Of course all the children who were not on their feet at its entrance rose to receive it; and even the older people's voices joined with the others as the verse, being repeated over and over again, closed with all singing "Welcome Yule."
This song was followed by the masked game of "Twelfth-night Pie."
Two people—a boy and girl—each in grotesque apparel and with masked faces, walked in, rolling before them, on a wheelbarrow, an enormous pie. It was made after the fashion of a Jack Horner pie, being in a deep dish covered with diamond-dusted white paper, with tiny ribbons exposed.
The first performance was to roll the pie all around the room, and then to the centre, where the boy and girl sang:
"Who'll have a bird from this Twelfth-night pie?
Whoever guesses me may answer, I."
After this there was solemn stillness until the names were guessed; then the couple unmasked. The correct guesser then drew a ribbon; it proved to bring out a robin red-breast made of candy and stuffed with sugar-plums. As soon as the person drew it, the boy who rolled the barrow imitated a bird-song on a harmonica. This was easily effected, as it was the girl who presented the pie, and engaged the attention of the individual who was drawing; and, indeed, every one in the room was watching what was drawn, and therefore the boy for the moment was forgotten. He made believe something had been dropped, and, getting down back of the girl, sang at the time the bird was drawn, without detection. Ten of the others drew in a similar manner, the first ten to the right of the guesser; but the boy did not sing, except when he stood no chance of being caught.
"This would be good fun for New-Year's night," said Hortense to the boy standing next to her.
"Good fun for any time, I should say."
The next game was called "The Messenger-Boy."
One of the girls, stepping up to the wall, pretended she was talking through a telephone and wanted a messenger-boy. In a few seconds a bell was heard, and the boy, having arrived, was ushered into the parlor. The boy had left the room before the game commenced.