For the girl who is to be married in the winter, an Indian Summer
Shower might be given some November evening. The cards of invitation
can have a little brown Indian wigwam painted in one corner, or cut
out of brown paper and pasted on; or the invitations can be written on
pieces of white birch bark, if you happened to have gathered and saved
any from the summer vacation. Paper imitation of birch bark might also
be used.
Put all the gifts, wrapped in brown tissue paper and tied with gay
ribbons, in a toy wigwam which you can make with three sticks and a
piece of brown burlap. When the right time comes, the engaged girl is
led up to the wigwam and asked to receive the gifts. If there is a
small brother or cousin who can be dressed up in an Indian suit to
hand out the presents, so much the better.
The hostess may make this any kind of shower she wishes.
After the wigwam has been sacked, it would be fun if you could sit
around the open fire to pop corn or toast marshmallows and play the
Indian Summer game of "Pipe Dreams." Each girl writes out an imaginary
dream of the bride's future. The dreams are read by the hostess, and
then each dream paper is consigned to the fire.
The refreshments ought to be very simple, and may consist of hot
chocolate and little chocolate cakes, cone-shaped to simulate wigwams,
or they may be merely apples, nuts, popcorn, and sweet cider. Serve
the nuts and apples in Indian baskets.