THROWING LIGHT.
This game is a wonderfully interesting one, though, like all others, its success depends very greatly upon the amount of energy that is thrown into it by the players. A word is chosen to be the subject of conversation by two of the party, and must be known to themselves only. It should be a word to which several meanings are attached, so that the remarks made in reference to it may be ambiguous and puzzling to the rest of the company. The two persons who know the word begin a conversation, referring to the word in all its different meanings, the others being allowed to add their remarks as soon as they have guessed what the word is.
Supposing the word fixed upon to have been Hare, which is also spelt in another way, the conversation could be very easily sustained in something like the following style:—
1st player.—"I saw one the other day when I was out driving in the country."
2nd player.—"I had one sent for a Christmas box."
1st player.—"My own is dark brown."
2nd player.—"And mine is nearly black."
1st player.—"Do you like it hot or cold?"
2nd player.—"Between the two, I think."
Here some one who has discovered the word may remark, "Don't we read of some one in the Bible who might have lived longer if he had not possessed quite so much of it?" Thus the chat runs on until the players, one by one, as they guess the word, are entitled to take part in the conversation. The penalty for making a mistake and joining in the conversation before the right word has been discovered, is to have a handkerchief thrown over the guilty person's head, which must be kept on until the word is really found out. The words Lock, Ball (Bawl), Deer, Key (Quay), Pen (Penn), Pain (Pane), Boy, Handel (Handle), Whale (Wail), and similar words with two or three meanings, are such as will be required.