in-door game, for the winter, called
"Fagot-Gathering," which has been described in print before, but it
makes so much fun that many who have never heard of it will be glad if
we tell about it here.

First you take some slips of paper,--as many as there are players,--and
on one of them you write "Fagot-Gatherer;" on each of the rest you
write either "good wood" or "snapper," making three times as many "good
woods" as "snappers." Of course, anybody who knows about wood-fires
will see that this is because some sticks will burn quietly and
brightly while others will crack and snap and fly without the least
warning. You put the papers into a hat, and each player takes one,
telling nobody what is written on it. Every one then sits as near to
the wall as possible, leaving a clear space in the middle of the room,
and the player who has chosen the "Fagot-Gatherer" slip proceeds in a
serious, business-like way to bundle the fagots. He, or she, chooses
four or five girls and boys, standing them together to represent a
fagot, and then makes similar groups of the rest in other parts of the
room. This done, he begins to "bind the fagots" by walking slowly
around each group, making with his arms such motions as a real
fagot-binder would make. The "sticks" are quiet until the binder lets
his arms fall, but then comes a sudden change; the "good woods" run to
their seats, but the "snappers" chase the "binder" and try to touch him
before he can begin to bind another "fagot;" failing in this, they have
to go and mourn among the "good woods." Then the binding of the second
"fagot" goes on, like that of the first. But when a "fagot-gatherer" is
touched, the "snapper" takes the place of the "gatherer," who goes and
rests himself. The game ends when all the "fagots" have been used up in
this way, and is then begun again by another selection of papers from
the hat. The fun is in the frights and surprises of the
"fagot-gatherer," who, of course, does not know who is a "good wood"
and who a "snapper;" and all do their best to avoid betraying
themselves. If you have a good big room and lots of players you will
find this game as full of fun as you can wish.

* * * * *

Philadelphia, September 16, 1877.

Dear ST. NICHOLAS: I was looking over your September number, and
happened to read a letter addressed to the "Little Schoolma'am,"
and signed "Father of two school-girls;" it was about school