When the guests are seated, present each one with the envelope bearing his or her name. The hostess, or some other person appointed by her, then explains to the company that each one is expected to draw a picture upon the paper found within the envelope.
No matter how crudely executed, each person must at least attempt to draw a picture of something, and then replace the sheet of paper in the envelope.
A prophet or prophetess must be appointed, also an assistant, care being taken, however, that the former is pretty well acquainted with the different guests.
The assistant collects the envelopes, keeping the names thereon carefully concealed from the prophet. He then takes from an envelope the drawing and presents it to the prophet.
The latter proceeds to foretell the future life of the maker of the picture in his hand, revealing as much or as little as he pleases of the details of the picture.
When he has exhausted the resources of the picture, he returns it to the assistant, who reads aloud the name on the envelope and restores both it and the picture to their owner.
If properly carried out, this is a most entertaining form of amusement.
PICTURES OF PROMINENT MEN
If the company be musical, the pictures of celebrated musicians could be appropriately used, and in writing down the names of these it could also be required of the guests to cite some noted composition of each; or should the company be general, the pictures of men prominent in different professions—divines, orators, actors, statesmen—could be utilized in almost exactly the same manner.
Should the entertainment be given in July or in March, it would be quite appropriate to have on the cards pictures of the different presidents, to be named by the guests, the dates of their respective terms in offices to be given by them. While almost any one could readily recognize a picture of Washington, Lincoln or Grant, there are other presidents whose portraits are not so familiar, and it would take a pretty good student in United States history to correctly recognize likenesses of them all, or even a dozen of the less familiar pictures of the group, much less to give the dates of their terms of office. A framed picture of one of the greatest of the presidents might be given as first prize to the person whose card is filled out correctly with all the names and dates, or comes nearest to being correctly filled.