Chapter I: Preface

“I DO wish some one would write a book like that for girls,” is the remark we have frequently heard when a new book of sports for boys has made its appearance; but it was not until the publication of the “American Boy’s Handy Book” that it occurred to us to write a book for the American boy’s neglected sisters, which should be equally original and practical.

In the “Girl’s Handy Book,” which it has been our endeavor to make peculiarly American, we have sought to introduce original and novel ideas, and by their aid to open new avenues of enterprise and enjoyment.

One of our objects is to impress upon the minds of the girls the fact that they all possess talent and ability to achieve more than they suppose possible, and we would encourage a belief in the truth of the remark said to have been made by a famous Frenchman: “When you Americans undertake anything you never stop to ascertain if it be possible, you simply _do it_.”

We desire also to help awaken the inventive faculty, usually uncultivated in girls, and, by giving detailed methods of new work and amusements, to put them on the road which they can travel and explore alone.

We know well the feeling of hopelessness which accompanies vague directions, and, to make our explanations plain and lucid, we have ourselves, with very few exceptions, made all of the articles, played the games, and solved the problems described.

The materials employed in the construction of the various articles are within easy reach of all, and the outlay, in most cases, little or nothing.

We scarcely deem it necessary to point out the fact that in supplying healthy, sensible work and amusement for leisure hours, employment is given whose whole tendency is to refine the tastes and ambitions of our American girls.

A few of our chapters are taken from articles which were written by us for, and published by, the _Youth’s Companion_, _St. Nicholas_, _Harper’s Young People_, _Golden Days_, and _Wide Awake_.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
PREFACE iii

SPRING

CHAPTER I.
FIRST OF APRIL 3
First of April Party, 5; Mirror Tableau, 6; Noah’s Ark
Peep-show, 8; The Supper, 10.

CHAPTER II.
WILD FLOWERS AND THEIR PRESERVATION 13
Transplanting Wild Flowers, 14; Cut Wild Flowers, 15;
Sending Flowers by Mail, 15; Preserved Flowers, 16;
Pressed Flowers and Leaves, 18; Leaves and Ferns for
Decoration, 19; Color of Flowers Changed, 19: Natural
Wax Flowers, 20; To Freshen Cut Flowers, 20; Crystallized
Flowers, 21; How to Preserve the Perfume of Flowers, 21;
Spring Flowers in Winter, 23; The Four-leaved Clover, 23;
Several Methods of Preserving Flowers, 24.

CHAPTER III.
THE WALKING CLUB 27
Rules to be Observed, 31.

CHAPTER IV.
EASTER 33
Easter Customs in Other Lands, 33; Easter Egg Games, 36;
Easter Egg Dolls, 39; Humpty Dumpty, 42; Miss Rolly-poly,
45; Mandolin, 47; Maple-wax Easter Eggs, 49; Bonbon Box,
49; Easter Cards, 50; Little Quakeress, 52.

CHAPTER V.
HOW TO MAKE A LAWN-TENNIS NET 55
Rules for Lawn-Tennis, 63.

CHAPTER VI.
MAY-DAY 71
May-day Sports, 72; How to Make May-baskets, 74; May-day
Combat, 75; The May-pole, 77; May-pole Dance, 79.

SUMMER.

CHAPTER VII.
MIDSUMMER EVE 83
The New Fern-leaf Game, 85; Fortune-telling: The Plaintain
Test, 86; Fortune’s Wheel, 88.

CHAPTER VIII.
SEA-SIDE COTTAGE DECORATION 91
Window Decorations, 92; Row-boat Book-shelves, 95; Crab-net
Work-basket, 96; Hat-rack, 98; Marine Screen, 99;
Horseshoe-crab Bag, 102; Sea-urchin Vase and Candlestick,
102; How to Dry Starfish and to Polish Shells, 104.

CHAPTER IX.
A GIRL’S FOURTH OF JULY 105
Interior Decoration, 107; In-door Illumination, 108;
Out-of-door Decoration, 109; Fireworks, 111; Parachute,
112; Thunderbolts, 112; Whirls, and Winged Fancies, 113;
Pin-wheels, 114; Bombs, 115; Declaration of Independence,
117; Toss, 118; Fourth of July Jackstraws, 119;
Progressive Mining, 119.

CHAPTER X.
PRINTING FROM NATURE’S TYPES 123
Impression Album, 123; Winter Landscape, 127.

CHAPTER XI.
PICNICS, BURGOOS, AND CORN-ROASTS 131
A Burgoo, 132; Burgoo Stew, 133; A Corn-roast, 134.

CHAPTER XII.
BOTANY AS APPLIED TO ART 139
The Peony Leaf, 140; A Bunch of Turnips, 142; Plant
Cross-section Designs, 144; Flower Sprays, 146; Changing
the Color, 146; Burs, 147; The Water-Lily, 148.

CHAPTER XIII.
DOOR-STEP PARTY AND QUIET GAMES FOR HOT WEATHER 151
Five Minutes’ Conversation, 153; Blind Man’s Singing-school,
155; A Game of Noted Men, 155; What Will you Take to the
Picnic? 156; Assumed Characters, 157; Shadow Verbs, 157.

CHAPTER XIV.
HOW TO MAKE A HAMMOCK 159
Materials, 161; Barrel Hammock, 165.

CHAPTER XV.
(For Little Girls.)
CORN-HUSK AND FLOWER DOLLS 169

CHAPTER XVI.
HOW TO MAKE A FAN 177
Butterfly Fan, 178; Mikado Fan, 180; Daisy Fan, 182;
Cardboard Fan, 183.

AUTUMN.

CHAPTER XVII.
ALL-HALLOW-EVE 187
Halloween Parties, 189; Melted Lead, 190; Nutshell Boats,
192; “Three Luggies,” 193; Roasting Nuts, 193; Kaling,
194; The Magic Mirror, 194; Three Tin Cups, 195; The
Ring Cake, 195; Bobbing for Apples, 196; The Ghostly
Fire, 197; The Fairy’s Gifts, 198.

CHAPTER XVIII.
NATURE’S FALL DECORATIONS AND HOW TO USE THEM 201
Fresh Autumn Wild Flowers, 202; Buckeye Portière, 204;
Panel of Fall Decorations, 205; Louis Quinze Screen,
206; A Panel of Field Corn, 209; Ornamental Gourds,
210; Gourd-Dippers and Bowls, 211; Vases, 212; Small
Decorations, 214; Brackets, 214.

CHAPTER XIX.
NUTTING-PARTIES 217
“Little Brown Squirrel,” 218; Rules for Nutting-Parties,
221.

CHAPTER XX.
HOW TO MAKE A TELEPHONE 224

CHAPTER XXI.
HOW TO DRAW 229

CHAPTER XXII.
HOW TO PAINT IN WATER-COLORS 238
Materials for Water-Color Painting, 238; Flowers, 239;
Landscapes, 241; Painting from Notes, 244.

CHAPTER XXIII.
HOW TO PAINT IN OIL-COLORS 249
Materials, 249; Mediums, 251; Canvas, 251; The Light,
252; Setting the Palette, 253.

CHAPTER XXIV.
HOW TO MODEL IN CLAY AND WAX 257
Materials, 259; How to Manage Clay, 260; Hints for
Modelling a Head, 262; How to Model in Wax, 263;
Modelling-wax, 263.

CHAPTER XXV.
HOW TO MAKE PLASTER CASTS 267

CHAPTER XXVI.
CHINA PAINTING 272
List of Materials, 272; A Monochrome Painting, 278; Tinting,
278; New Method of Decorating China, 279; Tracing, 280;
Mottled Grounds, 281; Snow Landscape, 281; How to Paint
a Head on China, 284; How to Paint a Carp, Sea-weed,
and Fish-net, on China, 287; Foliage on China made with
a Sponge, 289; Mixing Colors, 289; Royal Worcester Ware,
290.

CHAPTER XXVII.
A CHAPTER ON FRAMES 295
Marine Picture Frame, 296; Decorated Frame, 297; Frame
Covered with Tin-foil, 298; Cork Frame, 299.

CHAPTER XXVIII.
THANKSGIVING 302
Impromptu Burlesque Tableaux, 304; Landing of the Pilgrims,
305; First Harvest, 307; Devastation by the Indians, 308;
The Revolution, 309; Slavery, 310; Rebellion, 310; Peace
and Plenty, 310; The Game of the Headless Turkey, 312;
A Suggestion, 313.

WINTER.

CHAPTER XXIX.
CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES AND HOME-MADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS 317
Julklapp, 319; Polish Custom, 320; The Bran Pie, 321; The
Blind Man’s Stocking, 321; Home-made Christmas Gifts,
322.

CHAPTER XXX.
AMUSEMENTS AND GAMES FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 334
New Game of Bubble Bowling, 335; Biographical Nonsense,
339; Comic Historic Tableaux, 341; Living Christmas
Cards, 342.

CHAPTER XXXI.
NEW YEAR’S AND A LEAP YEAR PARTY 347
Pantomime of an Enchanted Girl, 348.

CHAPTER XXXII.
HOME GYMNASIUM 353
Course of Exercises, 356.

CHAPTER XXXIII.
A DECORATIVE LANGUAGE 364
The Field and the Points of Heraldry, 366; Divisions, 367;
Colors, 369; How to Make a Design in Decorative Language,
371; Book-plates, 377; Floral Vocabulary, 377.

CHAPTER XXXIV.
A FEW ITEMS ON OLD-FASHIONED NEEDLEWORK, WITH SOME NEW AND
ORIGINAL PATTERNS 380
Plain Sewing, 380; Button-holes, 383; How to Patch, to Sew
on a Button, and to Mend a Kid Glove, 386; Fancy Stitches,
387; Drawn Work, 389; Applique and Original Designs for
Portières, 391; Lace, 393; Ribbon Embroideries, 393.

CHAPTER XXXV.
SCRAP-BOOK AND HOME-MADE BOOK-COVERS 395
Mother Goose Scrap-book, 395; Transformation Scrap-book,
398; An Album, 400; Home-made Book-cover, 401.

CHAPTER XXXVI.
A HEAP OF RUBBISH AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT 403
The Mirror, 404; The Table, 406; Lantern, 408; A Music Roll,
410; Work-basket, 411; Key and Button-hook Rack and Paper
Weight, 412.

CHAPTER XXXVII.
HOW TO MAKE ATTRACTIVE BOOTHS AT A FAIR—A NEW KIND OF GRAB-BAG 413
The Tables, 413; Flowers for Decorations, 417; The Months,
420; The Five Senses, 421; Walls, 423; Grab-bags, 423;
The Lady of the Lake, 425; Fortune’s Wheel, 426;
Rag-balls, 427.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
WINDOW DECORATION 429
Oriental Window-shade, 430; Ribbon-curtain, 430; Drapery
of Very Small Scraps, 431; Painting Window-panes, 432;
Painting on Lawn, 434; To Imitate Stained Glass, 435;
Windows of Imitation Ground Glass, 436.

CHAPTER XXXIX.
FURNITURE, OLD AND NEW 438
The Bookcase, 439; The Chair, 441; The Bedstead, 444; A
Dressing-table, 444; Washstand, 446; A Hall Seat, 447;
Window Seat and Book-shelves, combined, 448.

CHAPTER XL.
SOMETHING ABOUT MANTLE-PIECES AND FIRE-PLACES 451

CHAPTER XLI.
HOME-MADE CANDY 458
Peanut Candy, Butter Scotch and Molasses Candy, 459; Walnut
and Fruit Glacé, 460; Marsh-mallow Paste, 460; Chocolate
Caramels, 461; Pop-corn Balls, 462.

CHAPTER XLII.
SAINT VALENTINE’S DAY 464
Valentine Party, 465.

The American Girl’s Handy Book.