The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-12-18
IN-Doer Games.

You wonder who can be that somebody
Well, somebody, darling' 10 you.
In-Dosr Games.
Theyoung folks, and we believe the ol'
der ones also, will welcome the following
genial article In place of an acoustic med
story. A perusal will not only be pleas
ant In itself, but will teach many good
ideas for the long winter evenings In
store for us.
Who does not love the hour between
daylight and candle-llght, the best Of the
The hour Of ruddy dusk
around the fire, when the sense OF home
and It's comforts Is borne In most strong
ly upon the mind. when the business OF
the day Is ended, and the pleasures Of the
the evening begin. This hour, which Is
neither day nor night, when people can
no longer sec to work. and yet are reluc-
tant to ring for light, Is sort Of overture
to the full concert Of family harmony Mt
and after tea.
The curtains are not yet drawn, per-
haps, and the last streak Of day fingers
about the windows or, perhaps 1t Is frosfy
weather, and the shutters are already
shut, and the ample curtains drawn close.
The father of the family, tired with the
tolls Of the day, leans back In his easy
chair on one side Of tho fire. and the
mother sits oposltc to him. Tho little
ones toddle or run down from nursery
and school-room; shuffilnR OF tiny feet
Ia heard outside, and they peep In at the
drawing room door to know II they can
come In. In they come, OF course; and
papa and mamma are assailed with CO.
resses and questions; and then comes q
heap of mighty trifles that have befallen
the fry during theSday. Elder sons or
daughters crouch down on ottomans close
before the fire, book In hand to catch the
fllckering light. Mamma conjures them
not to try their eyes by reading ut fire
light. Oh, they have only a few more
words to finish that paragraphs, &c. NO,
no A; 1t cannot be allowed; they must shut
I'M their books and make themselves So
ciable and agreeable to the cadets of the
family. ayes, certalnlyw exclaimed one
of these last; ''put away your tiresoms
books, and let us all sit round the fire and
play. Shall we mamma? Do let us pa
paE'
Papa and mamma are very willing to
consent; and the family circle Is quickly
formed. They begin with "Cross-ques-
tions and crooked answers" vi carry q
basket" or ~ love my love with an A."
But these games are not sufficiently In.
teresting to keep up attention long; and
one of the company, and In o kind OF des-
pcration. Forces a laugh" Hal" an
swers She, instantane0usly; "ha" says
the next as quickly; "Ha, ha, hal" say
they all, one after another, like tighten.
Ing, till the merrlment. Instead OF artificial
becomes natural; and the forced laugh
ends In general roar.
Encouraged by this successful effort Of
genius, q little boy starts up from foot
stool, and looking upon an imaginary
drum, seizes couple Of visionary drum.
site X, and begins to beat the tattoo upon
nothing. Another, darting out his LEFT
hand. moves his right swiftly across 1t,
and thus dlscourses most elOquently mo-
music on the violin; another converts his
two hands into trumpet, which he blows
with all his might: . young girl plays q
phantom piano, while her sister strum.
strims the back Of q chair for guitar; (;
and even the papa, fired with the enthus-
iasm OF art, but choosing an easy instrti-
ment. for fear Of marring the concert,
turns round ficticious hurdy-gurdy con-
trspi.u. And all the while each Of the
band sings out while he plays, "Row-de-
dow goes the drum, twang, ,twang. twang,
goes the harp; t0ot, too, hoo, goes the
horn; tweedle-dee, tweedlc-dee, goes the
VIOLIN" &C., till mamma stops her ears
and the music.
These games are too uproarious to last; (;
and so, as they arelsltting quietly down to
recover themselves, the youngest child
picks up n very light feather from the
carpet. and blows It to his nelghber. The
latter In turn blows II from him; and al
though some are indignant at the trihing
nature of the amusement. not ono can re-
frain from giving the feather u pun as It
passes; and ut last, when stronger
breath makes It mount into the air, It Is
wonderful to see the keen eyes and purs-
ed.lp llps that await It's descent, and the
eager competition that at last sets the
whole cirle pufi.pufflng at the same time.
-"Ye smile,
Isee ye, ye profane ones, all the whlle;"
but vet that feather, that enticlng spirit
of imitation, that pufF-pufflng, and that
competition. might be the subjects OF q
homlly too grave for Christmas.tlmc
A reaction, however, takes place.
Some of the party (nelther the youngest
nor the oldest) are ashamed OF having
been betrayed Into such silly enjoyments.
and set themselves to recall to memory
q newer and better game; one that re-
ouIres more skill, and affords scope for
the exercise Of ready talent, or an active
memory.
"Capplng verses" Is an old game that
seldom falls to please young people VINO
have q good store Of poetry In their heads:
Then there Is, ''what Is my thought llkey'
SHOW, when, and where did you find itr'
proverbs" !" and others Of the kind.
The best of these, rs required most clev-
erness TO play It we'll, Is decidedly, "what
Ia INV thought llkey This Is still gen.
eraI fayorite; and some thirty years ago
Il was q fashionable game amongst the
highest classes. IL, dear reader, You have
been so lntently occupied with the business
rf life that you have had no time to be-
come acquainted with such things. ask the
first girl Of sixteen that you meet how pe0-
ple play ut "What b my thought like!"
and she will tell you all about It; and, Jun
less you are very dull individual (Which
we are 10th to believe she will make you
competent to distinguish yourself In the
game OIL the first opportunity. In the
meantime. you may Imagine TINT In cir
Gle Of young, old, middle-aged psrsons,-
for the number OF our years Is OF no con-
sequence, II we have only sense enough to
enioy,-an individual has conceived the
important thought on which the amuse-
mcnt Is to hinge, This thought he writes
down In secret and then demands peremp-
torily OF the company. one by one, ,"What
Ia nv thought liker' Who can tell what
an unknown thought Is llkcf One replies
nj random that Il Is like the table; anotn-
cr that Il Il like . lamp-post; q third that
II Is very like q whale, and 20 on; and
when al have answered, the written doc
ument ID produced, aud the thought de-
ciarcd. Il Is then the business OF each Of
the guesscrs, under pain OF forfeit. 70
prove tho resemblance he has ventured 70
suppose; and Il may be imagined that
some merriment 10 produced by tho strik-
Ing contrasts aud Wild incongrulties OF tho
two subjects. On one occasion, when q
party Ia high life were deeply engaged In