Stand the sticks up so as to meet at the top, and spread out like a tent at the bottom. Each player then takes the hook in turn and tries to remove a jackstraw, without shaking or throwing down any of the others. The one scoring the highest, wins the game and is entitled to the prize. Progressive games seem to be very popular, and deservedly so, as they possess an interest peculiarly their own. Here is a new and novel one, called =Progressive Mining.= [Illustration: _Fig. 64_] It is played with flower-pots filled with sand or loose earth, called mines. A small flag on a slender staff is placed upright in the centre of each flower-pot (Fig. 64). The staff should be stuck down in the sand only just far enough to keep it steady in its position. Each player in turn removes a little sand from the mine with a stick called a wand, taking great care not to upset the flag; for the one causing the flag to fall loses the game. The number of mines needed will depend upon the number of persons playing, as one flower-pot is required for every two players. Each one taking part in the game, is provided with a wand. Slender bamboo canes make excellent wands, and may be decorated with red, white and blue ribbons, tied on the handles. Should the canes be difficult to procure, then any kind of light slender stick will serve the purpose. The hostess should prepare blank envelopes, each containing a ribbon badge, or score sheet, of different colors, two of each; these are all numbered, the figures being painted or pasted on the ribbons to designate the place to be taken, thus two reds are marked 1, meaning that they are to occupy the first or prize mine. The blues are marked 2, showing that they take the second mine, and so on. The last or lowest place is called the booby mine. Each badge should have a small pocket attached (Fig. 65), for holding stamps; these are cut in any desired form from gold and silver paper, which has previously been covered with mucilage on the under side, like a common postage-stamp. [Illustration: _Fig. 65_] The hostess passes around the envelopes, each guest takes one, and upon opening it discovers where and with whom she is to play. The preliminaries being settled, and all having taken their places, the hostess starts the game by ringing a little bell. When one of the players at the prize mine upsets the flag, the other calls out _prize_, and if the flags have not already fallen in the other mines, the couples play as quickly as possible until all the flags are down. The winner at the prize mine fastens a gold stamp on her ribbon badge, while the loser at the booby mine, ornaments hers with silver seal. The game is now rearranged, the winner at the prize mine remains at her station, and the loser goes down to the booby mine, while all those winning at the other mines move up, each one respectively to the next higher mine, for it is only at the prize mine where the loser moves her place and the victor remains stationary.