel or sit upon the floor, those in the rear can obtain a better view, and it will, at the same time, make the group more effective. When perfect quiet is obtained, give the signal to your assistant, who must stand opposite to you at the side of the curtain, and with her help quickly draw aside the draperies, thus disclosing the tableau of a group of young people, motionless, gazing into the mirror with eager and expectant eyes. For an instant the audience will be held spell-bound, scarcely realizing that they themselves are forming the pretty tableau.
“We are April Fools,” written with soap on the mirror near the top, as shown in the illustration, tells what character the actors are assuming, and gives a name to the tableau.
The Mirror Tableau.
During the interval which should be allowed to intervene before introducing the next thing on the programme, the guests will find amusement in the many harmless practical jokes which are awaiting the unwary in all manner of places.
For instance, some boy will print APRIL FOOL in large white letters on his own back, by simply resting for a moment in a convenient chair upon whose snowy tidy the dreaded words have previously been printed backwards with white chalk. On the dark woolly surface of the coat, the white letters will be perfectly transferred, and the boy, little knowing what he has done, or the cause of the merriment, will join in the general laughter his appearance creates.
A treacherous divan can be provided by removing the top of a low, flat packing-box, and putting in its place brown wrapping-paper, tacking it down around the edges of the box. With a piece of drapery thrown over it, entirely concealing the box, and sofa pillows placed upon it, leaning against the wall, the divan looks exceedingly comfortable and inviting. But woe unto the person who mistakes appearances for reality, for to attempt to sit upon this seeming substantial couch is but to break through and sit upon the floor instead.
The box used for the divan should not be more than twelve inches high, so that the fall will be only funny, not dangerous.
The next diversion may be a
Noah’s Ark Peep-show.
Make the peep-show of a box about two and a half feet long and one foot and a half high. Remove the top and both of the end-pieces (Fig. 1). Cut from pasteboard a slide to exactly fit the box, and place it in the middle, thus cutting off the view from either end, as shown in Fig. 1. Make a curtain in two pieces, and tack them around the upper edge of the box, letting them meet at each end. Stout pieces of twine, stretched across the openings at the ends of the box, will serve to attach the drapery at these points.
Almost any kind of material will answer for this purpose, provided it is not too thin and is of some bright hue, for the peep-show should be made to look as gay as possible. Place the box upon a high stand, and so arrange it that a strong light will shine down into it, making the interior, from end to end, perfectly light.
From a list, previously prepared, of the animals supposed to be on exhibition, read the first two, and invite two persons, a girl and a boy, for instance, to look into the peep-show. We will suppose that the first animals on the list are the raven and the dove. Inform your would-be audience that you have two of Noah’s special pets to show them; that from the girls’ point of view will be seen a raven, and from the boys’, a dove. When taking their places at the box, one at each end, the two spectators must part the curtain, and, putting their faces between, hold the drapery together under their chins. This is to keep the remainder of the company from obtaining a glimpse into the wonderful show before their turns arrive.
When all is ready, and the two wondering faces are hidden between the folds of the peep-show curtains, with the words, “Behold the pretty dove, and the mischievous raven,” remove the slide, and expose to the astonished gaze of each spectator a companion’s familiar face at the opposite end of the box. Of course, upon retiring from the show, its secret must be kept, otherwise the joke will be spoiled for those whose turns are yet to come.
Before the next two take their station at the box, replace the slide and pretend to rearrange the show, to divert the suspicion that the box is empty.
The Supper
can be made the means of perpetrating many practical jokes. The shams must be so intermingled with the real delicacies that one can never be sure what the consequences may be of partaking too rashly of even the most tempting-looking morsel.
Small blocks of wood covered with batter and browned in the oven are excellent imitations of cakes. Dainty confectionery, in crimped papers, can be made of small radishes covered with icing of different colors. Button-moulds coated with chocolate will readily be mistaken for candy.
If a small pasteboard pill-box is first filled with flour, and the top then covered with tissue-paper pasted down around the edges, it will look, when iced, like a delicate little cake, and will cause much merriment when anyone bites into it; for the moment the paper cover is broken the flour will fly in every direction. The fertile brain of girls, on mischief bent, will suggest many more frauds of this kind, and enough surprises may be prepared to make the supper as merry as anything else on the evening’s programme.
Before leaving this subject, once more let the caution be given to keep the jokes entirely harmless. It is only poor fun that can be obtained at the expense of injuring others, or by running the slightest risk of hurting them in any way.
The spirit of mischief must be kept within bounds even on All-Fools-Day.
Gathering Wild Flowers.
CHAPTER II.
WILD FLOWERS AND THEIR PRESERVATION.
LONG before the first green leaves make their appearance, while the snows of winter still linger in the shaded nooks, and the branches are still bare, though blushing with the full, flowing sap that tinges their tips pink, yellow, and red—when the air is filled with a sweet freshness and delicate fragrance—it is charming in our rambles to find scattered here and there upon the hill-side, down among the roots of the great trees, or under the hedges delicate little wild flowers waving on their fragile stalks with the faintest passing breeze. They are so exquisitely beautiful with their tender hues and graceful shapes, that a longing comes to possess them.
And why not keep them fresh at home? Plants live in the earth and require light, air, and moisture. All of these requirements can be and are fulfilled in thousands of homes where plants are kept, all over the world. But these are wild flowers. True, and they may need something to be found only in the wild woods. What, then, is it? Let us see. Earth, light, and air abound everywhere. Still, upon inspection we discover that the soil around our timid wild flowers is somewhat different from that to be found in our door-yards. But what is simpler than to take the earth up with the plant?
Be careful in
Transplanting Wild Flowers
to dig well all around and under the roots, so that the earth surrounding and clinging to the plant may be taken up at the same time (Fig. 2). After covering the root and soil adhering to it with a layer of clay, mud, or damp earth (Fig. 3) set the root in a large leaf, and tie it up with string or a wisp of grass (Fig 4), in order to make sure the soil does not fall off the plant. Thus secured the specimens will keep nicely until you reach home; then plant them in a shady place and keep the ground moist. Beautiful little woodland gardens are made in this way, where within a few steps of the door a glimpse may be had of the fair forest flowers.
Sweet-scented white violets, delicate little anemones, odd yellow violets, and quaint jack-in-the-pulpits, with many others, not forgetting the graceful ferns, are now growing in the shaded corner of the writer’s lawn, transplanted there from their home in the woods, where she found them one lovely spring morning, when out with a party of friends on a hunt for wild flowers.
The day was perfect, filled with sunshine and the song of birds. All nature appeared glad and joyous, and the trees seemed veiled in the softest greens and pinks of budding leaves.
It was a happy party that went wandering into the forest, straying here and there, and finding new treasures at nearly every step, stopping to gather a few of the violets that gave a purple tinge to the ground for yards around, then rambling on to the spot that was covered with the fragile anemone, each girl laden with the flowers she loved best. Some had taken them up roots and all, while others preferred the
Cut Wild Flowers.
For these it is best to use a tin box of convenient size and form shutting closely. The flowers must be fresh and not at all damp; in such a box they can be kept for days bright and unfading. They may also safely be sent to friends at a distance, though it is better, when
Sending Flowers by Mail,
if you wish to send a quantity, to pack them in a strong pad or wooden box. First lay down a piece of oiled paper of the proper size; spread a thin layer of damp paper on this; next a layer of flowers, then one of thin wet paper; and so on until the box is full. Over the last layer place a dry paper, and cover this with oiled paper or tin-foil; put the lid on the box and tie it down securely.
By this method a larger number of flowers can be sent in a given space than when simply inclosed in a tin box.
The writer has often sent daisies from New York to Cincinnati where they arrived as fresh as when first gathered.
For the benefit of those who wish directions for sending flowers by mail, we give the following on authority of the American Agriculturist.
“The law passed some years since by Congress, allowing packages of plants to be sent by mail, if not over four pounds in weight, was a capital arrangement for those who lived at a distance from railroad and express offices, but it is so hampered with the various constructions given by the Post Office Department, that it is difficult to know what is required by the officials. The law now is, we believe, as follows: A package, weighing four pounds or less, can be sent at the rate of two cents per four ounces, but the writing of the words “roots” or “plants” makes a letter of it, and is charged letter postage. Nothing should be written except the address, and the package must not be sealed, or contain any writing, and it must be so fastened that the postmaster can examine the contents if he wishes. The plants may, however, be numbered, and their names sent by letter.”
Now let us think of some way in which these lovely blossoms can be preserved.
In Germany they excel in making decorations for rooms, dinner-tables, etc., of
Preserved Flowers.
Bright-colored flowers are best adapted to this method. White flowers are apt to turn yellow. Jack-in-the-pulpits, clover, roses, and daisies came out beautifully when the writer dried them, and why should not many other kinds do just as well? Try and see.
Procure three or four quarts of fine sand; white scouring-sand is the best; wash it perfectly clean. This can be tested by pouring the water off until it looks quite clear; then dry the sand, by placing it in a clean tin in the oven. When it is dry—fully dry and cool—pour enough in a box to enable the flowers to stand by themselves, their stems embedded in the sand, which should be a mass of fine particles of uniform size.
Preserved Flowers.
If the flowers are cut so that they all measure nearly the same length from the tip of the blossom to the end of the stem, they can more readily be covered with sand. The flowers must be fresh and entirely free from moisture. Place them stem downward in the sandy layer, and very gently and slowly pour in the sand a little at a time, until each leaf and petal is firmly held in place (Fig. 5); then fill the box with sand nearly two inches above the level of the flowers.
It is very essential that every particle of the flower rest in the sand, and that in filling up, the smallest petal has not been bent or crumpled.
Take care not to shake the box lest the flowers inside be injured. Set it in a warm, dry place, and let it stand at least two weeks.
This manner of preserving flowers retains the color, while the shape of the leaves and petals remains unaltered. The flowers will keep for years.
There are other ways also of preserving flowers.
Pressed Flowers and Leaves.
Although these are perfectly flat, they seldom fade and are very pretty and useful. Have ready a large book or a quantity of old newspapers and several weights. Use the newspapers for leaves and ferns—blotting-paper is best for the flowers. Both the flowers and leaves should be fresh and without moisture. Place them as nearly in their natural positions as possible in the book or papers, and press, allowing several thicknesses of paper between each layer. Remove the specimens to dry papers each day until perfectly dry.
Some flowers must be immersed—all but the flower head—in boiling water for a few minutes, before pressing, to prevent them from turning black. Orchids are of this nature.
If possible, it is well to obtain all parts of a plant, the roots as well as the seeds, for a more interesting collection can thus be made than from the flower and leaf alone.
It is advisable to be provided with a blank book or, what is still better, pieces of stiff white paper of uniform size on which to mount the flowers or leaves when dried; also with a small bottle of mucilage and a brush for fastening them, and some narrow strips of court-plaster or gummed paper for the stems and thicker parts of the plants. The sooner they can be mounted the better. Place them carefully on the paper, writing beneath the locality and date of finding. Flowers and leaves thus prepared make beautiful herbariums. Should you desire
Leaves and Ferns for Decoration,
first press them nicely; then give them a coat of wax, by ironing them on both sides with a hot iron over which a piece of beeswax has first been rubbed. Cover the specimens completely with wax, as this renders them quite pliable, and they are no longer brittle nor easily broken. Sprays of small leaves can be pressed entire.
To heighten the effect, use dry colors, rubbing them in, and selecting those corresponding with the color of the leaves when first gathered.
The colors must be put on before the coating of wax. Ferns should be gathered when nearly full grown, and, after they are pressed, painted light green with oil-colors; in that case the beeswax is not used. The oil in the paint, like the wax, makes the specimens more substantial, and they look quite fresh and fair.
Sometimes the late autumn frosts will bleach the ferns perfectly white; then are they even more delicate than before Nature changed their color. We have seen the
Color of Flowers Changed,
and it is a very pretty experiment, very simple, too. Immerse the flowers in ammonia, and you will be surprised to see white lilies change to a delicate yellow, pink roses turn a lovely light green, while dark-red sweet-peas assume blue and rich purple tints; and the change is so rapid it is almost like magic. Another interesting experiment is making
Natural Wax Flowers
by dipping the fresh buds and blossoms in paraffine just sufficiently hot to liquefy it; first the stems of the flowers; when these have cooled and hardened, then the flowers or sprays, holding them by the stalks and moving them gently. When they are completely covered the flowers are removed and lightly shaken, in order to throw off the superfluous wax. The flowers are then suspended until perfectly dry, when they are found hermetically sealed in a film of paraffine, while they still keep their beautiful coloring and natural forms, and for a while even their perfume. Now let us find what can be done
To Freshen Cut Flowers.
When the heat has made them wilt, clip the stems and set the flowers in cold water; in a few hours they will regain their freshness and beauty.
Some flowers, however, must be differently treated, such as heliotrope and mignonette; these keep if placed upon damp moss or cotton and set in a cold place at night.
Rosebuds will retain their freshness for hours when not placed in water, if the ends of the stems are snipped off, and immediately tipped with melted sealing-wax; this excludes the air, and so keeps the flowers from drooping.
If roses are wilted before they can be placed in water, cut off the ends of the stalks and immerse in very hot water for a minute or two, and they will regain their pristine freshness.
Another way to keep flowers fresh is to put a pinch of nitrate of soda into the glass each time you change the water Nitrate of potash or saltpetre in a powder has nearly the same effect, or a drop of hartshorn.
If plants are chilled by frost, shower them with cold water, and leave in a cool room; or set the pot in cold water and keep in a moderately cool place. Now one word about
Crystallized Flowers,
that sparkle and look so beautiful. They must first be dried in sand, then crystallized in the same way as dried grasses—the rougher the surface the better will it crystallize. Dissolve as much alum in boiling water as it will hold; when this is determined, pour it off and boil the solution down to one-half.
Suspend the flowers by a net-work of string tied across the top of a pail into which they must hang; then pour into the pail the boiling alum water, which must completely cover the flowers, and leave it undisturbed twelve hours, or all night.
The flowers should not touch each other or the sides of the bucket. Be careful in removing them the next morning, as the crystals are easily broken off.
Flowers or sprays of grass may be beautifully frosted by dipping them in a solution of gum-arabic and sprinkling them with powdered isinglass.
Flowers are not only very beautiful, but many of them possess a fragrance so sweet that we would fain learn how to keep the
Perfume of Flowers.
Rose-leaves are the most simply prepared. Take a covered jar, fill it with sweet-scented rose-leaves, and scatter through them some salt. Keep the jar closed tight, and when the petals have dried the “scent of the roses will cling to them still,” so that every time the jar is opened a delicious fragrance will fill the air. Or you can cover the rose-leaves with melted lard, and leave them for a day or two in some place at a temperature of about 140° F.; then cool it and knead the lard in alcohol. Pour off the alcohol in fancy glass bottles and use as handkerchief perfume.
For varieties we find this method:
“The delicate odor of pinks and other flowers may be obtained as follows: Get a glass funnel, with the narrow end drawn to a point; in this place lumps of ice with salt, by which a very low temperature is produced. The funnel should be supported on an ordinary retort-stand and placed near the flowering plants, when water and the ethereal odor of the blossom will be deposited on the exterior of the glass funnel, and will trickle down to the point, from which it drops at intervals into a glass vessel below. The scent thus obtained is very perfect, but is apt to become sour in a few days unless some pure alcohol is added. By this process many odors may be procured for comparison and study. To obtain the odor in perfection the blossom must be in its prime.”
Dry some sweet clover, and the fragrance will be sweet and pleasant. Fill a fancy bag of some thin sheer material with the clover, and you will find that you have imprisoned the fresh breath of summer.
Old-time lavender can be prepared in the same way.
Our thoughts so far have been for the flowers in their season. But did it ever occur to you that it is possible to have
Spring Flowers in Winter?
If you search in the woods during December you may find, tucked away in sheltered spots, little woodland plants which, when taken up and carefully transplanted in a flower-pot and set in a sunny window, will soon begin to grow, sending up tender stems, and in about three weeks will blossom. The little fairy-like flowers seem even more beautiful coming in the cold wintry weather.
Fruit-tree twigs and sprays from flowering shrubs will blossom when the ground is white with snow, if cut from trees about the first of February, placed in well-heated water in a warm room, and the water changed every day for some that is almost but not quite hot.
The twigs being kept warm will blossom in a few weeks.
It is quite a pretty idea to take up and plant in a little flower-pot
The Four-leaved Clover.
Very frequently you may find a tuft bearing only the mystic number, and should it happen to have a five- or six-leaved clover in with the others, they will add to the luck.
If you possess one of these charmed plants, it is said “good luck” will always be near at hand.
Besides the foregoing directions for the preservation of flowers, plants, etc., there are numerous other methods, which, although not experimentally verified by the writer, are no doubt as worthy of a place here as any of the former.
The following recipes have been culled from various old papers, books, etc.
Some Old-fashioned Methods of Preserving Flowers.
The first of these ways is more properly intended for botanical collections, and is often resorted to by collectors of rare blossoms. It consists in placing
Flowers in Alcohol,
and possesses the great advantage of preserving the flowers for years, and keeping their most delicate fibres uninjured. They make invaluable specimens to sketch from, and though their beauty may be somewhat impaired by loss of color, their outlines remain perfect.
Place the flowers in a wide-mouthed bottle, fill it to the top with alcohol, cork it tightly, and cover the cork with plaster-of-Paris or melted beeswax, thus hermetically sealing it. Do not use sealing-wax, as experience has taught us that the fumes of the alcohol soften the wax, and not only spoil the neat appearance of the bottle, but allow the spirits to evaporate.
Another way is to
Bottle Flowers.
Carefully seal the ends of the stems with sealing-wax, place them in an empty bottle—both flowers and bottle must be perfectly dry—cork the bottle, and hermetically seal it with either sealing-wax or beeswax.
The next method has greater possibilities of beauty, and consequently the reader will be more interested in learning
How to Preserve a Vaseful of Flowers for a Year.
Take home your basket of wild flowers, “nodding violets,” cowslips, bright-eyed anemones, and all the lovely offerings of the woods, and before arranging them in the vase, carefully seal the stem of each flower. Place a glass shade over the vase; be careful that flowers, vase, and shade are perfectly dry; then fill up the groove in the wood, in which the shade stands, with melted wax. By covering the wax with chenille it can be perfectly hidden.
Flowers kept in this way will last for a twelvemonth.
The flowers preserved in an empty bottle may be taken out, the wax cut from the stems, and, if arranged in a bouquet, will last as long as perfectly fresh flowers.
Those in the alcohol lose their color after being immersed for a time, and will not last when removed from the alcohol.
In following any of these directions be careful not to tie the flowers. No string must be used. The flower stems must be loose and separate from each other.
A florist of much experience in preserving bouquets for an indefinite period gives this recipe for
Keeping Bouquets Fresh a Long Time.
When you receive a bouquet sprinkle it lightly with fresh water, then put it into a vessel containing some soapsuds; this will take the place of the roots and keep the flowers bright as new. Take the bouquet out of the suds every morning, and lay it sideways, the stems entering first, in clean water; keep it there a minute or two, then take it out, and sprinkle the flowers lightly by the hand with water; replace it in the soapsuds, and it will bloom as fresh as when first gathered.
The soapsuds need changing every three or four days. By observing these rules a bouquet can be kept bright and beautiful for at least a month, and will last longer in a very passable state. From another source we learn how
To Keep Flowers or Fruit a whole Year perfectly Fresh.
Mix one pound of nitre with two pounds of sal ammoniac and three pounds of clean common sand; then in dry weather take fruit of any sort which is not fully ripe, allowing the stalks to remain, and put them one by one into an open glass until it is quite full; cover the glass with oiled cloth, closely tied down. Put the glass three or four inches down in the earth in a dry cellar, and surround it on all sides to the depth of three or four inches with the above mixture. The fruit will thus be preserved quite fresh all the year round.
In giving the following recipe for the manufacture of rose-water, it may be as well to state that the original verse is given, not for its merit as such, but simply because it is the form in which the recipe reached the writer.
Rose-water.
“When the bushes of roses are full,
As most of them are about June,
’Tis high time to gather, or pull
The leaves of the flowers. As soon
As you’ve picked all you need for the time,
To each quart of water unite
A peck of the leaves, which, if prime—
And they will be, if pulled off aright—
May be placed in a still near at hand,
On a very slow fire. When done,
Bottle off, and permit it to stand
For three days ere you cork down each one.”
CHAPTER III.
THE WALKING CLUB.
A SOUND of girlish voices is suddenly heard in the quiet village streets, as our Walking Club, issuing from the house of one of its members, starts off on the first tramp of the season. The gay chatter and bubbling laughter blend with the twittering and chirping of the birds fluttering among the budding trees, and all these merry sounds seem in perfect harmony with the youthful gladness of the bright morning.
There is a subtle power and exhilaration in the spring sunshine that stimulates the blood, and sends it tingling through our veins, as with light-springing steps we quickly leave the village behind us and penetrate into the outlying country, stopping now and then to secure a branch of the downy pussy willow or brilliant red blossoms of the maple, and again to admire a distant view where the trees seem enveloped in a hazy mist of delicate color; on we go, exploring sequestered spots or entering deep into the woods in search of early wild flowers.
The Walking Club.
Although possibly timid as individuals, as a club we are brave enough; for a party of fourteen or sixteen girls, including our merry little chaperon, may go, with impunity, where it would not be so pleasant for one to venture alone.
Once a week all through that delightful spring the club might have been seen, now upon a road leading in this direction, now in that. And, often as we stepped aside to allow a carriage to pass, its occupants would lean forward smiling, and waving their hands in greeting; for the moment, perhaps, feeling in sympathy with the vigorous young life that preferred this mode of locomotion to being carried about on the downiest cushions of the easiest of carriages. A ride which accorded with the unconventional mood of our club was not despised however, for, urged on by the girls, our little matron would make bold to accost some countryman driving a vehicle sufficiently large, and persuade him, in the terms of the country, to “give us a lift.” Jolting about in a springless wagon or hay-cart was not in the least enervating, and we experienced no indolent wish to continue our journey on wheels when forced by diverging roads to leave our equipage. It was not until the ever-increasing heat of the sun, and our own languid disinclination to much exertion, warned us that the mildness of spring had passed, that we concluded to disband for the summer. In the fall we again fell into rank, and came home from our walks laden with the gorgeous trophies of autumn, as we had once carried in triumph the tasselled branches and dainty flowers of spring.
We continued our tramps into the early winter, when the frosty crispness of the air made it very bracing, and the brisk exercise of walking brought the healthy color to cheek and lip of the young pedestrians.
Such a club as this, which at the same time promotes health, good spirits, and sociability, is one that most girls will enjoy and derive benefit from.
A closer acquaintance with Nature, which these walks afford, is not the least of their benefits, and to her true lover, Nature has many delightful surprises and secrets to reveal; and as has been said, even for those who cannot read her deeper meanings she has a language which calls attention to her more outward forms of beauty, and which one may study until gradually, with slowly opening eyes, is seen more and more of the exquisite perfection of her work, that long ago might have been seen had one but chosen to look.
As a society, the Walking Club is one of the most informal.
No officers are needed, although a secretary may sometimes be found useful when any word is to be sent to absent members.
The membership of the club should be large enough to insure the attendance of at least twelve or fourteen on each walk; for in this case, as I have said, safety lies in numbers. At a place of meeting previously appointed, the members should assemble, and, before starting on their walk, the route to be taken should be decided by vote; a decision on this point will be more quickly arrived at if a chairman be appointed to keep order.
The first walk should not be too long. Three miles is a good walk to start with; a mile and a half out and the same home again. Gradually the distance can be lengthened, and the club be able to take a ten-mile walk without feeling fatigue.
To Make the Exercise of Walking Healthful, and therefore the more Enjoyable, these Rules should be Observed. 1st. Carry the body erect on the hips, the shoulders thrown back, the chest raised, and the head square on the shoulders. 2d. Breathe through the nose while walking rapidly, otherwise the mouth will become dry and the breath short. 3d. Wear loosely fitting clothes that will permit a free motion of the limbs, and shoes with broad, moderately thick, soles and low, broad heels. In all cases a girl’s skirts should be supported from the shoulders, and in walking any distance it is absolutely necessary for comfort that there should be no weight upon the hips. |
CHAPTER IV.
EASTER.
EVERYWHERE the children are playing with eggs; eggs colored in every hue—mottled, striped, and gilded; real eggs and imitation ones; sugar, glass, and wooden eggs; for this is Easter-tide, and not only in America, but in many far-away countries, where the habits and customs are very different from ours, does Easter bring to the children the highly prized, gayly-colored eggs.
How nice it would be if we could take a peep into these foreign countries, and discover what else Easter brings the little ones besides the pretty eggs, and also how the people of such widely differing nations keep this happy festival common to all.
If we could look into England now, we should find that the ceremonies there begin on Palm Sunday (the last Sunday before Easter), and on that day many people go a-palming, only they do not, of course, find palm, but gather instead branches of willow, which they stick into their hats and button-holes. On Good-Friday we might see, on almost every breakfast-table, those hot spicy cakes with a cross stamped on the face, known to many of us as well as to our English cousins, as “hot cross buns.” We should feel very much at home looking into the churches on Easter Sunday, for we should find them beautifully decorated with flowers, and hear the Easter anthems chanted as we might in our own country. I do not think we can see in America, though, the ceremony which, on Easter Monday, is performed by the charity school-children in England. Were we among the spectators who, with shouts and merry laughter, crowd around to watch this performance, we should see the children take their places, with their backs against the outside of the church, and then join hands until a circle is formed around the building, thus completing what is called “clipping the church.”
It would be great fun to see the Easter celebration in Russia, which includes many peculiar customs, and where the children receive presents as we do at Christmas, besides more eggs than any of us ever thought of possessing; some of the eggs being beautifully made of glass or porcelain, and filled with sugar-plums or small presents. How amusing it would be to watch the people, following a custom always observed on Easter Monday in this queer land, as they go about kissing relations, friends, and acquaintances, wherever they happen to meet them.
If we were really in this great, cold, furry country, we might go with the children to make their Easter visits, and, on entering a house, hear the greeting, “Jesus Christ is risen,” and the answer, “Yes, he is risen;” then after kissing the inmates and exchanging eggs with them, go to visit elsewhere.
All this would seem very strange to American eyes; and it would be a strange sight too, if we could look into the cities of Spain and see the people in the streets shooting at stuffed figures of Judas Iscariot.
A passing glance at Ireland on Easter morning would show us the people making haste to be out at sunrise to see the sun dance in a pool or pail of clear water.
It would be worth while to give more than a passing glance into Germany at this season, for in this country, where the children’s happiness is so much thought of and so well provided for, Easter Monday is looked upon as a grand holiday, and all the young people appear in their gala costumes ready for any fun or frolic that may be going on. It is a pretty sight when the little peasant-girls, in their quaint gowns and odd little caps, dance on the green with the boys, whose costumes are equally as picturesque; and it is also entertaining to watch them as they play various games with their many-colored eggs.
In Germany, too, we should find that the children believe as sincerely in the Easter hare as they do in Santa Claus in our country; and the saying, that “the hares lay the Easter eggs,” is never doubted by the little ones.
After visiting in imagination all these foreign countries to see their Easter celebrations, it may prove interesting to turn our eyes toward home, for, since our country is so large—as large almost as all Europe put together—perhaps some of our little citizens who have never been in Washington do not know how, in the capital of the United States, the children hold high carnival on Easter Monday, nor how the grounds of the White House and also of the Capitol are given up to them on this day that they may frolic on the lawns and roll their eggs down the hills. It would be as novel a sight to some of us as any found abroad, to see several thousand children rolling and tossing their eggs, while shells of every hue cover the grass in all directions.
The following newspaper item, cut from the Evening Star, Washington, D. C., April 27, 1886, shows how these rights of the little Americans are recognized and respected, and how unmolested they enjoy the privileges of Easter Monday.
“THE EASTER EGG-ROLLING.
“CHILDREN SHAKE HANDS WITH THE PRESIDENT.
“The crowd in the White House grounds greatly increased yesterday afternoon, so that the grounds were literally packed with children. The crowd was the largest and best appearing that has collected there in many years. The President and Colonel Lamont watched the children for some time from the library window.
At the President’s reception at half-past one o’clock hundreds of children gave up their sport temporarily and thronged the East Room to shake hands with the President.”
Easter Egg Games.
In the game they play at Washington, on the hills sloping from the White House, the child whose egg reaches the foot of the hill in an unbroken condition takes the one worsted in the journey down. Another game for two is played by knocking the eggs together; each child holds an egg firmly in his hand so that only the small end is visible, and then the two eggs are struck against each other until one is cracked, when the victorious player adds it to his stock, or devours it on the spot. I would not like to state the number of eggs eaten on these occasions, but there is a boy (not a girl) who once consumed fourteen and lived to tell the tale.
Sometimes the egg which breaks another is called “the cock of one,” and when it has broken two it is “cock of two,” and so on. When an egg which is cock of one or more is broken, the number of trophies won by the victim is added to the score of the conquering egg and it becomes “cock of three” or more. Here is a game which comes from Germany, and although in that country it is played exclusively by boys, there is no reason why the girls should not participate in it as well. Two baskets are necessary for this game, one large and shallow filled with soft shavings, the other shallow also, but smaller, and filled with eggs. The plan of the game is that one player is to run a given distance, while another safely throws the eggs from one basket to the other, she who completes her task first being the winner. When the baskets are prepared, and the distance the eggs are to be thrown decided upon, the two contestants draw lots to determine who shall run and who shall throw. This settled, the player who throws takes the basket of eggs, and one after another quickly tosses them the length of the course and into the basket of shavings, which is placed on the ground at the end of the course opposite the thrower. In Germany this basket is held by an assistant, but anyone occupying that position might receive some severe blows from the hard eggs thrown by unpractised hands, and it answers the purpose just as well to place the basket on the ground. Meantime the other player runs the distance (decided beforehand) to an appointed goal, marks it as a proof of having touched it, and should she succeed in returning before all the eggs are thrown, the victory and prize are her reward; otherwise they belong to the thrower.
The game finished, a prize is presented to the successful contestant. Should any of the eggs pitched by the thrower fail to light in the basket, they must be gathered up and thrown again before the runner returns, as the eggs must all be in the basket before the thrower wins the game.
“Bunching eggs” comes from Ireland, and is played in very much the same manner as the game played with a slate and pencil, and known to all children as “tit, tat, toe, three in a row.” A pan or large dish filled with sand or sawdust is set upon a table, around which the children stand, each supplied with eggs; the eggs of each player must be all of one color, and unlike those of any other player. The object of the game is for each player to so place her eggs, standing them upright in the sand, or sawdust, as to bring five in a row touching each other.
In turn each player puts down an egg, sometimes filling out a row for herself, at others cutting off the line of an opponent; and the one who first succeeds in obtaining the desired row sings out—
“The raven, chough, and crow,
Say five in a row.”
Another pretty game from Ireland called “Touch” is played in the following manner:
Six eggs of the different colors—green, red, black, blue, white, and gold are placed in a row in the sand used for the other game. One of the players is blindfolded and given a light wand or stick, with which she must touch one of the eggs, while at the same time she recites these lines:
Peggy, Patrick, Mike, and Meg,
See me touch my Easter egg;
Green, and red, and black, and blue,
Count for six, five, four, and two.
If I touch an egg of white,
A forfeit then will be your right;
If I touch an egg of gold,
It is mine to have and hold.
As is told in the rhyme, the eggs each have a different value. Green counts six; red, five; black, four; and blue, two; and the gold egg is worth more than all put together, for when a player touches that, she wins the game and a forfeit of an egg from each of the other players. The white egg is worth less than nothing, since it not only has no value but whoever touches it with the wand must pay a forfeit.
Each player is in turn blindfolded and makes her trial, keeping account of the value of the eggs she has touched. When the sum of twenty has been reached by anyone the game is ended, without the aid of the gold egg. The position of the eggs are changed after each trial, that the person about to touch them may not know where it is best to place her wand.
Easter Egg Dolls.
In some of the large confectionery stores in New York City may be found at Easter-tide quaint little Easter offerings, looking at first sight exactly like dolls’ heads surmounted by pretty little head-dresses. As dolls are not peculiarly appropriate gifts for Easter, one naturally examines them closer, to ascertain if there is anything about them significant of the day, and in so doing quickly discovers that the heads are not made of wax or china, as was at first supposed, but are simply egg-shells from which the eggs have been blown, leaving the shell perfect. Little faces are painted upon these shells, and the cunning caps or bonnets are made of tissue-paper.
Now it is our purpose to teach the children who do not live in New York and have never seen these pretty toys, and also those who, having seen, cannot afford to purchase them, just how to make some of these little men and women, and how to fashion a variety of head-dresses not to be found in the stores.
Patterns for Head-dresses.
To begin with, select several nice large eggs, those of a pinkish yellow are preferable, being something of a flesh-tint. These eggs should be blown, or the shells emptied of their contents; to blow them make a small hole in each end of the shell, and, taking it gently between the thumb and forefinger, put one hole to the lips; then blow, not too hard, but steadily, until the egg has all run out of the other end.
The Nun.
The face must be painted next, and to those who know nothing of drawing this will seem no easy task, until by carefully observing the following direction they will find that it is in the power of anyone to produce as pretty a face as could be wished for.
Among picture-cards, or in almost any juvenile book, may be found many pretty faces of a suitable size which can be transferred to the egg in this way. Lay a piece of tracing-paper over the head selected, and with a soft lead-pencil trace carefully all the lines indicating the features; then place the paper on the shell so that the pencil-marks are next to it, and with a hard pencil, or ivory knitting-needle, go over the lines again, thus transferring the soft pencil-marks to the shell. Touch up and strengthen the features with a fine paint-brush and india-ink. Anyone understanding painting may color the face in natural tints, but it looks very nicely done merely in outline.
The Old-fashioned Girl.
The simplest arrangement for holding the little head erect is a small pasteboard box turned upside down, and having a hole cut in the bottom just large enough to admit the small end of the shell; this will support the head nicely, and also form the shoulders.
The Dude.
Make the hair of raw cotton blackened with ink, and fasten it on the head with mucilage. When all of the foregoing directions have been carried out it is time to attend to the head-dresses, and we will begin with the quaint and old-fashioned poke-bonnet. Cut this bonnet from ordinary brown wrapping-paper after the pattern shown in diagram; sew together the ends of the “side of crown,” then sew the curved side (which is cut in slits as shown in pattern, and folded back as indicated by dotted line) to the smallest part of brim; fold in the strips marked on the straight “side of crown” and fasten on the “top of crown” with mucilage. The trimming for the bonnet consists of a fold and bow of colored tissue paper.
Make the man’s hat of shiny black paper by the pattern in diagram, and fasten together in the same manner as the bonnet, rolling the sides of the brim when finished. Black and white tissue-paper folded to fit the head, as shown by the dotted lines in the pattern, forms the head-dress of the nun.
By copying the head-dresses of different nations, an odd and curious assembly of these Easter-egg dolls can be formed; but that must be worked out at some future time, for we have yet to tell how to construct some Easter toys that cannot be found in any store. The
Humpty Dumpty
who “sat on a wall,” and the “Humpty Dumpty” who “had a great fall,” must have been like the one I am about to describe, made of an egg; for it is pretty certain that if he should fall, “all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put” this “Humpty Dumpty together again” any more than they could the other.
Diagram of Humpty Dumpty.
The diagram shows the frame of this little fellow and how it is joined together. A large egg should be chosen; and when the contents have been blown from the shell, four holes must be pricked in it for the arms and legs to pass through, as shown in the diagram. These limbs are made of rather fine bonnet-wire, the piece used for the arms being about eight inches long. The hand is made by bending up one end of the wire as in diagram, and with softened beeswax covering the loop thus formed. When one hand has been finished off in this way, the other end of the wire, still straight, should be passed through one of the holes near the small end of the shell and out through the one opposite, then bent up into a hand and arm in the same manner as described.
Humpty Dumpty.
The wire for the legs and feet must be ten inches long. The diagram shows how it is bent to form the feet. On this frame, wax can easily be modelled to look like a foot; a coating of red paint will add to the appearance, as red boots look well with the costume to be worn. The wire for the legs should be bent in a curve in the middle (see diagram) before it is passed through the shell. Again, as with the hands, one foot must be finished and the legs fastened on before the other foot can be made.
The figure of Humpty Dumpty being thus prepared, his face must be painted; water-colors are the best for this purpose. The jollier the expression of his face, the funnier the little man will look.
Patterns for trousers, jacket, and hat are shown in the diagrams. The trousers should be cut from white cotton cloth two and a half inches long and six inches wide. A slit an inch and a half long, cut in the middle, separates the legs of the trousers, which must, of course, be sewed up. Dotted lines at top and bottom show where a gathering thread should be run, the bottom gathers forming ruffles around the ankles. White should also be used for the jacket, cutting it three and a half inches long and five inches wide. The shape of the jacket may be seen in the diagram, dotted lines showing where the sleeves are to be gathered around the wrist. Collar and pockets of red—the patterns of which are given—finish the little garment. A white hat four inches around the brim and two inches high is decorated with a band of red, which should be sewed on the edge and turned up.
When dressing Humpty Dumpty, fasten his garments on to his body here and there with glue, which will hold them securely in place. The hat also should be glued to his head, as it is difficult otherwise to keep it on.
Miss Rolly-poly.
Miss Rolly-poly.
Little Miss Rolly-poly, who decidedly refuses to lie down, always regaining an upright posture, no matter in what position she is placed, is made in the following manner: After the contents have been blown from the shell, the hole of the small end is enlarged gradually until it is about a half-inch in diameter; the shell is then placed in an upright position (a box with a hole cut in it just large enough to hold the egg firmly makes a good stand) and melted sealing-wax is poured in; on top of this melted lead is poured, all the while care being taken to keep
the shell perfectly steady, that the weight may fall exactly in the centre and make a perfect balance. A small quantity of lead is sufficient for the purpose, as the shell is so very light.
Diagram of Miss Rolly-poly.
Miss Rolly-poly requires no limbs; when her babyish face is painted she is ready for her costume. The dress is simply made of a strip of colored cloth, and is two inches long and seven inches wide. The white apron is fastened to the dress as shown in the diagram. Sleeves are made of pieces of the dress, material about one inch long and one and a half inch wide. They are rolled up and fastened with needle and thread, then sewed on to the dress in the position shown in the diagram. Pockets are made for the apron, and the ends of the sleeves tucked in them, which makes it appear as though the hands were hidden in the pockets. The cap, made of the same material, or of a color harmonizing with the dress, is four inches round the brim and one inch high; it is sewed together at the two ends, and gathered into a pompon on top, as is shown by the dotted lines in the diagram. A little glue should also be used to fasten this dolly’s dress and cap on.
Mandolin.
The Mandolin.
A pretty little toy mandolin is made of the lengthwise half of an egg-shell. To separate the shell in this way it is necessary to pierce holes with a needle along the line where the division is to be made, which will cause it to break evenly; or the egg may be boiled hard and then cut in half with a very sharp knife. Fig. 6 is cut from stiff paper, and the strings drawn with pen and ink; then the shell is fastened to it on the opposite side by pasting a narrow strip of white tissue paper over the edges of the shell and frame, joining them together. The top of the handle is bent down a little and a narrow ribbon tied to it. To make the mandolin still more complete, paint the handle mahogany color, with a fine needle stitch on strings of yellow silk, and paint the egg-shell into pumpkin-like divisions of yellow and mahogany.
The Owl.
Wing.
Diagram of Owl.
To turn a hen’s egg into an owl has not before, I imagine, been thought possible; yet it is easy enough, and requires but a very short time to accomplish the transformation, when one knows just how to go to work. No incubator is needed to hatch this bird, as only the shell is used, the contents having been disposed of in the manner before described. We commence the formation of the little owl by making two holes near the large end of the shell in the position shown in diagram.
By looking at the next diagram the manner of making the feet and legs may be seen. A short piece of wire is bent in the shape given, and is wrapped on to a longer wire with strong thread, thus forming three toes, which are quite enough for a bird that will never walk. One foot made, the wire is passed through the shell, having first been bent into a curve, as in the description of Humpty Dumpty. When the last foot has been fastened on, the wire should be pushed back into the shell, allowing but little of the legs to show. The wings are cut by the pattern given, and are painted to resemble feathers as much as possible. Brown is the best color to use. By the diagram may be seen how the head and body are painted.
Owl Complete.
Maple-wax Easter Eggs.
Empty the egg-shell of its contents and open a place at the small end the size of a silver dime. Stand it in an upright position with the largest opening on top, and leave it while you prepare the maple-wax, or candy. Mix enough water with some maple sugar to dissolve it, and set on the fire to cook; when it will harden in cold water it is done. Carefully fill the egg-shell with the hot maple-wax, and keeping it in an upright position, set it on the ice to cool. When the wax is perfectly cold and hard, paste an artificial daisy over the opening in the shell. Maple-wax is the nicest kind of candy, and done up in this way will remain firm and hard for a long while; and therefore these maple-wax eggs make excellent Easter gifts to send away to one’s friend at a distance. The best way to pack them is to wrap them in cotton and then put them in a tin baking-powder box, filling up the interstices with cotton to keep them from knocking about.
The box, of course, must be wrapped in paper and tied securely with a string. Packed like this, they may travel safely all over the United States. The writer sent several the distance of over seven hundred miles, and they arrived at their destination in as perfect condition as when they left her hands.
Bonbon Box.
Select a box two or three inches high—a round one is best—which has a lid that covers the entire box. Cut some straw or hay in pieces long enough to reach from the top to the edge, and glue it on the sides of the lid, covering them completely. Prepare as many halves of egg-shells as will cover the top, allowing a space one inch wide around the edge. Glue the shells down, and fill up the spaces between with straw. Near the edge, on the opposite sides, glue a loop of narrow white ribbon; these loops are to lift it with. Then glue straw on all the uncovered parts of the lid, making it a little thicker and higher at the edges. When the box is finished it resembles a nest of eggs, and makes an appropriate and acceptable Easter gift.
Easter Cards.
It is a very pretty custom, that of sending Easter cards, altogether too pretty to be allowed to lapse into disuse, as many customs which are merely the expression of sentiment are apt to do in this busy, practical country of ours. One experiences a great deal of pleasure in selecting from the stock of beautiful cards found in the stores just before Easter those that seem suitable for one’s friends, but more pleasure will be derived from home-made Easter cards, both to the sender and recipient; for it is true that into everything we make we put a part of ourselves, and into many a home-made article is woven loving thoughts which make the gift priceless, although the materials of which it is composed may have cost little or nothing.
Several years ago the writer was visiting a friend in the country twenty miles from the nearest town where Easter cards could be purchased, but when Easter approached we sent off our cards, just the same, and I am sure our friends were as pleased with them, and more pleased, than if they had been of the most expensive kind. This is how we made them:
Pattern for the Chicken.
It was an early spring, and the woods were filled with wild-flowers, anemones and violets mostly; these we gathered, and arranging them in small bunches, stuck the stems through little slits cut in cards or pieces of heavy paper, as they are sometimes fastened in books when pressed. Underneath the bouquet we wrote the name of the person for whom it was intended, with some friendly message appropriate to the season, and signed our own names; then we carefully folded each in writing paper, taking pains not to crumple the flowers, and enclosing them in envelopes, sent them to their destination through the mail. Any kind of flowers can be used for these Easter cards, and instead of putting the stems through slits in the card, they may be tied to them with narrow ribbon. A card to be sent only a short distance should be put in a box just deep enough to leave room for the flowers, and fastened in some way to keep it from moving about; in this way it will reach its destination sweet and fresh.
To those who can paint their Easter cards we have no suggestions to offer, for they have an unlimited supply of designs at their command, and with their power of decoration, may turn almost anything into an Easter card, from a piece of satin ribbon, upon which they sketchily paint a spray of flowers, to an elaborate picture. A few suggestions are here given which our younger readers may like to carry out, as the cards we describe are easily made, and adapted to amuse the children.
“Stepping through the White House” the first card is called, and it represents a little chicken breaking through its shell. The pattern of the chicken is given in the diagrams. Fig. 7, the head and neck, is cut from yellow flannel; Figs. 8, 9, and 10, the main part and fragments of shell, are of white paper, and Fig. 11, the feet, of black paper. These are pasted to a tinted card, as shown in illustration. The eye and bill are made black with ink or paint.
Little Quakeress.
The Little Quakeress.
Half an egg-shell, with the face and hair painted on it, forms the head. The cap is made of white tissue paper cut in four strips; one, for the crown, is six and a half inches long, and a little over one and a half wide; another, for the brim, is four and a half inches long and one inch wide; while the strings are each three and a half inches long, and one and a half wide. The crown is plaited in the centre, the brim folded lengthwise through the middle, and sewed to the crown. The strings are fastened on either side of the cap, and crossed in front; then the cap is pasted on the head, the surplus paper folded back, and the whole glued on a card. The ends of the strings are also fastened to the card, forming a Quaker kerchief.
Lawn-Tennis with Our Own Net.
CHAPTER V.
HOW TO MAKE A LAWN-TENNIS NET.
LET us see; it was that old medical gentleman, Galen the Greek, who first wrote upon tennis, speaking of the sport as healthy exercise, was it not? Well, girls, it really does not matter much to us whether he was the first to write it up and the Greeks the first to play it, or whether the game originated in France in the fifteenth century, as some claim. What we want to know is, can we all learn to play tennis? Does it cost much? What kind of gowns and shoes must we wear? And is it an enjoyable game?
There is no doubt, we think, of its being a right royal pastime, as it has been called both the “king of games” and the “game of kings;” the latter because it was enjoyed by princes and nobles—so much enjoyed, that in both England and France edicts were published forbidding the common people to play it.
Girls, do you wonder if they always had the choice of courts, and so never took part in the fun of spinning the racket in the air while the adversary called out “rough” or “smooth;” or whether they played as we do, taking their defeats pleasantly and wearing their honors gracefully, while always doing their very best?
They must have played well, for it is said that Louis XI., Henry II., and Charles IX., were experts, and that Henry VIII. of England was extremely fond of the sport.
We can easily learn to play this most popular and exhilarating of games. But we must be suitably clothed in order to thoroughly enjoy it and receive all the benefit the recreation brings to both mind and body.
Flannel seems to be the best material for a tennis suit—it is so soft and yielding, and so well adapted for a defence against either cold or heat. Then, make your tennis gown of flannel; the skirt in plaits, without drapery; the postilion basque of Jersey cloth, soft and elastic, matching the skirt in color.
Sew the skirt of your gown on a sleeveless waist, made of lining or muslin. The Jersey will fit nicely over this, and you can play better and feel far more comfortable than when the weight is allowed to drag on the hips. For it is nonsense to attempt to take part in any athletic game unless you can have perfect freedom of action; in short, you should be so dressed as to be utterly unconscious of your clothing.
An Old Game.
Either crochet a Tam O’Shanter hat or make one of the dress material, as these are not so apt to fall off while running as a straw hat. “Last, but not least,” come the shoes. Of course, rubber-soled shoes are the best. But if these are not to be had, remove the heels from an old pair of ordinary shoes, and they will do very well; heels roughen and cut the courts.
The actual cost of a lawn-tennis set need only be the price of the rackets and balls, and rope and cord necessary when you learn
How to Make a Lawn-Tennis Net,
which is not difficult.
| Stake. | Peg. |
First procure two pieces of cotton rope, three-sixteenths of an inch in size, each thirty-four feet long, costing about twenty-five cents apiece. Then one and a half pound of hammock twine or macrimé cord, No. 24, which will not cost more than fifty cents. Next, two lengths of cotton rope for guy-ropes, each five feet, price, both included, ten cents; making the total amount $1.10 for a strong, firm, tennis net which will prove serviceable and last many a season.
Runner. |
The Fid. |
Runner and Guy-rope. |
The other materials necessary are all home-made. These consist of two stakes, each five feet long (Fig. 12). Any kind of a strong pole, when sharpened at one end and a notch cut at the other, will answer the purpose. Four pegs, each one foot long (Fig. 13). These may be easily made of old broomsticks. Four runners (Fig. 14), each five inches long, one and a quarter wide, and about half an inch thick, with holes bored near each end large enough to allow the guy-rope (Fig. 15) to pass through. A fid or mesh-stick of any kind of wood (Fig. 16), about a foot or ten inches long, with circumference measuring three inches. A hammock-needle (Fig. 17), nine or ten inches long and one wide, which may be bought for ten cents, or whittled out of a piece of ash or hickory by some kind brother. Tassels are not necessary, though it is much better to have them, as they make the top line of the net more distinct and add to its appearance. Make about forty bright-colored tassels of worsted, or bits of flannel cut in very narrow strips, three inches long, allowing ten or twelve strips to each tassel. Commence your tennis net by first threading the needle; take it in the left hand, and use the thumb to hold the end of the cord in place while looping it over the tongue (see Fig. 18); pass the cord down under the needle to the opposite side, and catch it over the tongue. Repeat this until the needle is full.
| Hammock-needle. | Needle Threaded |
Knots.
Next, take a piece of rope thirty-four feet long, and make a long loop in one end, tying the knot so that it can readily be untied again. Throw the loop over some convenient hook or door-knob (Fig. 19) with the knot at the knob or hook. Tie the cord on the needle to the loop, place the fid or mesh-stick under the cord close to the loop (Fig. 20), with the thumb on the cord to hold it in place (Fig. 25), while you pass the needle around the mesh-stick, and, with its point toward you, pass it through the loop from the top, bringing it over the mesh-stick. This will make the first half of the knot (Fig. 21). Pull this tight, holding it in place with the thumb while you throw the cord over your hand, which forms the loop as seen in Fig. 22. Then pass the needle from under through the loop, pulling it tight to fasten the knot. Hold it in place with the thumb, and repeat these movements for the next knot. Fig. 23 shows a number of these knots finished. A in Fig. 23 is a knot before it is drawn tight; B in Figs. 21, 22, 23 is the string that runs to the needle, C is the rope, and D is the mesh-stick. About two hundred and sixty-four of these knots or meshes will make the net the regular length, thirty-three feet.
In knitting across, the meshes will accumulate on the fid; shove them off to the left, a few at a time, to make space for others. When the desired number of meshes are finished to form the first row, shove them all off the fid, as shown in Fig. 24.
Begin the next row by again placing the fid under the cord (Fig. 24). Take up the first mesh, drawing it close to the mesh-stick, hold it in place with the thumb while throwing the cord over your hand, pass the needle on the left-hand side of the mesh from under through the loop (Fig. 25); pull this tight, and you will have tied the common knitting-knot. Repeat this with all the loops until the row is finished.
When it becomes necessary to thread or fill the needle, tie the ends of the cord with the knot shown in Fig. 26, which, when properly tightened, cannot slip. Wrap each end of the cord from the knot securely to the main cord with strong thread, to give the net a neat appearance.
Continue netting until the net is three feet wide. Then untie the rope, and spread the net by sliding the knots apart, and fasten the second rope to the bottom of the net by tying the rope securely to the first mesh with the cord on the needle; then carry the rope and cord to the next mesh, hold the rope, cord, and mesh firmly in place, and throw the cord over your hand, passing the needle down through the mesh under the rope and cord out through the loop (Fig. 27). Pull this tight, and continue in like manner, knitting each successive mesh to the rope until the net is all fastened on. Turn back the end of the rope and wrap it down neatly with strong string (Fig. 28). In the same way secure the other end, and also the ends of the first or top rope.
Fig. 26.
This completes the lawn-tennis net proper. The bright tassels can now be tied at intervals along the top of the net, and four pieces of twine fastened on each end of the net at equal distances apart. These are for tying the net to the poles (Fig. 29).
To erect the lawn-tennis net, plant the two poles firmly in the ground a little over thirty-three feet apart, tie the net to the poles, then drive in the pegs, two to each pole, about five feet from the pole (Fig. 30); slide a runner on each end of the two guy-ropes by first threading the rope through one of the holes in the runner, then pass the rope over the side down through the other hole and fasten it with a knot (Fig. 15). Next tie around the notch in the top of the poles the guy-ropes, with runners attached, and slip each loop made by the runner over each peg (Fig. 31), allowing the rope to fall in the groove A near the top of the peg; tighten the rope by pushing up the runners. The stakes are thus held in position by ropes running out to the pegs in the ground (Fig. 30).
Fig. 30.—The Home-Made Net.
Now we understand how to make and erect a lawn-tennis net; but what shall we do about the court? Of course, that must be all ready before we can set up the net. We must now learn how to lay out a
Lawn-Tennis Court.
The best ground for this is turf, though it may be of asphalt, or earth mixed with fine gravel; sometimes wood is used.
The diagram on [page 64] (Fig. 32) shows the construction of a lawn-tennis court for two, three, or four-handed games.
Lay out the court with a hundred-foot measuring-tape, by marking the lines with whitewash, chalk, paint, or plaster-of-Paris.
First the side line, seventy-eight feet, AB. This gives you one side of your court. Then the base line, thirty-six feet, AC, which, with their parallel lines CD and DB, form the boundaries of a court for four-handed games. Now lay off the side lines of the single court, EG and FH, which are parallel to the others and four and a half feet inside of them. Divide the court across the centre by the net, fastened to the poles O and P. The lines EF and GH are called base lines. Twenty-one feet from the net, mark the service lines, MN and TV. Then make the central longitudinal line, IJ, and the court is complete.
Now everything is prepared for the game. Hold your racket firmly, and try to keep the ball flying over the net, back and forth, as often as possible.
For the guidance of those who have had no opportunity of learning to play lawn-tennis the following rules are given, as adopted by the United States National Lawn-Tennis Association.
First, however, we would say that it is not necessary always to have an umpire or a referee, as spoken of in the
Rules for Lawn-Tennis.
THE GAME.
1. The choice of sides, and the right to serve in the first game, shall be decided by toss; provided that, if the winner of the toss choose the right to serve, the other player shall have choice of sides, and vice versa. If one player choose the court, the other may elect not to serve.
2. The players shall stand on opposite sides of the net; the player who first delivers the ball shall be called the server, and the other the striker-out.
LAWN-TENNIS COURT.
3. At the end of the first game the striker-out shall become server, and the server shall become striker-out; and so on, alternately, in all the subsequent games of the set, or series of sets.
4. The server shall serve with one foot on the base line, and with the other foot behind that line, but not necessarily upon the ground. He shall deliver the service from the right to the left courts alternately, beginning from the right.
5. The ball served must drop between the service line, half-court line, and side line of the court, diagonally opposite to that from which it was served.
6. It is a fault if the server fail to strike the ball, or if the ball served drop in the net, or beyond the service line, or out of court, or in the wrong court; or if the server do not stand as directed by law 4.
7. A ball falling on a line is regarded as falling in the court bounded by that line.
8. A fault cannot be taken.
9. After a fault the server shall serve again from the same court from which he served that fault, unless it was a fault because he served from the wrong court.
10. A fault cannot be claimed after the next service is delivered.
11. The server shall not serve till the striker-out is ready. If the latter attempt to return the service he shall be deemed ready.
12. A service or fault, delivered when the striker-out is not ready counts for nothing.
13. The service shall not be volleyed, i.e., taken, before it has touched the ground.
14. A ball is in play on leaving the server’s racket, except as provided for in law 6.
15. It is a good return, although the ball touch the net; but a service, otherwise good, which touches the net, shall count for nothing.
16. The server wins a stroke if the striker-out volley the service, or if he fail to return the service or the ball in play; or if he return the service or the ball in play so that it drops outside of his opponent’s court; or if he otherwise lose a stroke, as provided by law 18.
17. The striker-out wins a stroke if the server serve two consecutive faults; or if he fail to return the ball in play; or if he return the ball in play so that it drops outside of his opponent’s court; or if he otherwise lose a stroke as provided by law 18.
18. Either player loses a stroke if he return the service or the ball in play so that it touches a post of the net; or if the ball touch him or anything that he wears or carries, except his racket in the act of striking; or if he touch the ball with his racket more than once; or if he touch the net or any of its supports while the ball is in play; or if he volley the ball before it has passed the net.
19. In case any player is obstructed by any accident, the ball shall be considered a let.
20. On either player winning his first stroke, the score is called 15 for that player; on either player winning his second stroke, the score is called 30 for that player; on either player winning his third stroke, the score is called 40 for that player; and the fourth stroke won by either player is scored game for that player, except as below: If both players have won three strokes, the score is called deuce; and the next stroke won by either player is scored advantage for that player. If the same player wins the next stroke, he wins the game; if he loses the next stroke the score returns to deuce; and so on, until one player wins the two strokes immediately following the score of deuce, when game is scored for that player.
21. The player who first wins six games wins the set; except as follows: If both players win five games, the score is called games all; and the next game won by either player is scored advantage game for that player. If the same player wins the next game, he wins the set; if he loses the next game, the score returns to games all; and so on, until either player wins the two games immediately following the score of games all, when he wins the set. But individual clubs, at their own tournaments, may modify this rule at their discretion.
22. The players shall change sides at the end of every set; but the umpire, on appeal from either player, before the toss for choice, may direct the players to change sides at the end of every game of each set, if, in his opinion, either side have a distinct advantage, owing to the sun, wind, or any other accidental cause; but if the appeal be made after the toss for choice, the umpire can only direct the players to change sides at the end of every game of the odd or deciding set.
23. When a series of sets is played, the player who served in the last game of one set shall be striker-out in the first game of the next.
24. The referee shall call the game after an interval of five minutes between sets, if either player so order.
25. The above laws shall apply to the three-handed and four-handed games, except as below:
26. In the three-handed game, the single player shall serve in every alternate game.
27. In the four-handed game, the pair who have the right to serve in the first game shall decide which partner shall do so; and the opposing pair shall decide in like manner for the second game. The partner of the player who served in the first game shall serve in the third, and the partner of the player who served in the second game shall serve in the fourth; and the same order shall be maintained in all the subsequent games of the set.
28. At the beginning of the next set, either partner of the pair which struck out in the last game of the last set may serve, and the same privilege is given to their opponents in the second game of the new set.
29. The players shall take the service alternately throughout the game; a player cannot receive a service delivered to his partner; and the order of service and striking out once established shall not be altered, nor shall the striker-out change courts to receive the service, till the end of the set.
30. It is a fault if the ball served does not drop between the service line, half-court line, and service side line of the court, diagonally opposite to that from which it was served.
31. In matches, the decision of the umpire shall be final. Should there be two umpires, they shall divide the court between them, and the decision of each shall be final in his share of the court.
ODDS.
A bisque is one point which can be taken by the receiver of the odds at any time in the set except as follows:
(a) A bisque cannot be taken after a service is delivered.
(b) The server may not take a bisque after a fault, but the striker-out may do so.
One or more bisques may be given to increase or diminish other odds.
Half fifteen is one stroke given at the beginning of the second, fourth, and every subsequent alternate game of a set.
Fifteen is one stroke given at the beginning of every game of a set.
Half thirty is one stroke given at the beginning of the first game, two strokes given at the beginning of the second game; and so on, alternately, in all the subsequent games of the set.
Thirty is two strokes given at the beginning of every game of a set.
Half forty is two strokes given at the beginning of the first game, three strokes given at the beginning of the second game; and so on, alternately, in all the subsequent games of the set.
Forty is three strokes given at the beginning of every game of a set.
Half court: The players may agree into which half court, right or left, the giver of the odds shall play; and the latter loses a stroke if the ball returned by him drops outside any of the lines which bound that half court.
THE BALLS.
The balls shall measure not less than 2-15/32 inches, nor more than 2½ inches in diameter; and shall weigh not less than 1-15/16 oz., nor more than 2 oz.
The May-Pole Dance.
CHAPTER VI.
MAY-DAY.
Ho! the merrie first of Maie
Bryngs the daunce and blossoms gaie,
To make of lyfe a holiday.
IN the merry heart of youth the old song still finds an echo, and this day, with its relics of pagan customs, celebrating, in the advent of spring, nature’s renewed fertility, is a festival full of fun for the children.
Some of the ceremonies of May-day, handed down from generation to generation, were brought to America in old colonial days by the English, but owing, perhaps, to the stern puritanical training of most of the early settlers, the customs did not thrive here as in the mother country, and many of them have died out altogether.
May-day is one of the many holidays still celebrated, that originated among the pagans ages ago, and it is said that the practice of choosing a May-queen and crowning her with flowers is a remnant of the ceremonies in honor of Flora, the goddess of flowers, which were held in Rome the last four days of April and the first of May.
There was, at one time, a very pretty custom observed in Merrie England of fastening bunches of flowering shrubs and branches of sycamore and hawthorn upon the doors of those neighbors whose good lives and kindly habits were thus recognized by their friends.
The maids and matrons of England formerly had a way of their own of observing the day. On the first of May they would all go trooping out with the earliest rays of the morning sun, to bathe their faces in the magic dew, which glistened upon the grass once a year only, and was supposed to render the features moistened with it beautiful for the next twelve months.
When the writer was a wee little girl there lived next door to her home two old maiden ladies, who always kept a bottle of May-dew among their treasures. Although the ladies in question had long since passed that period when maidens are supposed to be lovely, superstitious persons might have found confirmation of a belief in the power of the dew, when they looked upon the sweet and kindly faces of these old maids. Faith in the fabled efficacy of May-dew will probably lose its last adherents when the two old ladies, very aged now, leave this world; but other pretty customs, from which all the superstitious elements seem to have departed, should not be allowed to die out, and we intend this chapter on May-day sports as a reminder that May-day is a holiday and should be fittingly celebrated by the older girls as well as the little children, who, in these times, seem to be the only ones to remember the day.
May-day Sports.
A May-day custom, and a very pretty one, still survives among the children in our New England States. It is that of hanging upon the door-knobs of friends and neighbors pretty spring-offerings in the shape of small baskets filled with flowers, wild ones, if they can be obtained; if not, the window-gardens at home are heavily taxed to supply the deficiency. When the dusky twilight approaches, it is time for the merry bands of young folks to start out on this lovely errand of going from house to house, leaving behind them the evidence of their flying visit in these sweetest of May-offerings. Silently approaching a door, they hang a May-basket upon the knob and, with a loud rap, or ring of the bell, scamper off, and flee as though for life.
Fig. 33.
The Straw Basket
These little Mayers are sometimes pursued, but few are ever caught, for the recipients of the baskets know that to capture a child, carry her into the house and treat her to sweetmeats, usually dear to the youthful palate, will not compensate the little prisoner for being held captive and thereby missing the fun going on among the other children.
How to Make May-baskets.
The dainty little baskets which are used by the Mayers are generally of home manufacture. They are made of almost any material, and in a variety of shapes. Some, constructed of card-board, are covered with crimped tissue-paper, or with gilt, silver, or colored paper. They are never large unless flowers are plentiful, and even in that case a small basket is prettier.
Our first illustration represents a May-basket made of straws. Fig. 33 shows the frame of this basket, for which three straws seven inches long are required; these are sewed together, two and one-half inches from the bottom, forming a tripod. For the sides eighteen straws are necessary, six on each side, of graduating lengths; the three top straws being five inches long and the lowest ones three and one-half inches. These are sewed to the frame, log-cabin fashion, one upon another.
The bottom of the basket is made of a three-cornered piece of card-board cut to fit; three straws, two and one-half inches long, hold the base of the frame in position. A handle formed of three ribbons finishes off this May-basket very prettily; a ribbon is tied to each corner of the basket; the other ends meeting form a bow, as shown in the illustration.
The Birch-bark Basket.
Birch-bark Baskets
are quite appropriate for wild flowers, and one in the shape of a canoe can be made from a strip of bark six and one-half inches long and four inches wide. Fig. 34 gives the pattern of this basket. The dotted lines show where the ends are to be sewed together; a ribbon sewed to each end of the canoe serves for a handle.
Card-board Baskets,
cut after the pattern Fig. 35, can be covered with gilt, silver, or crimped tissue-paper as desired; paper lace or fringe is sometimes placed around the edges of baskets of this kind, as a border to rest the flowers upon. The card-board basket shown in illustration is joined together by button-hole stitching of colored-silk floss; slits are cut in two sides and a ribbon slipped through, the ends of which are tied in bow-knots to hold them in place.
May-day Combat.
The Card-board Basket.
This game, although suggested by the ceremonies which, according to Waldron, usher in the month of May in the Isle of Man, is entirely new and bids fair to become popular, as it combines the elements of beauty, sentiment and mirth.
A number of young people separate into two parties, each having its queen; one the Queen of May, the other Queen of Winter. The May-queen and her attendants should be decked with flowers, Winter and her retinue being without decoration. Equipped with the appropriate implements of warfare between the two seasons, namely, a wreath of flowers for spring and a ball of raw cotton, or wool, representing snow, for winter, the contending forces draw up in opposing lines, the space between being about twelve feet. Each line is headed by its respective queen, who holds her missile in her hand.
Fig. 35.
The game is commenced by the two queens simultaneously tossing the wreath and ball to someone in the opposite line, whose name is called as the missile is thrown. Should the person to whom it is thrown fail to catch it, she is made prisoner and must do battle on the other side, being released only when she succeeds in catching the missile belonging to her own party.
When the wreath and ball are caught, they are instantly tossed back to the opposite rank, and so the game goes on. Hostilities must cease when prisoners are being taken or released, to be recommenced when both sides announce themselves ready.
If either queen is captured she is ransomed by the return of all the prisoners taken on her side; should she have no prisoners to release, the game is ended.
If the May-queen and her forces are defeated, they must strip off their floral decorations and give them to the victors, who, decked in these trophies, become the representatives of Spring, and the Queen of Winter is made Queen of May and is crowned by her vanquished and dethroned opponent. The former May-queen and her retinue, after offering their congratulations, must serve as attendants on the triumphant queen and do her bidding.
When the May-queen proves victorious the programme is reversed, and Winter and her party become the subjects of May.
The May-pole.
An old writer, speaking of the May-games held in England, says, “Their cheefest jewell is their Maie-poole,” and to leave the May-pole out of our list of May-sports would indeed deprive the day of one of its most important and prettiest features. The appropriate place for the May-pole is, of course, out of doors; yet the climate in most of our Northern States is so changeable and uncertain it may be found necessary for comfort to hold the festivities in the house, and in that case the following directions for erecting the pole in a room of moderate dimensions will be found useful.
How to Erect a May-pole in the House.
A May-pole from ten to twelve feet high is as tall as the ceilings of most rooms will admit.
The pole should be round, smooth, and about five inches in diameter at the base, growing gradually smaller toward the top.
Fig. 36.
Fig. 37.
For its support a wooden box is necessary, the average size being three feet long, two feet wide, and one foot high. Remove the top of the box, and directly in the centre of it cut a hole large enough to admit the pole. Take two sticks, two inches wide, and long enough to fit lengthwise in the box, and two shorter ones fitting the box crosswise, and nail them securely in the position shown in Fig. 36, driving the nails from the outside of the box. Slip the pole through the hole which has been cut in the top, and then stand it in an upright position between the four sticks in the centre of the box (Fig. 37). Be sure that the pole stands perfectly straight; then, before nailing down the top, fill the box with sand, bricks, or stones, packing them tightly around the pole; this will give sufficient weight to prevent its tipping. Nail the top on, and cover the box with moss or green cloth, and bank it up with flowers.
How to Dress a May-pole.
In olden times the May-poles were painted in alternate stripes of yellow and black, but a white pole is prettier and shows the decorations to better advantage. Tack the ends of eight or ten variously colored ribbons, one and one-half inch wide, around the pole near the top. For a pole ten feet high the ribbons should be four yards long. Around where the ribbons are fastened on, suspend a wreath of flowers, as shown in Fig. 38. Decorate the extreme tip of the pole with gaily colored streamers, or small flags.
Fig. 38.
May-pole Dance.
An even number of persons are required for this dance; half the number take the end of a ribbon in the right hand and half in the left; they then stand facing alternately right and left. When the dance commences, each dancer facing the right passes under the ribbon held by the one opposite facing the left; she then allows the next person going to the left to pass under her ribbon, and so, tripping in and out, under and over, the ribbons are woven around the pole.
After continuing for a while, according to the above directions, the dancers separate into two equal divisions, and each party, independent of the other, plaits a strip which hangs loosely from the pole.
In performing this variation the two parties stand on either side of the pole, and all those facing the right pass on in that direction, going in and out as at first, until the last person going to the right has passed the last person going to the left in her division; then, transferring the ribbons to their other hands, they all turn and reverse the order. Thus they continue, going back and forth until the plait is about a foot in length, when another change is made by the two parties joining forces again; this time, all those facing the left proceed in that direction, passing under the ribbons of all the others who are going to the right, thus forming two circles, one within the other. After going twice around the pole in this order, the dancers composing the inner circle take the outside and the others pass beneath their ribbons, again circling the pole twice; then, after going through the first figure once more the dance may be ended, or the whole order may be reversed, and the ribbons, in that way, be unplaited again.
An appropriate song, with words set to a dancing air, should be sung by those taking part in the May-pole dance.
