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140 The Book of Indoor and Outdoor Games
of world-famous lovers are written—Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Dante and Beatrice, etc. Or quotations in praise of love are in one basket, their authors in another.
To the ladies are given cards with the names of the different men present written upon them, a blank against each name, and small boxes containing miniature red hearts, and mittens with mucilage on the reverse side—like stamps.
At a touch of the bell every man takes a seat and proceeds to lead up to the prettiest proposals that he can frame in speech. There must be no crude haste; the subject must be introduced both delicately and diplomatically. Ten or fifteen minutes is the interval allowed in which to make an offer of one's hand and heart in so beguiling a way as to induce the lady to paste a red heart over against one's name. At the expiration of the time-limit the touch of a bell indicates that the opportunity is no longer open, and the ardent swain passes on to lay siege to another damsel. It is the aim of the men to propose to every girl in the room, that of the maidens to fence so adroitly as to prevent their "coming to the point."
The man who has succeeded in placing the greatest number of definite proposals is determined by examination of the ladies' cards. The man, opposite whose name are the most red hearts thereon, wins the prize of a heart-shaped photograph frame or sofa-pillow, perhaps, made in the same form, or silver key-ring. The man whose failures are chronicled in mittens may receive a card of buttons, with needles and thread, contained in a worsted mitten.
To the most successful damosel—who has known how to control the situation, permitting only the offers |
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