New-York tribune., 1906-10-21
Ethel w albert

"Oh, lust an eve
ming with the authors" replied Helen, with a
noncommittal smile.
ANY preparation necessary"
"No; that is, nothing in particular. Just
refresh your mind with the names of books and
authors, that all.
Helen was always prescribing new medicines
for jaded aPPetites and tonics for mental
debility. and her affairs generally
novel enough to make them worth while. So
her rather indefinite invitation brought out
full meeting, curiosity and expectation being
the chief magnets to attract.
Helen was at her best, and received her guests
with a winning smile.
"You must be labeled" she said, pinring
a card on my dress. There! 1t IS very be-
coming to you"
| looked down at my badge of honor. 1t
was a small dried currant attached to a white
card with the single word The printed in
ink under it
What could it meano The others were
similarly labeled. One Haunted the picture
of a cracker box with a man aStride of it.
studying her features in mirror, and third
showed Mephistopheles with bowed head.
You have the evening TO guess the mean
ing of your labels" said Helen, handing me
a score card. Meanwhile, talk TO everybody
else, and see what book she represents
Each label thus had a meaning, and the
work of guessing each one soon led to general
sociability.
Helen, who in the absence of any pIacard
had two flags stuck in her hair.
why, certainly" l murmured; $50 Under
Two Flags"
And yours" queried another, regarding
and Why. that is Robert Grants The
Undercurrent.'
The cracker box card came in for scrutiny
next. What could that meanc dozen voices
asked the question, but only one demure
little maid murmured under her breath,
The Man the Box"
The guessing became general, and one tally
card after another was being filled up. The
picture of the bowed head of MephistopheleS
was correctly interpreted as The Sorrows
of Satan.
But what can that mean?' asked several.
dimes and four pennies pasted on it. 1t was
a bright eyed guesser who suddenly shouted
in glee, "Why, No Quarter =,
"Oh, how good! How simpe!"
Thus for half an hour we studied labels,
finding "As in a Looking Glass The
Cricket on the Hearth" 'Helen's Babies,
"A Bow of Orange Ribbon, Red Gauntlet"
and bear eagerly studying the stock market
ticker As fast as we guessed the name OF the
book wrote 1t down on our numbered card.
We will collect these cards later in the
evening, announced our hostess; Mean
while, must have blackboard exercise.
She uncovered a blackboard cleverly hidden
by large picture on the wall. You must
take turns in writing answers to the queS-
tions," Helen continued. Each answer must
be the abbreviation of a State. Hall a minute
is allowed each one, except the first, who may
have minute
This was written on the blackboard:
I. From what State do the most egotiStical
authors Gomez
?. What State do the religious writer's
choose for their field?
5. What State do the maiden writers
prefer
A. What is the best State for those who are
never discouraged when their manuscripts
are repeatedly returned?
5. Which is the most unhealthy State for
writer's
o. Where should untidy authors go to live'
!. Where do the writers of the explanatory
school hail from2
s. What State is the most popular for
making hay while the sun shines?
o. Which State is the father of them all'
One after another walked up to the black
board and toyed with chalk. or eagerly wrote
down the answers to the questions. When
completed the blackboard exercise revealed
to our astonished gaze these answers:
I. Me. ?. Mass. 3. Miss. !. Kan. (can).