From the many games of forfeits that are played in parlours during
in-door weather, one is presented to the perusal of youthful readers
from “Winter Evening Pastimes.”
_Aunty’s Garden._
“The company being all seated in a circle, the person who is to conduct
the game proposes to the party to repeat, in turns, the speech he is
about to make; and it is agreed that those who commit any mistake, or
substitute one word for another, shall pay a forfeit. The player then
commences by saying, distinctly, ‘I am just come from my aunt Deborah’s
garden. Bless me! what a fine garden is my aunt’s garden! In my aunt’s
garden there are four corners.’ The one seated to the player’s right is
to repeat this, word for word: if his memory fails he pays a forfeit,
and gives up his turn to his next right-hand neighbour, not being
permitted to correct his mistake. When this has gone all round, the
conductor repeats the first speech, and adds the following:
‘In the first corner stands a superb alaternus,
Whose shade, in the dog-days, won’t let the sun burn us.’
“This couplet having been sent round as before, he then adds the
following:
‘In the second corner grows
A bush which bears a yellow rose:
Would I might my love disclose!’
“This passes round in like manner:
‘In the third corner Jane show’d me much London pride;
Let your mouth to your next neighbour’s ear be applied,
And quick to his keeping a secret confide.’
“At this period of the game every one must tell his right-hand neighbour
some secret.
“In the fourth round, after repeating the whole of the former, he
concludes thus:
‘In the fourth corner doth appear
Of amaranths a crowd;
Each secret whisper’d in the ear
Must now be told aloud.’
“Those who are unacquainted with this game occasionally feel not a
little embarrassed at this conclusion, as the secrets revealed by their
neighbour may be such as they would not like to be published to the
whole party. Those who are aware of this finesse take care to make their
secrets witty, comic, or complimentary.”