Holidays at the Grange | Page 9

as possible all
their days."

"She was a determined damsel!" cried Cornelia; "I think she had brass
enough to set up a foundry."
"Probably it was leap-year, Cornelia," replied Ellen; "you know it is
then the ladies' privilege--great privilege, forsooth!--to pay attention to
the lords of the creation."
"I hope, when women take advantage of their prescriptive rights, they
will wear the Bloomer costume, and make themselves look as little like
the rest of their sex as possible!" said Mary.
"Come, girls," cried Charlie Bolton, "you are too hard on that frank
little Caterina; I approve of such conduct entirely, and some ten years
hence, when I am ready to be appropriated, I shall certainly leave my
slippers outside my door as a hint to whomsoever it may concern. It
would save us men a great deal of trouble, if all girls were as sensible
as Caterina."
"Us men, indeed! How long since?" said Cornelia.
"Ever since I got out of frocks and into trowsers," replied Charlie,
laughing good-naturedly. He and Cornelia were always sparring, but
never quarrelled.
In the evening they played at various games; among others, at writing
rhymes. Each had a slip of paper, and would write a line, then double it
down, and hand it to the next, telling the last word; the second person
then added a line rhyming with the first, the third started a fresh rhyme,
and so it went on. When read, it of course made the greatest farrago of
nonsense imaginable. Ellen then proposed "Cento," a Spanish or Italian
game, which requires great readiness of memory, and a large
acquaintance with poetry. One person quotes a well-known line, the
next another that rhymes with it, and so on, making some sort of
connection whenever it can be done; but after trying it, and finding that
only three or four of the eldest could think of appropriate passages, they
voted Cento a bore, Cornelia remarking that there was great stupidity
somewhere; of course they could not think it was in themselves, and
therefore it must be in the game.

Mary said that there was another game requiring a good memory, but
the advantage of it was, that the more you forgot the more merriment
you made; if you were not witty yourself, you were the cause of wit in
others. It was called Genteel Lady, and was played by one person
politely bowing to his neighbor, and reciting a certain formula, which
must be repeated, with an addition, by the next, and so round the circle;
whenever the least mistake or omission was made, the person had to
drop the title of Genteel Lady, or Genteel Gentleman, and putting a
horn of twisted paper in the hair or button-hole, could now glory in the
dignity of being a One-horned Lady or Gentleman. Very soon horns
become so plenty that few can claim any gentility; as the description
proceeds, and becomes more complicated, it is perfectly laughable, and
the whole party look ludicrous enough.
"Here is a whole bundle of lamp-lighters," said Cornelia; "let us begin
the game, I think it must be comical."
Mary bowed to Tom Green, and commenced. "Good evening, genteel
gentleman, ever genteel, I, a genteel lady, ever genteel, come from that
genteel lady, ever genteel, to tell you that she owns a little dog with
hair on its back."
Tom bowed to Ellen: "Good evening, genteel lady, ever genteel, I, a
genteel gentleman, ever genteel, come from that genteel lady, ever
genteel (bowing to Mary), to tell you that she owns a little dog with
hair on its back, and a red tongue in its mouth."
Ellen took up the play: "Good evening, genteel gentleman, ever genteel,
I, a genteel lady, ever genteel, come from that genteel gentleman, ever
genteel, to tell you that he owns a little dog with hair on its back, a red
tongue in its mouth, and two ears on its head."
It was now Charlie Bolton's turn: "Good evening, genteel lady, ever
genteel, I, a genteel gentleman, ever genteel, come from that genteel
lady, ever genteel, to say that she owns a little dog with ears on its back,
a tongue in its head, hair in its mouth, and a bone between its teeth."
"Charlie! Charlie! three horns!"

"All honorable horns! hurra! I'm the only one with horns!"
"You'll soon have companions in misfortune," said Mary, laughing.
"Good morning, genteel lady, ever genteel," said Gertrude, bowing to
Alice, "I, a genteel lady, ever genteel, come from that three-horned
gentleman, ever three-horned, to say that he owns a little dog with hair
on its back, a red tongue in its mouth, two ears on its head, a bone
between its teeth, and a tail a yard long."
"Good morning, she said! that's one horn!" cried the other