Part 13

The Keystone State? (Pennsylvania)

The Buckeye State? (Ohio)

The Palmetto State? (South Carolina)

The Pine Tree State? (Maine)

The Prairie State? (Illinois)

The Sucker State? (Illinois)

The Lone Star State? (Texas)

The Lumber State? (Maine)

The Mother of States? (Virginia)

The Mother of Presidents? (Virginia)

The Old Dominion? (Virginia)

The Old North State? (North Carolina)

The Hawkeye State? (Iowa)

The Green Mountain State? (Vermont)

The Granite State? (Vermont)

The Freestone State? (Connecticut)

The Empire State? (New York)

The Diamond State? (Delaware)

The Creole State? (Louisiana)

The Corn Cracker State? (Kentucky)

The Blue Hen State? (Delaware)

The Bay State? (Massachusetts)

STATE SOCIABLE

Each guest on arriving should be presented with a white card on which has been pasted a picture of General Washington. These need not all be alike--in fact, it will increase the interest in the cards if they are not; any picture of our first President may be used. Small ones cut from magazines will answer the purpose admirably. Beneath the picture have the date, and through perforations at the top of the cards run red, white and blue ribbon hangers. On the reverse of each of the first thirteen cards given out write the name of one of the thirteen original States; on the next thirteen the capital of each of these States, and on the next thirteen one of the principal cities in the States. If the company is to be a large one the forty-five States of the Union may be used instead of the original thirteen.

The company then forms into State groups--those holding cards bearing the name of the State itself, its capital and principal city--and each group agrees which product of its State is most beneficial to the greatest number of people. When a report is called for, a vote is taken from all present as to which product is most essential to the welfare of the nation as a whole. Three small bouquets of red and white carnations tied with blue ribbon will make appropriate rewards for the three supporters of the State which wins distinction.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARTY

Invitations to be sent out as follows:

_You are invited to attend a gathering of the Sons and Daughters of Erin at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick O'Rafferty, (Mr. and Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott), 105 Southern Avenue, Cleveland, on St. Patrick's Day in the evening._

_You will please come masked and representing some Irish lady or gentleman. Each guest is asked to furnish an Irish story, song or recitation._

When the guests arrive their assumed names are written on cards and pinned on each one, and they are introduced to the company under these names; for instance, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis McFadden, or Mr. Martin Dooly and Miss Maggie Murphy. Michael O'Toole might go as a bricklayer. There can be an old apple woman with a basket of apples (which could be sold for a penny a piece for the treasury). Mike McGinnis of the police force might go as an Irish policeman. Widdy Malony and her daughter Nora, the priest, Father McCrary, and several sisters of charity could also be represented. Let every one enter into the fun with spirit. Have the decorations of the house all green and have each one wear as much green as possible. Tin spoons tied with green ribbon can be given as souvenirs. Have an Irish potato race. Prizes of stick pins in Shamrock designs can be given the winners, or potato pincushions tied with green ribbons. Have green paper napkins which can be made from green tissue paper. Animals can be made from potatoes, using toothpicks for legs and tails. Have each guest help in the entertainment of the evening by an Irish song, story or recitation.

REFRESHMENTS FOR IRISH PARTY

Wafers tied with green ribbon Olives Pickles Irish potato chips served on lettuce leaves Green tea Lady fingers tied with green ribbon Green ribbon candy

ST. PATRICK'S GUESSING CONTEST

(Something green.)

1. Name of a celebrated poet. (John Greenleaf Whittier)

2. Name of a celebrated authoress. (Grace Greenwood)

3. Child's artist. (Kate Greenaway)

4. Revolutionary officer. (General Greene)

5. Pennsylvania city. (Greensburg)

6. Cold country. (Greenland)

7. Western bay. (Green Bay)

8. Emigrant. (Green horn)

9. Domestic fruit. (Green gage plum)

10. Large burial place. (Greenwood cemetery)

11. Legal tender. (Greenback)

12. A variety of apples. (Greening)

13. A place for growing plants. (Green house)

14. A part of a theatre. (Green room)

15. A harmless stimulant. (Green tea)

16. A famous town in Kentucky. (Bowling Green)

17. Children's game. (Green gravel)

18. Another name for jealousy. (Green eyed monster)

19. A country place near Pittsburg. (Green Tree)

20. A nourishing tree in the Bible. (Green bay)

21. Title of an Irish song. (Wearing of the Green)

22. Another name for verdure. (Greenery)

23. An article of dessert. (Grenoble walnuts)

24. A beautiful hamlet near Allegheny. (Evergreen)

TELEGRAM PARTY

To interest guests who have a sense of humor and thoroughly enjoy a little quick thinking you can easily invent new games or adapt and add novel accessories to some older idea, such as, for instance, "A Telegram Party."

For this party write your invitations on telegram blanks, and let your refreshments be served not by a maid (who never enjoys extra work), but by one or more boys dressed as telegraph messengers. They will delight in their responsibility and will help you in many ways.

Let the boys also pass to each person a pencil and a telegram blank, on which are to be written ten letters, dictated at random by ten guests in turn. These letters each player must manage to use as the initials of ten words following in such order as to form an intelligible telegram. None of these initials can be used for address or signature, but otherwise no limit is placed upon the ingenuity of the writer.

Then let the messengers collect the blanks, and after the hostess has read all the amusing results let a vote be taken for the cleverest message and a prize be awarded to the sender.

Of course, the entertainment can be extended by writing any number of telegrams or varied by requiring that each set of telegrams refer to some assigned subject.

TENNIS SOCIABLE

Write invitations on small white cardboard racquets. Decorate the walls with tennis racquets and nets. Have tennis racquets hung from each chandelier, and stretch a large net across the room. Place in this net red and white racquets of pasteboard, each tied to several yards of red and white ribbon, and have them all tangled up. The object is to wind up the string on the racquets, and secure as many as possible without breaking the ribbon. The committee should wear red belts with seven red streamers, each containing a letter, and spelling the word "welcome." Place welcome mottoes about the room and pinned upon the racquets and nets. Red and white flowers of all kinds can be used for decorations. Take small pasteboard racquets, write quotations on, cut in half and give one-half to the ladies and the other half to the gentlemen, and have them match the quotations.

Refreshments can be passed in regular tennis racquets; in summer, lemonade and wafers, or in winter, hot coffee and cake.

Red and white decorated racquets can be given the guests as they leave, for souvenirs.

TEN VIRGINS (SACRED PLAY)

Select ten young ladies who are good singers--six sopranos and four altos. Divide into two groups, three sopranos and two altos in each group. Have all dress in long white robes and each carry a candle. Five should have lighted candles and five not lighted. Have all behind a curtain and before they appear have the whole ten sing the hymn, "Be robed and ready when the bridegroom comes." This can be found in any sacred song book. Have a small room curtained off on one end of platform. While singing the last verse, "We'll all go forth to meet Him when He comes," the five with candles lighted will march forth from behind the curtain and pass across the platform into the small room. They go in and the door is shut. The other five virgins come forth with _no light_ and pass across the platform silently, and knock at the door, but they cannot get in. The five foolish virgins then sing, "Oh, let us in, the night is dark and chill," and the five wise virgins who have passed in will answer, using the chorus of the same hymn, "Too late, too late, ye cannot enter now." This is found in Methodist Hymnal, No. 375. The five foolish virgins ask the questions contained in each verse and the five wise ones answer with the "Too late."

THANKSGIVING DAY DECORATIONS

Great cornstalks, with the husk merely turned back to show the yellow ear, are extremely effective. A huge bunch of these on either side of the drawing-room door will take the place of palms. They may also be placed at the entrance to the dining-room, their sentinel-like appearance making them charming as a doorway decoration. Here and there great pumpkins, hollowed out to admit of the flower-pot with its growing green, make unique jardinières. A bunch of corn, where the ear is red, tied by means of a bow of yellow ribbon to the chandelier, admits of the same suggestion as the mistletoe of Christmas time, and makes a pretty spot of color, besides being the cause of much quiet fun.

A pretty feature is to have a pumpkin table brought in during the refreshments and hold a guessing contest, which gives an opportunity for much merriment and for the giving of prizes to the lucky guessers.

This table should be arranged as follows: Upon a small, highly polished table (mahogany is perhaps the richest in effect), place a dainty, embroidered centrepiece, and set upon this a large pumpkin, either on a silver dish or resting directly on the white linen. This pumpkin should be hollowed out, as the others, leaving only its yellow shell, the pumpkin holding an assortment of fruit, luscious and beautiful--highly polished red-cheeked apples, oranges, bananas and grapes; trailing here and there among them a few red leaves, or if they can be obtained, a spray of wild clematis, of bitter-sweet, or of smilax.

The guests are told that underneath the fruit lies something suggestive of nature's ways, and therefore of the occasion and that they are to guess what it may be and how much of it there may be.

The guesses will be many and varied. The fruit-dish may be passed, the fruit disposed of, and underneath will be found the pumpkin's seeds, which have been gathered together. The prize for the guest that guesses the nearest can be a little horn-of-plenty drinking glass. If one wishes to give souvenirs of the occasion, charming little pencils can be obtained that have the lead appearing from a miniature ear of corn. This feature, however, is quite unnecessary.

THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL DINNER

The following is a description of a novel dinner recently given a party of twelve football enthusiasts on Thanksgiving Day.

While the ladies were up-stairs removing their wraps, a maid came in with a tray on which were six wishbones, each having tied to it a knot of ribbon of one of the different college colors. Of these they were to take their choice, according to the college or university they preferred. Meanwhile the gentlemen down-stairs had been presented with ribbon rosettes, and as these matched the ribbons on the wishbones they easily found the ladies whom they were to take in to dinner.

When the company entered the dining-room they found that the decorations were in perfect harmony with the character of the game which they had just witnessed. Chrysanthemums, which are considered a necessary accompaniment of a football game, were everywhere. A yellow jardinière filled with ragged beauties in red and bronze stood in the centre of the table, while a single long-stemmed flower was laid beside each plate. There were also chrysanthemums in vases on the mantel and sideboard. The favors, or "mascots," of the dinner were small turkey-gobblers of papier-mâché containing the bonbons.

A feature of the dinner enjoyed almost as much as the feast itself was the novel form of the menus. These were written on two opposite pages of dainty booklets, the outside covers of which were decorated with characteristic football sketches accompanied by appropriate quotations. These were so unique and apropos to the occasion that each guest carried his home as a souvenir when he left at the end of the evening's entertainment. Instead of being separated into the usual courses, the menu was divided, like a football game, into a first and second half, with an intermission between, and was arranged to read somewhat like a football program, giving in outline the particulars of a game, the various terms and expressions in which described the names of the viands. The following is an illustration, except that in the original the names of the different articles were omitted, a word in parenthesis giving a hint where the meaning seemed doubtful:

FIRST HALF

I. The spectators arrive and discuss the "points" (blue) of the game.

Blue Points

II. A tally-ho "bowls" in with the football team, said to be "superior." The players enter the field with great "celerity," the small boys enthusiastically declaring them to be "crackers."

Celery Soup Crackers

III. Play begins with "a fair catch taken on the fly."

Fish

IV. A "foul (fowl) tackle."

Turkey

"Pease" follows a "runner," but "Murphy" interferes and "beats" him off.

Peas Squash Potatoes Beets

V. The game at the end of the first half is distinguished by the fine playing of the "backs" (canvas).

Canvasback Ducks

INTERMISSION

During the intermission the "heads" of several players, young and green, bruised in the mix-up, receive a "dressing" down.

Lettuce Salad

SECOND HALF

I. The wedge, or V-shaped, play is tried.

Pie--Mince and Pumpkin

II. Followed by disastrous results, necessitating a call for "sponge" and "ice."

Sponge Cake Ice Cream

III. The "fruits" of faithful training are manifest, A "bunch of purples" go down before a single "orange." "Bartlett" and "Nellis," a fine pair (pear), become "candidates" for great honor, "raisin'" cheers of delight from the spectators by circling the ends, who are "nut" what they are "cracked" up to be.

Fruit--Grapes Oranges Pears Candied Dates Raisins Nuts

IV. The cup is presented.

Coffee

V. Everybody leaves the grounds.

Although the above may seem a little far-fetched to an authority on football, the guests were not over-critical, and the novel menu proved a great source of entertainment, keeping them wondering and speculating between the courses as to what was coming next. Some of the guests supposed the "bruised heads" to be those of the cabbage, it having apparently escaped their minds that there was such a thing as head-lettuce. Others failed to see the connection between squash and "runner" until reminded of the fact that squash grows on a vine running along the ground, while a smile went around the table as one by one, after concluding that coffee was referred to in "The cup is presented," discovered, also, the double meaning in the final words of the menu, "Everybody leaves the grounds."

A number of things served on the table, such as cranberries, jellies, olives, etc., were not named in the menu, owing to the difficulty of expressing them in football language.

After dinner there was much fun and merriment over pulling the wishbones, the ladies having offered to break theirs with the gentlemen attending them at dinner. Later the guests gathered around the open fireplace, cracking nuts, telling stories, and having a good time generally. When the time came for them to depart they voted the Thanksgiving dinner of which they had just partaken the most unique to which they had ever sat down.

THANKSGIVING SOCIABLE

How surprised every one was at the changed appearance of the Sunday-school room! All the chairs had been removed and at various places stood great shocks of corn. Upon the wall were hung red berries and bright-hued autumn leaves, garlands of which may be easily made if the leaves are gathered as they fall, waxed, pressed, and strung on strong threads. In the centre of the room was arranged a large semicircular divan made of pew-cushions covered with dark, richly-colored draperies. There were a number of sofa-pillows heaped upon the divan. The room was dark save for the light which glimmered from hideous-faced pumpkin lanterns.

The committee in charge welcomed the guests and invited them to be seated in the charmed circle. The first thing that met their gaze was an immense pile of corn on the cob. Over this, standing on three legs, was a goblin pumpkin with three pairs of glaring eyes, three noses and three large mouths. A hush fell upon the company, while here and there could be heard a suppressed giggle. Suddenly a chorus of girls' voices broke out in a bright autumn song to enliven the drooping spirits of the guests.

No sooner had their fears been somewhat allayed than a spectral figure approached from behind a curtain and sat down by the heap of corn. All held their breath as it slowly reached out its hand and pulled an ear of corn from the pile, gazed at a tag which was fastened to it by a ribbon, read the name of some one who was present, and threw that person the ear of corn, demanding in a deep, thrilling voice, "A ghost story." It is needless to describe the quaking and shivering while the story was being told. The dashing piano solo which followed was fully appreciated.

A second ghost story was demanded in like manner as the first, after which came singing, more stories, and music. Then one of the girls, who could recite well, stood facing the company, with a background of curtains, and gave Whittier's poem, "The Pumpkin" When she reached the last stanza the curtains back of her were drawn, as if by spirits, disclosing a long table covered with a snowy cloth, upon which were piles of doughnuts, pumpkin pies, cheese and cups of steaming coffee. Every one gave an exclamation of surprise at the sight, and refreshments were served amidst much fun and laughter.

The sociable closed with gifts of a pie apiece to each person contributing to the entertainment, and an ear of corn, tied with bright ribbon, to each guest.

In order to have the ghost stories a success the committee arranging the program had selected them beforehand.

A great deal of the success of the entertainment was due to the fact that its nature had been kept secret, and, curiosity having been aroused, an unusually large number of people attended.

TRANSPLANTING TREES

Pass slips of paper around with the names of different trees, all in capital letters, but not spelled in order; for instance, Y-H-O-K-R-I-C, which when transplanted will spell the name Hickory. A suitable prize can be given the one who succeeds in transplanting the greatest number of trees.

TREE GUESSING CONTEST

1. A solid, tenacious, easily-moulded substance, and a part of the hand.

2. A ruminant quadruped of the feminine gender.

3. To show grief, and a machine in which cotton, wool, or flax is opened and cleansed.

4. Neat, without elegance or dignity.

5. Ill, ill, ill.

6. A nickname, a vowel and an external covering.

7. Used for puddings and a part of the hand.

8. A near and dear relative.

9. A vegetable and a Scottish word denoting possession.

10. A partner, came together, and a part of the human body.

11. A green muskmelon pickled.

12. A drink, and a lineal measure.

13. A coat or covering.

1. Wax palm.

2. Yew.

3. Weeping willow.

4. Spruce.

5. Sycamore.

6. Tamarind.

7. Sago palm.

8. Paw-paw.

9. Plantain.

10. Palmetto.

11. Mango.

12. Cocoa palm.

13. Fir.

TREE PARTY

For a June entertainment nothing could be more suitable than a tree party, for at this season the new leaves are all out and everything looks fresh and green. Trim the house with branches and blossoms, having as many varieties of trees represented as possible. When all the guests have arrived, give to each one a strip of cardboard (having a pencil tied to it with a bit of green ribbon) upon which are written the following questions for them to answer:

1. What's the social tree, 1. Pear. Tea. 2. And the dancing tree, 2. Hop. 3. And the tree that is nearest the sea? 3. Beech. 4. The daintiest tree, 4. Spruce. 5. And the kissable tree, 5. Tulip. Yew. 6. And the tree where ships may be? 6. Bay. 7. What's the telltale tree, 7. Peach. 8. And the traitor's tree, 8. Judas. 9. And the tree that's the warmest clad? 9. Fir. 10. The languishing tree, 10. Pine. 11. The chronologist's tree, 11. Date. 12. And the tree that makes one sad? 12. Weeping Willow. 13. What's the emulous tree, 13. Ivy. 14. The industrious tree, 14. Spindle-tree. 15. And the tree that will never stand still? 15. Caper. 16. The unhealthiest tree, 16. Sycamore. 17. The Egyptian-plague tree, 17. Locust. 18. And the tree neither up nor down hill? 18. Plane. 19. The contemptible tree, 19. Medlar. 20. The most yielding tree, 20. India-rubber. 21. And the tree that bears a curse? 21. Fig. Damson. 22. The reddish brown tree, 22. Chestnut. 23. The reddish blue tree, 23. Lilac. 24. And the tree like an Irish nurse? 24. Honeysuckle. 25. What is the tree That makes each townsman flee? 25. Citron. 26. And what round itself doth entwine? 26. Woodbine. 27. What's the housewife's tree, 27. Broom. 28. And the fisherman's tree, 28. Basswood. 29. What by cockneys is turned into wine? 29. Vine. 30. What's the tree that got up, 30. Rose. 31. And the tree that was lazy, 31. Satin. Aloe. 32. And the tree that guides ships to go forth? 32. (H)elm. 33. The tree that's immortal, 33. Arbor-vitæ. 34. The trees that are not, 34. Dyewoods. 35. And the tree whose wood faces the north? 35. Southernwood. 36. The tree in a bottle, 36. Cork. [Hazel. 37. The tree in a fog, 37. Smoketree. 38. And what each must become ere he's old? 38. Elder. 39. The tree of the people, 39. Poplar. 40. The traveler's tree, 40. Wayfaring tree 41. And the sad tree when schoolmasters hold? 41. Birch. 42. What's the tree that has passed through the fiery heat, 42. Ash. 43. That half-given to doctors when ill? 43. Coffee. 44. The tree that we offer to friends when we meet? 44. Palm. 45. And the tree we may use as a quill? 45. Aspen. 46. What's the tree that in death will benight you? 46. Deadly nightshade. 47. And the tree that your wants will 47. Breadfruit. supply? 48. And the tree that to travel invites you, 48. Orange. 49. And the tree that forbids you to die? 49. Olive.