St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-29
PRETTY GAME FOR A SUMMER
EVENING-A GREAT ENTER
TAINER.
KNOWN AS LIVING WHIST.
YOUNG PEOPLE IN APPROPRIATE
COSTUMES TAKE THE PLACES
OF CARDS.
The Aces Generally Represented
by the Prettiest Girls in the
Company.

The game of living whist bids fair
to DE as popular this summer for an
evening entertainment on the lawn
as open-air performances of plays
have been for two or three years
past.
The plan is this: The cards are
represented by young men and
women who are dressed in appro-
pirate costumes, and whose suits
and value are clearly indicated.
There must, of course, be fifty-two
cards, half men and women, four
persons to play the hand, and
page or herald for each player, says
the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The guests are seated about three
sides Of large space on the lawn,
and from the fourth side come the
cards. They wander in and out in
fantastic march, with no rule, in
mazes of dainty costumes and gleam-
ing colors, making a charming sight.
This is the shuttle. Then the dealer
points each one to his or her place
as they pass him by in indiscrimi-
nate disorder. The hand should
have been played over and a record
of plays made beforehand, and each
card should know to which hand he
or she belongs, SO there may be no
real confusion. They are thus ar
ranged in four hands on the open
side of sthe square, with the player
of each hand standing before his
men. The leader holds his list in
his hand and calls out what card he
will lead-the king of spades, per-
haps. The small herald blows his
trumpet and leads out the king, and
each of the other cards follow him in
like state, led by the herald from
his own hand, till the four meet in
the hollow square before the spec
tators, and the pages retire. The
four in the center then dance a lit
tie figure, something adapted from
the minuet, quadrille, lancers, or any
fancy dance. The three conquered
cards then bow low to the winner,
who leads them off to make way for
the next trick, and so on - each
time the little dance and the stately
march and the fanfare of trumpets.
played, when the winners of the
game stand up together and the
whole procession files by, bowling as
they pass, and on to the open lawn
again, where they go through
marches and countermarches, the
four SINAI II heraldS ahead
So much for the general order of the
performance. AS to details, there are
many to be considered. The first is as
to the arrangements of the sexes in
the distribution of the cards. Of
course, the aces should be the four
handsomest young women to be found,
the king and knave should be men,.
the kings tall and the knaves of
medium heights-and the queen wo-
man. AS to the rest of the perform
anceS, one way is to make all the
black cards young men, and the red
ones young girls.
The matter of costumes, too, is i'm
portant. They may be very simple or
again, as elaborate as one desires. The
aces should be entirely gowned in
white, with a large red or black figure
to indicate the suit to which she be-
longs on the front of each ones skirt
or on a sash across the breast. The
kings and queens should appear in
some attempt at a court dress, how
elaborate to be settled by the means
at ones disposal.
In cases where the strictest economy
is desired, all of the young girls per-
forming. except, of course, the honor
cards; may dress in simple white
gowns from their own wardrobes, and
merely wear broad white sash across
the shoulder.
On the other hand where the ques-
ton of expense is not so important,
the livelfest fancy may have full sway,
and many charming costumes may be
devised to add to the beauty and pict-
uresqueness to the scene; the four aces
in white gowns, with no decoration
except perhaps a gold or silver bor-
der, the queen in royal robes and err
mine and crowns, the kings in
equally gorgeous raiment, bearing
scepterS, and the knaves as knights or
court gentlemen.
All Of the ordinary cards may wear
court dress, but of much simpler pat
tern than those worn by the honor
cards, always taking care that some
uniformity shall run through each
suit of cards. A pretty idea, in an
elaborate costume affair." would be to
represent, as far as possible, in each
suit-hearts, clubs, spades or diamonds
the dress of some special historical
period. For instance, all of the clubs
might be in early English dress,
knights in the armor of crusaders, and
ladies with their tall pointed caps and
flowing wells. The hearts would do
well as beauX and bellies Of the Louis
Quinze period, when all was frivolity
and Irritation, powder and patches;
the diamonds in empire or Napoleonic
costumes; and the spades, perhaps, old
Greek or Roman, or, if something more
modern is preferred, in Russian dress,
which is always picturesque.
The suit spots on scarfs and dresses
should be as large as possible, that
the audience at a little distance may
recognize the value Of card at once
There should be soft music to play
during the march and the dancing, and
the turf where the performance takes
place should be very smooth and even
for the dancers.
FOUR GREAT WHIST PLAYERS,