New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-24
SOME WAYS OF THE WORLD.
AMUSING PUppET SHOWS FOR Chill
DRENs PARTIES.
TEMPTING pAINTIEs FROM DEIIcATEssEN sIOhE'
THE MILLENNIUM APPRoAChiN" FUN
TIRED HoUsEKEEEPERs.

TEMPTING pAINTIEs FROM DEIIcATESsEN STORES
THE MrLI.ESSIuM APPROACHING FOR
TIRED HoUsEKEEEPERs
There are many amusing performances that may
bs successfully and inexpensively carried Out WIN
-, s,,au children either 10 add TO the attractions
=, a cbilds party or to raise "a little money !o'
soue charity One OF the most amusing OF .nese
Quasi vaudeville performances is puppe' s"o"
The puppets are made like rag dolls without 'He
heads and are dressed TO represent the 'yp'cd'
characters of the day. male and female. for III
stance There the bcyciists. the goiie's "'
coddv. ~ on the seashore. the brothers. ana ah!
other types either local or general that susse''
themselves. These dolls are about 1oo' anu
half high and made TO stand on she'i
fastenede to the side Of long. straight screen
covered with white calico. in which Sits are cut
suciently large 10 allow the head OF child 10 20
through. The bodies of the puppets are sewn TO
the screen ire feet resting on the shelf ALREADY
mentioned. and the arms left free 10 move UP anu
down by the means OF strong black thread VINO"
is passed through the slit and Is manipulated by
the child behind the who jerks the doll UP
and down whose head poked through the slit.
appears to form, part OF the absurd little puppe'
bodv on the other side. OF each head is
made up more or less TO accord with its cnaractef'
The performance is conducted somewhat Ike negro
minstrel shows: there are jokes and songs ana
ehornses the songs being adaptations OF the latest
illusions as possible The effect OF the small podies
and large animated heads is quite startlingiy real
istic
Another charming little adaptation oil TINS same
idea of the screens with heads is the garden o,
Mistress Mary. consisting OF 'Cocklesnehs ana SIT
yer bells and pretty maids all in row.. On the
screen In realistic fashion are painted sunfowers
Al different heights. with their brown leaves ana
st,n stems a slit being cut In the disk of each
flower to allow a chd's head 10 60 through In
front of the screen. on the floor or stage are
placed pots OF flowers. and the leaves OF the sun
flowers must be painted thick enough at the base
70 entirely cover the white calico. Mistress mary
is represented by a pretty girl dressed in Watteau
shepherdess costume, and the chorus OF sunno"ers
either sing the old nursery rhyme or what Is sun
better a little operate scene is enacted between
Mistress Mary and her flowers
sill another comical little representation may De
given by having the screen represent a brick wall
on which the Humpty Dumpty family are etheI
sitting or standing. To make these funny niue
dwarfs the children's arms and hands are dressed
and look like legs and feet: this may easily be
done with the aid of long stockings ana shoes' ,he
body is then made very rotund ike an egg WIFI
false arms and the heads arc the childrens own
made up TO suit their different characters AFTER
dance and a song they all disappear over the wall
with a shrek and all the legs appear upside down
above the wall az IL their owners gave last con-
yusive kick before taking the plunge downward
while voice from behind the screen sadly chah's
their fate
The Humpty Dumpties sat on wall:
The Humpty Dumpties had great ran
Not all the kings horses nor all the KING men
Can set the poor Dumpties up again.
A trunk in the garrett filled with theatrical prop
critics and large laundry clotheshoTse covered on
one side with calico painted to represent an IN
terror. and on the other a garden wall will anord
much amusement 10 children of an imaginative
turn of mind giving them little theatre or tneir
own. as it were. where they can enact their little
plays and change their scenes at pleasure.