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484 The Book of Indoor and Outdoor Games |
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taneously, and each one finds a gift at the end of his ribbon.
The caterers have many novelties every year—one of the latest is a pie surmounted by a doll dressed as "Bo Peep," surrounded by her flock of woolly lambs.
A mound of paper roses may form the centrepiece on the table, and when passed around the roses are found to have gifts tied to them for the girls, and the leaves for the boys. A rose-ball is another pretty device to hold little presents, and is formed of a globe-shaped wire frame covered with pink paper roses.
Pink ribbons for the girls and green for the boys, falling from the ball, indicate their gifts. After supper and the distribution of the presents, the good-byes are said.
Grown folk sometimes admit that they have birthdays and celebrate them, particularly when under thirty.
There are cakes to be had at the caterers, iced in wedge-shaped sections, like the divisions of a pie, alternately pink and white, to distinguish those for the ladies from those intended for the other sex.
It is found, when about to cut it, that it is already divided, and each section of cake is held in a separate wedge-shaped box, the cover of which is the iced portion of the apparent cake. The sections contain a ring, signifying marriage for its recipient; a thimble or button, celibacy; coin, wealth; a silver horseshoe pin, good luck; a tiny spoon, an engagement. All the rest may contain some complimentary sentiment, as for instance:
"Gay without folly, good without pretense, Blest with that rarest virtue—common sense."
"Far richer gems than beauty you possess— The power of pleasing and the wish to bless." |
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