Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-11-28

used by the first settlers she goes
to the toy store, where suitable and
cheap trifles are found.
For the finer Thanksgiving tables
she arranges, her New England scenes
of those long ago times are as instruc-
tive as they are beautiful. The cen
ter Of the table Is always used for
the picture she wishes to represent,
and there, with her quaint dolls, her
Puritan maids and men, her primitive
homes, wigwams, wild turkeys deer,
ducks, cannon and what-not. she will
turn out pictures as amusing to
grOwn-ups as to children.
Some of this brilliant woman's no
tions could be copied at home with
very little expenditure. The history
books give any number Of pretty
scenes to copy from and by choosing
the least elaborate the work would
be lessened and the effect be just as
good.
For instance, there was always
blockhouse in ye olden days, with can
non before it, and turkeys were roast
ed in the open air, and there were
piles of corn when the harvest was
in and SO on. In farm home it
would be easy to have dried ears of
corn about, shucks and all showing,
and in a city ears Of popcorn could
be used.
Take the blockhouse scene and pre-
pare the picture for the possible in
vasion Of hostile Indians. Cover
square cardboard box with brown pa
per for the log house; trace over it
with black crayon rude imitation of
logs, cut slit windows, put on a rough
chimney and leave the door half open,
with little doll, dressed as a Puri-
tan child, peeping out. About the
blockhouse group some toy pine trees,
one or two Puritan men, two maids
and maybe a friendly Indian with
feathered headdress. The maids and
child are dressed In grave gray gowns
with white kerchiefs and caps, and
the white men wear buff colored knee
breeches, red waistcoats and green
or gray tail coats. The good Indian
wears war paint and, maybe, drags a
cloak Of fur behind him. Dolls for
the purpose can be had at 10 cents
apiece-four inches highland they
could be dressed in tissue paper.
They are held to the table with long
block headed pins, or rather to
board upon which the scene is set
and afterward covered over in suit
able manner. One Of the metal tur-
keys, sold now in all the candy and
toyshops for Thanksgiving, could ap-
pear in the scene and also a deer and
a fat goose. The birds and animals
can be had from five cents up.
All the things mentioned in these
dramatic times could be symbolized
with pretty trifles bought at the ten
cent store or elsewhere, for favors.
The following things are seen and are
all suitable: Papier mache pumpkin
pies, candy boxes made like ears of
corn, kegs, cannon, Indian baskets
and tomahawks. The kegs were al
ways a part of the New England
Thanksgiving, and they held root
beer-made by the Indian women
and molasses, which was used for
the pies famous to this day.
Another amusing idea for Thanks
giving table scene could be DEM
onstration of the great progress of
the years. This scene might hold a
paper aeroplane, an automobile, little
French bandboxes and dolls dressed
to depict the various races that have
invaded the country. There could be
a negro, a Chinaman, Russian Co.'S
sack, an Indian laborer, a German, a
Frenchman and so on. There should
be little Americn flags for souvenirs
or trimmings, flag candy boxes and
plenty Of red, white and blue ribbon
tying souvenirs, place cards and
menus.
All the candy holders made for the
season show some red, white and blue,
while the paper napkins and table
covers have just the right things in
their rough picture borders.