A STRING TRICK.
BY HELEN P. STRONG.
Here is a wonder in which there can be no danger of imposition, for in this you may let your audience have literally a finger. You ought to practice this—and indeed every string trick—somewhat before you venture to show off much; but having learned to do it quickly and easily, you may with considerable confidence ask some one to hold up a forefinger, as in Fig. 1. Slipping one end of your string over the offered finger, and holding the other end by your own little finger, catch up the left-hand string with the little finger of the right hand, thrusting your middle finger between the strings precisely as shown in Fig. 1. Now place the third finger of the left hand in the position indicated by the dotted hand, using it to draw both strings to the left at that point, while you draw the right hand in the opposite direction, and finally place the middle finger of your right hand upon the end of your neighbor's finger.
The hands will now be somewhat in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the string will seem hopelessly entangled. The apparent complication, however, has only prepared the way for unravelling the tangle, as will appear if you loosen your hold of all parts of the string save the end first taken, that which passes over the little finger of your left hand, by which the string may be freely drawn away, though you still keep your finger resting upon that of your neighbor. Your satisfaction in accomplishing this feat will be enhanced by the fact that any false move will result in fastening the borrowed finger in a slip-knot.
Fig. 2.
ANSWER TO FAGOT PUZZLE GIVEN IN No. 93.
[MOTHER'S DEAR TREASURE.]
BY A. L. A. SMITH.
Down stairs in the kitchen is mother's dear treasure,
Desirous of helping, for "Topsy" is out;
Her face is lit up with the rainbow of pleasure,
And mother knows not what her darling's about.
"Oh my! dis 'tove's dirty—I fink I 'ill clean it."
So, taking the blacking and brush by her side,
She laid it on thick till, oh my! had you seen it
And her, I am sure you'd have laughed till you cried.
"Oh dear, I's so tired! I dess I'll be doing
Up 'tairs to my mamma, and tell her tome see;
I dess she can 'top for a minute her sewing,
And pay just a 'ittle bit 'tention to me."
But when this fond mother espied her wee daughter
Come toddling in, with her hands and face black,
She burst into laughter, then ran for some water
To see if her darling or Topsy'd come back.
WATERMELONS—A STUDY IN GREEN AND BLACK.