Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1883 — HOW TO ENTERTAIN AN EVENING PARTY. [ARTICLE]

HOW TO ENTERTAIN AN EVENING PARTY.

SPANISH BLIND MAN. In this game, instead of blindfolding me of the players, his hands are tied jehind him, and in that difficult way be must endeavor to catch one of his ■ompaniens, who must, when caught, rabmit to the same restraint. THK RIBBONS. Each person in the company takes a ribbon, and holds it by one end. The other ends are all united in the hand of one who leads the game, and who, consequently, is placed in the middle of the circle. When he says, “Pull,” they must lht 50; when he says: “Let go,” they must pull the ribbon which they hold. It is astonishing how many forfeits are won at this simple game. THE DOWN FLIES. One of the players takes a flake of cotton or a bit of down, which he casts in the air in the midst of a circle formed by those present who are seated close together. He at once puffs with his breath to keep it floating in the air, and the one toward whom the flake takes its course must puff in the same way to keep it from falling on his lap, which would cost him a forfeit. Nothing is more amusing than to see ten or twelve people, with upturned faces, blowing and puffing, each in his own way, to send from one to the other this flake of cotton. Sometimes it happens that as one cannot laugh and puff at the same moment, the tuft of cotton falls into the mouth of one of the company, who in vain tries to find breath enough to blow it away. This excites the laughter of the other players, who demand from him a forfeit for his gluttony. ARMY EXERCISE. This game furnishes a good joke, but must be played circumspectly, that no offense may bo given, and no unpleasant consequences arise. The company are drawn up in line, with a Sergeant and Captain—the former standing at the head of the line, the latter in front of the regiment, to give the w'ord of command. The two officers.must be in the secret, and act in concert. The Captain gives the order, and puts his men through their drill, they taking the time from the Sergeant. After a few ordinary commands, such as,: “Heads up,” “Eyes right,” etc., the word is given to “ground r ght knees,” whereupon all the men kneel down on the right knee. Then comes: “Eight hands forward,” whereupon the Sergeant stretches out his right arm and hand horizontally in front of him at full length. “Left hands backward.” and the left arms are thrust back as nearly horizontally as possible with the shoulders. Now comes the word: “Fire!” at which the Sergeant g-ives his neighbor a push: he, taken unawares, tumbles against the next man, and down goes the whole row like a house of cards.