GEORGE WASHINGTON PARTY
Very probably George Washington never had a birthday party, as he lived in the days when children were “seen and not heard.” So it would be a good idea to have a party in his honor on his birthday. Of course you will need old-fashioned costumes, and these will probably be found by ransacking the garret. But if, like Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, the garret is bare, you can easily borrow a skirt of mother’s, fasten it under your arms, tie a sash in Empire style, put on a kerchief, and there you are!
All that you will need to have ready for this party will be silhouette paper, and cardboard mounts for the silhouette pictures.
The afternoon may be spent in playing old-fashioned games, such as “London Bridge,” “What is my Thought Like,” “Proverbs,” “Going to Jerusalem,” and “Mulberry Bush,” ending up with a Virginia reel. Then while you are resting, mother will make a silhouette picture of each one of you. You must sit in front of a lamp so that your shadow will fall clearly upon the wall or door. Then the paper should be fastened so that your shadow will fall on it, and an outline be made with pencil. This outline is to be cut out, and pasted upon a cardboard mount, and there is a fine silhouette portrait! These portraits can be hung about the room, as an art gallery, and you can have a great deal of fun trying to decide “who’s who.”
By this time you will be ready for mother’s old-fashioned supper, so you will sit down at “early candle light,” and enjoy stewed chicken and waffles, hot biscuit, preserves, cake and ice cream. If mother wishes to be very “colonial” she will have a large ball of popcorn in the center of the table. A box of bonbons in the form of a three-cornered hat, will be a nice souvenir for each guest.