is best of all, for then they can give their fancy free play, and create all sorts of odd and novel designs.
The bright-colored Chinese lanterns are very decorative. Suppose we begin with these. Fasten securely here and there, on the lawn, large paper Japanese umbrellas in upright positions. This is accomplished by binding the handles of the umbrellas securely to poles which have been sharpened at one end, and planting the pointed end of the poles firmly in the ground.
From every other rib of the umbrella suspend a lighted Chinese lantern by a wire long enough to prevent any danger of setting the little canopy on fire. The effect produced is both novel and pretty.
A popular method of arranging the lanterns is stringing them on wires, stretched from house to house, or from tree to tree, so forming, as it were, a fringe of lights.
Again, they may be placed at intervals on the ground, fastened to trees or hung on the piazza, some in groups of twos or threes, others singly, these being of many odd shapes and sizes. Piazzas are very good sites for the display of colored umbrellas, which may hang, inverted, from the ceiling, with a tiny lighted Chinese lantern suspended from each rib. Let me repeat, be careful not to have the wires so short that the light is in dangerous proximity to the umbrella.
Another pleasing illumination is to make a large flag of colored-paper with strong pieces of tape pasted along both top and bottom, the ends of the tape extending beyond the flag. Tie the tape to two trees, poles, or pillars of the porch, and place a light back of the flag, to bring out the colors clearly and distinctly.
Illuminated tents are made by placing poles in the fashion of Fig. 51, and using large flags, low-priced colored cloth or strong paper as a covering, Fig. 52. The corners are tied down to pegs in the ground, and, when two or three candles are set in the tent, the effect is very pleasing.
