No. 5.
1. P-earl-s. 2. S-haw-l. 3. S-hoot-s. 4. B-arrack-s. 5. L-edge-r. 6. T-run-k. 7 A-gate-s. 8. C-hor-d. 9. W-all-s. 10. T-angle-s.
Correct answers to puzzles have been received from "I. Scycle," C. B. Kunkel, Mary Snyder, "Rose-bud," "Prince Charming," Olivia T., Benny Rickarts, Mary Snell, Jonathan S. R., Charlie Cox, Emily R. Bennett, Madeline Whittier, Nettie Simpson, Janet Carruthers, John Carnes, Sammie Brown, "A Reader," "Bluebell," Maud M. Chambers, Eloise, "A. B. C.," Lena and Lutie, Allie E. Cressingham, Arthur B. Sinclair, "Silver Fox," Susan Talbot, Mamie Meeks, Amy Grace, John Robertson, Alf Sinclair, George P. Taggart, Florence, Mabel, and Annie Knight, and Florence H. Chambers.
[For Exchanges, see 2d and 3d pages of cover.]
[IN-DOOR AMUSEMENTS.]
BY FRANK BELLEW.
PHIZO.
We have a new game, or drawing exercise, at our home nowadays, which we call Phizo, and a good deal of amusement it causes us. We also find it excellent practice and discipline in drawing and the study of character. It is desirable that those engaging in this game should have some little skill in drawing.
The way we came to try what we call Phizo was in this wise: A party of us were sitting cosily around the library table, and papa was talking to a literary friend about the difficulty of conveying any correct idea of form by mere words, and consequently the almost utter impossibility of an artist representing pictorially an author's idea by merely reading his work. The literary gentleman seemed rather inclined to dispute this statement, when papa said:
"Well, if I can't convince you, suppose that we try a few practical experiments. I will draw a simple profile of a head of marked character, and you shall describe it to those present—we can all draw more or less—and each shall draw a face from your description without seeing the original, and then we will compare them, and see how nearly they approach that original."
Papa then drew the accompanying head, which the literary gentleman—whom I may as well call Mr. Stylus—described as follows:
"Forehead large and overhanging, the upper part projecting beyond the lower; eyes severe and deep-set; nose sharply cut, rather small, with a slight tendency upward; mouth firm and compressed; upper lip short; lower lip projecting; chin long and prominent; jaw square; hair brushed back behind the ears, and rather long; head large; the whole character refined, intellectual, and severe."
"There," said papa, "it has taken you four times as long to write your description as it took me to make my sketch. Now let us see what idea you have conveyed to your audience."
We all set to work at once, and made our sketches, and the accompanying pictures show the result. When we came to compare these ridiculous heads one with another, and then with the one originally drawn by papa, you can imagine that we had a hearty laugh.
Of course he insisted that we had given a brilliant illustration of the manner in which artists frequently fail in their efforts to portray the characters that writers describe, and it was quite useless to try and persuade him that we were not endowed with professional skill in the use of our pencils.
Now, for the benefit of any of our readers who would like to experiment with Phizo, I subjoin a description of a profile head which papa made, and Mr. Stylus described as follows:
"Forehead moderately high and rather full; eyebrows distinctly marked; eyes large, with heavy eyelids; nose high; mouth full, with corners slightly drooping; chin full and round; hair curling on forehead, coiled at back of the head."
Now suppose our artistic subscribers try and see what they can make of this description.
"JES YOU 'HAVE YERSELF, AND COME 'LONG NOW."
AND SHE WENT.