Ironmonger: “Poker and tongs, shovels and spades.”
“The world well knows Charlestown keeps up the remembrance of these—”
Florist: “Water-lily pads, and moss-rose buds.”
“At a lively rate.”
And so on reads the newspaper, making the proper pauses and glances, until everybody has taken part and indeed over and over again taken part. Care should be used as to the selection read, as some paragraphs allow for much more amusement than do others.
When any player fails to at once make a suitable remark he must pay a forfeit, which can only be redeemed by music or recitation.
THE NEW DIXEY’S LAND.
This is an out-of-door game, and may be played on the ground or on the grass, marking the court or lawn with the same material as if arranging a court for tennis.
Form a circle with a diameter of twelve feet, divide the circle into quarters, each quarter representing a section of our country, east, west, north, south, and should be so marked. One letter would represent each word,—E, for east, W, for west, and so on. The oldest boy now becomes the owner of the entire territory, and is named Dixey. This boy must stand directly at the point where the lines unite, the middle of the circle, and as soon as he is in position, any player may run into any quarter of the ground. He must not stand on the line; should he do so, and be tagged on that line, he can no longer play.
But having run into a quarter, he must loudly call, “Dixey, I’m on your North land, now it belongs to me.” Or, “Dixey, I’m on your South land,” etc. He must rightly name the section on which he stands.