The Sunday morning news., 1891-12-13
TREES Will BEAR TOYS
And Happy Sunday Schools
Will Harvest the Crop.
PREPARATIONS IN THE CHURCHES.
Some of the Entertainments That
Have Been Devised With
Hints ofothers-Notes
From Many Folds.
PREPARATIONS IN THE CHURCHES.

Inc throeS or preparation I0r a Cnrlstm as
entertainment. Sunday school halls
that are quite large enough to accommo
date their pupils eleven months in the
gear are bound to be suddenly aud unac-
rountabfy crowded; small boys are seized
with religious fervor and spend their
Sundays in mad rush from school to
school. getting practice in illegalregistra-
lion, in blocks of five. yea. in blocks OF
twenty-five. But although the practsed
eye of the veteran superintendent instant
iy detects and elects this floating popula-
tion, there yet remains schoolful of
musings of the church, for whom must
be provided some sort of Christm as
cheer.
or course the piece dc resistance is the
tree, the time-honored tree. laden with
glittering tinsel or golden balls or drifts
OF snowy popcorn. or perhaps with more
substantial tokens iu the shape OF myste-
rious packages wrapped in brown paper.
But the distribution Of gifts. no matter
how delightfully."- interesting to the recipi-
ents, Will not occupy whole evening,
and some simple form of entertainment
is necessary as Introduction to the event
of the occasion.
A novel and pretty recreation is Dame
Natures Reception, in which fourteen
boys and girls representing the months,
Dame Nature and Father Christmas. ap-
pear on stage or platform set to repre-
sent New England kitchen. Dame Ma.
ture should be dressed in fanciful
iowered gown, large apron q white
kerchief crossed in front. frilled cap,
nitts and spectacles. She must have be.
sides In readiness cloak. large hat, hood
and gay shawl, and flower pots and gar
den utensils are scattered about the
room The twelve months enter one at
ter the other, and exchange with Dame
Nature little conversation appropriate
to the season, which may be arranged by
any bright mem ber of the society or con-
gregation, and may be made to abound in
local hits and familiar illusions. Janu-
AIRY wears long ulster or fur CLOAK,
with fur cap and gloves, aud presents
Mother Nature with sheaf OF trades
mans bills. February wears a sumptuous
mantle of white Canton flannel. streaked
with black worsted to represent ermine,
and spotted with large crimson paper
hearts, while in his hand he carries a
punch of valentines. March has no fur,
but carries horn and has bag slnng
over one shoulder, from which he pro-
duces hare. as gift to Dame Nature.
Aprl, slender little maiden In q
Quaker gray gown, alternately laughs
and cries beneath a hugh ging-
nam umbrella, May dances in
robed in Powered silkoline with broad
Orlmnl6U [lHU anu UtSkcb oL bPTlHE HOWOis.
and June appears as sweet girl graduate,
bearing diploma aud garlapds of roses.
July takes the national flag as the mater
jal for her dress, and presents her hostess
with u bunch of common crackers. Aug.
ust wears over her gay gown a bright
shawl draped over the shoulders, aud on
her head a turban and feathers. Seq
tember is a girl in plain wood-hrowu
dress with yellow ribbons, whose Offering
is apples. October is laden with grains
ana fruits. November is dressed for hunt
ing ard wears shooting JACKIE and cap,
while December mas a long fur cloak and
a velvethat and feather he presents to
his mother her ermine robe, and intro
duces Father Christmas, who makes q
short speech suitable to the occasion. and
distributes gifts to the children. The
scene should end by having one month
from each of the seasons appear at the
front of the stage, and sing either q
Christmas carol. or song in praise OF
winter, full of jingling bells, and remind
ing one OF crisp snow, smell OF hemlock
branches and clear. keen air.
DOLL SHOW.
A doll show is always success, and
when these companions Of childhood are
used as Christmas presents, 1T Is an ex-
cellent plan to exhibit them in pretty and
tasteful groups on the evening Of the dis.
tribntion. A certain quick nngereo
maiden recently gave doll dressing
party, when fifteen young ladies spent
the afternoon from one until seven in
changing motley collection of nameless
doll-waits into Little Lord Fauntleroys.
pert French maids and blushing buds. .
The results of their labors caused great
amusement and admiration ut Christ
mas doll show, where delighted children
and interested adults wandered from
group to group, inspecting wedding
party, where the blushin9 bride and black
moustached groom were attended ny
oil nh 1a N q
over plantation scene where Uncle Tom
and Aunt Dinah sat outside log cabin
watching the antics OF a dozen ptckanin-
MES
PLEASANT PASTURES.
An amusing pastime tor an entertain
ment having for its object the raising OF
Christmas funds, is what is known as g
.sCopundrum Social" Questions and an
swers numbered alike were written OIL
slips of paper and Then cut apart, the
questions being put in one box and the
answers in another. Each guest select ed
n slip from each box. When all were
ready, a question was ready by some
holder ana au opportunity given for auy
player to give the answer, In which case
he received the slip bearing the conun'
drum, but if no one conld DO. SO. the
holder of the answer read it from his
paper and was given the question slip.
Prizes were awarded to The quick witted
ones who held the largest number ol
slips at the close Of the game.
Another new idea is u Progressive
Spelling Bee." The players arrange
themselves in a row, one standing IN
front as umpire. The head player gives
the first letter Of any word OF which he
may think, the next adds Il letter and so
does the next. TIE one who completes
the word must go to the foot. Ii the
PLAYER cannot add u letter TO the word
while the umpire counts ten he goes to
the foot. For example, the word as
built By each Of five players stands
s-t-r-a.i. Number six says "L." Strai
is not a word, and number SIX goes te
the foot. or course he must be chal-
ienped. and il the word sDelledis an Eng
fish word the challenger goes to Tine
foot.
Above all things an. entertainment
should be adapted to The character OF
the audience. Some gentlemen recently
attempted to use the ''progressve spell,
ing bee' in entertaining number OF
ragged mission boys. or course the
plavers conld do absolutely nothing
with the game, aud the tactless leaders
expressed surprise at that ignorance
What might have been Il pleasure WAS q
source Of modification and emoarrass'
ment
InpAI. EHTRCH NOTES.