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Book
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Parlor
Tricks.
How to Perform Them.
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[2]
The Diviner.
The point of this trick consists in divining aword which is named, together with several others.Two of the players commonly agree betweenthemselves to place it after an object that has fourlegs; for instance, a quadruped, a table, etc., etc.
Example.—If Emily wishes to have Henry guessthe word which Susan has secretly told her, shesays to him, “Susan has been shopping; she hasbought a rose, a dress, some jewelry, a table, abonnet, a shawl——” Henry, of course, will easilyguess that the object in question is a bonnet,for the word “table,” which precedes it, has fourlegs.
To Walk Upon a Hot Iron Bar.
Take half an ounce of camphor, dissolve it intwo ounces of aqua vitæ, add to it one of quicksilver,one ounce of liquid storax, which is thedroppings of myrrh, and prevents the camphorfrom firing; take also two ounces of hematis,which is a red stone, to be had at the druggists’;and when you buy it, let them beat it into a powderin their great mortar, for, being very hard, it cannotwell be reduced in a small one; add this to the[3]ingredients already specified, and when you purposeto walk upon the bar, anoint your feet wellwith it, and you may do so without the slightestdanger.
The Restored Ribbon.
Have two pieces of colored ribbon of exactly thesame size and appearance, one of which, beingdamped, may be secured in the palm of the hand,previous to exhibiting. The other may be cut inpieces and burned in a plate by the audience.Taking now the ashes, you call for a basin ofwater, with which you moisten them, stating bythe magical influence of the “cold water cure,”the color and form of the burned ribbon will berestored. Rubbing the damp ashes in the hand,you draw forth, at the same time, the concealedribbon, which will appear to be the same that hadbeen consumed.
Interesting Problems.
By steeping an egg in vinegar for some