_A Birthday Picnic._
A pleasant number is twenty. Ten girls and ten boys.
Be driven to the destination in large market or hay wagons made festive
with flags. Each girl should bring luncheon enough for herself and
one of the boys. And the boys should be responsible for the outfit
for games, such as ropes, archery, grace hoops, tennis net, balls and
racquets.
If you are not going to a regular picnic ground, you will require
tables. Therefore borrow five cutting tables from your mothers and
these can be folded and put in the bottom of the wagon, and four
persons can easily sit at each. The boys can arrange the seats, which
might be the wagon seats built to the requisite height by supporting
each end on a pile of stones, or convenient rocks may be chosen, or
take the rails from the post-and-rail fence adjoining. Only in that
case, remember to put them back again.
Use plated spoons, forks, etc., so as to save worry, and Japanese
napkins, which may do double duty, as they make pretty tablecloths,
and there is no fuss about having to carry them home. If you take
sandwiches, wrap them neatly in white tissue or waxed paper. Use thin
wooden platters instead of china, and no one will be afraid of chipping
them; besides they are so light, and after luncheon they, as also the
napkins and tablecloths, may be burned up, if you are careful not to
set the woods on fire.
You might find it pleasant to put the lunches, wraps, etc., in one
wagon, and have all the picnickers in the other. Trusty drivers for
both wagons will be necessary.
After the lunch is over and cleared away, games and races will be the
order of the day.
But don’t forget you must be home by sundown. When all have bundled
into the wagons to return, let song follow song. One of the big boys
might act as director of the chorus.
_A Birthday Floral Ball._
The entire house, including the halls, should be trimmed with asparagus
and Japanese lanterns. From the drawing-room ceilings suspend inverted
cones of asparagus, and as pendants from these fasten Japanese
lanterns. String evergreens around the stair banisters and halls.
Indeed, make of your house, including the dining-room, a sort of fairy
bower, on which the Japanese lanterns at happy intervals, cast light
and color.
The orchestra should be hidden in a tiny forest, and their music should
be jolly, light and pretty. Among the numbers have the “Dance of the
Flowers,” by Tschaikowsky. Follow this with several flower dances.
Example, “The Sweet Peas Waltz.” The girls’ costume should be white
tarletan, effectively trimmed with sweet peas. The boys should have
sweet pea boutonnières.
The Pansy Cotillion. For this dance wear crêpe lisse, tarletan,—indeed
any flimsy material you choose, but it must be of one of the pansy
colors; and as the pansy has so many shades of brown, yellow, purple,
deep rose, etc., the variety which would mingle, as the several figures
are given, would result in a kaleidoscopic effect of color and beauty.
Perhaps a few solo dances could be arranged. If so have a Cowslip
dance, when the little maiden should be frocked in pale yellow, or
the Heliotrope, with a frock of lilacs. Another might dance the
Forget-me-not, and wear a gown of blue.
While still another dance might be termed the Water-Lily, which
would necessitate a frock of white and gold, as the blue and pink
water-lilies are comparatively rare. Whichever flower is represented
should be worn, either on the hair or dress.
Then should come the Wild Flower Minuet when daisies, buttercups,
clover, chicory, violets, honeysuckle, and other wild flowers could vie
with each other in the stately graceful movements. Follow the minuet
with the Butterfly promenade and dance. In this a large number should
engage, as it is quite proper there should be butterflies flitting from
flower to flower. Any dance may be appropriated to the butterflies,
but they should select their own partners from any of the flowers
they please. The butterflies will wear almost as many colors as the
pansies, and silver, gold or other butterflies should be fastened on
the shoulders or on other parts of their costume.
_A Birthday Matinée._
The afternoon may be made perfectly fascinating by giving a birthday
matinée. A young lady should costume herself as Little Buttercup
of _Pinafore_ fame. Wear a large hat, grotesquely ornamented, short
parti-colored skirts, and above all things carry a well-filled market
basket. She should sing Little Buttercup’s song, and also act and
dance. As the whole thing is a burlesque, it need not be correctly
done, only be sure to get some graceful girl to take the part, and one
who will bring out the laughter by her bits of humor here and there.
If the party is for children, the basket should contain inexpensive
toys, and when singing, “I’ve ribbons and laces, to set off your
faces,” waltz up to a group of children and distribute the toys.
Continue this when singing the chorus, as also during the playing of
the interludes, until each child has a gift. Should the party be for
older people, instead of toys give suggestive presents. Example, a
whip to a horsewoman, or a tiny pair of oars to a rower. The music is
from the opera _Pinafore_ and can be purchased or mailed from almost
any bookstore. When people are through laughing over this part of the
programme, tell them that confectioners’ buttercups are hidden in the
drawing-room, library and hall; that they are in three colors,—violet,
white, and pink,—and that all of the guests are expected to hunt for
them; that a bell will be rung as a signal to commence the hunt, and in
like manner to close it; that five minutes time will be allowed. Three
prizes will be awarded; the first to be given to the finder of the most
pink buttercups, the second to the one finding the greatest number of
buttercups adding all the colors together, the third to the one finding
the fewest. Should any one be so unfortunate as not to find any, his
penalty will be to pay a forfeit. If this individual is a musician,
his forfeit should be a song or an instrumental solo, or should he be
a recitationist, he must read or recite, if neither of these, require
him to put himself through a key-hole. This is done by writing the
word “himself” on a small piece of paper, rolling it over until still
smaller and slipping it through the key-hole. You will require two
pounds of buttercups, dividing that amount in the colors mentioned.
Roll each candy separately in tissue paper, corresponding in color, and
hide with care. If for a children’s party, place _bric-à-brac_ and all
breakable articles beyond their reach, and direct the little people so
as to avoid accidents.