the' LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET AND PICTORIAL HOME COMPANION. 
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PAELOH AOTSEMENTS. 
BY “aUXT MBIlllY.” 
Wo Americans know’- how to work, perhaps 
to work gracefully, but as for playing or amusing 
ourselves, unless cards and dancing are intro- 
duecd, there is a general reluctance to joining 
in games which'will aralisc the youngest and 
not injure the eldest of the family cirelc. 
In winter, darkness broods over the land, and 
U is well to produce sunshine in the house—to 
give up the early part of the evening to home 
amusements. Music is always enjoyed, but all 
of us cannot sing acceptably to our hearers, or 
play correctly, while wo 
can each of us take part 
in the “Comical Concert,” 
which is exceedingly a- 
amusing. 
The players can be ar¬ 
ranged like an orchestra, 
and each one pretends to 
phay u))on some instru¬ 
ment. One imitates a vio¬ 
linist ; another doubles up 
his hands at his mouth to 
simulate a horn; while 
another moves her fingers 
on a tiiblc, as though it 
were the keys of a piano. 
The b.ack of a chair fur¬ 
nishes a harp for one per¬ 
former, and another beats 
a drum; one turns an 
imaginary hand organ: 
.another plays a flute; 
while others imitate the 
. trumpet,trombone, guitar, 
indeed any instrument one i 
fancies. 
While playing, each 
musician imitates his in¬ 
strument with his mouth, 
thus: 
cflccts. The following sentences will give an 
idea of the game: 
AvoUl avarice as an asp: 
Conalaui crime cniisco ciuelcas cnneclcnccs; 
l-'uwiiliig liivorill's fciir Kivliiiic’s freaks; 
Kiglit olcphants ciitiiis eleven eggs; 
G'oil’s goodness gives great gifis; 
llaiinv koines have kiuiiiy liearls; 
Jockeys Joyfully Joking Jaded Jackasses; , 
l.iltle lamkkins leaping love long lanes; 
Nine noisy noblemen n'odding noses; 
rerfcct plelv produces pretty practices; 
Quit, rinlbblinguuacks, (luurrellng, quickly; 
Verily, verily, vice vililles virtue ; 
Ves, yet yon yawned yesterday; 
Zcall seal! zealous zany, zeal: 
These sentences can be varied ad libilitm, and 
much amu.scment elicited from them, while it is 
an instructive game to children. 
A Brilliant Metallic Tree. 
This experiment is much to be admired, as it 
produces a pretty parlor ormunout. Take three- 
gonllemcn and ladies, sit in a row, with their 
eyes blindfolded, and are told that they are to 
be bewitched, and must on no account peep out 
from the blinders. Then two or more, who have 
seen the game, draw faces, with a match dipped 
into ink, on the back of one of the hands of 
each of the jilayers, doing it quickly, while 
another per.i!on follows with a handkerchief, 
which is tied about the donblcd-up li.st to i-cpre- 
sent a baby’s cap; shawls, wraps, or a towel is 
fastened lo the wrist, to cover the arm, and the 
“ head ” is then laid on the other arm, with strict 
injunctions not to di.splace it. 
The handkerchiefs arc then removed from the 
players’ eyes, and each is seen holding a baby ! 
This game needs several jilayei'S, who can laugh 
at each other. 
Twang,tNViui", goes the harp; 
Tool, too, hoo, goes the horn; 
■ Twccdle flee, twecdlc dee, 
goes the violin; 
Turn, tuiu, tee, goes the 
gnltur; etc. 
The loader faces the 
orchestra, with a longj 
stick in hand, beating ] 
time with absurd move- I 
ments. Suddenly pointing | 
his wand to one of the 
players, he exclaims : 
“Why don’t you pl.ay 
better?” | 
The one addressed must 
reply instantly with suit- 
•ablo reference to the nature 
of his instrument. For 
instance, the harpist 
would say, “ a string is 
loose;” the piiinist, “a 
key is bi-okenthe vio- 
lini.st, “ ni)' instrument is 
not in tune,” etc. If they 
give an unsuitable answer, 
or hesitate a moment, or 
even repeat an excuse 
already given, a forfeit is 
to be paid. 
When the leader waves- 
his wand aloft, all coraniencc .again, and play 
until some one is addressed; this is continued 
until forfeits enough are collected to be redeemed, 
or the players weary of the noise and fun. It is a 
noisy game, but all children delight in it, and,';vhen 
played with spirit, it amuses many old heads. 
The Beady Writer. 
This can be played by any number of persons. 
Sheets of paper and pencils should be given to 
each player, with a letter of the alphabet, and 
must write a sentence of five, six, or more words, 
as is decided upon at the commencement of the 
game, each word beginning with that letter. 
When all have finished, each one reads in turn 
his sentence. If one or more fail, they ■ must 
. cither, pay a forfeit, or recite some poetry, or 
make a speech. It often produces very amusing 
FROM LITTLE BUTTERCUPS. 
At a recent Sabbath school concert, a little 
boy stood up to say his piece, and forgetting the 
words of the text, hesitated a moment, then, 
with all the assurance po.ssible, said: “Blessed 
arc the shoemakers.” 
“ What’s the use of keeping .all those kittens ?” 
asked a father of his little four-year-old daughter, 
whose pns.sy h.ad recently presented her with 
five pets. “ So we can have lots of new meivsic, 
pa !” was the triumphant reply. 
M.akixg iirjt Smart. 
—As old Van Shroomps 
was giving his youngest, 
who was inclined to be 
lazy, a good cowhiding, 
the boy' cried out: “ Oh ! 
don’t fadder: it makes 
me shmart !” “ Dat’s 
shoost vat I wants,” said 
the old man, as he whack¬ 
ed away' with renewed 
Some years ago, a five- 
year-old boy, after saying 
his evening ijrayers, ask¬ 
ed : “ .Mother, will father 
go to heaven when he 
dies?” (His father was 
a large man, with a gieat 
huge frame.) “Yes, I 
liope he will; I do not 
doubt he will. Why do 
you ask “ Oh, I only' 
wanted to know;” and 
for a time tlio subject 
seemed to have faded fi-om 
the child’s mind. But it 
soon dropped out again. 
“ Are you sure, mother. 
Zittle Mtsc/uef. 
quarters of an ounce of sugar of lead ; pour over 
it one pint of w.arm water. Shake the mixture, 
and let it stand in a large round glass bottle for 
three days; turn off the solution, throw aw.iy 
the settlings, and return to the bottle. Suspend 
by a wire a piece of zinc in the bottle, so that 
.the solution covers it. 'Place where it will hot 
be disturbed. Soon the zinc will become mo.s.sy, 
and a substance of metallic lead will appear in 
brilliiint crystals, resembling a miniature tree. 
It can be corked up in the bottle to keep out the 
dust by running the zinc through a cork; the 
thinner and more transparent the glass, the 
prettier will be your tree. 
Knights of the Infanta. 
The results of this trick, if well arranged, 
are exceedingly amusing, and produce ro.ars, of 
laughter. Half-a-dozen, or more, young and old. 
HAPPY HEARTS AND CHEEBFTO HOMES, 
nv wiu.i iM I'diisvrn. 
Go. gather sunbeams where they He, 
On every hill side sleeping. 
And put llieni where they will not die, 
Within your young heart’s keeping. 
They paint witit liglit. with loving liand, the hlossoni 
where it’s lilowing, 
They tnno tlie laja of every land, and bless where’er 
they fall; 
ICee;) every d.ay, like Snnimer, gay, for yellow Autumn 
glowing. 
For happy hearts have Summer, aye, and sunshine 
ir all. 
II. 
There’s joy in every lilos.som fold, 
'There's peace anioiig the leaves. 
And nil the sunshine turns to gold, 
Among the luirrest sheaves 
But all the harvests arc not where the grain is wav¬ 
ing yellow. 
And brown October apples in their rnddv ripeness fall! 
Then gather sunshine while you inav. to make your 
Aiitunm tncllow. 
And lel you keep in after day, an open heart for all. 
' futiier iviir "^0 to~ 
heaven when he dies ?” 
“Yes, my child, I do not 
doubt it; wliy do v'ou 
.a.vk ?” The little fellow 
was silent for a moment, 
and Uien burst out with, 
“ Golly ! what a wliop- 
piiig angel he’ll make !” 
A little boy in Chicago, 
wlio liad been tauglit by 
bis maiden aunt to pr.ay 
for his father, was told 
one evening, while on his 
knec.s, that he must pi tiy 
for liis mother also; 
wliereupon young hopeful 
interrupted his relative 
witli this Chicagoese ver¬ 
nacular : “ Kow look 
here, aunty! just bold 
your horses. M’ho’s run¬ 
ning this prayer business, 
you or me !”^ 
At a juvenile p.irty in 
Lowell, one little fellow, 
rejoicing in the splendor 
of his new clothes, sidled 
up to .another with the 
remark, “ Y’ou .ain’t dressed as well as I am.” 
“ Well,” retorted the other, “ I can lick you, 
.an 3 'how!” which is wh.at is often thought, 
but ne’er so well expressed, at ptirties of a 
larger growth. 
LITTLE MISCHIEF. 
Look a,t the little rogue! What an artless 
look on Ills face, and yet with one foot up, he is 
re.ady to fi olic with the hand that would punish 
him. Perhaps ho has loved flowers “fondU' 
and too well,”'for the fallen vase behind him, 
the scattered rose buds, and the single stalk in 
his moutli tell what “Little Mischief” has been 
doing. The children of coui-se will laugh and 
think it “ real fun;” Mamma will scold because 
the spilled water soils the carpet; Papa is grim 
because he must pay for a new vase... All for a 
Little Mischief.*' 
