The Every-day Book and Table Book, v. 1 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the AlmanacHone, William
History
The Every-day Book and Table Book, v. 1 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac
Hone, William
Days; Great Britain -- Social life and customs
Look at a juvenile card-party--not at that which the reader sees
represented in the engraving, which is somewhat varied from a design by
Stella, who grouped boys almost as finely as Fiamingo modelled their
forms--but imagine a juvenile party closely seated round a large table,
with a Pope Joan board in the middle; each well supplied with
mother-o’-pearl fish and counters, in little Chinese ornamented red and
gold trays; their faces and the candles lighting up the room; their
bright eyes sparkling after the cards, watching the turn-up, or peeping
into the pool to see how rich it is; their growing anxiety to the
rounds, till the lucky card decides the richest stake; then the shout
out of “Rose has got it!” “It’s Rose’s!” “Here, Rose, here they
are--take ’em all; here’s a _lot_!” Emma, and John, and Alfred, and
William’s hands thrust forth to help her to the prize; Sarah and Fanny,
the elders of the party, laughing at their eagerness; the more sage
Matilda checking it, and counting how many fish Rose has won; Rose,
amazed at her sudden wealth, talks the least; little Samuel, who is too
young to play, but has been allowed a place, with some of the “pretty
fish” before him, claps his hands and halloos, and throws his playthings
to increase Rose’s treasure; and baby Ellen sits in “mother’s” lap, mute
from surprise at the “uproar wild,” till a loud crow, and the quick
motion of her legs, proclaim her delight at the general joy, which she
suddenly suspends in astonishment at the many fingers pointed towards
her, with “Look at baby! look at baby!” and gets smothered with kisses,
from which “mother” vainly endeavours to protect her. And so they go on,
till called by Matilda to a new game, and “mother” bids them to “go and
sit down, and be good children, and not make so much noise:” whereupon
they disperse to their chairs; two or three of the least help up Samuel,
who is least of all, and “mother” desires them to “take care, and mind
he does not fall.” Matilda then gives him his pretty fish “to keep him
quiet;” begins to dress the board for a new game; and once more they are
“as merry as grigs.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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