Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/625

 599 CHILDREN Fig. 6. A row of chairs is arranged down the middle of the room, and the boy leader, calling out half a dozen little girls, gives each a fishing- rod from which dangles a marzipan strawberry. The girls then mount chairs and fish over the back for a partner. The girl leader meanwhile calls out a dozen boys to stand in couples by each chair, and to vie with each other, open-mouthed, for the posses- sion of the strawberry. The little girls, with true feminine enjoyment of their power, after duly tormenting their would-be partners for a moment, each pop the coveted goody into the mouth of the favoured swain, with whom then each proceeds to dance. A distribution of Japanese parasols and fans may follow — the boys and girls exchanging favours and dancing together beneath the opened parasols. Througrh the Lookinsf-glass The Looking-glass Figure, though by no means new, must find a place in every cotillon. A little girl sits on a low chair in the middle of the room, a handkerchief in one hand and a mirror, into which she looks, in the other. A cushion is placed just behind her chair, and half a dozen boys are called out singly, one after another, to go down on one knee behind her and glance over Ler shoulder into the mirror. As each face appears reflected in the looking- glass she rubs it out mth her handkerchief, until the partner with whom she wants to dance is reflected. Then she rises, giving him her hand, and they dance aw'ay together, her place being taken by another little girl. A shower of small gold and silver ribbon- decked balls make a charming exchange of favours. The boys have gold balls given them and the girls silver ones. At a given Comparing balloons in order to select a partner for the dance Photos, Gladys Beattie Crazier Fencing with powder-puffs The prize for the victor is to h*ve the little 'girl as his partner signal the balls are tossed into the air, and- the girls and boys whose balls have a corre- sponding ribbon dance together. The cotillon may well wind up with the Fencing with PoWder-puffs Figure. Two boys are called out and are each armed with long pliable Wands bound in silver ribbon (to give the idea of steel) and tipped with powder-puffs which have been sprinkled with white powder. A Bloodless Duel A little girl stands beyond each couple of fencers, and at a signal the fencing bout begins, and the fencer who first succeeds in placing a dab of powder on his opponent's coat dances off with the little maiden as a prize. In devising the accessories for the various figures, and the favours by the matching or exchanging of which the children find or choose their partners, artistic taste and skilful fingers are everything, for home-made favours are far prettier than anything one can buy even in Paris, and it would be hard to find a pleasanter or more engrossing occupation for the grown-up members of a Christmas house party than the preparing of the countless gay trifles which will play such an important part in the success of the party. The reins for the chariot races should be of 2 ^-inch-wide satin ribbon — old rose coloui or powder blue is charming, and will har- monise with anybody's frock — liberally adorned with gold and silver bells. The whips are short hazel-wood wands bound with ribbon, with ribbon loops to form the lash. The charioteer's wreaths are made of tiny ■ pink and blue crinkled paper rose.*? entwined with narrow gold braid, long ends of which are left to tie the wreath on with. The powder-puff-tipped fencing foils con- sist also of hazel wands bound with strips of silver tissue, with a stiff green satin bow tied just above the handle. Ribbon armlets adorned with tiny bells, big ribbon rosettes made in two colours, air- balls, and boxes of sweets tied with ribbon bows all make charming favours.