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April Fool cheese. These deceptions served once or twice during a meal will be almost certain to catch some one. An April Fool whistle can be made as shown in the illustration, and filled with flour, which will fly into the face of any one who tries to blow it. A B (Fig. 1) is a tin tube, stopped by two pieces of cork. One at the end has holes in it and a glass tube through it, as shown in Fig. 2. The other figures explain themselves.

The oldest April Fool trick was to send some one on a fruitless errand,

generally for some absurd or impossible thing, such as a "stick with only one end," a "crooked straight edge," etc. This trick was generally practiced on some young apprentice, and he was, sent in search of the ob ject from one,place to another till he was tired. Sometimes he was sent to a shoemaker for some "strap oik which was generally understood to mean a thrashing with a strap.

History. The origin of the custom of deceiving people on the first of April is unknown, though many have tried to explain it. Some say

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that the sending boys on silly er- or Miracle Play, representing Christ rands is to commemorate the send- sent backward and forward between ing out by Noah of the dove, when Herod and Pilate. In France, even it found nothing to rest on. Others the highest dignitaries condescended connect it with the Hindoo feast on to take part in the sport. It is reMarch 31, called Huli, which is cele-lated that a high ecclesiastic gathered brated in a similar way. The custom a great crowd to hear him preach on seems to have been taken to England the first of April, and, when he had and Germany from France, where ascended the pulpit, made the sign an April fool is called Poisson of the cross, cried out "April Fool!" d'Avril (April fish). Some think and went down again. In Scotland that this refers to the fool's allow- the April fool is called a "gowk" ing himself to be caught like a fish, (cuckoo). but others say it is a corruption of ALL FOURS (Called also OldPassion d'Avril (April passion or Sledge, Seven-Up, and High-Lowsuffering), and that the custom of Jack). A game played with a full sending people about on fruitless pack of CARDS, which rank as in errands arose from an old Morality, Whist. It is usually played by two

If there be a tie, that is, when each player holds an equal number for game, it is scored by the eldest hand. It may happen that a single card may score more than one point, or all four points; thus, if a player hold only one face card, the Knave of trumps, and his opponent have no face card, trump, ten, nor Ace, the Knave will score High, Low, Jack, and Game. He who first scores seven points, wins.

persons, or by four acting as part- tens. ners, as in Whist; but it may be played also by three or four persons without partnership.. In the twohanded game, the dealer gives each player six cards, three at a time, and turns up the next card as trump. If itbe a knave he scores one point at .once, as further. explained below. The non-dealer then looks at his hand. If he is satisfied with it, he says “I stand," in which case play begins at once; but if not, he says "I beg." The dealer may then either say "Take one," allowing his opponent to score one point before play begins, or he may lay aside the trump and deal three more cards to each, turning up the next as a new trump. If the new trump is of the same suit as the old, three more cards must be dealt again to each player, and so on till a trump card of a different suit is turned. This is called "running the cards for a new trump." In playing, suit must be followed if possible, except when the player chooses to trump. The points that may be made in one hand are four, as follows:

High. The holder of the highest trump out scores one point.

Low. The original holder of the lowest trump out scores one point, whether he takes the trick containing it or not.

Jack. The player that wins the trick containing the knave of trumps, or who turns it up as trump when dealing, scores one point.

Game. The player whose tricks contain cards the sum of whose values is the greatest, scores one point, counting

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In the three and four handed games only the player at the dealer's left has the option of "standing" or "begging," as in the two-handed game, and the method of playing is the same. If new cards are dealt, they must be dealt to each of the players. In the four-handed game, each may play for himself, or two, as partners, against the other two.

RULES OF THE GAME.

1. In cutting for deal, the Ace counts as the highest card.

2. If the dealer expose any card but his own, or make a misdeal, he must deal again.

3. The points must be scored in the order, High, Low, Jack, Game; thus, if the players stand six to six in the score, and one has High, while his opponent has the other three, the one that has High goes out. But when Jack is turned up as trump, it must be scored immediately, thus taking precedence of all other points. 4. A turned-up Jack is to be scored, even if the opponent begs, and the trump is thus changed.

5. No one may beg more than once in a hand, but if the hands are unsatisfactory after the cards have been run, a new deal may had by agreement of all the players, or they may agree to run the cards again; but no suit can be trump that has already been turned as such in the same hand.

6. Should the same suit be turned, in running the cards, till the pack has all been used, there must be a new deal.

7. In the four-handed game, only

ALL FOURS

the dealer and the player on his left may look at their cards before the latter decides whether to stand or beg, and, if he begs, the others may not look at their hands till the dealer tells whether he will "give one," or run the cards for another trump.

The game is called All Fours from the points that can be made in one deal; High, Low, Jack, Game (or more commonly High-Low-Jack), from the names of the points; and Seven-Up, from the number of points that win the game.

Pitch. A kind of All Fours, in which no trump is turned, the first suit led being considered the trump suit. The eldest hand thus has the privilege of leading or pitching the trump, from which the game gets its name. The method of playing is the same as in All Fours, except that there is no begging. In case of a tie for Game, too, neither player can With these changes, score Game. the rules are the same as in All Fours.

Auction Pitch (called also Commercial Pitch). A kind of All Fours, in which the trump card is not turned, but led or pitched by the player making the highest bid for the privilege. The game may be played by any number of persons, usually not more than eight. After the deal the eldest hand, who is called the seller, asks each in turn, going toward the left, what he will bid for the privilege of pitching the trump. Each bids as many points as he thinks he can make, and each has but one bid.

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The seller, who has the last say, may either sell to the highest bidder—that is, permit him to pitch the trump-or he may decline to sell and pitch the trump himself at the same price offered by the highest bidder; but he is not obliged to outbid him. If he accept the bid, he adds the number of points bid to his own score at once before playing begins. The player who has won the privilege must lead a card of the

suit he has made trumps, and the
game proceeds as in All Fours. The
player who pitches the trump,
whether it be the highest bidder or
the seller, scores, if successful in
playing, all the points he may make;
but if he fail to make as many points
as the highest bid, that number of
points is deducted from his score and
he cannot count any of the points
made in that hand. If no bid is
made the seller must pitch the trump.

The scoring is usually done by giving each player ten to begin with, subtracting what he wins, and adding what he loses, so that the winner is he who first gets rid of all his points. The score can be very readily kept by writing two X's, each of which stands for five. For the first point the middle of one X can have a ring drawn around it, and one of the arms can be crossed off for each point made afterward.

Pedro Sancho, or Sancho Pedro. A kind of Auction Pitch in which the dealer sells the privilege of making or pitching the trump, and the players may bid over and over again in turn, till all are satisfied. Any number of persons may play, but six or eight is the most convenient number and makes the best game. The cards are dealt as in All Fours, but nine or twelve cards instead of six may be dealt to each player, by agreement, if the number be small. High, Low, and Jack count each one point, as in All Fours, but Low counts for him who takes it, not for the original holder. Game, too, counts one point, but is won by the player who takes the ten of trumps. The five of trumps (called Pedro) counts five points, and the nine of trumps (called Sancho) nine points, each in favor of the player who wins the trick containing it. The game is usually for fifty points, and is scored as in Auction Pitch. The points must be scored in the order High, Low, Jack, Game, Pedro, Sancho.

Dom Pedro. When a Joker, or blank card, is used in this game, it is

allowed for writing.

When all have finished, the stories are read aloud, and he whose story is the best, as decided by a majority of the players, is declared the winner.

called Dom, and the game Dom same length, as agreed on beforePedro. No matter what suit is hand, or a given time may be trumps, the Joker is always a trump, though it may be taken by any other trump; but, though the lowest trump, it cannot score for Low. It is scored last in order, or below Sancho, and counts the one who wins it fifteen points. When the game is played with a Joker, it is for 100 points. Sancho may be omitted from the game, which is then called Pedro.

California Jack. A kind of All Fours played usually by two or four persons. After the deal, the dealer turns the rest of the pack (called the stock) face upward, and the exposed card is the trump. He then either slips the trump into the middle of the pack, or shuffles the cards after which they remain face upward on the table. After each trick is taken, the dealer gives the top card of the stock to the winner, and one card to each of the other players in order, to the left, holding each card face upward. Thus each continues to have six cards in his hand as long as the stock lasts. The points are High, Low, Jack, and Game, as in All Fours. As all the pack is used, High will always be the Ace, and Low the two of trumps. The latter counts for the taker, not the original holder as in All Fours. He who first makes ten points wins.

The chief feature of this game is the fact that the topmost card of the stock is always visible, and if it is a high one each player wishes to take the trick, so as to get it. Hence there is some interest in playing each trick, whereas in all other kinds of All Fours a player cares to take only tricks containing cards that count. Care must be taken not to expose any but the top card of the stock.

ALLITERATION. A game played by any number of persons, each of whom is required to write a story in which each word shall begin with a given letter of the alphabet. The stories may be required to be of the

ALPHABETICAL TRAVELS. A game played by any number of persons. Each of the players, who sit in a row, tells, in order, to what place he will travel and what he will do there, always using for principal words (such as nouns, adjectives, and verbs), those beginning with a single letter of the alphabet. The first player takes A, the second B, and so on. Thus the players, in order, may say:

"I am going to Africa, to Ask an Arab for Apricots."

"I am going to Boston to Buy Baked Beans."

"I am going to California to Cut Curious Capers."

"I am going to Damascus to Dine on Delicious Doughnuts." "I am going to Elizabeth to Eat Eggs Egotistically." And so on through the alphabet.

Any one unable to give a sentence of this kind may be required to pay a forfeit, or a score may be kept, the successful ones being given one point. In this case the company may be divided into sides. The method of playing must be agreed upon beforehand.

ALUM, Experiment with. Heat a small quantity of crystalline alum in an earthenware crucible. It will turn to a white powder, and expanding will overflow the crucible. (See also CRYSTALLIZATION.)

AMALGAMS. Compound of mercury with other metals. Mercury dissolves most metals at ordinary temperatures, as may be seen by experiment. The amalgam is often made more quickly if the metal be in the form of scrapings or powder, and if both it and the mercury be heated. Three curious kinds of amalgam are formed in the following experiments:

1. Sodium Amalgam. Into mercury contained in a glass dish put some thin strips of sodium and stir with a glass tube. The metals will unite with a crackling noise and a flame. As drops of metal are frequently thrown out it is best to cover the dish while the action is going on. The appearance of the amalgam varies according to the proportion of sodium used. Thirty parts of mercury to one of sodium form a solid mass. If three or four times as much mercury is used the result is a thick liquid, and with quantities between these two extremes the amalgam is a more or less thick paste.

2. Ammonium Amalgam. Half fill a test tube with a strong solution of sal-ammoniac in water and pour into it a small quantity of sodium amalgam. The liquid will expand and push itself out of the tube in a pasty, frothy mass. This has been supposed by some persons to be an amalgam of mercury and the metal ammonium, which is believed to be present in ammonia. It breaks up soon into mercury and ammonia.

3. Gold Amalgam. Suspend a piece of gold leaf in a bottle containing mercury. The mercury vapor will amalgamate with the gold, turning it gradually gray. (The use of mercury for extracting gold from its ore is described in C. C. T., article GOLD).

to mix a teaspoonful of pulverized sal-ammoniac with twice as much freshly slaked LIME, first allowing the lime to cool. Add just enough water to make the mixture lumpy when stirred. Heat it gently in a flask, collecting the gas as before. The ammonia in this case comes from the sal-ammoniac, which is composed of chlorine and ammonia. The chlorine prefers the lime to the ammonia, and so lets the latter escape.

EXPERIMENTS.

Fill

1. The Ammonia Fountain. a bottle with ammonia gas as described above, and stop it with a cork through which passes a small glass tube, ending in a jet inside the bottle. Dip the exposed end of the tube into a glass of water, and after a time the water will spurt up into the bottle of ammonia, forming a little fountain. The reason is that water and ammonia have a great liking for each other. The gas in the tube dissolves in the water into which it projects, and the pressure of the air on the surface of the water in the glass forces it up to take the place of the dissolved ammonia. Thus more gas is dissolved, and so the fountain keeps on playing till all the gas is gone. It often takes a long time to start the fountain, because the tube is filled with air, and the action does not begin till the ammonia reaches water. The experimenter will have to wait patiently, or he may hurry matters by pouring a little water into the tube. If the water in the glass be colored with red litmus, it will turn blue as it enters the ammonia (see TEST PAPERS). The Another way to obtain the gas is experiment will succeed better if the

AMMONIA, Experiments with. (Read article on CHEMICAL EXPERIMENTS). Ammonia is described in C. C. T. The common ammonia water sold at drug stores is ammonia gas mixed with water. The gas can be obtained from this, by heating it in a flask, the delivery tube from which passes to the top of an inverted jar, since the gas is lighter than air. A piece of red litmus paper, held at the mouth of the jar when it is full, will turn blue (see TEST PAPERS). The gas cannot be collected over water because it dissolves in water so easily.

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Ammonia
Fountain.

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