William Eastman Chenery

“ Every one not engaged in the performance, but who is behind the screen, waiting for his part, must be particular to keep back of the light, so their shadows will not be thrown on the screen.
In making entrances and exits, come on from the sides, about two feet from the screen, and you must remember that the farther you are from the screen, and the nearer to the light, the larger will be your shadow on the screen. Recollect, too, that you must be in profile, or sideways to your audience, otherwise the effect of your acting is lost ”

“ This is a simple little game that needs no preparation, but can be started in a moment when there is danger of dullness. A large company can play equally as well as a small. The leader instructs the company that they will now proceed to count in regular order until they come to seven, any multiple of seven, or any number having seven in it, when they will substitute the word “buzz” for that number. Should they fail to do this they will be dropped from the circle. This will continue until every one has blundered. When the higher numbers are reached it takes one quick in quantities to follow it. ”

“ The end player again goes to the front, and the game is continued until the original leader of the team is again at the head of his line. The team first reaching its order of formation wins the game.
It is essential that the ball should travel swiftly. Should any player drop the ball, he must run for it and regain his place in the line [75] before passing it on. Should a toss be so strong as to pass above the player behind, so that he fails to receive the ball, the ball must be passed back so that the missed player shall handle it. ”

“ Do not allow yourself to be persuaded into performing a trick twice in an evening. With the element of surprise gone, the best performance loses much of its effect. Finally, remember that a great deal depends upon the personality of the entertainer. An easy flow of pleasantries, which may or may not have to do with what is being performed, adds to the entertainment of the company, and at the same time helps much in diverting the attention of your friends from too close a scrutiny of your proceedings. ”

“ Show the screen and set it on an easel in front of cabinet. Slightly dampen the muslin and place a lamp back of it on a chair, lower lights a trifle; your assistant or medium in cabinet takes the atomizer, and from behind sprays all over the back of screen with the solution of prussiate of potash, which [159] slowly brings colors out. The effect is weird, and, although perhaps not artistic, it is a novelty and is apparently done by unseen agency. If a light is placed at back of screen, the audience can see that no one approaches the screen. A little music covers the sound of the atomizer. ”

“ Take a clay pipe, fill up with cotton wadding loosely and keep in place at mouth of bowl by a wire screen. Wet cotton with gasoline. Let the bubbles float in air and light them with candle, and they will explode with a big flame. Smoke-bubbles may be made by blowing in smoke after the bubble has been well started.
Rebounding Bubbles. A good game is to have a small sheet held by a number of children and blow the bubbles upon this, then they can be sent flying by drawing the sheet taut. Many ways may be devised to make blowing soap-bubbles attractive. ”

“ While the performer is promising a mind-reading exhibition, the assistant will have time to make the thread tight, and it must be kept so during the performance. Show a small blackboard, or some other similar arrangement, that can be held in one arm, and ask any one to secretly suggest figures, which are put down in columns, for the purpose of addition. The figures must be large enough for every one to see, and it is advisable not to have too many, as experience will show it takes too long for the trick. ”

“ A very funny entrance can be made by jumping over the light, which gives [104] the appearance on the screen as if you had just dropped through the ceiling, and an exit by jumping over the light looks like flying up there again in a most weird manner. A dummy figure (suppose that of a witch, riding on the conventional broomstick) is suspended by a fine thread or wire on the side of the screen remote from the spectators. Behind this are ranged, one behind the other, and at right angles to the screen, a row of lighted candles. Being all in the same line, they throw one shadow only on the screen. ”

“ Inform the audience that you are about to illustrate for their benefit the surprising amount of affection that exists between cards of the same value. For instance, kings associate with kings, queens with queens, jacks with jacks, and aces with aces; of all cards, you declare, the aces are the most affectionate. Between them the bonds [135] of sympathy are so strong that if they are separated only temporarily they will exert every effort to be reunited. ”

“ Detection of a Drawn Card by Color. Previously separate the pack into two parts, placing all the red cards in one pile, and all the black cards in the other. One of these packs you conceal in your pocket. You let any person draw a card from the other pack, and while he is examining the card, substitute the pack in your pocket for the one you hold in your hand. Let him place his card in the pack you have taken from your pocket, and shuffle as much as you please. You will at once recognize the card he has drawn by the difference of color. ”

“ It is caused to rise from the hat by means of a black thread, which is carried through a staple immediately over the performer’s table, thence through another staple out of sight and down to the assistant.
The Perilous Ring. Put flour on a plate in the shape of a high pyramid. On the very tip of the pyramid place a ring. Arrange the guests in line, and have each one in turn cut away part of the flour with a knife, warning them not to cut near enough to the ring to make it fall, or the one doing so will suffer a dreadful penalty. If the crowd is small each will have several turns. ”

“ Pitching Cards at a Hat. Borrow a gentleman’s hat and try to throw a pack of cards from a distance of two or three feet, throwing the cards in one at a time.
Peanut Guessing. Fill a dish with peanuts, and let each one guess how many are contained in it; the one who guesses nearest wins.
Peanut Shelling. Give each contestant ten peanuts, and at a signal let all begin to shell [55] them, removing also the inner skin. The one who finishes first, without breaking a kernel, wins. If one breaks into more than the two natural divisions of the nut, another peanut must be shelled in its place. ”

“ Attach a piece of silhouette paper to the wall with thumb tacks or pins (or against a broad board if you fear that the tacks may injure the wall) , the white side of the paper being out.
A lamp, or better a candle, having been placed so that it will throw a strong light on the sheet of paper, turn off all the other lights in the room. Each one then takes his place between the lamp and the wall so that a clear shadow of his profile may be thrown on the paper. Now draw a firm, strong line carefully [9] around this shadow. The sitter must sit perfectly still, during the drawing. ”

“ When the second child returns he must try at one guess to say which of the toys was sold during his absence. If he guesses successfully he may be the next toyman. To make the game more difficult two or more toys may be hidden. Another and slightly more difficult way of playing the bargain-counter game is to have the toyman change the positions of the toys while the child is out of the room. The child on returning must rearrange them, if he can, in exactly the same positions. They may be scraps of color instead of toys. ”

“ It is now in the hands of the performer to make the rest of the trick as mysterious as possible.
The Trick of “Thirty-one.” A trick often introduced by sporting men for the purpose of deceiving and making money is called “thirty-one.” It is played with the first six cards of each suit,—the aces in one row, the deuces in another, the threes in another; then the fours, fives, and sixes—all laid in rows. The object now will be to turn down cards alternately and endeavor to make thirty-one points by so turning, or as near to it as possible without overrunning it ”

“ A bag about the size of a person’s head, or larger if desired, made of tissue paper, or other very thin paper, containing candy, is suspended from the ceiling by a string so that it will be about six feet from the floor. A person is blindfolded and a cane, or a stick about the length of a cane, is placed in the person’s two hands, allowing the farther end to touch the bag. The performer is then requested to take three steps backward and then turn around three times, alone. ”

“ Starting from this point, wind the twine in every conceivable place, wherever you care to have the players go; under tables, around chairs, door-knobs, upstairs, and anywhere that can be made difficult without doing any injury to the surroundings. When the winding is completed, fasten the string to a small round stick about three or four inches long. All this should be done before the guests arrive, as it takes some time to do it. When ready for the game, have the guests draw the sticks and then proceed to wind the twine until they arrive at the end. The one arriving there first wins a prize. ”

“ If you want the eyes of the comic figures to roll about, string a glass bead upon a thread and [109] insert in a place cut for eyes in the figure; fasten the thread at either side with a bit of glued muslin. During the performance, this screen is illuminated by placing a light about three feet behind it; the room in which the audience is seated being, of course, dark. To shut out any light that may shine out at the sides or top of the doorway, you should hang shawls or strips of your black paper muslin. ”

“ On each line, near the end, place a card four inches square, with a hole exactly in the centre, about three times the diameter of the twine. Care must be taken that the hole is large enough to allow the card to move properly but not too freely. At a given signal the card is blown the length of the line. The one arriving at the end first, wins.
Naming a Card. This trick can be shown at any time and at any place where two performers are together and desire to show a little skill to amuse their friends. ”

“ Should the player fail to name an animal, or name the wrong one, or speak when he ought to be silent, he must drop out of the game, and the player who threw the handkerchief at him, may take and throw it at some one else. ”

“ A simple and successful game is this old-fashioned one. Having provided a sheet or tablecloth and a small feather such as sofa pillows are stuffed with, ask your guests (all but one) to be seated on the floor in a hollow square. The tablecloth or sheet is then spread so that the players can hold the edges of the sides and ends up, just under their chins, thus stretching the cloth taut about a foot and a half above the floor. ”

“ Divide the players equally and seat them in two rows facing each other. The leader of each row is provided with a pack of playing cards. At a given signal, each leader passes one card to the next person, who in his turn gives it to the next person, and so on down the line until the last one drops it on the floor beside him. ”

“ Each man in the party receives a little bag containing one hundred beans. Each woman adopts the name of some horse. Strips of tape or paper are fastened at one end of the room farthest away from where the races are to begin. All attached ends are on the same line. The loose ends are held by the women on the other side of the room, armed with scissors. The men bet their beans on the outcome of the race. At a given signal, each woman begins to cut the tape, the one to reach the end of her strand quickest being the winner. ”

“ At a given signal, the turtles start for a goal a short distance [64] away. It is the object of the game for the turtles to waddle to the goal and back to the starting point without removing their hands from their feet. The winner is, of course, the one who returns to the starting point first.
The Game of “Empty Hands.” Some member of the household produces a quantity of small cards. The number is not quite sufficient to “go round” the company, an intentional feature of the game. Four persons find themselves empty-handed when the bell rings. ”

“ Supply your guests with pencil and paper. A party invited to see the old year out is quite sure to be an intimate one. For the resolutions, have each guest write a set of them for some one else in the party. This may be decided by inviting each one to write of his neighbor or by writing the names [33] on paper and letting each one draw his subject. They are to be collected and read to the company. The writer is at liberty to sign any name to his resolutions.
Can You Draw a Watch-face? Some people have the happy faculty of seeing what they look at, others go through the world blindly. ”