Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1909 — FOR THE CHILDREN [ARTICLE]

FOR THE CHILDREN

Plum Pudding—-A Game. The players sit at a table with a plate on it to represent a plum pudding—a tin one would be best, as being light and unbreakable. Each plajer takes the name of some article of food or something used at dinner. One tells a story about a plum pudding and when he utters the name spins the plate and mentions some other dish. The person so named Instantly gives the plate another whirl and continues the story, spinning the plate until he names another player, who must catch the plate before it falls, keep it going and go on with the story. “Plum pudding” must be brought into each story and its continuation, and the plate must never be allowed to fall. The story may be something like this: “It was Christmas, and we were all at my grandmother’s house. She let me go with her to order dinner Of course there was a plum pudding (spin the plate) of great size, and we all liked It better than ’mince pie.’ ” “Mince pie” catches the spinning plate gives It a fresh impetus and continues, “In which, I think, they showed very bad taste, for mince pies are fine at Christmas, though 1 should prefer *plum pudding’ to 'roast chestnuts.’ ” “Roast chestnuts” seizes the plate and goes on: “Yes, but they are for dessert. I think plum pudding would be better than ‘cranberry tart.’ ” And so the game goes ou till all are tired or wits give out.

Clip and Keep. This game is of French origin and affords the children, the lookers-on especially. no end of fun. It shows how little idea of distance we have apart from sight. Two wires or ropes are stretched across the end of the room, and suspended from them by strings are inexpensive gifts wrapped in tissue paper of various colors. Those for the girls are in light shades of pink, blue, yellow’ and green, while articles Intended for boys are wrapped in scarlet, deep green, blue, purple and orange. The guests are blindfolded in couples and each given a pair of round pointed scissors. At a given signal each must turn around three times and then advance to the lines and cut therefrom a gift. Interference is allowed when a boy goes to the girl’s jside, or vice versa. It is surprising to see how far some will go astray, while others will make straight for the mark.

Agitation for more brilliant uniforms for French officers will give the cause of universal peace another chill.