GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS     

Games sports and amusements are a very important part of social life , and proper conduct is as necessary in these as in the parlor or dining room

The same fundamental principles of politeness , unselfishness and regard for others , should here as elsewhere govern our every act , yet the formality of etiquette should in a degree be relaxed and all engage in games and sports with perfect freedom and ease

No rule of propriety should so restrain our acts that one seems akward and faltering in speech , cheerfulness and mirth should enter into all games ; and it is expected that all take part in the gayety without instructions and rules governing each game usually accomoany the implements used , so we shall not attempt to give them here ,but simply describe some of the more popular and common amusements and make suggestions as to what is proper

                                                                ARCHERY   

This very beneficial and healthful exercise , has almost entirely disappeared from the list of field sports , and is mentioned only hoping it will be revived ; for certainly  the young ladies can find nothing so amusing and refined

The costume may be more brilliant than the walking dress , and should be made short enough for convenience in movement , and to give free and easy movements to the arms

                                                                     BOATING  

Where there is water sufficient ,boating is a recreation both enjoyable and profitable , sailing is attended with considerable danger , and gentlemen should not invite ladies to accompany them on the water unless they are thoroughly capable of managing the boat

This requires tact and experience , rowing is a delightful and healthful exercise , and many ladies become experts at the art , every gentleman and lady too should know how to row , as the knowledge is easily acquired , it is polite to offer a friend the "stroke" oar , as it is considered the post of honour

                                                              CARD PLAYING         

Never  urge any one who seems unwilling to play cards , they may have conscientious scruples in the matter , and they should be respected , if you do not understand the game being played , it is proper to refuse , but if  you knoow how and have no scruples you should play  especially if you are needed to make up the game

The host or hostess should suggest cards , it is bad taste for guests to call for them ; no person should intentionally delay the game , and it is not good manners to finger the cards while they are being delt out , betting at cards has only one term , "gambling" and should be scrupulouly avoided

                                                                    CHESS          

The game of chess is considered the most intellectual and , well called , the king's game , to practical players it affords much amusement and sometimes intense excitement , and is the most profitable of all in-door sports

It requires much thought , and it is improper for either player to make a disturbing noise , in playing with a lady the gentleman should first arrange her pieces and then place his own , he is not required  to give her any advantages that the rules of the game do not accord an opponent

It is improper to whistle , drum with the fingers , or keep time with the feet , and the game should be as nearly as possible conducted in silence

The game is one of judgment and skill , and no impatience by either contestant should be shown ; so long as you play strictly according to the rules , it is the right of the player to study his moves , the victor should play again if requested

                                                               CRIBBAGE                                                   

Cribbage is a game played with a board with pegs and a deck of cards , it is a game of numbers and point collecting

The object is to score 121 points , which are pegged on your board and the hand you have been delt

A standard board will have three rows of holes , each row denotes a different numerical point , the end of the board has a compartment which holds the pegs

To play the game , you need at least two people , but you can have three or four  people , the dealer deals six cards each to determine who deals first

Set the full deck of cards in front of everyone and then everyone cuts , the lowest card wins the first deal , the dealer changes everytime a new hand is delt

Pick up cards and put them in order , from smallest to largest (ace being the smallest and king being the largest )

POINT SYSTEM

Any carrds that add up to the sum of 15,

pairs (two of the same card) 

 Flush ( four or more of the same suit )

Three of a kind

Runs of 3 or more (Runs are cards which are numerical order)

Determine which combonation of cards will get you the most points , as you will have to discard two of them if six cards are delt , one if fi ve are delt

Discards are placed in a pile , face down in front of the dealer, which is known as the crib, the Crib is a four card hand that is made up of diiscards which the dealer will count for extra points at the end of each hand

                                                              CROQUET  or MALLET BALL  

The game is played on a level court , abot the size of two tennis courts  ;the game may be played with two to four players , with the aid of different coloured balls ,  two or even three games may be pplayed on a lawn simultaneously

Each player has two balls , the aim is to make each ball pass through each of the hoops in order and hit the peg in the centre of the court , the balls must go through each hoop twice , once in each direction

When it is your turn , you may play either of your balls , if you can make it hit any of the other three balls , you earn yourself two further shots

For the first of these two extra shots , your ball is picked up and placed against the ball which it hit , it is this two ball shot which gives the game its name

                                                                  CYCLING                          

The Boneshaker or Bycicle is becoming more popular for both sexes , however , a ladies means of dress , in bloomers rather than a normal frock , is rather shocking to some and considered somewhat improper , the bloomers however are a much safer way to dress while astride their velocypede , as once known

 The high cycle or pennyfarthing as it's known in Britain is a more vexing mode of transport than the common cycle ,and more injuries may occur on it

The riding of any cycle , one must still be aware of their surroundings, so as not to knock into someone astride another cycle , or a person who may be walking across a street , in some cases where a person has riden into a person standing they have had to reimburse said person , with fines as high as five shillings

In the riding of a cycle after sundown one should afix  either a lit candle or a small lantern of oil , and ride at a slower pace, as moving at a quick pace might cause your light source to be lost

                                                               DRAUGHTS

The game of Draughts is played on a standard chess board , 64 black and white chequred squares , each player has 12 pieces normally in the form of fat round counters , the real shades of pieces and the board do not necessarily need to be black and white , but they are normally refered to as black and white regardless

The board is placed between the two opponents so that the near right hand corner square is white for both players , black always plays first a coin is tossed to decide which player will be black

Each players pieces are placed on the 12 black squares nearest to that player , the white squares are not used at all in the game , the pieces only move diagonally and so stay on the black squares throughout

The objective of the game is to take all of the opponent's piecess or to produce  a position suuch that the opponent is unable to move

Players move their pieces across the board , the objective being to get across to the far edge of the board where once there and immediately crowned and is thereafter known as "King" , a second playing piece is set atop the King to allow players to distinguish it from an ordinary piece

Until a piece is" crowned" , it can only move and capture in a diagonally forwards direction , King's are allowed to move and capture diagonally , forwards and backwards and arre consequently more powerful and valuable than ordinary pieces , however , ordinary pieces can capture King's

The game is won by the player who first manages to take all of his opponent's pieces or renders them unable to move  

                                                         LAWN TENNIS                    

This is a favourite game in this country and Europe , and one of the most ancient ; the Greeks and Romans played it many years ago , and ever since with varying intermissions it has been quite popular

It is a game for both sexes , with equal chances of the ladies carrying off the honour , it affords ladies a training in graceful movements , and the exercise is not exausting

The court is twenty-seven by seventy-eight feet ; the net is four feet high and twenty-seven  feet long which divides the court , a soft rubber ball is used together with a bat or racket , the first rules of play will be found with each set

                                                             OUTINGS          

Ladies and gentlemen never forget to be polite , but usually at picnics forms and ceremonies are put aside ; and men and women seek only pleasure , that the cares of business and restraint of formal society may be forgotten

The ladies should provide the luncheon and invent whatever they can to make the dinner enjoyable

The gentlemen on these occasions are not only the guides and escorts , but servants as well ; and they should perform any service that may be requested

It is the gentlemen's duty  to provide conveyances , music , ect. that the festivities may be enjoyed and the day one of pleasure