Page:Hallowe'en festivities (1903).djvu/42

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
38
WERNER'S READINGS No. 31.

12. BABY SHOW.

"The Baby Show" makes much mirth. Each guest brings his baby pictures, which have names on outside and are arranged on table with numbers attached, and catalogued as in an art collection. Young men are invited to view their future wives and young women their future husbands. They expect to see photographs of grown-ups. However, the guests try to guess whom the pictures represent, and prizes are given for prettiest baby. The teller keeps tally of lucky guessers, who receive for souvenirs rattles, dolls, toys, etc.

13. SNAPDRAGON.

1. The dragon consists of half a pint of ignited brandy or alcohol in a dish. As soon as brandy is aflame, all lights are extinguished, and salt is freely sprinkled in dish, imparting a corpse-like pallor to every face. Candied fruits, figs, raisins, sugared almonds, etc., are thrown in, and guests snap for them with their fingers; person securing most prizes from flames will meet his true love within the year.

2. Or, slips of paper on which verses are written are wrapped tightly in tin-foil and placed in dish. Brandy is poured on and ignited. The verse each person gets is supposed to tell his fortune. Place burning dish in middle of bare table, for drops of burning spirits are often splashed about.

14. PEANUT OR BEAN HUNT.

Peanuts or beans are previously hidden in every conceivable place in rooms to which guests have access. Finder of greatest number gets prize.

15. NEEDLE GAME.

Each person floats greased needle in basin of water. Impelled by attraction of gravitation, needles will act very curiously; some cling together, others rush to margin and