Boys' and Girls' Games

The Feather. Select a small feather with a very little stem; the players then draw their chairs in a circle, as near together as possible. The feather is thrown high in the air above the circle. The object is to keep the feather from touching anyone. The one it touches must pay a forfeit.

Started and Returned

Two rows of chairs facing each other, five on each side, put a small table at each end of the rows; place ten suitable objects (buttons or pennies,) on either table. Then ten boys or girls should occupy the chairs, five on each side. Each side claims five of the objects, and keeps them on their side of the table. Every alternate one should hold out the hands palms together, so that the object may be dropped into them. Then the one sitting next to the table is the starter for his side; the starters pick up one of the objects, drops it into the next person's hands, then it is picked out by the third person and dropped into the next, and so on until it reaches the end of the row. It is then put on the table. Meanwhile, the rest of the objects have been started, one by one, as quickly as possible. As soon as the last one reaches the opposite table, start them back in the same way, with great speed, the side getting them back to the table first started from wins. To make this game exciting increase the speed.

Stunts. The game of stunts can be extended to suit the number of persons present and the time and place of meeting. Number every one present or those that are to take part in the game. To aid the memory, give the girls even numbers, the boys the odd. A few stunts are suggested: No. 5, sew on buttons with numbers 9, 11, 13, 17; you will note that these are all boys (or men) No. 8, make a political speech. No. 2 blow bubbles with Nos. 4, 7, 10, 13. No. 5 tell a ghost story. Other stunts will readily suggest themselves. Of course you will have a table spread with all necessary assistance to the various stunts.

Stories. The game of stories can be made very interesting. Those present can be divided into groups, each group choosing one or more spokesmen, the rest of the group acting in the capacity of assistants, helping the spokesmen to call to mind stories or occurrences of interest. The groups may be designated thus; School, Picnic, Miscellaneous. Give each group in turn a chance to tell its story. Some very laughable recitals will be heard.

The Chair Dance. Place a row of chairs in the middle of the room, having one chair less than players, placing the chairs so that each alternate chair must be approached from opposite sides of the row. When the music begins the dancers begin to march around the chairs. When the music stops, all try to become seated; the one not getting a chair drops out. Remove one chair and continue until one chair and two dancers are left. The two dancers try for the last chair; the successful one wins the dance.

Bird Flies Each one taking part in the game, places a finger upon a table, and each must raise the finger as soon as the leader says. "Bird Flies" (or name any bird.) If any object not a bird is called, and any one of the players raises a finger by mistake, the latter pays a forfeit, for no finger should be raised until some winged creature is named.

Telephone. Exercise for keen ears. The players are gathered in a group, preferably to one corner of the room, their eyes tightly closed. The one to operate an imaginary telephone being previously chosen hides in the room or in an adjoining one. All being ready the operator calls Hello! Hello! The others endeavor by the sound to locate the operator. Repeat the call from time to time, to aid them in their task. The player locating the operator takes the next turn.

The Brass Band. The players imitate in dumb show various instruments of a "Brass Band," such as cornet, trombone, cymbals, flute. The leader, who must be very quick, suddenly assumes, without notice, the instrument of another player who immediately quits his own and plays the leader's. Then the leader pretends to play the instrument of a third. Number two resumes his own and number three assumes the leader's and so on. For failure impose a forfeit.

Whistle A game for boys. Procure a small whistle with an eye in one end of it and a piece of string about a foot long. Tie one end of the string to the whistle and a small safety pin to the other end of string. To make the game more interesting it is necessary to have some one who is not familiar with the game. Place some chairs in a circle, drawn close together, leaving only room enough for the one placed in the center to move around after all have been seated. Have some one engage the attention of the boy in the center until another has pinned the whistle to his coat; then he is informed that he must find the whistle. Some one behind him blows the whistle and assumes to pass it to some one else so that the center boy when he turns to find the whistle will think that the whistle is being passed from hand to hand. When he turns another blows the whistle and so on. The length of this game depends upon the quickness of the players.

Household Helps

To Purify Sinks and Drains.

To one pound of common copperas add one gallon boiling water, and use when dissolved. Copperas being deadly poison label it, if kept on hand. This is one of the best possible cleansers of pipes and drains.

To Clean Carpets.

Shake and beat the carpet well, lay them on the floor and tack them firmly; then with a flannel cloth wash over with one quart of bullock's gall mixed with three quarts of soft, cold water, and rub it off with a clean flannel or house cloth. Any very dirty spot should be rubbed with pure gall. Try this, it works well.

For Gilt Frames.

When gilt frames of pictures or looking glasses, or gilt mouldings of rooms have specks of dirt upon them from flies or other causes, they can be cleaned with the white of an egg, gently rubbed on with a camel's hair pencil.

For frames of various hard woods, try pure linseed oil applied with a bleach muslin cloth after the dust has been thoroughly cleaned off.

Moths; Ounces of Pievention.

Take an ounce each of Tonquin beans, caraway seeds, ground cloves, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, add six ounces Florentine orris root and mix well; put in bags among your clothes. The above will keep the moths

away.

Mucilage.

Try this. One ounce of gum tragacanth, as much corrosive sublimate as will lay on a five cent piece. Put into a jar, add a quart of cold soft water, let it stand for twenty-four hours then stir and use it. This mucilage will last as long as you care to see it around.

Try This.

After opening a bottle of glue or cement rub mutton tallow on a sound cork before inserting it in the bottle. Of course this will prevent any sticking of the cork or breaking of the bottle when trying to remove the cork.

Silver Polish.

Pulverized alum one ounce, prepared chalk two ounces, cream tarter two ounces, water enough to make a paste, use with soft cloth, allow to dry and polish with flannel.

Damp Closets.

For damp closets, water closets and out-buildings, the following is excellent: put a saucerful of quicklime (unslacked lime) in the place found to be damp. If the place be very damp change as often as the lime becomes slacked. The lime should be renewed at least once in two weeks. This will not only absorb the dampness but will sweeten the place.

White Wash.

Two ounces of common glue, four pounds whiting; mix whiting with cold water; soak the glue over night then heat it until dissolved; pour glue while hot into whiting; this makes a smooth white wash.

Whitewash.

Whitewash that will not rub off. Mix up a pailful of lime and water, take one-fourth pint of flour, mix with water then pour on the flour enough hot water to thicken it, and pour while hot into the whitewash, stir all together and apply.

Roach Exterminator.

Red lead made into a paste with flour and brown sugar; spread this mixture on small pieces of card. Lay them at night about infested places.

For Coffee Stains.

Glycerine rubbed into coffee stains will remove them from woolens and other materials.

Rats.

Peppermint is very disagreeable to rats. Expose it in places where traps are not convenient.

Ink Stains.

To remove ink stains from white cloth, heat a pint of sweet milk, soak the goods in it and stains will disappear.

Fly Stains.

Fly stains can be removed from varnished wood with vinegar and water, rubbing the wood with a cloth quite damp with the above.

Machine Oil Stains.

Cold soap suds will remove machine oil stains.

Flies.

Try this. To get rid of flies, saturate a piece of flannel with turpentine, keep moist and hang up in the room. The flies don't like

it.

Clogged Machine.

Kerosene used on a sewing machine will eat out the hard machine

oil.

Washing Windows.

Kerosene added to the water is excellent for washing windows.

Lemon Juice.

To extract lemon juice without extracting the seeds, roll the lemon until soft then puncture one end of it with a fork, when the juice may be easily squeezed out.

Windows.

If water used in cleaning windows is blued, they will retain their brilliancy longer and polish more easily.

For Nickel Plating.

To clean nickel plating quickly and well, try gasolene.

Tinware.

To prevent new tinware from rusting try rubbing it with lard and heating it thoroughly.

Salt.

To prevent the hardening of salt mix with it a small quantity of cornstarch.

For Cleaning Various Materials

Window Glass. Paint can be removed by a strong solution of soda. Zinc. Rub with a cotton cloth dipped in kerosene, afterwards with a dry cloth.

Furniture. For finger marks, rub with a soft rag and sweet oil. Tin Ware. Common soda apply with a moistened newspaper, and polished with a dry piece will brighten it.

Rust from Steel. Take half ounce of emery powder mixed with one ounce of soap and rub well.

Scorch Stains from White Linen. Lay in bright sun.

Iron Rust may be removed from white goods by sour milk.

Grease from Silks. Take a lump of magnesia, rub it wet on the spot, let it dry, then brush the powder off.

Oil Marks on Wall Paper. Apply a paste of cold water and pipe clay, leave it on all night, brush it off in the morning.

Paint spots from Clothing, Saturate with equal parts turpentine and spirits of ammonia.

Hands. To remove vegetable stains from hands rub with piece of raw potato.

Mildew. Moisten the spot with water; rub on it a thick coating of castile soap mixed with chalk scrapings, rub with end of finger then wash it off.

Weights and Measures, Etc.

Cotton seed meal,

The quart weight of various feeds is as follows: 1.5 lbs.; Linseed meal, old process, 1.1 lbs.; Gluten meal 1.7 lbs.; Gluten feed 1.2 lbs.; Wheat bran, coarse .5 lbs.; Wheat middlings, coarse 8 lbs.; and Wheat middlings, fine 1.1 lbs.; Mixed wheat feed, 6 lbs.; Cornmeal, 1.5 lbs.; Oats, 1.2 lbs.; Rye Bran .6 lbs.; H. O, Dairy feed .7 lb.; Victor corn feed .7 lb. per quart.

The above weights are from the Connecticut experiment station

Surface Measure.

The sides of a square must measure as follows to contain.