CROSSING THE DELAWARE
A space about four or five feet wide is marked off on the floor by stretching two strings from one side of the room to the other or with chalk which represents the "Delaware River." Or an imaginary line will answer. Half of the players stand on one side of the space and half on the opposite side.
Each company has a captain who gives each of his soldiers a name that denotes action and can be demonstrated—beginning with the letter "A" such as appealingly, angrily, etc. The second soldier's name begins with "B"—blindly, bashfully, boisterously. The third soldier's name begins with "C"—cautiously, carelessly, curiously, and so on through the alphabet until all are named.
Then the captain of company A announces, "Washington is crossing the Delaware." The captain of the opposite company "B" replies, "How?" The first captain responds "A" whereupon the soldier of his company whose name begins with "A" walks across the space and back "awkwardly," "angrily" or acting whatever name has been given to him (or her.) The opposite side try to guess the name from the actions or manner of the soldier. If the soldier crosses to the opposite side and back before his name is guessed he remains with his own company, but if the soldiers of the opposite side guess his name before he reaches camp he must join their ranks.
Then the captain of company B announces, "Washington is crossing the Delaware." Captain of company A asks, "How?" Captain of company B responds "A" and his soldier "A" crosses over "anxiously," "actively" or whatever the name may be. If he succeeds in reaching camp before his name is guessed he remains there but joins the opposite company if they guess his name before he reaches camp.
Now it is company A's turn to send soldier "B" across with the same preliminaries as before. Then company B sends soldier "B" across the Delaware. Then Company A sends soldier "C" followed by soldier "C" of company B and so on, a soldier from each company alternately until all have had a chance to cross.
The company having the most soldiers is victorious, as they have either crossed successfully or been captured. They may be rewarded by some appropriate trifle such as a tiny flag or paper hatchet, or some of the small brass or metal stick pins representing shields, flags, eagles, colonial hats, rosettes, muskets, drums, etc., etc.
April Fool's Day
April first would be an occasion for a fancy dress party en masque. Invitations may be written on a large sheet of paper and folded or rolled into a small parcel and tied up in wrapping paper like a package.
Decorate the rooms with paper or artificial flowers and plants. April Fool the guests when time for them to arrive by having the lights as low as possible. The maid or person admitting the guests informs them the hostess is "not at home," but immediately adds "please come in and wait," and they are then directed to lighted rooms where they may remove their wraps.
An invitation to a "Folly Party" may be adorned with a picture of a fools cap and bells or a Jester. One form reads thus:—
On ye night of April first at stroke of eight
Ye Fooles and Jesters will congregate
At —— St; Prithee come, likewise
Bedecked in frivolous garb, Thy face disguise
So unquestioned you may see
"What fools these mortals be."
If there is any question as to which member or members of the family is giving the party, enclose a visiting card or write the name of the host or hostess on the reverse side of invitation or back of envelope.
One may choose from the following menu, foolish food for refreshment.
Turtle Soup—au natural
(Soup plates or bouillon cups of water with tiny toy turtle in each one)
Radishes
(Toy or paper red dishes)
Piccalilli
(A dish of artificial or natural lilies to pick from)
Blue Points
(Short pointed ends of blue crayon or lead pencils)
Crackers
(Tiny fire crackers)
FISH
Baked Sole
(An old sole of a shoe)
Fried Perch
(A wooden perch—the kind used in bird cages)
ROAST
Spring Lamb
(A toy lamb in place of a jack-in-the-box)
Wild Duck
(Throw at the guests a large handful of small rubber or paper balls attached to rubber strings, so they will return and hit no one—the guests will "duck" to escape being hit.)
ENTREES
Rabbit en casserole
(Hair (hare) in covered dish)
DESSERT
Strawberry Ice
(Strawberry buried in ice)
Cake—Devil's Food
(Sulphur matches)
Black Coffee
(Have the colored man step in and cough)
Mixed Nuts
(Iron nuts such as used on bolts and machinery)
Raisins
(Yeast cakes)
The hostess should have a bell at her place and ring it before each course, when the butler (or a gentleman who will act as butler for the occasion) will repeat in a loud voice the order of the hostess which, of course, will be simply the name of the food about to be served. Or have at each plate a small card with the menu written on it.
For a centerpiece a dish of artificial fruit or a vase of daffodils (daffy-dills) may be used, placed on a cloth centerpiece, circular and cut in points, a bell on each point. Two colors should be used for the points.
A few dishes of April Fool bon bons may be distributed on the table.
After this foolish feast is ended genuine refreshments should be served. One might reverse the order of serving; begin with the dessert and end with what should have been first.
Many viands may be served "in disguise" and yet be very palatable. For instance creamed chicken, sweet breads, etc., may be encased in mashed potato or boiled rice.
Line tin moulds with the potato or rice, fill the center with the creamed fowl, sweet breads or oysters and heat in pan of hot water. When inverted on serving plate there will be, apparently, a mound of potatoes or rice.
Large baked potato skins may be used to enclose the meat, also grape fruit or orange rinds cut in half and contents removed, then filled with the hot chicken, etc., and the other half replaced, or cover the top with a lettuce leaf or sprigs of water cress or parsley.
Lift one section of a banana skin, remove fruit, fill with any desired salad and replace section of skin. Use a toothpick to keep in place if necessary.
Olives may be served, each covered with the half of an English walnut shell. A corn husk may hold a sandwich, etc., etc.
Fruit cups may be made from apples, oranges, lemons, grape fruit, bananas, etc., and many of the vegetables could be utilized. The large telephone pea pods may contain a small pickle or relish of some kind.
Mangoes or green pepper pods, tomatoes, cantaloupe, cucumbers, etc., may be scooped out and filled with food of a different nature.
Cover the opening in the bottom of small flower pots with stiff paper or fill with paraffin wax. Line the flower pot with stiff white paper to within an inch of the top. Fill with chocolate ice cream or any desired cream, but cover the top with chocolate ice cream or chocolate frosting as dark as possible, sprinkle grated sweet chocolate or bits of chocolate fudge on top. Stick rather a short stemmed carnation, daisy or similar flower in the center and serve.
Small cakes may be served from cabbage heads. Use cabbage having the outside leaves on. Open the outer leaves carefully until there is enough to hide the interior. Cut out the center of the cabbage and fill with small cakes.
All sorts of odd candy boxes filled with candies may be used for favors.
Ordinary refreshments may be served on dishes not ordinarily used for that particular purpose. Use bowls or soup dishes instead of cups—saucers, vegetables dishes, cups, etc., where plates or platters should be used.
The clever hostess will, no doubt, think of many ways wise and otherwise to serve refreshments on such an occasion.