Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-13
PASTIME FOR WINTER,
New Suggestions for Entertainment
in the Long Evenings.
GAMES THAT ARE INSTRUCTIVE,
Festivals Of Novel Form for Use in Churches
and Halls.
ALCHEMY rs THE COMING SOCIETY FAD

and Halls.
ALCHEMY rs THE COMING SOCIETY FAD
In this season OF entertainments, both
public and private, new ideas are always
welcome. Three novel thoughts in the way
OF festivals have recently been suggested.
For the lemon festival the hall or place
where it is held should be draped in lemon
colored cheese cloth, or another cheap ma
terial, and the attendants dressed in the
same. Then there should be enormous half
lemons around on the table. They are very
easily made. It is just to get barrel hoops
and cover them with lemon-colored tissue
paper and shape them hks lemons. Then
make few leaves out of green tissue paper
and fasten them on.
The grape festival is about the same, only
the hall Is draped in purple and green,
and the walters are dressed in purple with
little punches of green grapes fastened here
and there on their dressea The green
grapes and their leaves may be made easily;
the only materials necessary are tissue
| paper, wire and little sawdust.
| The snow fair is the prettiest Tho hall
should be draped in pure white, with spar
sprinkled over it to make 1t glitter like
snow, and there should be branches Of cedar
put up here and there, also with spar
on them. The walters dresses should be Of
cotton batting with spar over them and bits
| OF cedar fastened on. There should be ever
| green and spar among the fruit also.
Alchemy is to be the next society fad.
Mesmerism, spiritualism, hypnotism, palm
| istrv, mind reading, graphology and as
trology are all familiar names. Alchemy is
to be the next favorite means of entertain
ing ones self and ones friends. All sorts
! of signs and symbols are suggested BY the
odd shapes which gold and silver take when
thrown into the fire, and alchemy as a par
lor entertainment bids fair to be more fas-
cinating than any of the other fads that
have arisen. It is something over which
one has positively no control. You throw
in the metal The fire does the rest. While
the mysterious doings are going on someone
adds to the mystery of the occasion by re-
peating aloud in q low, creepy voice the
witch's incantation from Macbeth" and
then someone else follows 1t up by reciting
this piece Of poetry;
To sit alone in silent SPORT
With crucfble and gay retort,
With furnace with its blue-name Dla1o
Surrounded by mystic haze
With hour-glass and with cheerful skull,
Oh! never once could be dull.
Elixir vftse I'd distirl,
The ravages of time I'd kfl,
And golden ingots would raise
From out the fiery furnace blazer
With gold I'd bangle all your Wrists,
I'd be the first of alchemists.
Snibbling beans is at this season Of Tho
year an evening occupation for German
housewives. They are the common string
beans, which can be bought by the bag,
about two bushels. They are washed and
strung, and then, with a very sharp knife or
special implement, they are cut into very
thin slices and packed into layers in an
spread layer of salt, and when the crock
is almost full large plate covers the whole,
and is held down by weight, generally .
brick. If brine does not collect sufficiently
to cover the layers, little water is added,
and the beans are ready for use in the win
ter. The salt that is absorbed must be re-
moved by soaking the beans over night,
when they are ready to be cooked. It is not
unusual for housewives to have snibbling
parties, at which their friends and relatives
assist in the slicing, refreshments being Sec
The St. Louis Post Dispatch, In late Issue,
contains the following outlines of winter
entertainment that will become popular.
eff could only think of something en-
tirely novel in the way of an entertain
mentl" sighed the pretty young mistress Of
an uptown house.
She pushed out her slender foot in Its
dainty slipper, admired it q moment, then
sighed again.
81 am tired of card parties and theatri-
distinctive now-something to show off the
big fireplace and the roomy hall And, in
short, unique entertainments
Her friend laughed unfeelingly
"Why not have fagot party?"
"A-what?"
ga fasot party. That's the latest enter
tainlng fad for a charming home like yours"
The pretty mistress put down her foot,
upon which, after the manner Of women, she
had been sitting. She drew a long breath
and sat bolt upright
TELL me about it-quickp'
''To hear is to obey. This hall Is . splen-
did place for your gatherings. Just the
thing. Lots of divans and cozy seats and
space at one side for q raised platform if you
wish Add good broad fireplace for the
fagots to bum"
''The fagotsl"
eyes, you must have a blazing wood fire
then to begin with. That's the heart of the
entertainment. The company to be invited
must be, every one, of jovial nature, each
able and willing to contribute to the general
hilarity.
"For instance, Knitty Neal plays the
banj to perfection. Ben Bolt tells story
which carries you right off your feet. |
Adelina can sing like an angel, if angels |
ever sing as Adelina does Mary can do an |
imitation of Carmencita. Will can stand up |
and give US a recitation. Edith plays the /!
and Kit and Ada can treat us to !
q fencing match. And you-perhaps you
do anything but look pretty,
but you do that very well, my dearl very
WE'LL indeedl''
'Perhaps I might be able to give the COM
pany something to eat after their exer-
tions!' (sarcastically).
"That would do excellently. Then the
fagots are to be piled one side of the hall
near the fireplace. 1t might be a pretty
idea to have several small ones tied together
with ribbons. When the company is assem-
bled they rise in turn. Each picks up one
of the tagots and puts it upon the logs al
ready burning. Then, while the fagot burns,
he or she speaks his little piece, as lively
friend puts it. Each ones performance
must last Just as long as his fagot does, and