MISS JENNIA JONES.
This game is a great favorite with New York children. The mother is seated. Jennia Jones stands beside her, or reclines on her lap, as if quite sick. The rest of the players join hands in a line and move back and forth in front of the mother and daughter, led by one who acts as spokeswoman. They sing:
The spokeswoman steps forward, and the mother says to her, "Miss Jennia Jones is washing."
"Miss Jennia Jones is washing,
Is washing, is washing;
Miss Jennia Jones is washing,
She cannot be seen to-day."
The questions are kept up to the same tune, and the reply is that she is ironing, or baking, or scrubbing, or sweeping. She is then represented as sick, as worse, and finally as dead, which news is received with signs of deep grief. Then the players move back and forth, singing:
"What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in, dress her in?
What shall we dress her in,
Dress her in to-day?"
Some one suggests "Blue."
"Blue is for sailors,
For sailors, for sailors;
Blue is for sailors,
And that will never do."
"Red."
"Red is for firemen,
For firemen, for firemen;
Red is for firemen,
And that will never do."
"Green."
"Green is forsaken,
Forsaken, forsaken;
Green is forsaken,
And that will never do."
"Pink."
"Pink is for babies,
For babies, for babies;
Pink is for babies,
And that will never do."
"Black."
"Black is for mourners,
For mourners, for mourners;
Black is for mourners,
And that will never do."
"White."
"White is for dead people,
For dead people, for dead people;
White is for dead people,
So that of course will do."
"Where shall we bury her,
Bury her, bury her?
Where shall we bury her?
Under the apple tree."
Then they go round, singing:
"I dreamt I saw a ghost last night,
A ghost last night, a ghost last night;
I dreamt I saw a ghost last night,
Under the apple tree!"
The ring breaks up, and flies with shrieks, pursued by the ghost of Miss Jennia Jones. The one caught has to take her place, and the game begins again.
