Here the letters G O Q D B Y leave the ranks and stand at the front of the stage. D places his hand over the quirk of the letter Q, making it an O, and they form the word GOOD-BY.

The march has carried the rest of the letters to the back, where they stand in a semicircle. The music accommodates itself to the movement, so that the GOOD-BY comes in at the right time, then all take up the song again with the words:

The endeavor throughout this little play has been to keep it as simple as possible and quite within the capacity of the children taking part. The girls and boys should be well drilled in the marches, that they may keep step and perfect time, also in the song; and they should know to a certainty what places they are to take in spelling the words. Then if, when speaking, they enunciate clearly and speak slowly the success of the play is assured. Very slowly and clearly each word must be spoken, otherwise the meaning and point will be lost.

The character of the teacher should be taken by a young girl old enough to lead and direct children. The marches may be as elaborate as the manager chooses, but they should not be too long or intricate.

The shields are made of heavy white card-board after the pattern shown in Fig. 590, and the handles are strips of tin fastened in the middle of the shield. To secure the handle in place, with a sharp knife cut two horizontal slits about one inch long in the shield near the centre. These must be about five inches apart, and one directly over the other. Then make two more slits of the same size, one two inches above the top slit, the other two inches below the bottom slit. Pass one end of the tin through the Fig. 590.
Fig. 590. lower top slit, working from the inside of the shield, and bend the end up, slipping it back through the upper top slit as if taking a stitch; then fasten the end by bending it up close to the inner surface of the shield. Care must be taken not to tear the card-board during this process. Now reverse the order of work, and passing the other end of this tin through the two lower slits in the shield, fasten it by bending the end down. The loop of the handle must be sufficiently large to allow a child’s hand to slide in and grasp it easily. When the tin is well wrapped in strips of cotton cloth there is no danger of a cut from the sharp edges.

Large black letters are either painted on the shields or cut from black paper or cloth and pasted on. These letters must be simple and plain in design, that they may be instantly recognized. All the shields should be of one size, and as a rule should reach from the shoulder almost to the knee of the bearer. The children, also, should be as nearly of one height as possible.

Summer is coming! Don’t you see it? Don’t you feel it? Even while the trees are still leafless and the grass-plots still brown we know spring is here, almost as the plants themselves know it, by the surging up of new life in our veins.

We open wide our windows to let the sweet sunshine in and make ready to welcome the blessed summer so near at hand.

What if you cannot leave the city, as some do, to enjoy the delights of a summer in the country; what if you have not even a foot of ground, you may still have some of the sweets with which summer is so lavish; you may, nevertheless, have your flower-garden. Summer will help you grow your plants. The sun is knocking now on your window, bidding you prepare the ground for summer to make fruitful.

A real hanging garden, with creeping vines and fragrant flowers, will prove a delight, and it may be yours though your window is your only garden plot.

Take your tape-measure and find the width of your window. It is about three feet wide, isn’t it? Well, it doesn’t matter. Whatever the width, add two feet more and you have the length for your garden. Thus, for a three-foot window you will have a five-foot garden. Go to the planing-mill and select a wide board of that length. See that it is without flaws, and do not be afraid of having it thick, for it must bear a heavy weight. Buy a pair of strong iron brackets, or very likely at the mill they will give you two three-cornered pieces of board like Fig. 591, which will answer the purpose as well. With screws fasten these brackets to the board, about half a foot from each end, as in Fig. 592. Near the back edge of the board, directly above the two brackets, screw in good-sized screw-eyes, as shown by A, B, Fig. 592. Measure the distance from the bottom edge of your board to the top of the screw-eye, as designated by the dotted line C in Fig. 593, and fasten strong hooks in the outer wall on either side of your window at the same distance above the window-sill. Be careful about your measurements and have your hooks just as far apart as the screw-eyes. Go to a hardware store and get a piece of wire netting, such as is used for fences, long enough to go around the front and Fig. 594.
Fig. 594. Fig. 593.
Fig. 593. side edges of your board. Have three strips cut from it, one eighteen inches wide for your garden fence, the other two each twelve inches wide and about three feet long for trellises for your vines. Fit the fence around the board, bending it sharply at the corners, and tack in place along the edge of the board, using double tacks, called staple tacks, for the purpose. Paint the board and wire netting dark green, and, when dry, lift it out of the window, and, resting the board on the outside window-sill, slip the screw-eyes on the hooks in the wall, as in Fig. 592. With two staple tacks fasten the ends of the fence to the wall.

Now you are

Get two strong wooden ones from your grocer, about eight inches deep and of a size to fit the board at either side of your window, and another to fit between the two end ones. Bore several holes in the bottom of each box, bind the edges where they meet with strips of tin, as shown by the dark strips in Fig. 594. Have the tinsmith cut the tin the required lengths and also bend it to fit your boxes. It will then be easy work to tack it on yourself.

Binding the boxes in this way makes them strong and prevents their bursting apart, as they are very apt to do with nothing to stay them. Paint the boxes dark green, like the board, and on the bottom of each place a layer of charcoal, next a layer of sand and then fill with earth, enriched with fertilizer obtained at the drug-store. Weave two straight sticks, about four feet long, in and out through each piece of wire netting for your trellises. Stand a trellis upright in either end box by pushing the end of the sticks deep into the soil.

It is a country, not a city, garden you want, is it not? Then don’t be persuaded into buying geraniums, fuchsias, verbenas, etc. They are very lovely, but you can have them all winter long, if you wish. What you are trying for now is

—one where you plant the seeds and have the excitement of seeing them come up, then watching them grow, and finally of discovering the first buds which so soon are to blossom and reward you with their beauty and fragrance for all the care bestowed upon them.

Have you ever seen the hop-vine? It is very pretty, with its soft festoons of feathery tassels. The hop-vine, running up the trellis on one side of the window; the red bean, with its scarlet blossoms, on the other, will bring a bit of the country to you as little else can.

Around the front and side edges of the end boxes plant nasturtium seeds, and midsummer will find a wealth of tangled vines and fragrant flowers which will clamber over, under, and through your fence in wild abandon.

In the middle box plant bachelor’s-buttons (corn-flowers), which blossom from July to late autumn with white, blue, and pink flowers. Plant also mignonette for its sweetness, and, to complete the country effect, add lady-slippers.

All these flowers are raised from the seed, except the hop-vine. For this you will have to get the “sets,” which are the underground stems of the old vines cut into pieces. Three or four “sets” planted together will give you a nice vine.

One of the oddest of odd gardens is

This, too, may be just outside your window if you are so fortunate as to have a balcony large enough to hold a good-sized tub; or one corner of your backyard may perhaps be spared for a place in which to rear your water-babies.

Half of a good, strong hogshead barrel makes a fine bed for a miniature pond; a molasses barrel will answer or any kind of tank that will hold water and is at least two feet deep can be used for the purpose.

Do not choose too shady a spot for your water garden. There are very few plants that are not the better for a little sunshine. An unsheltered corner which must endure the burning heat of the afternoon sun is also undesirable, but a place which only the morning sun can reach will be suited to almost any water plant. You will need

as well as water for this aquatic garden, and if you are living in the city it will be a good idea to take a trip to the suburbs, where you can fill a tin pail with the muddy, freshwater swamp soil. Failing that, you may procure from a florist some turfy loam and enrich it with a good fertilizer.

Fill the bottom of your tank with the soil to the depth of one foot and plant your roots before adding the water. It is a good thing to anchor the plants with stones to prevent them from floating out of place when the water is poured in.

For most of your

you will probably have to visit the country, as there appears to be no way of getting the simpler kinds but by going directly to Mother Nature and transplanting them from her garden to yours.

Before starting on your search make inquiries and learn what you may expect to find in the various localities.

Water lilies are not found on all ponds, but they are well worth any amount of travelling, and secure some you must, even if several trips have to be taken before they are discovered.

There is a water garden in our neighborhood which is a source of great pleasure to its owner. Floating on the surface of the water in two great stone tanks are pond lilies of several varieties. As the great buds grow and unfold they are watched closely and with intense interest until they are suddenly found full-blown, fair and pure, a floating mass of loveliness.

Any and every plant which grows in the ponds and swamps may be made to grow in an artificial pond or swamp in your own house or yard. The water arum or arrow-leaf; the pickerel-weed, with its spikes of pale-blue flowers; the sagittaria, whose flowers are white, and the water hyacinth are all pretty in the water garden.

There are vines that grow readily in water which you can put around the edges of the tank, allowing them to hang over and partially hide the outside. The Wandering Jew is one which is very hardy and will droop in graceful festoons of green. It is not a water plant, but will thrive in water and should not be planted in the soil at the bottom, but allowed to send out its roots into the water near the surface.

Aquatic plants are the simplest of all kinds to transplant, because the sun does not wilt them when their roots are kept wet. Transfer the plants in baskets filled with wet moss, or make them in packages covered on all sides with several wrappings of wet paper. They can be preserved an indefinite length of time if kept wet.

Cat-tail seeds will grow in mud; so will other swamp plants, and a swamp garden, kept always wet, may be an accessory to your water garden.

From time to time you must add fresh water to supply the loss by evaporation in the tanks, but as the growing things keep the water pure it does not need changing.

You may arrange smaller and

for the window in glass dishes or bowls, or even glass jars, and grow there the small and delicate water plants. Only a layer of clean sand is needed for soil, and some plants do not even require that. The water-milfoil is an ornamental little plant; the eel-grass which, growing at the bottom, sends up its long spiral stems to lift its blossoms above the water, is interesting, and the horn-wort and water-purslane do well in narrow quarters. The duck-weed is a surface plant which drops its slender roots into the water without touching soil. Besides these there are

A friend of mine tells the story of a morning-glory vine which, growing in water, draped her window luxuriantly and even blossomed in a timid way. This plant was taken from the garden when its stem was several inches long and placed in a bottle of water, where it sent out more roots and grew rapidly.

It is possible, too, and is a very pretty experiment, to start the seeds without soil. Among the plants in my studio window, a short time ago, was a green glass finger-bowl filled nearly to the brim with water. On the surface of the water rested two layers of raw cotton cut to fit the bowl, and on top of the cotton were scattered a number of morning-glory seeds. They lay quietly on their soft, floating bed for a few days, then the seeds began to send out white worm-like shoots, and shortly there appeared on each a pair of small heart-shaped leaves tightly clasped together at the top by the now empty seed-shell. Soon down into the water, piercing the cotton, little thread-like roots made their way, growing thicker in mass and stronger as the young plants shot up in a wonderful growth. We watched them from their birth until they were three or four inches high, when an accident brought their existence to a close and our experiment to an untimely end.

Almost any seeds will sprout when treated in this manner, and in order to keep the water pure during the waiting period it is well to drop into it several small pieces of charcoal. Charcoal is a great purifier and its use is advisable in all water gardens.

appears quite marvellous to one who sees it for the first time. Take a large, rather coarse sponge, put it in a glass bowl, sprinkle it with sand and give it as much water as it will hold, then scatter all over it flaxseed or mustard seed, clover seed or buckwheat and place in your window. It will not be long before you have a sponge of living green, the secret of whose beauty lies in its being kept always wet.

of the tuber variety will grow, not in the water, but with water in them. The sweet potato, which puts forth a pretty vine, the white potato and the turnip have all proved successful experiments in my window, and it is said Fig. 595.
Fig. 595. that the carrot and parsnip can be made to grow in the same way; their tendency, however, is to split at the sides, which allows the water to escape and causes them to dry up. I am told that another way to grow them is to immerse each half way in a bottle of water, keeping the vegetable suspended by means of a darning-needle thrust through it and resting on the edge of the bottle. In selecting potatoes choose those which have a number of well-developed “eyes,” and avoid the sweet potatoes which look temptingly clean and smooth. In nearly every case these are kiln-dried, or dried by artificial means, and no amount of coaxing will induce them to sprout.

Take a large potato which will hold considerable water when hollowed out, cut off one end and clean out the inside to the depth of several inches. Puncture holes on opposite sides about half an inch from the edge, pass one end of a string through each hole and tie, leaving a loop at the top (Fig. 595), then fill with water and hang at the side of your window, where it will not touch the glass nor get the direct rays of the sun.

In preparing the turnip remember to turn it upside down, as it is the root end you are to cut off; this is pointed and generally ends in a string-like root; the leaves sprout from the other end and form a pretty foliage. The turnip will not only send out its own leaves, but vines may be planted inside which will grow down to meet the upward growing leaves of the vegetable.

English ivy grows well in water, and you all know that the Japanese lily requires only a layer of pebbles in a dish of water to grow and blossom most beautifully. Hyacinths in their own peculiar glasses are also raised entirely in water.

Of other odd gardens which are full of interest there is one called a

This is composed entirely of plants given by various friends of the owner, and each plant is called by the name of the giver. Devote one flower-bed, large or small as the case requires, to your friendship collection, and set out all your plants there. They will probably form a strange medley; but so much the better, it will only make the queer garden the more interesting. Roses, geraniums, lilies, fuchsias, heliotrope, sweet violets—sheltered from too great heat by the larger plants—verbenas and mignonette may all grow in this odd companionship. Endeavor not to crowd them too closely and study the habits of each plant, that it may be kept from encroaching upon the rights of its neighbor, if aggressive, or be crowded out of existence if of a retiring and yielding nature. Give all equal care, and your love for each plant and its giver will also grow and blossom in a way most sweet and marvellous.

is in reality a collection of souvenir plants brought from various places one has visited.

You may have your memory garden in your window if you like, for your plants will probably not be large and very likely will do best each in its separate flower-pot with soil adapted to its needs.

From various parts of the United States, from foreign countries, from places of historical and geographical interest you can bring mementoes for your garden that will be beautiful reminders of the pleasant scenes and incidents of your travels.

In this game there are two sides, so that only an equal number can take part. Each player is provided with a new, shallow tin pan, the parties then separate, and stand in two lines, facing each other, about eight or ten feet apart.

The starter at the head of one of the lines fastens one end of a ball of yarn to a door-knob or chair just behind her and, putting the ball on her pan, tosses it to the player directly opposite, who endeavors to catch it on his pan, and toss it to the person on the other side, who stands next to the starter.

The third player in turn sends it back to the one standing second on the opposite side (Fig. 596).

In this order, going back and forth, the ball travels down the ranks.

When it reaches the end of the line, it is started back again, and kept going until the yarn is all unwound.

In no case may the ball be touched with the hands. When it falls to the floor, it must be lifted up with the pan by the player who drops or fails to catch it, and when the yarn fastens itself to the clothing, or becomes entwined around the body of a player, it must not be touched, no matter how much it may inconvenience the movements.

Great care should be taken not to break the thread, anyone doing so is counted out of the game, she cannot leave her place, however, for moving may disturb the yarn attached to others. The ends of the broken yarn must be tied together before the game is resumed.

When the yarn is all unwound it is the object of each player to loosen himself from the tangle without breaking the thread.

The time must be noted and five minutes only be allowed for the disentanglement.

At the end of this time the side which has the greatest number of members free from the meshes of yarn wins the game.

The flashing of the bright tin pans, the struggles of the players to catch the ball and elude the loose thread, the comically careful movements of those who have become entangled in the yarn, all tend to make the game a very merry one, to the lookers-on as well as the participants.

Some of the games played with wooden hoops are full of fun, and the constant changing of position of the players forms a very pretty moving picture for the spectator.

Four boys and four girls make up the set for the “Hoop Dance,” and chance allots the partners, in this way: A stick is placed on the ground and the group, standing about twelve feet away, take turns in tossing small stones as near to it as possible. The girl and boy throwing nearest the goal take first position; the girl and boy throwing second nearest take the second position, and so on. The four couples stand quite a distance apart, at least six yards being allowed between those facing each other, as in Fig. 597. (Crosses represent boys and circles girls.) One of the players is chosen leader, and it is his duty to call out the different figures of the “Hoop Dance.” At “Attention!” all take position and stand ready, hoop in hand, to respond to the first call. The leader then prompts, “First and second couples cross over right and left.” Immediately the two boys, B and F, move to the left, as in Fig. 598, in order to give space for E to roll her hoop between A and B, and A to pass between E and F. As the leader prompts the two couples roll their hoops to the opposite sides. Then the leader calls, “Third and fourth couples right and left.” They follow the example of the first couple, the boys H and D moving to the left to give space for C to pass between G and H, and G to cross between C and D. The leader next calls, “First couples right and left back to places,” and this movement is repeated by the last couples.

of the dance the girls of the first couples change places, as in Fig. 599, where A and E roll their hoops diagonally across the intervening space according to the dotted lines. This brings A in E's place and E in A's. Next the girls change places on the sides; C and G cross over to opposite sides. Then the leader cries out, “Girls of first couples return to places,” and E and A roll their hoops back to first position. “The sides do the same.” In like manner the boys change, first B and F, then D and H, and return to places, taking great care not to allow their hoops to fall or get beyond their control.

is “Hoops all around.” At “Attention!” from the leader each player turns, facing the back of the next player. Arrows point the direction players are to take (Fig. 600). A turns toward B; B faces C; C looks at D, and so on. Then, with hoops in position, at the word “Hoops all around” each player follows the companion directly ahead, rolling his hoop as he goes around the circle, stopping only when his original place is reached.

Again the leader calls, “Attention.” This time each player faces his partner, stepping a little to one side to allow the partner to pass (Fig. 597), which brings all the girls A, C, E, and G, facing the left and outside the ring, while B, D, F, and H, the boys, face the right and are inside the ring. At the call from the leader, “Grand right and left,” each player carefully rolls his hoop first to one side, then to the other of those whom he meets on his way around the circle, beginning with his partner (Fig. 597). The girl A passes to the right of her partner B, left of D, right of F and left of H. All the other players weave in and out in the same way, as in the ordinary quadrille, the only difference being that instead of the hands being grasped in passing the hoops are rolled to right and left. This figure concludes the “Hoop Dance.” Should the players be all girls, let four of them tie handkerchiefs on their left arms to show that, for the time being, they represent the sterner sex.

The Game of Tag never loses its charm. Who can resist rushing after a companion at the words “last tag.” No girl with any daring or enterprise can rest content until the compliment be returned. Somewhat differing from the original tag, but none the less attractive, is the game of the same name played with wooden hoops.

keeps one constantly on the alert. Any number may join in this game, and all, except one, must be provided with hoops and sticks. Decide who shall be “It” by some counting-out rhyme—such as

This important person has a stick, but no hoop. From some particular starting-point determine the distance the players may roll their hoops before “It” is permitted to follow. The distance is optional—eight yards or so would do, the place being designated by a house, tree or fence, as the case may be, and made plain to all by “It” saying, “I'll stand here and give you all a chance to reach that tree”—or whatever the object may be—“before I follow.” At the signal, “Are you ready? Go!” from “It,” all except “It” start rolling their hoops in the same direction. As soon as the first player reaches the tree “It” calls out, “Coming!” and immediately follows. The other players hearing the word “coming” scatter in all directions while “It” endeavors to strike someone’s hoop with her stick. When she succeeds the captive surrenders the hoop to “It,” who scampers away with her prize to join the others. The loser, instantly becoming “It,” starts in pursuit of the nearest hoop. She cannot, however, strike the hoop she has just lost until the player has had time to run several yards beyond her reach. The game continues until each player has been “It.”

When at the circus, has not everyone seen the clown and other members of the sawdust ring jump boldly through a hoop held in the air? They perform the feat with such skill that it looks very simple, but it is less easy than it appears.

though, is not difficult, for a wooden hoop takes the part of the clown. The game calls for one extra hoop large enough to allow the remaining hoops to pass through it (Fig. 601.) Count out to determine who shall be “It” and when that is decided let the other players take their places at a given distance—about fifty feet—from the large hoop, which is held perfectly still in position by “It.”

The object of the game is that each player, in turn, shall roll her hoop through the large one without allowing the Fig. 601.
Fig. 601. rolling hoop to fall on its way to the other side of the large hoop. The first player to miss changes places with “It” and holds the big hoop, giving her smaller hoop to the first “It”; and the latter joins the ranks of the players, taking the last place in the row. The second to fail surrenders her hoop and in turn becomes “It.” The game proceeds in this way until only one player remains who has not been obliged, through failure, to take the part of “It.” Such a one is victorious and the winner of the game. No player is allowed to be “It” a second time in the same game. The second miss debarring her from any more trials, she drops from the line to await a new game, when she will be entitled to the same chance of winning as the others.

Racing always has its charm, and wherever there is a group of young girls, sooner or later there will be a race of some kind. There is no fixed number of players for the

Still it is better not to have more than eight. In determining the couples who shall race together, eight slender sticks or broom-straws are used, making four pairs of straws, each pair of a different length. A player holds the straws in her hand, showing one end of each. They are placed evenly, all projecting out the same distance from the closed hand (Fig. 602). When each player has drawn a straw and found her partner, who has its mate, the two holding the longest straws roll their hoops from the given starting-point to the goal previously determined. The distance Fig. 602.
Fig. 602. should not be more than three or four hundred feet. The two players having the next two longest straws take second turn. Third place belongs to the two holding the next longest straws, leaving those with the shortest straws last. All who fail to win the first or trial race fall out of the game, and the four victors again draw straws for places as in the first trial. The two couples race, and then comes the final test between the last two victors, the other two having dropped out. The last trial is watched eagerly by the six who are out of the game and stand as spectators on each side of the course, cheering the players as they race after their hoops. The first to reach the goal in this run is hailed as the champion.

When you learn to jump rope you acquire unconsciously at the same time a delightful sense of rhythm in addition to the exercise the sport affords. In the lively

the players choose a leader and use a long rope which is turned at each end by two of the players. The others, in turn, follow the leader, doing everything she does, even to the turn of the head and the movement of the hands. When all is ready, the rope turning evenly and steadily toward the leader, she runs in and through to the opposite side without jumping, calling out “Follow me”; the other players do likewise. Then with the rope turning away from her she runs back in, jumps once and runs out on the opposite side. The others follow. Next the leader runs in, jumps once, then stoops and picks up a small stone or pebble, which has previously been placed near the rope, regaining her position in time to jump over the rope when it next comes to her feet. Again she stoops, lays the pebble back in place, jumps once and runs out. The others repeat this. The leader runs in, jumps first on one foot, on the other, then on both, and runs out. The others do likewise. The leader runs in, calling to one of the followers to join her. They face, grasp each other’s hands and jump. Still holding hands they raise them over their heads and jump. The others, in couples, follow in like fashion.

Should the leader at any time fail, she must take an end of the rope, and the one next in line becomes leader, while the player relieved from turning goes to the bottom of the line, her turn coming last. At the first miss of the second leader the player directly following takes the leadership; each follower becomes leader in turn. When one of the followers misses she takes an end of the rope, and the player released goes to the bottom of the line to await her turn. The game continues until each player has enjoyed the distinction of being leader.

is a jumping-rope game played by three or more. Two turn the rope, each taking an end; they walk along, turning as they go. The other players run in at the start and jump forward at each turn of the rope, keeping pace with the rope-turners. As soon as one trips she changes places with the player at the end of the rope. The point of the game is that the entire group shall keep constantly moving forward, each player being obliged to take an end of the rope when she fails.

In the game of

a long rope is necessary and at least four players, two to turn and two to jump. If more join the game, they must divide into couples and take turns jumping, as the sport requires two to enter and jump the rope together. The places are taken as in Fig. 603. One player is stationed as near as possible to one end of the rope, and the other player close to the other end on the opposite side. As the rope turns the players A and B (Fig. 603) advance, jumping toward each other. They meet, pass and continue on their way toward the opposite end of the rope until they have changed positions, A being in B's place and B in A's. They return to their first positions and run out, leaving the rope free for the next two to have their turn.

One of the liveliest rope games is

A long rope is turned by two of the players; another runs in and jumps once; they all sing in chorus “Red, white and blue,” slowly keeping time with the rope, which is turned three times high in air above the head of the jumper. The first turn is for red, the second for white, and the third for blue. As the turners lower the rope to the ground, without once stopping in the turning, the player jumps once, and again the rope goes up and is turned three times in the air while the chorus is repeated. Then, after another jump, all chant the words, “Salt, pepper, MUSTARD, VINEGAR,” the rope turns very slowly for salt, faster for pepper, still faster for mustard and at lightning speed as vinegar is pronounced; the jumper increasing her speed at each turn of the rope.

Everybody plays

Young and old alike enjoy the game whose object is merely to strike a small ball backward and forward over a net stretched across a table. If you have never played the game it will seem very simple, but upon first trial you will probably realize that keeping the ball in motion is not as easy as it appears, for, instead of returning over the net in an orderly manner, the ball shows an uncontrollable inclination to jump down on the floor and hide in some obscure corner, thereby causing the player to enter reluctantly into a game of hide-and-seek with the tantalizing little object. However, it requires only slight practice to gain control of the ball, and the game is then very fascinating.

Any girl may have a set of Ping Pong, for she can make it at the cost of

The only thing in the game necessary to purchase is a celluloid Fig. 604.
i_335-fig604-605.jpg Fig. 604.
Fig. 605. ball, the price of which is three cents. Other implements needed are two rackets, a net, and the frame or stakes supporting the net. The racket can be manufactured from a piece of wooden box, or possibly a shingle Fig. 606.
Fig. 606. which is sound and free from knots. Wood about a quarter of an inch thick, or more, is best for the purpose. Cut a paper pattern first as a guide for the shape of the racket. Take a piece of paper twelve and a quarter inches long and six wide; fold lengthwise through the centre and cut according to dotted lines in Fig. 604. Open the paper pattern and place it over the wood; with a lead-pencil draw a line completely around it, then carefully saw or cut out the racket, and smooth down the rough edges with sand-paper; make Fig 607.
Fig 607. Fig 608.
Fig 608. the second racket in the same manner. The head of the racket should be seven inches long and six wide, the handle five and a quarter inches long and a trifle over one inch wide (Fig. 605). Saw the stakes from the handle of an ordinary hearth-broom, or from any strong, slender round stick. Make each stake eight inches long and notch it at the top (Fig. 606). As a support for the stakes use a strip of board three inches wide, not more than one inch thick, and about four feet long. If you have no auger to make two holes in the board for the stakes, burn them through the centre of the ends with the red-hot point of a round poker (Fig. 607). Be careful not to make the holes too large, have them rather small, that the stakes when fitted in may be tight and firm. A strip of almost any kind of cloth six inches wide, hemmed top and bottom and cut long enough to stretch taut entirely across and above the board, when tied from stake to stake, may serve as a net. Mosquito netting or turkey-red cotton cloth make satisfactory strips; use whatever material is most convenient. Fig. 608 shows the net with two narrow tapes sewed at the four corners for tying it to top and bottom of the stakes. Stretch the net across the centre of a table, preferably a dining-room table, bring forth your rackets and ball, and practise playing Ping Pong with some friend, each standing at one end of the table (Fig. 609).