This is best played by three persons, though four or two may engage in it. First prepare some white pasteboard or some blank cards by cutting them into small slips, all of one size. There should at least be four dozen slips; but eight dozen will be better still, as the game will then be longer, and more varied. We will, however, suppose that there are four dozen slips of card. First take twenty-four of these slips, and write upon each, as handsomely and legibly as you can, the name of one of your acquaintances. Then take twelve more cards, and write on each the name of a place, as "In the street," "In church," "In the garden," "In the orchard," "At a ball," "At school," etc. Lastly, on the remaining dozen of cards write the consequences, or what happened to the young ladies. You may say, for instance, "They lost their shoes," "They tore their gloves," "They took offence," or something similar. The consequences should be so contrived that none of them will appear absurd and unmeaning with reference to the places.

When the cards are all ready (and, when once made, they will last a long time), the play may begin by Julia taking the two dozen that have the names (two names being read together), Sophia taking the dozen that designate the places, and Harriet taking charge of the consequences. Each had better put her cards into a small basket, from which they are to be drawn out as they chance to come uppermost. Or they may be well shuffled, and laid in a pile before each of the players, with the blank sides upwards. They must be shuffled every game.

Example.

Julia, Sophia, Harriet.

Julia. Well, are we all ready? Come, then, let us begin. (She takes up two cards, and reads them.)"Louisa Hartley and Helen Wallis"Sophia (reading a card). Were together"in a phaeton."

Harriet (reading). The consequence was,"they caught cold."

Julia. "Emily Campbell and Clara Nelson"Sophia. Were both"at a ball."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they were taken with fevers"

Julia. "Maria Walden and Charlotte Rosewell"—

Sophia. Were together"in the street."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they got their feet wet."

Julia. "Fanny Milford and Ellen Graves"—

Sophia. Were both"at a party."

Harriet. The consequence was,"their noses bled."

Julia. "Amelia Temple and Caroline Douglas" Sophia. Were together"at the museum."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they were highly delighted."

Julia. "Sophia Seymour and Harriet Hartland"—

Sophia. Ah, Harriet, your name and mine ! (reading)"were both in the kitchen."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they did nothing at all."

Julia. "Matilda Granby and Eliza Ross"—

Sophia. Were together"in the orchard."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they quarrelled and parted."

Julia. "Marianne Morley and Julia Gordon"(that is myself) —

Sophia. Were both"in church."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they did not speak a word."

Julia. "Adelaide Elmer and Juliet Fanning"Sophia. Were both"at the theatre."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they were laughing all the time."

Julia. "Georgiana Bruce and Eleanor Oakley"—

Sophia. Were"on the top of the house."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they sprained their ankles."

Julia. "Emmeline Stanley and Laura Lear"—

Sophia. Were both"at school."

Harriet, The consequence was,"they spoiled their bonnets."

Julia. "Margaret Ashwood and Lydia Barclay"—

Sophia. Were together"on a visit."

Harriet. The consequence was,"they were glad to get home."

Julia. There now, we have gone through all the cards: so let us shuffle them, and begin another game. This time, Sophia may take the names, Harriet the places, and I the consequences. I hope the answers this time also will be somewhat appropriate.

If you cannot conveniently procure white pasteboard or blank cards, slips of thick white paper will do nearly as well. When not in use, they should be kept in a box.

Remember, that, as two names are always read together, the number of names should be double that of the places and consequences.

Four persons may play this game by dividing the names between two, each of which will read one name. If played by two persons only, one must take all the names, the other must read both the places and consequences. This way is best for younger girls. For older ones, the better plan is to furnish slips of paper to the company.

At the top of the paper each writes a quality of a gentleman."The fickle,"for instance, or"The insinuating,"or"The handsome,""The ugly,"or any epithet, in fact, that may occur to the mind at the moment. But nobody may see what the neighbors to the right and left have written. The top of each paper is then folded down so as to hide what has been written, and each one passes his paper to his neighbor on the right, so that every player has now a new paper before him. On this he writes a gentleman's name; if that of one of the gentlemen in the company, so much the better. Again the papers are passed to the right after being folded over; the beauty of the game being that no one may write two consecutive sentences on the same paper. The quality of a lady is now written (fold, and pass the paper), the ladys name, then where they met, what he said to her, what she said to him, the consequence, and what the world said. The papers are now unfolded in succession, and the contents read, and the queerest cross questions and crooked answers are almost sure to result. For instance, the following will be a specimen :"The conceited Mr. Jones (one of the company) and the accomplished Miss Smith met on the top of an omnibus. He said to her, 'Will you love me then as now ?' She said to him, ' How very kind you are !' The consequence was, ' they separated for ever;' and the world said, 'Serve them right.'"Another strip, on being unfolded, may produce some such legend as this:"The amiable Artemus Ward and the objectionable Mrs. Grundy met on the mall at the Central Park. He said to her, ' How do I look ?' She said to him, ' Do it.' The consequence was ' a secret marriage ;' and the world said, ' We knew how it would be.'"