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Show II f after the thantcs" I I GIVING DINNER--WHAT? j , The Article Esportly Answers the Traditional Query, and Tells How tho j Young People May Bo Amused "Whilo Their Elders Talk Off tho f Effects of tho Big" Dinner i ::::::::::: : i : : : j !K j THE cuss of a largo Thonlcsglvlng ! I " gathering, tho hours which follow dl-Hj dl-Hj 1 rcctly on tha heel6 of dinner present Wn Ha problem for tho hostess. Naturally B'j tho elder guests prefer to alt quietly R' and chat about family affairs which havo Hi arisen Binco tho last annual gnthoring; Q : but not so tho young people, who desire U j more attractlvo forms of entertaining. Br Tho wlao hoatosa will plan amusements ill for the children and young people, so ft that their elders may bo left In peaco for W an hour's conversation. Hi Aa Boon as tho dining-room Is cleared of glj all signs of tho feast It can bo changed Li Into a playroom, and somo older girl R should bo elected as mistress of corc-i I monies and should plan tho games so that) I the children are amused quietly until tho ft elaborate dinner has been dlgcstod. ! A pleasing HUlo contest for children Is J laid outon klndorgartcn lines. Two bowls, ' ono containing big white popcorn kernels, B and tho other cranberries, aro placed at their disposal, with a. supply of toolh-111 toolh-111 picks, threads and needles. Tho chlldrun fl ( uro then requested to mako somo article lit or decorative design in tho white kernels 13 and tho red berries. It Is remarkable III how quickly the children will seize upon M tho idea rind what fetching Uttlo email ema-il inonts they will produce. Toothpicks, run Of, with cranberries and Joined at the cor-K, cor-K, ners with popcorn, will mako a frame to m lay flat on the table, and Inside of this a a' 1 child will block out a picture in red and U'l white; or, strung on the thread, they can Jl'j be wrought Into red and whlto tassels, ft,! balls and odd-shaped ornaments, such as I ; aro seen on Christmas trees. ?fl Half an hour will pass quickly at such I work, and then a committee of the older If j guests can pass upon tho results and if award a prlz to tho most skillful worker. Mk This prlzo should suggest Thanksgiving Wjl day, and inexpensive- llttlo favors are : shown in the form of uoxob of candy, with a Puritan maiden standing on tho Hi I box as on a podcstal. This is merely a If doll dressed in Puritan garb, generally In lift crepe paper, lj The second gamo Is a trlflo more active, Fjj and Is merely a variant of tho old gamo J of pinning a tall on tho donkey. In this ill case a sheet Is fastened agalnut the wail lj .tnd on it is drawn or pinned a represcn-III represcn-III tntion of a turkey. A turkey, drawn In lj colored crayons and then cut out and Jffl pasted carefully on tho wheel, gives the beflt effect. In tho old donkey gamo a tall was provided and did Bcrvlco for all tho players, but for tho turkey game the housowlfo may provide real turkey feathers, feath-ers, saved from tho gobbler which waa served at dinner. Each child Is given ono of theso feathers and a long pin; then, blindfolded, ho Is started toward the sheet In search of a proper placo to pin tho feather. If tho paper turkey, has boen pasted on tho sheet. It is a comparatively easy matter mat-ter for a blindfolded person to feel around until tho bird Is discovered, but It is not so easy to Und the exact spot on which the tall .feathers should bo pinned. As a result, when all have taken a turn, tho turkey Is liable to havo tails .sprouting In even- direction, which of itself will create fun. , , Tho mistress of ceremonies must keep 'track of tin gamo and award the prlzo, which can be a papier mache turkey, lined with small cnndlcs. to the child whose feather strikes nearest the mark. For tho third game, start the children in search of cranberries which havo beon hidden all over the room. For this purpose pur-pose provide cuch child with a small basket bas-ket of wicker or crepo paper, and havo tho cranberries hidden before tho guests nrrlvo behind ornaments, in tho crevices of tho table legs, behind pictures, on tho upper Hashes of tho window in any placo which will tax childish wit and Ingenuity. When tho voyage of discovery Is over the cranberries can be counted, and a small prize, such as a crepo paper basket, lllled with crimson-coated Jordan almonds, can be awarded to tho child who has found tho mosi berries. Bv this tlmo the heavy dinner will be pretty well digested, and tho children will bo glad to go for a run out of doors, or a skato on tho pond If. fortunately, the family fam-ily gathering be in a country where Ice forms early, If theso games be too childish for tho young pcoplo who have reached the age of 15 or more, tho hostess will do well to plan some formal entertainment for the evening, which will be given under the direction of a college girl or boy versed In the handling of amatebr thoatrlculs. This will afford an afternoon's entertainment, entertain-ment, for the young people will need to bo drilled for tho evening, performance. Even in tha blase age, young people from ID to 18 thoroughly enjoy getting up a "show." New Kngland pootry has suffered an orilpse. and school bo s mi girls of today to-day am not So familiar with- It boautlc-s as were I heir f.iihin mid mothora lr will, therefore, hi snnn thing of a novelty If tho hostess arranges a Thanksgiving evening with Longfellow, prcaoptlng living liv-ing pictures from his pooms dealing with Now England homo life. In preparation for Buch an entertainment entertain-ment she must have a few Btage settings and costumes. A fireplace or mantel will do for tho background of most of tho plc-turca. plc-turca. A settle or two, uomo old-fashioned chalro, dishes and a spinning wheel will also bo usoful, For coatumea, paper mualln or calico. In black, gray or dun color, can bo worked cheaply Into the Puritan costumes, 'togothor with whlto kerchiefs and caps for tho women, made from tnrletan or tissue paper, and for tho men thoro must bo broad-brimmed hats with cono-slmpcd crowns, mudo from black canvas, and whlto turn-over collars. Shoes with buckles and long, black hosiery aro worn by the mon, with knickerbockers knick-erbockers fulled In at tho knees. Tho cloak Is round nnd stiff, and, Indoors, a doublot to match tho knickerbockers Is worn. Tho dresses lor tho women havo no trimming except a llchu. If tlmo Is allowed for making the costume, cos-tume, and somo member of tho family Is deft at cutting and planning, a very re-fipeclablo re-fipeclablo stage wardrobo can be produced at tho coat of a couple of dollars. If tho performance Is given In double parlors, folding doors may bo used Instead of curtains; cur-tains; and'tho effect of tho living pictures will bo heightened If on tho aldo of tho door next to the actors Is stretched theatrical the-atrical gauzo, which Is not oxponslve, and gives tlie effoct of dtotanco to tho tableaux. tab-leaux. Three sots of pictures may be presentedthe present-edthe flrst sceno from tho familiar story of "The Courtship of Miles Standlsh," tho second may be a scene from "Evange-Ilnc." "Evange-Ilnc." and the third, particularly suited to a family gathering, should bo "The Hanging of tho Crane." As tho latter Is laid rather on tho lines of dissolving views, a curtain of dark stuff, which can bo drawn and dropped again quickly, will add to the effect. Theso living pictures may bo separated by music a number of Longfellow's poems have been sut to melodies. mel-odies. "Tho Bridge," "The Arrow nnd the Song." "Tho Rainy Day." "Excelsior" "Excel-sior" and "Tho Open Window" can bo found In tho cheap collections of old-fashioned songs. Thii first scenes from "The Courtship of Miles Standlsh" will be found undor the heading of part III., "The Lover's Errand." Er-rand." nnd part VIII.. "Tho Spinning Wheel." Tho setting for this should bo very simple, with Prlscllla Aldcn seated at tho spinning wheel. Before the curtain cur-tain rises, sonio one who has been aolcct-ed aolcct-ed as reader or reciter. Is henrd back of tho scenes starting with: "So through tho Plymouth woods John Aldcn went on his errand." Whm ho roaches the lino. "So hn entered tho house." tho curtain rLses slowly and show John Aldon In tho doorway, his hands filled with flowers. Tho nctors do not sponk. but as the reader read-er tolls tho story they act In pantomime the memorhblo proposal by proxy, ending-with ending-with the famous rxprosalon: "Why don't you speak for yourself, John?" While tho curtain Is down tho roader recites tho opening stanzas of "Tho Spinning Spin-ning Wheel, and at tho words "So as slir sut at her vhnel.' the curtain is raised to show the H'cncl wooing of John Aldon, and again the actors offer their panfomlmo. Interrupted by tho messenger, messen-ger, also In Puritan -oslume, who brings word of St.iudlRl)' flcntii. The curtain falls on tho two lovers plighting their troth. Tho picturo from "Evangeline' Is the famous botrothal scone of Evungellno ana Basil, starling, "Indoors, warmed by llu wide-mouthed llre.pla.co, Idly Uio farmet sat In his olbow-chalr." Tho curtain rise to show Evangeline and her father neat ed on ono side of tho fireplace, tho do man smoking his long pipe and tho gli aplnnlng. As the story progresses. Bash her lover, enters and in pantomime lu follows tho reader's recital of tho uprls lag of tho colony. Then enters the no tary with a quill pen and his seals U witness tho betrothal Whilo tho two oi men talk In puntomlmo tho two youn, pcoplo aro ocen where they stand. th young girl clasped In her lover's arms and tho curtain falls on another famllla quotation: "Silently, ono by one, In the infinite mead ows of heaven, Bloosomod tho lovely stars, tho forget-me nots of tho angols." In planning this set of pictures the hostess will And many hints in tho poetry which tell her what properties will be needed to sot forth tho scene, such at tankards, lamps and so on. "Tho Hanging of the Crane" presonts tho most pleasing possibilities and gives tho children something to do. The poem Hhould bo road In Its entirety, and the tableaux tab-leaux should be changed quietly and rap-Idly, rap-Idly, so that tho speaker's voice is not drowned by tho noise behind the scenes. Tho Urst picturo shows a young man alono before the fireplace, In which has beon hung a huge black crane, which may ho built from .wood or pasteboard and stained black. He wears tho' Puritan garb and holds rather a sentimental attitude atti-tude In tho firelight, whloh can be simulated simu-lated by tho use of red paper with an oloctrlc light behind It. At tho commencement of the second section of tho poem. "And now I sit and muse." curtains fall for a few seconds, and very quickly a young girl, dressed In old-fashioned white muslin, slips Into the picture, and tho two sit sida by aldo on tho high-backed settle. At the same tlmo two helpers cany on to the cono a small, old-fashioned table, sot with old-fashioned china and silver, with places for two. On the words, "Tho picture fades," tho curtains fall, and tho brldo makos a quick chango to a gray or brown dress, which slips over the wedding finery, and takes her placo at ono side of the table, tho young man at tho opposite, and a child Is seated in a hlgh-chalr between them. Tho fourth section shows two children Instead of ono, and for the fifth tho small table must bo removed, a larger one curried cur-ried in, and more young people seated around it. Tho husband nnd wife will have to don gray wigs, and, if expert at making up. will havo lime to draw in a fow lines In their faces. Tho sixth scene should be omitted, as It is depressing, and tho seventh scene, presenting tho golden wedding, will make n much more attractlvo tableau. Aa an encora (applauso Is bound to follow) tho two old people may bo seated alone In the settle, just as tlmy were In tableau number num-ber two, but now wearing white wigs. They aro bent with age, but sho still sits with her head on his shoulder, his arm about her waist. Tho surcesrt of thin evening's entertainment entertain-ment will depend entirely upon the In-urt-ln--ss with whleh the young people enter Into tho spirit of tho scenes. Thero must be no modern frivolity, but If details aro carefully followed a really artistic performance per-formance will be Insured, and tho oldar ;uests In particular will greatly enjoy a revival of Interest In tho poema which hey rend In tholr youth. If refreshments urn served after the iciformance thoy should bo the typical Thanksgiving dainties served In ew :ngland households elder, apples, pop-orn pop-orn nnd pork fruit cake, or a spicy B'n- Tbread to whloh raisins and currantB ire addod. |