Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-04-07
BRATTLEBORo:
squArLs-oUoTAT1oNs-NoNsENsE.

l-hEloF ShntAs
soUAILs-oU ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Who first invented or first played tho
game of Squalls II would be probably USE
less to inquire. 1t is not impossible that
the first squalls may have been whitfield
out by Shem, Ham and Japhet of fragments
of chittim wood during their hours OF leis-
ure in the ark. But ancient as the game
is, we have no doubt that there are many
of our readers who have never CHANGED TO
play 1t. The materials required are very
simple. The squalls" comprise sixteen
circular bits OF wood, perhaps an inch and
a half in diameter, and very thin and
smooth. Half Of them should be of white
wood, and half of dark. In the centre OF
each should be painted a spot OF some
bright color or, If paint does not happen
to be accessible, bits Of brisht-colored pa
per neatly cut out and pasted on will an
swer. Tho squalls should be painted by
couples for example, OF the white pieces
of wood, two should be yellow in the CEN
tire, two blue, two red and two green, and
the dark pieces 10 correspond. Have
piece OF lead, fat at the bottom, and broad
enough TO stand pretty firmly, though not
immovably-a mimic ball will do as well
as anything. This is called the Procese
Finally, cut a piece OF cardboard, three
inches in length, with the inches aud half
and quarter inches marked upon it. This
IS for measuring purposes, and is insane
ly called Swoggle. The game can be
played by any number from two TO eight.
The players are seated about a table-a
good-siZed circular table is best-and the
Procese is put up on end at the centre of
the table, so as to be equally distant from
each Of the players. Each player has two
squalls, corresponding in color, and If the
game is played by partners those who play
together take corresponding colors-one,
for example, taking the two white blocks
which have yellow in tho centre, and the
other two black blocks similarly marked.
The first player puts one Of his squalls at
the edge of the table, and strikes it with
the fiat OF his hand, aiming it at the Pro-
cese in the centre of the table. The second
player strikes one Of his in the same way,
and the third one of his, and so on, twice
around the object being each time to land
the squail which is struck as near as pos
sible to the Procese, and at the same time
to drive off from the vicinity any rival
squalls which may be likely to contest the
question OF nearness. When the squalls
are all played, those which are nearest the
Procese are counted, provided they are
within the Swoggle's length. Thus If one
of the squalls of side is nearest, all be-
logging to that side which are nearer than
any Of the opposing side are counted; but
the latter are not counted although they
may be within the distance measured by
the Swoggle. Any number-hfteen, twen-
ty, twenty-fve-may be taken as the game
and a number of rounds may be played
before game is finished, for it is not the
easy thing which it might be thought, &c
land a squat, when struck in SO awkward
position, within measuring distance o.
the Procese; and often when squat has
been put in the coveted spot, the next play
er may dislodge 1t altogether. He laughs
best who laughs last in this game, ant
there are opportunities for good deal o
sharp competition. When player, as Il
often the case, strikes his squat SO hard a
to send it clear across the table, either oil
10 the floor or within three inches Of thu
edge, the opposing side must call out "Flu
ted" as promptly as possible, for if he say
~ take il" before they speak, he may hav'
his turn over again.
One OF the most difficult things even TO
persons Of intelligence and wide reading
is 10 locate correctly those lines and passa
ges from noted authors which are as ia
miliar as household words, and are con
stantly quoted. II our readers doubt this
let them set the ireside circle at the gam
OF Quotations. The first player repeat
some familiar line, and the second name
the author in whose writings it is found
and in his turn repeats a line, whose au
thorship the third player guesscs, and s.
on. Thus the first says:
''There is no Preside, howSoe'cr defended
But hath one vacant chair"
The second names Longfellow as the au
thor, and thus recites:
"winter, lingering, chills the lap Of May"
The third guesses Thomson, but i
wrong, ard pays forfeit The fourt
names Goldsmith, correctly, as the author
anu in his turn quotes:
ave thought her dying when she slept
And sleeping when she died."
One guesses Alice Carey, another Whit
tier, bat both are wrong, and the next on
assigns 1t rightly to Hood, and the gam
goes on. These illustrations are sufiicien
TO show how the game is carried on, and
will he found that even in well-inlorme
circles the forfeits will accumulate rapidly
By way of a change, and sudden one
try now the game very properly Designate
Nonsense. Arrange the players in circle
Let the first player whisper to the one Of
his left an article; he whispers to the mex
one an adjective; and he to the next
noun, and so on, the order being an article
an adjective, a noun singular, a verb, al
adverb, a number, another adjective, and
noun plural,-the last one whispering hi
to the first. Then these whispered conf
dences are spoken out loud, in the order il
which they were communicated, and th
result is a comical sentence. Thus the frs
has whispered The; the second, superan
nEGted; the third, alligator; the fourth
VGlked; the fiflh, sadly the sixth, Gvty
tVo the seventh dismal; and the eighth
miles; and the sentence when complete
and spoken aloud runs, The Superdnnud
ted alligator Wdlked sadly Gtty-tt0O disnsO
miles.
1t is said in Appleton's Journal that tn
true story Of Admiral Farragups bein
dashed to the rigging In his passage of th