Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun

by Various

1st player.—"I saw one the other day when I was out driving in the country."

2nd player.—"I had one sent for a Christmas box."

1st player.—"My own is dark brown."

2nd player.—"And mine is nearly black."

1st player.—"Do you like it hot or cold?"

2nd player.—"Between the two, I think."

Here some one who has discovered the word may remark, "Don't we read of some one in the Bible who might have lived longer if he had not possessed quite so much of it?" Thus the chat runs on until the players, one by one, as they guess the word, are entitled to take part in the conversation. The penalty for making a mistake and joining in the conversation before the right word has been discovered, is to have a handkerchief thrown over the guilty person's head, which must be kept on until the word is really found out. The words Lock, Ball (Bawl), Deer, Key (Quay), Pen (Penn), Pain (Pane), Boy, Handel (Handle), Whale (Wail), and similar words with two or three meanings, are such as will be required.

TOILET.

We must not forget to name the old-fashioned game of the Toilet, which no doubt, if the truth were known, came in, like Blind Man's Buff, as far back as the time of William the Conqueror. The original idea in connection with it is for each person to fix upon some article indispensable to a lady's dress. Her fan, pocket-handkerchief, slipper, scent-bottle, and so on are chosen, an article to each player. The leader, supplied with a wooden trencher, generally begins by announcing the fact that my lady is invited to a ball, consequently her wants during the time of dressing will be very numerous. Probably the brush and comb will first be called for to dress the lady's hair, when the owner of these articles must respond to the call by taking up the trencher before it has ceased spinning; it being the rule that every one who makes a call shall spin the trencher. Instead of articles of dress, flowers have frequently been chosen by young ladies, each one representing her favourite flower, and in order to make the game suitable for use among boys it may easily be still further altered, according to fancy, the variations of course depending upon the articles chosen. In all round games, however, boys and girls generally play together, and it is usually found that a good girls' game is equally attractive among the boys. It must not be forgotten, in playing this game of Toilet, or Trencher, as it is also called, that when the word "Toilet" is used, or any other word that is fixed upon instead, every one of the company must change places. Should any one fail to do this, a forfeit can be demanded as a penalty.