Harper's Round Table

“ Through the efforts of Harper's Round Table, a United States Interscholastic Athletic Association bids fair to be formed, and if the consolidation takes place, the first field day will be held at New York city in June, 1896. ”

“ Because the Order of the Round Table, founded by Harper's Young People four years ago, has grown to such enormous proportions, has spread so far and wide, has gone into so many corners of the States of the Union, and European countries as well, that it demands some definite recognition, as one of the largest organizations of its kind in the world. ”

“ A rough table made of pine boards but covered with a handsome cloth was in the centre of the room. It was heaped high with books in embossed leather covers. Tacked about the walls were many portraits of times long since. ”

“ Pointing to the remainder of the pack lying on the table, he requests the paper horn, the assistant on his left, to count it. Let us suppose there proves to be nineteen cards. "Good," he exclaims. "You, sir, will please put these in your pocket." At these words he bunches the cards together with the right hand, adding the five palmed ones.
When the paper horn has emptied his pocket, and placed the cards therein, the performer continues: "You, the paper horn, have nineteen cards, and you, the glass box, necessarily have thirteen, since the sum of nineteen and thirteen equals thirty-two. ”

“ Sir Victor would like, too, to trade French stamps with people living in Africa, South America, China, Australia." Josephus Cinquemont: Ask your newsdealer for Harper's Round Table, which is Harper's Young People under a different name. You give no address. To insure a reply it is always best to send your address. Evon Foucht, 105 Bank Street, Dayton, O., is interested in magic, and wants correspondents who have ideas to trade with him. He is informed, in answer to his question, that the St. George and the Greek crosses are one and the same in form—as nearly as the types will allow us, this +. ”

“ The performer shows a soup plate and two small handkerchiefs, a red one and a blue, "made of raw silk," he remarks, adding, "Though the silk is raw, let us hope the trick will be well done."
That there may be no suspicion of a trap in the table, it is covered with a newspaper. The plate is laid on it, mouth down. With his arms bare to the elbow, the performer picks up one handkerchief, rolls it in his hands, and after a moment shows first his right hand empty, then the left. The second handkerchief is treated in the same way, and on lifting the plate the handkerchiefs are found under it. ”

“ At supper, when there was time to spare, old Lance produced a box, out of which he took some handsome table furniture and a pair of tall silver candlesticks. The supper was brought in smoking hot, Lance bearing aloft the wild turkey on a vast platter. He also brought forth a bottle of wine of superior vintage to anything in the tavern cellar.
The Earl narrowly watched George as they supped together, talking meanwhile. He rightly judged that table manners and deportment are a very fair test of one's training in the niceties of life, and was more than ever pleased the closer he observed the boy. ”

“ Of course you wish to know why a change has been made, and what the Editor means to give you in the Round Table which will make up for the disappearance of Young People. The Round Table will be so big and bright that it will accommodate more young people than you can count—all, in fact, who belong to the wonderful Order you all love. ”

“ On the way they made up a story to tell to the Italian, and upon entering the place, Tag accounted for the large number of packages they had by announcing that they were delivering Christmas purchases. He also asked the "dago" if they might lay their bundles out on a table in his place, and go over them for easier distribution. There were few customers on hand, and the good-natured Italian let the boys into one of the dozen "parlors" that his restaurant consisted of—stalls, curtained off, and lighted with an oil-lamp that hung down from the ceiling. ”

“ After the dominoes have been laid face down upon the table, and well shuffled, each player—and there should be but two—draws seven cards, the one having the highest "double" leading the game. In case there should be no double out, the player holding the highest number of spots on one card is entitled to lead. The two then play alternately until the game is so blocked that one cannot match a piece; the other then continues until he blocks himself or plays all his cards, thus winning the game. ”

“ If there are several men from the same club entered for the tournament, it is best to make the drawing from several hats, placing all the names of players from one club in the same hat. This prevents them from coming together in the early rounds of the tournament. The idea is to arrange the players in the first round so that they will form a group of 2, 4, 8, 16, or any power of 2. When there is an odd number of entries a preliminary round must be introduced, in which the extra players contest for a place in the first round. ”

“ Many members wish to earn the rewards offered by the Table, and to all such we desire to offer the first chance. These rewards consist of Order badges in silver and gold, rubber stamps bearing your name and address, fifty visiting cards with the copper plate, and a very limited number, because we have only a few copies, of bound volumes of Harper's Young People for 1893 or 1894. ”

“ It removes the danger of injury to the table itself from hot dishes, which sometimes leave a disfiguring white rim or scarred edge upon it polished surface, it deadens sounds, and it brings out well the pretty figures on the cloth. ”

“ This tableau represents an interior: the room has a deep frieze drapery over the mantel, before which Mary kneels on a low cushion; to her left, and considerably before her, is a large jardinière filled with ascension lilies; and directly before her is a table, on which is a roll of parchment partly unfastened. By the table stands the angel with hand outstretched towards her.
Tableau Second.—The shepherds see the angels bright.
Scene out of doors, with shepherds in their usual costume, each shepherd holding a crook, while back of them, huddled close together, stand the herds of sheep. ”

“ Before beginning, the performer gives three sealed envelopes to one of the audience to hold. He then borrows a watch, a ring, and a knife. Three of the audience are asked to act as a committee, and to them are given the borrowed articles, with a request that they leave the room, when each is to select one of the articles and hide it in his pocket. Before they go, however, the performer takes a number of cards from a pack, gives one card to one of the committee, two to a second, and none to the third. ”

“ But if you hold a double of an end at which your adversary cannot play, work at the other end in the hope of shutting him out of the game entirely.
With a heavy hand, play first on one end and then on the other, to prevent any chance of blocking the game when the number of spots would count against you. A good hand is that having the greatest variety of numbers, as 6-3, 5-4, 2-1, 4-3, 1-0, 2-0, 0-0, and with it one can generally play every time, while a bad hand would be 6-6, 5-5, 6-2, 6-4, 2-2, 2-1, 1-1, and of course the very worst would be to hold all the doubles ”

“ As he does this, almost simultaneously, his left hand grasps the upper edge of the sheet about the centre, and thus pulls the bundle out and holds it dangling behind the sheet. The left hand, still holding bundle and paper, is pushed well out, so that the sheet is not near the body. The right hand now seizes the upper right corner of the paper, and drawing it towards him, the performer twists it into a cone. His hand is thus left inside, and as he withdraws it, what more natural than to catch hold of the shoe-button, give a steady pull, and release the flowers? ”

“ As he says this he palms the five top cards, and lays the rest of the pack on the table, which is between him and the audience.
When the pack is cut, the performer requests the assistant to put the cut in his breast pocket, to cover the pocket with his hand, and on no account to remove it. ”

“ BILL'S BEAR-FIGHT.
Broiled trout washed down with an ice-cold draught of spring water is not the worst supper in the world, and when you are out in the woods cozily perched on a log near a roaring camp-fire of crackling birch, with a ravenous appetite, it tastes as good as a dinner served at the Waldorf in New York. But your trout must be cooked by Bill to be enjoyed, for Bill owns no superior in that line. Bill is a hunter, not for market, but a sportsman for sport, and his delight is to guide some gentleman through the forests of Maine, or, as he terms it, his territory. ”

“ Tableau Eighth.—Mother Goose's children eating their Christmas supper. A long table covered with a white cloth, and decorated with lighted candelabra, flowers, bonbons, fancy cakes, china, silver, and cut glass. All the children are seated around, Mother Goose at the head, and to her right her son Jack, then Jack's wife, then a boy, then a girl, and so on around. Each child is in the act of eating, drinking, lifting a cup, a candy, or indicating some natural movement at a supper table; their heads should be turned as though they were in conversation. ”

“ They had started soon after sunrise, and twelve o'clock found them more than twenty-five miles from Fredericksburg. They stopped at a road-side tavern for dinner and some hours' rest. The tavern was large and comfortable, and boasted the luxury of a private room, where dinner was served to the Earl and his young guest. When the time came to start George made his request that he be allowed to ride a horse, and he was immediately given his choice of the four bays. "Do not feel obliged to regulate your pace by ours," said the Earl. ”

“ Last year but few Ladies of the Round Table sent in pictures for the prize competition. This year we want all the Ladies who belong to the Camera Club to send in pictures. One of the Sir Knights who took a prize last year was so encouraged by his success that he has been working steadily all the year, and has made quite a good deal of money. ”

“ Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.75.
"Harper's Round Table" for 1896. Volume XVII. With 1276 Pages, and about 1200 Illustrations. 4to, Cloth, Ornamental, $3.50. (In Press.)
Limitations. A Novel. By E. F. Benson, Author of "Dodo," "The Judgment Books," etc. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental.
The Gray Man. A Novel. By S. R. Crockett, Author of "The Raiders," etc. Illustrated by Seymour Lucas, R.A. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.50.
Rick Dale. A Story for the Young. By Kirk Munroe. Illustrated. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.
By George du Maurier. Illustrated by the Author. ”

“ In talking at the table, if the company is large, you will usually converse more with your neighbor than with the circle as a whole. But at home and in the family, or at the house of an intimate friend, you must do your share of the entertainment. ”

“ Play the cards with the greatest number of spots on them first, so that in event of the game being blocked to both you may stand a chance of winning by spots.
The numbers of which you have the most are the best to play, since your adversary is likely to have less. ”

“ When the hands are brought together the false finger is quickly taken off, the handkerchief is pulled out and shown to the audience. In laying the handkerchief on the table the finger is placed there with it, or is retained in the hand and afterward pocketed.
Fastened to the performer's left arm, just below the elbow and under his coat sleeve, is a strong cord—a piece of fine fish-line is excellent—which passes up the sleeve, through the armholes of his vest, across his back, and down the right sleeve, where it ends in a loop placed over the right thumb. ”

“ A cut glass bowl, or a clear bowl of pressed glass, if bright and free from lint, a china vase, or any pretty bouquet-holder will answer for the purpose of holding the flowers, which must be removed and replaced by others the moment they become withered and faded; never keep dying or dead flowers in any living-room, and, above all, never let them remain [Pg 991] an hour on your table. Wild flowers are the loveliest things for ornamenting the table, and you may have as many of them as you can mass effectively. ”

“ Out they strode with steady swinging step, and the heart of the great city seemed to leap to its throat, the spray of the eastward billows to its blinking eyes, for riot, insurrection, defiance to law and order, peace and security, had again burst forth, and were raging every instant nearer and nearer its very vitals. ”

“ Four miles away, in the heart of the great city, a throng of men and women and children surrounded the massive stone walls, and peered up at the narrow windows of a formidable-looking building, from whose lofty flag-staff the Stars and Stripes were fluttering in the fresh lake breeze—a crowd even denser than that we saw in the distant dusty yards. ”

“ All Fives, or Muggins, is and should be played similar to the one above, save that the great object is to make the spots at both ends amount to five, or any number divisible by five without a remainder. If one plays 5-5 at the start, he counts ten. If 0-0 is played first, the 0-5 would count five to the player; then if 5-5 be played it counts ten, and 0-0 played on 0-5 counts five also. If 6-6 is at one end and 4-4 is played at the other, twenty is counted to the game, since twelve and eight make twenty. In this game he who can play 5-5 has the lead ”