The state herald., 1891-01-30
NEW GAME PLAYED WITH LETTERS.
simple Enough for Children and D'mouis
Enough for Graybenrds'

A new game, which affords good
deal of amusement to many people,
and also imparts considerable instruc.
tion to the Young In the formation OF
words. is played In the following man
ner with tho letters OF tho alphabet:
Half dozen sets of all the letters OF
the alphabet arc provided, each letter
on n small piece of pasteboard or wood.
One player then gathers all the letters
before him on the table and the other
PLAYERS sit around the table as ut
cards. The player who has all the let.
tiers then turns them face downward
and proceeds to deal them out, one by
one, to the others, beginning with the
player sitting at his right hand and
continuing around the table In order.
As he deals a letter out no turns Its
face up so that all may see 1t Is an 'n'
for instance. The next player gets IN
3d." suppose, and he quickly sees that
his letter, joined to tho IN" received
by the first playee, will form the word
mo-" He announces the fact and
claims the "n." This Is surrendered
to him and he forms the word mo" on
the table in front of him, and must
leave 1t there undisturbed until some
other player gets letter which, added
to the word mo- will form some
other word.
Suppose. for instance, that the third
letter dealt out Is II "w." Then the
owner OF the wv" may Claim the word
no" and adding his Nv" to 1t make
1t now" The fourth letter turned
up may be ~" and tho owner OF
"nowd broathcs a sigh of relief as he
thinks he will hold On to his word for
a little while anyway, for the NOW"
and the ''y" don't seem to make any
thing. Perhaps seven letters follow.
out of which no combination can be
made which will spell n correct word.
until some one gets an IS" This let
ter In connection with now" will
spell SNOW" but If the lucky owner
OF the IS" is sharp enough he will also
claim the ~" from his other rival, and
spell SNOWY"
The examples given here are sample
words, as they show more clearly to
young minds how tho game may be
played easily but when n number OF
letters have been dealt out the most
skillful spoilers may find scope for
their abilities. and many are the com
binations which will escape the notice
of all who are gathered around the
table, for time. until some one dis
covers them. as if by accident, and
then the wonder will be that they were
not seen before.
One player may not claim from au-
other any letter or letters which have
been worked up into word without
taking that whole word and using IL
all, though its letters may be entirely
transposed, to make different word.
The range of words may wander over
half dozen languages, II the players
50 agree, aud then tho game becomes
difficult enough for Boston blue
stocking or n college professor.
The winner of the game Is the player
who has the most complete words
spread out on the table In front Of him
when the dealer has turned up the last
letter he has in his pile. Long words
count no more than short words, and
II two players tie they set TO work
breaking up their long words into
short ones. and this dsposes OF the tie
nine times out of ten. For large
number of players a large number Of
| letters is, OF course, required, but two
people will often play the game for
half an hour before cxhausling half
dozen complete alphabets. ~ J.
| Tribune.