A prize may also be awarded to the lady attired in the best representation. One dressed in dark brown would suggest "chocolate cake"; another in orange-colored cheesecloth, "orange cake"; another with wreaths of raisins, currants and citron, suggest "fruit cake"; while one in just a plain dress with no signs suggestive of any cake may be "lady cake"; another carrying a hammer and pounding it whenever she saw fit, suggests "pound cake."

VALENTINES.

When inviting the guests for a valentine party, request each one to bring an original valentine addressed to one of the guests. As the guests arrive, the hostess collects the valentines, being careful to keep those addressed to ladies in one pile, and those addressed to gentlemen in another.

The hostess then hands each one a valentine, giving the gentlemen those addressed to the ladies and the ladies those for the gentlemen.

The valentines are then read aloud and a jolly time will be the result.

A prize may be awarded for the best valentine, the brightest and most witty.

INITIAL COMPLIMENTS.

Each gentleman is handed a slip of paper with the name of a lady guest on it. The gentlemen are then requested, one at a time, to go to their respective ladies, giving each a compliment, every word of which begins with the initial letter of the lady's first name.

As each lady is addressed by a gentleman, she replies, using the initial letter of his name in her answer.

Votes are taken as to the best compliment and answer and a simple prize may be awarded the pair who obtained the most votes.

HEART HUNT.

Cut out of red, white, blue, yellow and green paper hearts of all shapes and sizes, then cut each heart into four pieces and scatter these all over the room, on the floor, chairs, tables, behind pictures, etc.

Allow a certain length of time for the hunt, and when all the pieces have been collected, request each guest to put his pieces together and see how many whole hearts of the same color he has collected.

The white heart counts 1; the blue, 2; the yellow, 3; the green, 4; and the red, 5. The one scoring the greatest number of points is the winner of hearts and deserves a prize. A b.o.o.by prize may be awarded the one who has only broken hearts.

HEART p.r.i.c.kS.

A large heart made of some red material, (flannel or cheesecloth) is pinned securely to a sheet, which may be stretched on the wall or door. In the center of the large red heart is a small white heart, either sewed or pinned on.

Each guest is given an arrow of white cloth with a pin in one end. When everything is ready the hostess blindfolds the guests one at a time, and standing a certain distance from the heart, starts them in the right direction.

Each one endeavors to pin his arrow on the heart; the one pinning it nearest to the middle of the white heart wins the game.

VALENTINE PUZZLE.

Select five good paper valentines. Paste each on a piece of cardboard and cut into small pieces. Have five small tables in the room and place a puzzle on each. If the company is small, a.s.sign five persons to a table, if larger, use your own judgment.

Each one at the table takes his turn, trying to put the valentine together in its proper shape. Each player is timed, and the one who succeeds in putting it together in the shortest time is the winner.

If desired, the players can go from one table to the other; the one who succeeds in putting the most puzzles together out of the five, is the winner.

HEARTS AND MITTENS.

Cut out of red cardboard half as many hearts and mittens as you expect in your company. Out of blue cardboard cut hearts and mittens for the rest of the company. Number them so every heart has its corresponding mitten. Attach strings or ribbons to each and place them in a basket.

Each guest takes the end of a string and pulls out his heart or mitten, as the case may be. Each one then hunts for his partner.

When all are paired off, a circle is formed and someone strikes up a lively march. Whenever the music stops, all the ladies stand still, and the gentlemen move up one. This goes on until everyone has had a different partner, and finally, when the original one comes, there is a grand march before the circle breaks up.

RIVEN HEARTS.

Another way of securing partners for the evening is as follows: Suspend two large hearts made of either white or red paper from the ceiling, several feet apart. Make a hole in each, through which are hung the ends of long strings. The ladies hold the strings on one side and the gentlemen on the other.

When the hostess gives a signal, all pull on their strings. Thus the hearts are riven and partners are found holding the ends of the same string.

PROPOSALS.

As the guests a.s.semble for the Valentine party, give each gentleman a slip of paper bearing the name of a woman, and the ladies, the name of some man, noted in fiction as lovers. Thus the one who has Romeo hunts for the lady who has Juliet on her paper.

When all know who their partners are, the ladies must evade every attempt on the part of the gentlemen of proposing to them during the evening.

A prize is given to the gentleman who has succeeded in proposing, and to the girl who has alluded all efforts of her partner by her wit and ingenuity.

Another way is to have the proposals progressive. Every gentleman must propose to every lady before the evening is over. The ladies use every effort they can to prevent them from "coming to the point." The man making the most offers receives the prize. The lady receiving the fewest declarations receives a prize.

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY.

For a party on this day, the room should be decorated with flags, hatchets, etc., and red, white, and blue bunting, so as to add a patriotic air to everything.

A picture of Washington may be cut in many pieces for a puzzle. The one who succeeds in putting the picture together in the shortest time receives a prize, which may be a large picture of Washington.