The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-08-30
GAME OF OBSERVATION.
An Amusement That VIII Find Fav,
with Parties at Country Houses.

An Amusement That VIII Find Favor
with Parties mt Country Houses
When a large party Of ladies and
gentlemen are assembled together IN =
country house for shooting, races o.
other amusements in the daytime. Ii.
new game in which all can join in the
evening will be heartily welcomed
The following description OF one
may be acceptable. The lady of the
house and one gentleman should be in
the secret of the game, which is 20 be
played after dinner.
As, however, the guests meet in the
drawing-room for what Is aptly called
the nldUUais quart d'heUrc before that
meal Is announced, the gentleman
who undertakes the management or
the game goes around TO each gentle
man, basket or hat in hand, and ask
from each the sum of one shilling, 20
be subsequently divided into the first
and second priz IS for the winners, and
this gives rise to much curiosity and
conversation during the progress Of
dinner as to what the game can be.
Dinner over, the ladies leave the
dining-roOm and retire to the drawing
room. when the hostess explains to
In the meanwhile, the gentleman
who acts as manager asks each other
gentleman in turn to accompany him
TO another room, where viii be found
already prepared large sheets of fools
cap paper, on each of which Is legibly
written the name of a fair lady, and
each gentleman is required to write,
one at time. so that there may beno
collusion, a description opposite to
every lady's name of what its owner
Is wearing that evening-color, ma
terial, shape, jewels, headdress. the
more details the better-and to do this
rapidly in the space of FIVE minutes.
As one gentleman after another com
pletes his paper he is sent to join tho
ladies in the drawing room, who, now
being in the secret, watch gleefully his
entrance and the furtive glances he
casts at the dresses of the wearers in
stead Of at their fair faces.
When all have done and are reas-
scmbled in the drawing-room, the
'.mauager" arranges the ladies at one
end of the room in a semicirele, first
selecting five of the youngest ladies'
and empaneling them to act as jury.
anu W SAt GOsSllACL Oh OuS olllO OI the
circle.
AT the other end of the room a sort
Of improvised platform is erected, on
which are placed the gentlemen, and
on a high stool in the center each gen
tleman is in turn made to stand. while
the manager stands below him, and
in a loud voice reads out his paper and
the description he gives of the ladies
and their costumes.
Great merrlment is caused by the
reading of these papers, the cata-
logues of the colors, ornaments, etc.
being as often absurdly wrong and
totally different to what is really worn
as wonderfully near tho mark.
The five ladies OF the jury note these
differences, and afterward consult and
decide upon whom the prize for the
most accurate description is to be
given, and in many cases it will be
found that the person least suspected
of observing lady's toilet will be
the one who proves the most correct
in his remarks, and the beaten candi-
dates will often plead that they were
too absorbed in the contemplation of
the ladies themselves or in the in
terest of their conversation to notice
what they had on.
Anyway this game will produce much
fun and merriment, and, if n good
many young people are present, an
impromptu dance will aptly close so.
pleasant an evening. London Queen