Elsie Duncan Yale

“ Mother will approve of a sewing bee, you see if she doesn’t! It is a most industrious way to spend an afternoon! Invite your friends around, and ask them to bring their dolls, their work baskets, and material to work with. (Of course this is just a girls’ party! Boys are left out!) If it is warm weather, it will be pleasant to sew on the piazza or lawn, and if it is too cool for this, the playroom will be pleasant for your sewing bee. Of course the boys will say that you do more talking than sewing, but show them that they are wrong by getting some pretty clothes made for your dolls. ”

“ Rastus (aside) .—That’s us, Abner, cultured an’ intelligent!
Inventor.—My invention is the result of years of study, experimentation and research and is destined to fill a long felt want.
Tom (aside) .—That’s what they say about every new rat-trap, egg-beater, dictionary, or patent hairpin.
Inventor.—One of the secrets of the psychological unrest which characterizes the human race is that each person desires, in short, to be someone else. The poor man wishes he were rich, the rich man would like to be a boy again, the young would like to be old, and the old young. ”

“ After your guests have come, first of all you can have a buttercup hunt. Give each child a yellow basket in which to collect candy buttercups. Mother has hidden the buttercups for you, having first wrapped each in paraffine paper. (They would be sticky if she didn’t do this!) After you have filled your baskets, and if you choose, have given a prize to the one collecting the most buttercups, you can announce a buttercup contest. This is exactly like a donkey [44] party, except that the blindfolded one must pin the stem on the buttercup. It isn’t as easy as it would seem! ”

“ Abner.—A college education is an excellent thing but I prefer life in the great mercantile world, and what could be more stimulating to health, happiness and psychological contentment than the dissemination of useful articles conducive to cheerfulness and cleanliness which when once tried, always used. Let me call you attention to these novelties especially appropriate and appreciated as Christmas gifts for mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, wives, daughters, sweethearts, and others. ”

“ Mrs. B. Now I have twine all ready and scissors, and everything but the folks to do the work. It’s the same way in every church. A few are willing to do all the work and the rest are all willing to have them. There comes Martha Jenkins now!
(Hurriedly straightens sofa cushion, changes position of chairs, smoothes hair.)
(Enter Mrs. Jenkins.)
Mrs. B. (effusively) . Well, Martha, I am glad to see you! I began to think that not a soul was coming to help me pack the missionary box. Take off your things!
Mrs. Jenkins. Thank you. (Removes hat, gloves and coat.)
Mrs. B. What a pretty waist! ”

“ It will not be hard to entertain your friends at the daisy party. “Drop the Daisy” is a lively game like “Drop the Handkerchief.” Daisy ring toss will be a great deal of fun, and every one will enjoy trying to pin the stem to the daisy. You can have a merry game with the yellow and white bean bags, and then will be ready for refreshments. If your guests are girls, they will enjoy helping you decorate the table with daisies, but perhaps mother will prefer to do it herself. [54]
For supper, serve chicken salad, rolls, deviled eggs, white and gold cake, and vanilla ice cream. ”

“ Susan.—It is such a great pleasure to have you young folks all here, for Abner and I would have spent a very quiet Christmas together, and this really seems like a very festive celebration. My father was always a great hand for keeping Christmas, and he contrived to combine generosity with economy in a very remarkable manner. ”

“ Well, mother, maybe Aunt Louisa economizes more than we do, [14] but my definition is that economy is spending your money in such a manner that you don’t get any pleasure out of it.
(Enter Marie.)
Gladys. Thank you, Marie. Now let’s open the box. (Both try to pry up lid, and finally are successful.)
Gladys. Now mother, brace up, there’s a nice lady, and take some interest in your pretty gifts.
Mrs. W. (carelessly) . Gladys, I have told you I am too nervous to take an interest in anything today. (changing tone) . How shocking! Why your aunt has stuffed the box with newspapers! ”

“ For a Clothespin Party you will need a couple of dozen clothespins, and plenty of colored tissue or crepe paper. In one corner of the invitation you can draw a clothespin. The clothespin party is very much like the paper doll party, except that you dress clothespins up for dolls, in the colored paper. You will be surprised to see what pretty dolls you can make. Mother can decide who has dressed the prettiest dolls, and give a little prize. Your friends will enjoy playing with the dolls they have dressed, until it is time for refreshments. ”

“ Inventor.—So I will have a new invention of mine which is in the baggage car brought here, with this lady’s kind permission.
Susan.—Certainly, I am greatly interested in new inventions. Abner, go over to the train and get the gentleman’s box. The porter will help you. Abner, are you asleep again?
Abner.—Nothing to do till to-morrow. Plow through them drifts again? I ain’t no snowplow, Miss Susan. Have a heart can’t you?
Susan.—You should be glad to do anything to give others happiness.
Abner.—Come on, Rastus. All aboard for the North Pole. (Go out whistling.) ”

“ Mrs. Banks. (nervously) . Embarrassing is no word for it. She was so mad, it showed in her handwriting. (Passes letter round for inspection.)
Mrs. Hodges. (gently) . Well, there is one good side to it. The missionary was pleased with her box, and I guess Clara’s dress was pretty faded.
Mrs. Winter. (apologetically) . And I might have taken time to mend the overcoat.
[21]
Miss Loomis. (firmly) . I make no apologies for my hat!
President. I suppose we could have fixed up the box meant for the missionary with pretty wrappings, like we do other peoples. ”

“ Next, have the potato race in the hall, and of course you know how to have a potato race! [66]
Place the potatoes a foot apart in two long rows. Let two children race first, and they must lift the potatoes on a spoon, one by one, and carry them back to the basket. Whoever drops one is out of the race.
A box of candy decorated in green will be a good prize for the winner.
As a rest from the excitement of the potato race, the shamrock contest may come next, and this is just like the clover contest at your clover party. ”

“ It is Christmas isn’t it. I had forgotten all about it.
Rastus.—Yes, sir, this am the happy Christmas time when everybody gives presents, specially to them what has blackened their shoes and brushed their overcoats and waited on them in the diner. Folks gives them pussons presents like fifty cent pieces an’ dollar bills to show their appreciation an’ gratitude.
Abner.—Well, Rastus, you come round here this spring and I’ll give you an asparagus tip.
Inventor.—Ladies, gentlemen and Rastus!
Rastus.—What’s dat? Ladies, gen’l’men and Rastus!
Inventor.—Surely. You’re not a lady, are you? ”

“ Little candy boxes with a rose decoration will be just the thing for souvenirs to take home. For refreshments have creamed chicken, or chicken salad, rolls, small cakes iced in pink, salted nuts, pink bonbons, and strawberry ice cream. To serve the ice cream in a very pretty way, take small flower pots, and scrub them well, till they are as clean as clean can be. Then they can be filled with strawberry ice cream. Next, chocolate is grated, on the top, until the pink is covered and it looks like a little pot of earth. ”

“ ELDRIDGE ENTERTAINMENT HOUSE
Franklin, Ohio
“THE HOUSE THAT HELPS”
WE ARE SPECIALISTS IN
Amateur Entertainments
It is not a side line with us, but we
devote our entire time to that business
Realizing that many people have grown weary of searching through catalogs and reading entertainments only to discard them as unavailable we appreciate the fact that our customers have often spoken of us as “the house that helps.” ”

“ Of course your invitations have been written on paper which is decorated with a bunny.
Your first game can be the rabbit contest, and for this let each child in turn be blindfolded and try to pin the ears on the rabbit. A prize will reward the one who pins them the nearest to their proper place.
Next snip out with sharp scissors two small holes for the rabbit’s eyes. Divide the children into two groups, and let the first group go “behind the scenes.” Then one after another can look through the rabbit’s eyes, and the outside group must try to guess who owns each pair of eyes. ”

“ Edith.—I get nervous, too, and when I was in England with Cousin Lydia, I had two bags and a rug, and I asked the porter if he had seen two rags and a bug.
Miss Prudence (looking about her) .—How delightfully comfortable it is here, and how charming your old-fashioned furniture is. We don’t see anything like it nowadays.
Tom.—No, modern furniture is on the instalment plan; pay a dollar down and a dollar a week till death us do part.
Miss Priscilla.—If you will permit us, Miss Susan, we will continue our fancy work, for we are somewhat belated with our Christmas gifts. (Abner enters.) ”

“ Banks, I can’t help being glad that the missionary got the nice box, so I would move that hereafter we make our missionary Christmas boxes as nice as those we send our husband’s relations.
All. Second the motion!
President. It is moved and seconded that hereafter we make the boxes we send to our missionaries as good as those which are intended for our husband’s relations. All in favor say “Aye.”
All. (heartily) . Aye!
President. Opposed? It is unanimously carried.
CURTAIN.
We Call Attention to These Numbers for Christmas. ”

“ When you are sure of the number of guests, buy heart-shaped boxes, large red cardboard hearts, gifts, and make small red bags, enough for each child to have one. Borrow mother’s scissors, a jar of paste, and hunt up any old magazines or catalogues that may be in the house. Place a gift in each “heart” box, wrap each box up neatly, and tie with scarlet ribbon. A few vases of scarlet carnations, and strings of hearts looped about, will give the room a very festive air. Hide the candy hearts around the room, where they will not be found too easily. ”