20 AS A MAN LIVES, SO SHALL HE DIE; What is majesty stripped of its externals ? It is a jest. [The m and the y, externals, are taken away.] Why is hot bread like a caterpillar ? Because it's the grub that makes the butter fly. Why did the accession of Victoria throw a greater damp over England than the death of King William ? Because the King was missed (mist) while the Queen was reigning (raining). Why should a gouty man make his will ? Why are bankrupts more to be pitied than idiots ? Because bankrupts are broken, while idiots are only cracked. Why is the treadmill like a true convert? Because it's turning is the result of convic tion. to be all feathers? When may a nobleman's property be said When his estates are all entails (hen-tails). 50. THE CHARADE is a poetical or other composition founded upon a word, each syllable of which constitutes a noun, and the whole of which word constitutes another noun of a somewhat different meaning from those supplied by its separate syllables. Words which fully answer these conditions are the best for the purposes of charades; though many other words are ployed. In writing, the first syllable is termed "My first," the second syllable, "My second," and the complete word, My whole." The following is an example of a Poetical Charade: The breath of the morning is sweet; The earth is bespangled with flowers; And buds in a countless array Have ope'd at the touch of the showers. The birds, whose glad voices are ever A music delightful to hear, Seem to welcome the joy of the morning, As the hour of the bridal draws near. What is that which now steals on my first, em Like a sound from the dreamland of love, And seems wand'ring the valleys among, That they may the nuptials approve? 'Tis a sound which my second explains, And it comes from a sacred abode, And it merrily trills as the villagers throng To greet the fair bride on her road. How meek is her dress, how befitting a bride So beautiful, spotless, and pure! When she weareth my second, oh, long may it be Ere her heart shall a sorrow endure. See the glittering gem that shines forth from her hair 'Tis my whole, which a good father gave; 'Twas worn by her mother with honour be fore But she sleepeth in peace in her grave. AS A TREE FALLS, SO IT SHALL LIE. 'Twas her earnest request, as she bade them adieu, That when her dear daughter the altar drew near, She should wear the same gem that her mother had worn When she as a bride full of promise stood there. scenes. 21 53. Words which may be converted into Acting or Written Charades :— Aid-less Ass-ail Bar-gain 51. THE ANSWER is Ear-ring. The bells ring, the sound steals upon the ear, and the bride wears an ear-ring. Charades may be sentimental or humorous, in poetry or prose; they may also be acted, in which manner they afford considerable amusement. 52. ACTED CHARADES.-A drawing room with folded doors is the best for Bag-dad the purpose. Various household appliances are employed to fit up something like a stage, and to supply the fitting Characters dressed in costumes made up of handkerchiefs, coats, shawls, table-covers, &c., come on and perform an extempore play, founded upon the parts of a word, and its whole, as indicated above. For instance, the events explained in the poem above might be acted-glasses might be rung for bells-something might be said in the course of the dialogues about the sound of the bells being delightful to the ear; there might be a dance of the villagers, in which a ring might be formed; a wedding might be performed; and so on. Though for acting Charades there are many better words, because Ear-ring could with difficulty be represented without at once betraying the meaning. There is a little work entitled "Family Pastime," and another work, "Philosophy and Mirth Breath-less united by Pen and Pencil," also "Merry Brick-bat Evenings for Merry People; or, Drawing Brick-dust Room Charades," which supply a large Bride-groom number of these Charades. But the Bride-cake following is the only complete list of Brim-stone words ever published upon which Charades may be founded: Bar-row Ann-ounce Can-ton Fire-work Arch-angel Care-ful Fir-kin Car-pet Fish-hook Car-rot Flag-rant Cart-ridge Flip-pant Chamber-maid Fond-ling Bail-able Bale-ful HOW MUCH PAIN THE EVILS HAVE COST US 24 Wrath-less Wrist-band Writ-ten Wood-man Work-shop Wood-note Worm-wood Year-ling 54. ENIGMAS are compositions of a different character, based upon ideas, rather than upon words, and frequently constructed so as to mislead, and to surprise when the solution is made known. Enigmas may be founded upon simple catches, like Conundrums, in which form they are usually called RIDDLES, such as "Though you set me on foot, I shall be on my head." The answer is, A nail in a shoe. The celebrated Enigma on the letter H, by Lord Byron, is an admirable specimen of what may be rendered in the form of an Enigma. 55. REBUSES are a class of Enigma generally formed by the first, sometimes the first and last, letters of words, or of transpositions of letters, or additions to words. Dr. Johnson, however, represents Rebus to be a word represented by a picture. And putting the Doctor's definition and our own explanation together, the reader may glean a good conception of the nature of the Rebus. Example: The father of the Grecian Jove; A little boy who's blind; The foremost land in all the world; The mother of mankind; A poet whose love-sonnets are Still very much admired ;The initial letters will declare A blessing to the tired. Answer — Saturn; Love; England; Eve; Plutarch. The initials form sleep. Take away half of thirteen and let eight remain. Write XIII on a slate, or on a piece of paper-rub out the lower half of the figures, and VIII will remain. 57. Laws of Chess.-The rules given below are based upon the code published in "Walker's Art of Chess Play." The word piece frequently includes the pawn. i. If the board or pieces be improperly placed, or are deficient in number (except in the case of odds), the game must be recommenced, if the error is discovered before the fourth move on each side (the eighth move of the game). If not discovered before this stage, the game must proceed. ii. If player give odds, and yet omit to remove the odds from the board at the commencement, he may recommence the game, and remove the odds given, provided he discover his error before playing his fourth move. But if he has made his fourth move, the game must be played out; and should the player who agreed to give the odds win the game, it shall nevertheless be considered drawn. iii. When parties play even, they draw lots for the first move of the first game. The first move is afterwards taken alternately throughout the sitting, except when a game is drawn, when he who had the first move in that game still claims it, a drawn game being of no account. He who gains the move has also the choice of colour. Each player uses the same colour throughout the sitting. When a match is made for a given number of games, the match. A player giving odds has the move passes alternately throughout the choice of men, and takes the move in every game, unless agreed to the contrary., iv. A player who gives the odds of a piece, may give it each game from the king's or queen's side, at his option. If he gives the odds of a pawn, he must give the king's bishop's pawn, unless otherwise stipulated. The player who receives the odds of a certain number |