Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-01-25
9ailp anion & 9mtritaa


We believe this pleasant amusement for boys ana
girls, and sometimes those Of nore mature age orl
ginated in Germany, where it is called UsI iisbehsH
which. as It is spoken, has the sound Of Phillpkia
which may have been the origin of our word 10
which We have given q latin terminsiion-Psae-
because It infers penalty or forfeiture eHactea OF
won by the tact or management OF the WlhhiDs P''
ty With us the thisg is managed however eAe---
sively clumsy, and quite without Skill P'isOH
in company chances to fpd adOuble-mesieu aillOno'
and hands half the meat to another, and says or
rather should saw " Will you eat phiiopena with
neR1 The other may say 9 am aira'd' ana
refrscs or NAV accept one Of the nuts, and eats IT
At the ssme time the challenging party eat the
other.
Tins ihev separate but when they meet again
the me that can think to say phiopena" first to
The other wins The forfeit, and has right to name
what il shall be-generAlly among children, some
triAe; or among young folks, some little presen
suitable to the condition of the parties. Thus, a
young lady who wins a philopens Of a gentleman
may Immediately add, {" l wear No. 81 kids" If
the parties meet in the street, the lady may say,
"oh, yes l see you notice that my psrasol is get
ting old. Well, then, accept" But the ge0tle>
man must never alude to her want of an article,
but exercise his judgment as to Vhat wOuld be &C
ceptable. Generally in cur hot haste to win philo
pena, we forget prOpriey, and become rude, in THIS
land Of thrift snd hurry.
The thing is far better and more pleasantly man
aged in Germany, and calls into exercise some Of
the most useful faculties of the mind When
couple meet the next time after having eaten philO-
pena together, no advantage is taken of the other
until one of them prOnounees the word 'philopeaa
This is the warning that the sport is TO begin
Lut US suppose that gentleman calls upon lady
she invites him to walk in but at the same time re-
peats the talismauic word If be accepts the offer
to walk H. ne is lost, unless she removed the ban
by telling him 10 90 away. If she asks him to
take of Lis hat, he must resOluiey keep it on
if to be seated, he must stand; or if at the
table she should hand him any article which he
ceepts she wins the Forfeit At the same time
he is watching to catch her of her guard-fOr the
first acceptance of any offer from the other ends the
game Both are constantly exercising their wits to
prevent being caught, and the sport often goes on
all the evening.
Perhaps the gentleman brings little present, and
says: knowing that shall lose my philopena,
have brought it aOng-here it is. If she is caught
of her guard by his smooth speech she loses for he
Immediately claims forsit. 1t neither wins st the
fret meeting the sport is continued to the second
and it may happen that half dozen parties meet at
the same time, all anxious to win of their philOpeDa
partners that the scene often becomes ludicrous
ly amusing How preferable is this German play
to our own. And as the sports derived from philO
penA are very innocent and pretty, we commend it
10 the "young folks" of America.