Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-12-25
Holiday flames.
THE GAME OF TAPES.

Holiday flames.
THE GAME OF TAPES.
Each person holds piece by one
end. The other ends are grasped, like
8 my :incl" re1ns, in the hands OF
the leader Of the game, whose place Ia
consequently in the center of the ring.
When he calls out Loose!" every.
body must tighten their tape. When
he gives the word of command,
"Tight!" they must slacken it. 1t is
IN experiment in the rule Of contra
ries, showing how much we are the
| creatures Of habit. A forfeit is exact
ed from every person who literally
obeys the word of command.
This game can be played with wand,
which relieves it of the tendency to
romp. The biindman with long wand
is placed in the middle Of the room:
the players stand around him, hand.
finland, singing chorus. They sud-
denly cease. and the bjindman
stretches out his wand until it touches
somebody, who is obliged to take
hold Of it by the end. The blindman
repeats few words (anything will
do), which the person holding the
wand must initiate. If recognized by
the voice he must pay a forfeit and
take the blindman's place.
Forfeits should be as ingenious and
unexpected as possible. New ones, in
vented on the spur of the moment, are
sure to meet with SIGNAL success. But
no one should venture to play at for
feits who has not. in the first place,
perfect command of temper. or who
cannot, secondly, while in the height
of merriment, observe the rules OF fine
breeding and decorum.
In no class of forfeits is good breed
ing more indispensable than in that
which involves the act of kissing. Our
forefathe1s practiced them innocently,
and so, it is hoped, may we: and there
fore, without further preface or SER
mon. we will give few examples, be-
ginning with the tantalizing position
of being a Knight of the Sorrowful
Countenance. In this, the person to
pay the penalty takes his sent on .
chair, when lady comes and sits upon
his knees, to be kissed by another gen.
tleman.
Amongst penitential kisses are the
Convent kiss and the Capuchin kiss.
For the first the back of chair is sub.
stituted for the grating of the convent
door: and as the wooden bars are
mostly wider apart than the iron ones,
the former have decidedly the advan-
tage.
For nIonastic kiss, gentleman
and lady kneel on the carpet, back to
back. Both then turn their heads,
one to the right, the other to the left,
until the desired salute is given. As
the position is rather fahguing to the
lady, and nigh even cause her to fall,
it is allowable for the gentleman deli
cately to help her to keep her balance
with his arm.
Kissing your own shadow is per-
formed by placing yourself between
the light and the lady.
Kissing the candlcstick is . little
trick played on lady whom you have
cunningly persuaded into holding a
candlestick. Kissing the bottom of a
candlestick may be effected by placing
the candlestlck on the lady's head;
showing the spirit of contradiction Is
doing the very reverse Of Whist the COM
pany tell you to do; You are a lucky
fellow therefore, if a lady tells you
that she insists npon You not kissing
her, when condemned as forfeit. To
Sulk, you whisper some lady's name
in the ear of the person who ri les the
forfeits, and then put yourself in .
corner, and the forfeit holder COM
mands the ladies, one after the other,
to 90 and see you in the corner. You
are obliged, however unw1lllngly, to turn
your back on all except the one whoee
name you had previously Designated,
whom YOU may kiss. TO go = beg
cling and to perform a pilgrimage are
favorite forfeits For the first you
90 Gown on your knees before lady,
and touch her hands repeatedly with
your own hands ciasped. She pretends
to be deaf to your entreaties, and af-
fects not to understand what it is you
desire. At last she asks, Do you
want some bread Do you want some
water2 Do you want penny DO
Won want a pair of shoes ? and so on.
TO each of these questions you answer
negatively by shake of the head and
continued supplication with clasPed
hands. She then says, "do You want
kiss?'' at whlc!: you of course jump
up ioyfully and Immediately take the
salute. For the second We will suppose
the company to form sort of circle.
You take lady hy the hand and lead
her round the circle, presenting her to
every person present, saying to the
gentlemen "A kiss, If you please:
Tor nv little sister. and bit OF Drea"
| for myself :" to the ladies': A little
bread for nv little sister, and . kiss
for myself" The kiss can by no means
be refused.
The Journey TO Corinth-or any
where else, resembles, in some respects,
John G1lpins famous and unfrulttul
rice. The forleit-payer, who is doing
penance, holding a lighted taper, leads
around the room another gentleman,
with il white pocket handkerchief in
his hand. This gentleman kisses every
lady in turn, and each time politely
wipes the lips Of his conductor. the
penitentlal for cit payer, which may
water, but nhich wants no wiping.
You kiss the lady you love best,
without any body knowing who she is,
by so saluting every lady present. In
tie disappointed kiss the lady adj
vances towards the pen'tept, as if to
confer that favor on him; then, sud-
denly turning aside, she allows her
nearest neighbor to touch her cheek
with her lips.
When compelled by the forfeit to
sigh, You go into a corner, and wait
there until you are asked. For whom
are you siehlng?" g am signing for
So-and-so," you reply. Miss So and-so
is obliged to come and receive your sa-
lutte, aud again takes her place in the
Corner of Signs. and SO it goes on,
until every one has sighed successfully,
and taken their places accordingly in
line. When it is complete the first
Sigher returns to his seat, kissing
every lady in the line the second
SiSher does the same, salutlng every
gentleman and so on to the last, who
must kiss his own thumb for want OF
something better.
When forfeit orders you to make
your will YOU beQueath to each OF the
persons present some portion OF your
real or imaginary personal or mental
qualities. The same Of playing the
Counselor. According to the order
received, the forfeit payer SUGGESTS,
either aloud or i'll u whisper, q .,t OF
advice 10 every one present. Clever
the gentleman or the lady who can get
ont of it with general approval.
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