Popular Pastimes for Field and Fireside, or Amusements for young and old

by Caroline L. Smith

YORK AND LANCASTER, OR THE WAR OF THE ROSES.

This game is commenced by the choice of two Commanders, either by lot or by vote. As it is necessary for the success of the game to select the most skillful as the Commanders, each player should carefully consider the merits of all the others before casting his vote. One Commander is called Duke of York, and the other Duke of Lancaster. The Commanders draw lots for the first choice of men, and each Duke selects alternately a man from the players till the whole are drawn.

Each party marks out its fort by drawing semicircular lines; the forts should be in line, twenty paces apart, and each of them sufficiently large to hold easily one of the armies. Twenty paces in front of each fort should be drawn a semicircle larger than the fort, which is called the prison, the prisons and forts thus marking the four corners of a square.

The two Dukes then draw lots to decide which shall commence the game. If the Duke of York wins, he sends out one of his red-rose men, usually a new player, who must run at least beyond the line of the prison before he returns. As soon as he has started the other Duke sends out one of his men to pursue, and, if possible, to touch the red-rose runner before he can regain his own fort. If this is accomplished, the successful runner returns to his fort, while the vanquished party must go to the enemy’s prison, from which he cannot stir until some one from his own side releases him, by touching him in spite of the enemy. This is not an easy task, as in order to reach the enemy’s prison, the player must pass by the enemy’s fort. It is allowable for the prisoner to stretch his hand as far towards his rescuer as possible, but he must keep his body within the bounds; and if several prisoners are taken, it is sufficient for one to remain within the prison, while the rest, by joining hands, make a chain towards the player who is trying to release them. [The Commanders in the commencement of the game must decide if they will allow this latter mode of escape.] When a rescue is thus accomplished, both the prisoner and his rescuer return to their fort, no one being allowed to touch them until they have reached then fort and again started out.

But the game is not restricted to the two originally sent out. As soon as either Duke sees one of his men pressed by an opponent, he sends out a third, who is in his turn pursued by another from the opposing side; each being allowed to touch any who have preceded, but none who have left their fort after him. The war soon becomes exciting; prisoners are made and released, the two Dukes watching the game, and rarely exposing themselves, except in cases of emergency, but directing the whole proceedings. The game is considered won, when one party has succeeded in imprisoning the whole of the other side.

Much depends upon the Commanders, who sometimes, by a bold dash, rescue the most important of their men, and thereby turn the fate of the battle; or when the attention of the opposite side is occupied by some hardly-contested struggle, send out a player who walks quietly up to the prison, and without attracting the notice of the opposing party, lets out a prisoner. No player is permitted to touch more than one person until he has returned to his fort; when he can sally out again, armed with fresh strength, like Antæus of old, who could not be conquered at wrestling because whenever he touched the ground his strength was renewed by his Mother Earth.

POST-OFFICE.

This family game is instructive as well as amusing. Each one present writes a poem, anecdote, essay, or a letter to some person either present or absent. The articles written should be concise and must in all cases be original. Any one who chooses to do so can disguise his handwriting. The papers, as they are completed, are carefully folded and directed, and then deposited in a covered box placed on the table.

The post-master must be chosen by the company. He has the right to open all the letters and papers, first announcing to whom each is directed, and reads them aloud. After the reading, the papers are distributed according to the directions written upon them.