The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-10

Il&I WIS TIC way n HoAAC0 my
notes, and because IL set some of my
invited guests to wondering what
really happened on that day and why
they should dress in the style OF 1850
the invitations were all the more In
terestfng.
Every one, you know celebrates
Washingtor's birthday as an occasion
for social affairs. Flags. little hatchets
and toy cherry trees OF course make
effective decorations. but Lincoln too
had possibilities in his career which
Notwithstanding else is available
to mark the day besides the Stars and
Stripes and patriotic songs.
MY washingtons birthday party this
year will no more resemble my Lin
coins birthday party of last year than
the two mer themselves resemble each
other In appearance. There was q
certain amount of modest SIM
p1icity about Lincoln that / chose
rs my central theme. planned
the sort OF party I thought he
might have enjoyed---only, of course,
he was :oo modest to have enjo.ed
hearing so much about himself
read all that | could find abont him
and when my party was over and my
guests were the richer for some inter-
esting Information gained in a way
that would be easy to remember.
The table was as plain as ! could
make il, but ! used the best linen !
had, without any lace or embroidery.
For the centerpiece I made log cabin
out OF twigs and plasticene and used
Grape paper for the ground. Tom
showed me how to build little rail
fence, and Whitfield down some
branches of pine for trees. But ii
you don't want TO go to all that work
you can make the dates of Lincoln g
Hfe-tS09 to 1s65---in flowers for the
center of the table. or IL you know
any children who have a toy OK team
you might borrow II for the occasion,
with a doll dressed as a farmer for
the driver.
We made chains of black paper.
with broken limbs here and there to
signify the broken links OF slavery.
A bill of plasticene stuck full OF little
flags hung from the chandelier. The
place cards were plain white and /
wrote on them With malice toward
none. with charity for ALL" You can
buy dainty place cards decorated with
a flag IL you prefer, or you might
paste one of the small silk flags to
each card. The menu was:
Roast lamb Boiled potatoes
a aesn s paas 1arnHR bitter er ssass
Cold slaw
Boiled eustard Spice cake
Coffee
Nuts Fruit Raisins
/ asked three of my girl friends
to read up on three different periods
of Lincoln's life. One had his boy
hood up to l830, when ne migrated
to Illinois: the next his young man
hood. the story of Ann Rutledge. his
early experiences In law and politics,
through his debates with Douglas
and up to his nomination for the pres
idency in 1860, and the third had the
last FIVE years OF his life and a sum-
mary of his character. / didn't ask
them to prepare any papers--just to
tell the principal facts in story form
during supper.
The girls did good work and made
1t SO interesting that I'm sure mo-
body was bored. You know YOU can't
read even little bit about Lincoln
without enthusing over him. Then
the men got into the spirit OF the
evening and told Lincoln stories and
anecdotes. Did you ever hear the
reply that he made when some one
asked him what he thought about
a certain measure on which he was
not ready to give an opinionr "A boy
was showing OF q horse at a county
fair. Look here, boy, hain't that
horse got splinter inquired a farmer.
The boy answered. Wal, mister. /
dunno what splints liz, but Ii it's good
for him he's got it. and IL It Amt good
for him he amt got It."
After supper gave them all PEN
for half an hour. Everybody was
asked to write a short summary OF
Lncoln's life. The prize gave for
the best paper was framed quota
ton Of Lincoln's:
II do the very best / know how
the very best can; and I mean to
keep doing so until the end. II the
end brings me out all right. what h
said against me won't amount to any
wrong. ten angels swearing / was
right would make no difference"
Then we played old fashioned
gamee-blind mans BLUM. Grand Pam
tandrum, puss in the corner, and
you DON don't know how. to play
Grand Panjandrums It's just get
ting somebody who thinks he has q
fine memory to agree to repeat any
think you say. then you recite this
nonsense:
''She went into the garden to cut
cabbage leaf to make an apple
pie A great she bear, coming up the
hill. poked her head into the barber q
shop-.what no soap?' SO she died
and she very prudently married the
barber; and there were present the
Picaninnies, the Jobiliies. the Ganili-
lies, and the Grand Panjandrum him
self, with the little round. button at
the top, and they all fell to playing
at catch an catch can. till the gun
powder ran out of the heels of their
boots"
The person who tries to repeat that
Ia sure to get all mixed up. and cause
q good laugh.
After we got tired Of playing roll
licking games. / would sandwich in
something OF that sort My mother
told mesa lot Of them &alAgA R&iA-
fnss' ana Turkey Merchant. md sMx
had a good deal OF fun over Dutch
concert Some one IL the leader ofsthe
orchestra and each person initiates
playing on some instrument without
making any sound. the leader starts
rs violinist. and others play banjo,
piano. harp, drum, hand organ, tam
BOURNE, cornet and trumpet The
leader walks about playing. then sud
denly stops In front of one OF the play
ers and commences playing the In
strument OF the person whom he faces.
This player must at once shift and
play the violin; IL he forGets to shift
he is out of the game, which contin-
ues until the leader il the only one left
playing. Any ONE who laughs or
makes q sound must pay q forfeit.
Before my guests left we all group
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