How to amuse yourself and others

CHAPTER XXVIII.
THANKSGIVING.

NOT to Pagan ancestors in far-away countries, but to our own Pilgrim Fathers do we trace the origin of Thanksgiving Day—as purely American as our Independence Day. Instituted by William Bradford, the Governor of Plymouth, and first observed by the Puritans, who, suffering from hunger and privation, were truly thankful when the first harvest brought them the means of support for the approaching winter, it has come to us as “the religious and social festival that converts every family mansion into a family meeting-house.” The pleasant New England custom of the gathering together of families to celebrate Thanksgiving is now observed in most of our States. From far and near they come, filling the cars with merry family parties, who chatter away of anticipated pleasures to be found in the old home. Little children taught to lisp grandma and grandpa are instructed by their mammas not to be afraid of the old gentleman who will meet them at the depot, nor the dear old lady who waits with open arms at the door of grandpa’s house.

Children old enough to know what a Thanksgiving at grandpa’s is like are wild with delight at the prospect before them. Their eyes brighten at the thought of the great pantry where grandma keeps her doughnuts and cookies; of the cellar with its bins of sweet and juicy apples; of the nuts and popcorn, all of which taste so much nicer at grandma’s than anywhere else. And then what fun the games will be which they will play with cousins, who, though rather shy at first, will soon make friends. The lovely young aunties, too, who help grandma entertain all these guests, will join in the games and suggest and carry out schemes of amusements which the children would never think of.

What a happy holiday it is, how social and pleasant and comfortable and easy! How near and dear all the bright faces gathered around the long table at the Thanksgiving-dinner, seem to be. Truly, we should all be thankful that we have a Thanksgiving.

However, this chapter is not written merely to generalize upon the pleasures of the day, but in order that we may offer something new, in the way of amusement, which will add to the fund of merriment on this occasion. The series of

Impromptu Burlesque Tableaux

illustrating some of the principal events in our history will be appropriate for this national holiday, and will prove a mirth-provoking entertainment.

When two rooms are connected by folding-doors, a whole room may be used for the stage. In this case no curtains are necessary, as the doors take their place, and, for impromptu tableaux, answer very well. When there are no such connecting rooms, one end of a large room can be curtained off with sheets, or any kind of drapery, suspended from a rope or wire stretched from one wall to the other. It is best to keep the audience as far away from this improvised stage as the room will admit of, for distance greatly assists the effect.

Landing of the Pilgrims.

Tableau 1.—The good ship Mayflower has just touched Plymouth Rock. Pilgrim Father stands upon the rock, and reaches down to help Pilgrim Mother to land. A number of Indians sit upon the edge of the rock, fishing unconcernedly over the side, while the Pilgrims take possession. In the ship Pilgrim children are standing, with outstretched arms, waiting to be taken ashore.

COSTUMES.

Pilgrim Father.—Cape, a broad-brimmed, high-crowned hat and large, white collar, over ordinary boy’s dress, spectacles—cut from black paper (Fig. 200). The cape may be of any material, so that it is of a dark color.

The hat can be made by cutting from stiff brown paper a crown (Fig. 201), fitting it around the crown of an ordinary flat-brimmed hat, bringing it into a conical shape, and pinning it in place (Fig. 202). The brim should be cut from the same paper in a large circle (Fig. 203), the hole in the centre being just large enough to fit nicely around the crown, over which it is slipped, and pushed down until it rests upon the real hat-brim (Fig. 204). The paper brim should be about seven inches wide, and the crown nine inches high. Figure 205 is the pattern of collar, which can be made of white paper or muslin.

Pilgrim Mother.—Full, plain skirt, white kerchief, small white cap, and large spectacles. A gentleman’s linen handkerchief, put around the neck and crossed over the bosom, answers for a kerchief. The cap, too, can be made of a large handkerchief in this way.

Fold the handkerchief in the manner shown in Fig. 206; lay it flat upon a table, and turn the folded corners over as in Fig. 207; turn up the bottom edge over the other, and roll over about three times (Fig. 208); take the handkerchief up by the ends and the cap (Fig. 209) is made.

Children.—The young Pilgrims’ costumes are like the others, on a smaller scale, but they wear no spectacles.

Indians.—Bright-colored shawls for blankets, and feather-dusters for head-dresses. The duster is tied on to the back of the Indian’s neck with a ribbon which passes under the chin, and the shawl is placed over the handle, partially covering the head and enveloping the figure.

PROPERTIES.

The ship is a large wash-tub, which is placed in the centre of the stage; its sail is a towel, fastened with pins to a stick, the stick being tied to a broom, as shown in illustration. It is held aloft by one of the children in the tub.

Plymouth Rock is a table, occupying a position near the tub. On top of it is a chair, placed on its side to give an uneven surface, and over both chair and table is thrown a gray table-cover. The fishing-poles of the Indians are walking-canes with strings tied to the ends.

First Harvest.

Tableau 2.—Pilgrim families, grouped in the centre of the stage, examining an ear of corn and rejoicing over their first harvest.

PROPERTIES.

A broom, upon which is tied one ear of dried corn, or popcorn, it doesn’t matter which, and if neither is to be had, an imitation ear of corn can be made by rolling paper into the shape of Fig. 210, cutting husks after the pattern Fig. 211, and putting them together like Fig. 212. The broom is held erect, with the handle resting on the floor, by Pilgrim Father.

Devastation by the Indians.

Tableau 3.—A long table reaches across centre of stage; upon it are empty dishes, and the remains of a feast.

At each end and at back of table are grouped the Indians, who are gnawing large turkey-bones and eating huge pieces of bread and pie. The Pilgrim family stand at each side, and view with horror the destruction of their dinner.

PROPERTIES.

The table is a board placed across the backs of two chairs. In the centre of the table is a large pie-plate, with only a very small piece of pie remaining in it; most of the other dishes are empty.

The Revolution.

Tableau 4.—This is represented by the revolution of a wheel. Pilgrim Mother stands in the centre of the stage, at a spinning-wheel, which is set in motion just as the curtain is parted.

PROPERTIES.

If a real spinning-wheel cannot be obtained, a velocipede, baby-carriage, or child’s wagon, turned upside down, will answer the purpose. In the illustration the curtain has been made transparent, to show how the two back wheels of a velocipede are disposed of. A broom is fastened in an upright position to the velocipede, and on the handle is tied a piece of gray linen (a handkerchief will do), to represent flax. A string tied to the linen is held by Pilgrim Mother. The curtain must be dropped before the wheel ceases to revolve.

Slavery.

Tableau 5.—Pilgrim Mother is bending over a wash-tub, with sleeves rolled up to shoulders, washing; a great pile of clothes lies on the floor at her side; she looks angrily at the Pilgrim Father, who sits opposite to her with his legs crossed, calmly reading a newspaper.[F]

PROPERTIES.

The tub used for the ship, placed on two chairs; a washboard and a pile of clothes, white predominating. A rocking-chair for the Pilgrim Father.

Rebellion.

Tableau 6.—Pilgrim Mother stands in defiant attitude, facing Pilgrim Father, who has just arisen from his chair.

The tub and one of the chairs upon which it stands are tipped over, and the clothes are scattered about.

PROPERTIES.

Same as in preceding tableau.

Peace and Plenty.

Tableau 7.—Table extending across the centre of stage is heaped with all sorts of edibles—whole pumpkins, vegetables, fruit, and flowers. At one end of the festive board stands Pilgrim Father, at the other Pilgrim Mother, smiling at each other. Pilgrim Father holds a long carving-knife, as though about to carve a large pumpkin in front of him. Pilgrim Mother is in the act of cutting a huge pie. At the back of the table are ranged the Pilgrim children, each holding outstretched an empty plate, waiting to be served, and all smiling. At each side of the stage, extending to the front, is a line of Indians sitting on the floor, smoking the pipes of peace. The Indians also are smiling.

PROPERTIES.

Table same as in Tableau 3: Dishes, fruit, and vegetables. The Indians’ pipes are canes with bent handles.

If, in arranging the stage, clothes-horses, with drapery thrown over them, are placed at the back, they will not only form a background for the pictures presented, but the space behind makes a nice dressing-room or retiring-place for those taking part.

Pumpkin lanterns, set in a row on the floor just inside the curtain, will be funny substitutes for footlights. They will decorate the stage appropriately, and at the same time be quite safe. Fig. 213 shows how they are made. The face is not cut through, but the features are scraped thin enough to allow the light inside to make them visible. If they were cut, as in ordinary pumpkin lanterns, the light would shine out from instead of on to the stage.

The Game of the Headless Turkey.

A large silhouette, representing a headless turkey, is cut from black, or dark colored paper-muslin, and fastened upon a sheet stretched tightly across a door-way. To each member of the party is given a pin and a muslin head, which, if rightly placed, will fit the turkey. Then, one at a time, the players are blind-folded and placed at the end of the room opposite the sheet. After turning them around three times one way, then three times the other, they are started off to search for the turkey, that they may pin the head where they suppose it belongs. When the person going blindly about the room comes in contact with anything, no matter what, be it chair, table, wall, door, or another player, she must pin the turkey-head to the object touched. To the person who comes nearest to placing the head in its true place, a prize of a gilded wish-bone, tied to a card with a ribbon, is given. And she who makes the least successful effort is presented with a turkey-feather, which she must stick in her hair and wear for the remainder of the evening.

A Suggestion.

Amid all these bright and happy thoughts of feasting and merrymaking, comes an idea, so gently, yet persistently, forcing itself upon my notice, that it finally assumes the form of a definite plan which I will put to you in the form of a suggestion.

At this time, when, thinking over the numerous blessings, that most of you find to be thankful for, how would it do, girls, to form a society among yourselves, to be called the Thanksgiving Society, whose object will be to provide a real Thanksgiving for other and less fortunate girls, by giving them something to be thankful for before next year’s Thanksgiving shall arrive?

There need be no formality about the society. The only necessary officer will be a secretary, to keep a record of what is done by the society, individually and collectively; which report the secretary will read at the grand annual meeting on Thanksgiving Day.

Many girls, young, like yourselves, to whom it is just as natural to be glad and happy, have little to make them so, and to bring some brightness into their lives would indeed be worth forming a society for.

There are various ways in which kindness may be done these girls, and so many avenues will open to those seeking to benefit them, that it is needless to attempt any instruction as to what work may be performed by the society; if this suggestion is adopted, I know it will be safe to leave it to the quick sympathy and warm hearts of the girls to do the right thing at the right moment. What think you, girls, would it not be worth while to make of this last Thursday of November a Thanksgiving for others as well as for yourselves? and would not your own pleasures be doubly enhanced when sweetened with the thought of having done what you could to make someone else happy?