Boston.
This is a variation of “Blind Man’s Buff,” which is described elsewhere. Seat the company round the room and give each a number. Blindfold one person and station him in the centre of the room, twirling him around several times so that he may successfully “lose his bearings.” He must then call any two numbers included in the number of players, and the two people representing them must at once rise and change places, while the “blind man” endeavors to seize one of them. If he succeeds in doing this he must, while still blindfolded, identify the captive, who then in turn enters the circle.
More than two numbers may be called at once, and when the “blind man” calls out “Boston!” and everybody changes places, he may, by slipping into a vacant seat during the confusion, find a substitute in the person left standing when all the chairs are occupied.
What is Your Age?
It is always a delicate thing to inquire a lady’s age, but the question in this game will offend nobody. There must be at least two people in the secret, and one of them leaves the room. Somebody in the company tells his age to the others, and the absent player is recalled. Everybody is at liberty to question him, but he only pays attention to the one player he knows holds the secret of the game, and from the first letters of the words introducing the remarks of this person he takes his cue—the first ten letters of the alphabet standing for the ten figures, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0.
A goes from the room and B asks for somebody’s age. C volunteers, “I am twenty-five.” A being then recalled, there is a universal demand from the company for the required age, and a great deal of doubt expressed as to his ability to guess it. During the general confusion, B hastily says: “Be sure before you speak,” and then again: “Enough thinking. Tell us now.” Whereupon, A, guided by the first letter, “b,” of the first remark, and the “e” of the second, which he knows represents the digits “two” and “five” respectively, quickly says “twenty-five.”
What, Sir? Me, Sir?
One player says to another:
“Mr. Brown, I saw you on Broadway.”
Whereupon Mr. Brown says: