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The Headless
Christmas Wizard
Amazing Tricks With a Real Head That Is Taken
Off at Will—The Simple Appliances with
Which It Can Be Done.
This is a startling illusion.
The spectators sit before the closed
door of a closet while the master of
ceremonies explains that the magician
in the closet, who is now engaged in
establishing magnetic currents between
himself and the party, is a past master
in the occult arts, an adept of the for
ty-second degree, and that he will
perform miracles that will make an
ordinary medium feel like thirty cents
at Delmonico’s.
The door is opened suddenly and dis
closes an astounding figure sitting on
a chair in the closet, dressed in a long,
red robe, upon which are embroidered
all sorts of cabalistic figures. He has
a most extraordinary countenance, em
bellished by a pair of huge green spec
tacles. and he wears a high-pointed
conical-shaped hat. His long, strag
gling locks mingle with his equally
long, straggling beard. It Is clear that
he is alive, for he moves his head, and
all can see him wink and smile and
otherwise move his features.
The master of ceremonies warns
everybody to keep perfectly still and
to think of nothing at all, which, un
der the circumstances, the spectators
find it difficult to do. They notice that
The magician is disclosed wltli his head in his lap.
the inside of the closet door is covered
with black, lusterless cloth, and the
closet behind the magician is perfectly
black. The light in the room is Just
sufficient to allow them to see all this.
The door is closed again and re
opened after another interval. Great
heavens! The magician has taken his
head from his shoulders. There can
be no mistake about that, for he holds
it in his lap.
The door is shut and again opened.
Now the magician is seen, still head
less, but where is the head? It has
disappeared altogether!
A fourth shutting and opening of
the door discloses the head apparently
hanging without support midway be
tween the top and the bottom of the
closet.
But what has become of the magi
cian to which it belongs? Vanished,
dissolved into thin air!
Wonder of wonders, the head speaks!
It begins by saying that although by
itself it is a mere nobody, it belongs
to the great Magician Gummygum. It
apologizes for not speaking better
English, saying that Gummygum had
arrived only recently in America, hav
ing been frightened away from his
home at Lhasa, where he had been
living for the last 3.000 years,
by wicked, unbelieving British sold
iers.
In bidding the spectators farewell
he begs to give them a bit of advice,
Dillydoll and Japlittle
THEIR MISDEEDS.
VII.
Tm. Dtllydnll and Japllttle saw
poor Grandpa Jack Springbang
shoved and shoved into the cell, and
they did not feel sorry a little bit.
No. They laughed. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
But even as they laughed, ret-ri-bu
tion was on the way. It always finds
out about things and gets on the
wicked people's trail. You may de
pend on this.
Grandpa Jack Springbang simply
could not bear to be Imprisoned. It
CL--
Everything fell right nil Dillydoll anil .lupinlie.
went against his grain, fur he was
fnttk* from u p|#c•# of * which him
a very fine grain Indeed.
Ho. wh*n Cluhcllh and (’llbrlub
dreked the prison door and stepped
hek lo take iwo long breathe end
M}o|| V**f ¥ pf'oo4l Mll'f tfjftirj flf rifl*ll
blmseif a„4 knitted Ws spring she!
wnwles together and I hen he went
And don fed! tbs dear f thd ret)
which is, never to lose their heads, for
it is only given to the Emperor of
Russia and to great Oriental adepts
to do such a thing and escape the con
sequences.
The explanation of this trick is ex
tremely simple. Its successful per
formance depends on the fact of
which all the great professional magi
cal performers take advantage, that
black will not show' upon black.
This is the basis of some of the most
surprising tricks performed in modern
magic.
As large a frame as the closet will
allow, fitting closely against the back
of the closet, is nailed together. It
is covered with black, lusterless cloth.
Cheap black muslin, washed to take
off the gloss, or white muslin stretch
ed upon it and painted black will do
admirably.
The covering of the frame is slit in
the middle from top to bottom so that
it forms two parts. The head of the
magician consists of a false face, a wig
of excelsior or some such matter, and
a conical cap, which can be made of
paper, fastened together and so fash
ioned that it can be fitted over or
take off of his real head.
To make this head disappear, the
top of the frame is tipped forward so
that it rests against each side of the
doorway inside, and his head comes
through the slit, which Is then pinned
together, below' and above his head,
with Black pins.
When his head thus disappears,
everything about him being black, the
cloth that screens his face cannot be
seen by any person a little distance In
front of the closet.
As for the head in his lap. of course
it is merely the mask and the hat and
the wig all fastened together so as to
make one structure.
When the body disappears and only
the head is seen apparently suspended
in mid-air. the bottom of the frame is
brought as far forward as possible
and the top of it is tilted back, rest
ing against the back of the closet.
This makes u space behind which
the performer can sit and thrust his
head through the slit to be seen by
the spectators, while his body is en
tirely behind the screen.
It is well to have a short curtain
hanging from the top of the doorway.
This will conceal the top of the frame
when it is brought forward. This
curtain need not be black.
The floor of the closet should be dead
black, so as to reflect no light upon
the figure or upon its surroundings.
The spectators should not be allow
ed to approach too near the closet
door, and the light should be just suf
ficient to allow the performer to be
plainly seen.
and apart flew the walls of the cell
and with a whole great big smash
everything fell right on Dillydoll and
Japlittle.
They cried for help and wept and
screamed that all their bones were
broken. But nobody came to assist
them.
t’lubclib stared with all his eyes
and only said:
“Look at that, would you.”
And dtbclub said nothing at all.
Grandpa Jack Springbang said:
"It serves them right!”
Then he telephoned to the ark and
Noah sent the ambulance hitched to
the giraffe. |>r Monkey aut Inside,
and he look Dillydoll and Japlittle
straight in the animal hospital and
gswed Them apart and put new glue
on them, pibing hot, and rg never
• Sled a bit how they yelled, hut Jual
curved and drilled ands. taped and
gouged snd glued away, Buying:
“ft serves you right,”
Then you muy he aura they did not
any Hohuhahahahat
The Kg.
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS; SUNDAY. DECEMBER 18. 1004.
THE LIVING CHRISTMAS TREE
BY ADELIA B. BEARD.
Illustrated by the Author.
No doubt you w’ill have many
charming surprises prepared on
Christmas Eve; but what would you
say to see a Christmas tree come
walking into the room? A green
Christmas tree all covered with glit
tering ornaments and bright colored
toys, with little bells at the bottom
that tinkle musically as It moves and
on the topmost point a shining star
that sends out tinsel rays from every
point. Then, a little distance below
the star, a face —a laughing face with
shining eyes that reveal the guardian
angel of the tree?
This is how you can prepare such
a liv'ing Christmas tree for the sur
prise and delight of your family and
friends:
The angel of the tree should be
The tree comes walking In.
quite a tall girl. From dark green,
undressed cambric cut a long, plain
cloak that will reach from neck to
feet. Make a peaked hat. like a large
cornucopia, out of light-weight card
board. Cover the hat with some of
the green cambric, allowing a cape of
the material to fall from hat to shoul
ders at the back.
Get three quires of moss-green tis
sue paper. Cut it into strips six Inches
wide and cut each strip into a rather
coarse fringe, leaving a beading at
the top two and a half inches wide.
Beginning at the bottom sew the
fringe around the cloak, allowing it to
reach just to the edge of the cloth.
Above the first row of fringe, and
overlapping it. sew the second row,
bringing its lower edge within two
• inches of the bottom edge of the first
row.
SANTA CLAUS ISLAND
How He Found the Shipwrecked Three and Made
Christmas for Them.
BY TEMPLE BAILEY.
Nan and Jack and little black Topsy
rubbed their eyes and stared about
them. There had been a shipwreck,
and a big wave had landed them high
and dry on a sandy island.
“Lawsee, ‘Miss Nannie,” said little
black Topsy, “I’m skeered,” and she
rolled her eyes and shivered.
“So am I,” whispered Nan. "I’m
hungry, and It’s horrid.”
“All shipwrecks are horrid,” said
Jack. "But I think I can find some
thing to eat, and If you are cold, why
you and Topsy can lie down, and let
me cover you with warm sand, and
then I’ll go and explore.”
"I knew you wouldn't lef iis out."
8o the two little girl* stretched
themnelvcK out and Jack covered them,
all but their heud*.
"Off, you look funny," he auld, a
he finished and aurveyed the two
tnounda, out of one of which atuck
Nan'a golden head and out of the
other Topay'a kinky black wool.
"Now, good-bye," auld Jack; ’Tm
going to look for food." And he
man lied off like a man, with hi* hand*
In hla pockets.
’’Topsy,” Bald Nall, after he had
gone, "4n you know It la the day be
fore Christmas, and wa won’t gel a
single present to-morrow V
* Hu' Topsy was not despondent
“Whal e the mallah wld Msrae Manta
ClausY” she demanded. “Ain’ tie com
In this way put on row after row of
fringe, always overlapping it, until
the cloak is entirely covered, then
cover the hat and its cape in the same
manner.
Take a light wooden hoop—one of
those that is rolled on the pavements
in "hoop time,” and, turning the
edge of the cloak up once, fit the hoop
in the fold and hem the edge over it.
This will hold the cloak out firmly at
the bottom and it should hang smooth
and straight from the shoulders with
a generous lap where it closes in front.
Sew the fronts together, leaving an
opening only large enough to slip over
the head.
Non suspend the cloak on a waist
hanger in such a way that you can
it from all sides, and proceed
to decorate.
Around the bottom sew a row of
small bells, and here and there all
over the cloak, sew large dress hook3,
on which hang the fragile glass orna
ments and small presents. Pin on the
tinsel decorations and strings of pop
corn with safety pins and leave the
finishing touches until the angel has
entered her tree.
The tall hat, tipped by its bright
star, may be completely trimmed and
put safely away until needed. All
decorations and presents must be light
in weight.
On the eventful night let the Christ
inas tree angel slip into the tree, and,
after it is nicely adjusted, hang around
her neck strings of colored glass balls,
and suspend from the hooks the glass
ornaments and presents. Put the peak
ed hat on her head, and the living
Christmas tree will be ready for her
first appearance.
in' to dis islan’, dat’s wbut I ask, ain’
he cornin' to dis islan’?”
“Why. Topsy,” explained little Nan,
patiently, “how could he? His rein
deer couldn’t cross the water.”
“Let him come in a boat, den. Dat’s
whut I say. Let him come in a boat.”
said Topsy, fiercely. “He ain’ got no
call to lef’ us out.”
"No.” said Nan, “but I am afraid ha
will.”
They lay very still after that in their
sandy beds, watching the white gulls
overhead and listening to t'he boom of
the waves on the beach.
Suddenly Topsy sat up and pointed
a skinny, black finger towards the sea.
“What's dat?” she cried excitedly.
Nan raised herself on her elbow and
looked.
"It’s a bout," she said, “a little boat,
anil It's coming here.”
Nearer and nearer came the lltllo
boat, and presently Topsy shrieked:
"It’s Marse Santa Claus, and he’s
coinin' straight to dis yer Islan',
Didn’t 1 inis yer? Didn't 1 tole yer
he’d coma?"
The man in the boat hid a long
while beard. I4e had on a red sweater
and wore a furry cap pulled well
down over hla eara. Aa he climbed
out of the houl they saw tliai hr am
very round and fal and had a jolly red
When he had pulled Ibe boat up out
of the water he leaned ovar and pick
e4 up a great bag and slung It over
his shoulder and came trotting up the
beach.
"It truly is Santa,” said Nan, breath
lessly, “and he is coming straight to
wards us.”
"Miss Nan,” said Topsy, faintly,
*Tm skeered. ’Deed I is, Miss Nan.”
But Nan's face was aglow. "You
ought to be ashamed of yourself,
Topsy,” she cried, "to be afraid of
dear, good Santa. I'm going to run
right down and meet him.”
Away she sped, her golden curls
flying behind her, and when she
reached the old man she slipped her
hand into his confidingly.
“I’m awfully glad you came, Santa,”
she said. “We were so frightened and
lonely, and maybe you can tell us
what to do.”
The old man stood still and stared
at her. Then he chuckled.
“Well, well,” he said, “where did
you come from?”
Nan explained. “And Topsy and I
knew you the minute we saw you in
the boat,” she said cheerfully.
“’Deed we did, Marse Santa,” said
Topsy, who had just come up. ’Deed
we did. I knew you wouldn’t lef us
out.”
“Of course not," said the old man,
and his eyes twinkled. “I’m a pretty
good old Santa Claus, after all.’’
Just then Jack came running down
the beach.
“It’s Santa Claus,” called Nan, as
soon as he was within hearing.
But Jack was older than Topsy and
Nan, and he had his doubts. “Are
you really Santa Claus?” he asked
gravely.
The old man winked. "Don’t I
look like him?” he said.
“Yes,” said Jack, “you do.”
oSstsmimo own rdlin aoin haoin aoinn
“Ain’t I got a pack on my back?”
he asked.
“Yes,” said Jack, “but it looks like
potatoes, and not toys.”
Then the old man leaned down and
whispered in his ear. “That’s jes’
what it is, but if them little dears
wanted to take I’m Santa, why let ’em
thhig it. It won't hurt anybody, will
“No,” said Jack, “it won’t.”
“Well, then,” said Santa, out loud,
“that being decided, we will go and
have dinner.”
"Dinner?” said Jack, in surprise.
“Why, where do you live?”
“Follow me,” said Santti; and they
trotted gaily after him.
Away among the sand hills they c'ame
suddenly upon a little house. With
in was a glowing fire and a great
pot was boiling on the stove, and
soon each of the little wayfarers had
a hot bowl of soup and a big piece of
bread, and when they had finished
their eyes drooped.
“Now hang up your stockings,” said
Sanfa, “and go to bed.” And in a
little while the three long stockings
hung over the fireplace, while the
children slept peacefully in the next
room.
How the old sailor found things to
fill those stockings was a wonder.
But there was a quaint sandalwood
fan for Nan, affair of Chinese shoes
for Jack and a Japanese doll for
Topsy. Then he filled up the corners
with beautiful shells and with little
boxes of dried fruit, and such things
as sailors pick up in many voyages.
Such a Jolly Christmas morning as
it was! The children were delighted
with their gifts, and afterwards Santa
rowed them over the mainland and
put them on the train for home.
Santa Claus Island is a lovely
place,” said little Nan, when they had
bidden the old man good-bye. affec
tionately..
“’Deed it am,” said Topsy.
“We’ll go there again next year.”
said Jack.
But though they hunted for and
wide on the gray sea, and asked many
people to take them there, they never
again found the little sandy isl’and
and the jolly old Sailor Santa Claus.
NOSE, nose! who nose.
This Is a good game to pass the time,
while the impatient ones are Waiting
for Christmas dinner.
All the children present can play.
They stand In a long row, one behind
the other. The eyes of the one in
front are covered by the one behind,
by clasping both hands over them.
Then one of the other players creeps
softly out of place, tiptoes to the
blinded leader, gently tweaks his nose,
and sneaks back into place.
The leader’s eyes are released then
and he must walk up and down the
row and try to find the one who pull
ed his nose by studying the faces of
all and picking out the one who looks
suiltv.
Wlien he has decided, he must say,
“Nose, Nose, Who Nose,” and catch
the suspected one by the nose. If he
has found the right one, he takes his
place in the row and the captured
player must go in front and have his
nose tweaked in turn. But if he has
not picked the right one, the wrong
fully suspected player takes him by
the nose and leads him back to his
original place.
Just a Little Grindstone to Sharpen
the Mind Stone.
There Is a compound word which Is
much used, especially by poets, to
describe the present holiday season.
What it is? Perhaps you can find
by. studying the following list of
words. Each of them is made out of
the word that we are hunting for.
There Is no letter in any one of these
words that is not to be found In the
compound word. Trv It.
Here are the short words: Let, tied,
til, It, yet, lieu, ye, duel, die, diet, edit.
Solution of I.nst Sunday’s Illnck
board l'uzr.le.
This is how the children in Miss
Sweetlything’s class solved the prob
lem of dividing 45 Into four parts in
such a way that each part would make
the same number when they added 2
to the first part, subtracted 2 from the
second part, multiplied the third part
by 2 and divided the fourth part by 2.
They divided 45 Into the following
parts: 8, 12. 5 and 20. Adding 2 to 8
makes 10. Subtracting 2 from 12
leaves 10. Multiplying sby 2 makes
10. Dividing 20 by 2 makes 10.
AFTER THE DESSERT.
After the table has been cleared, pick
out two walnuts and lay them Bide by
side in the middle of the table. Then
balance a third one on top. Now the
children take turns at tossing a
smaller nut (an almond is best) at the
walnuts. The one who hits the top
walnut and knocks it over without
disturbing the two lower ones wins
the three nuts.
BROTHER, WIIO KNOCKST
Two players are blindfolded and sit
down buck to back. Another Player
creeps to them and taps one of them
gently on the head. The child that ’s
so touched asks the other blindfolded
one:
“Brother, who knocks?”
If It guesses who It was, the “knock
er” must take his place.
A RUCK GROWER.
Careful measurements of a captive
giraffe have shown that this animal
grows sis Inches In hlght every year
till It Is fully grown. At that rate, a
ts>y would be about eight fool high
by the lime he was 11.
THE GOGH | \< |,K.
There was once an uncle whee die
j'i*iuori wtiai aoniHhliii ilk** this:
Hr it buy lom In dogrtm
K*i nptitwi mid i oyilnc
And all i( bin mce# fet'd kiM.
Brave Betty of Boston Town
How Her Ready Wit and Courage Beat Off a
Robber and Recovered a Lost Treasure.
A CHRISTMAS STORY OF 1776.
On a brisk, breezy day, the day be
fore Christmas, 1776. Mistress Betty
Reddywitte mounted her buckskin
colored mare at the gate of the gar
den in front of her mother’s house In
Boston.
Mistress Betty, although she was
scarcely more than a child, was well
grown for her age and good to look
upon.
She was as brave as any lion—or
braver than some I have seen. Never
was she known to take fright or de
sert a companion. When Selectman
Pettigrew’s terrier went mad and at
tacked her companion, Peggy Brooks,
in Marlborough street, Betty beat the
dog off with her umbrella and kept the
brute off until assistance arrived.
Betty Reddywitte galloped merrily
and soon was in the country road out
side of town. Then, suddenly, she
came upon a strange sight.
A great yellow-bodied, post-chaise
containing a lady and a little girl was
drawn up at the side of the road.
Confronting the inmates with a long
barrelled pistol was a horesman in a
red cloak with a black half-mask on
his face.
.s'' %
Betty beat the dog off with her umbrella.
Betty did not need to look twice to
recognize all the objects that went to
make up the tableau—the yellow post
chaise, the lady and the child, its in
mates. and the black driver. She
knew them all.
She had set out from Boston to
meet her mother on the way from
Milton, and this was the meeting.
Nor did she fail to recognize the
highwayman in spite of his black
mask. But she would not for the
world have let him know it.
For an instant the girl was seized
with an uncontrollable trembling. She
closed her eyes, feeling sick and faint.
Then she had an inspiration. A plan
whose very simplicity promised pos
sible success, came to her.
Hastily pulling her hood around
her face, she began screaming. The
highwayman, seeing what looked to
him like a country girl who had lost
her wits from fright, sternly bade her
be silent.
“Oh, sir.” she cried, “don't kill me!
The cavalcade swept along the road to Boston.
I ha’ but a fi’ pun note to buy a
Christmas goose.”
“Will you be silent ” asked the rob
ber, cursing her, “or will I have to
quiet you with a tap on the head with
the butt of a pistol? Don't move till
X tell you.”
Betty ceased to scream, but began
to weep. Extracting a paper from a
bag fastened to her waist she held it
out to the highwayman.
With one eye on his helpless and
unresisting victims in the chaise, he
turned half around toward Betty who,
whimpering, still held her hood tight
ly gathered about her face. He made
a rude snatch at the bit of paper she
offered him. A brisk breeze, how
ever. that was blowing, and of which
Mistress Betty had already taken note,
twitched the thing out before his Un
gers could close upon It and sent it
across the road Into a blackberry
bush. On the spur of the moment the
highwayman dismounted. He threat
ened his captives with instant death
it they moved, and crossed the road.
Betty Instantly whispered to the
negro outrider to lash h'ls horses. At
the same time she caught the bridle
of the highwayman's more and laid
her whip without mercy both upon the
startled creuture and upon her own
faithful Buckskin.
The next moment the ribber saw
the whole cavalcade sweeping along
the road toward Boston at breakneck
speed.
Scarcely had all returned safely to
the Iteddywitte’s gambrel-roofed house
on Haddock's Mall, when f'ousln Men*,
diet arrived with a larnsnlable story
of itow his horse had been taken front
hljp by the American military authori
ties because Its servhsa wsr* needed
In the army.
Mistress Betty addressed the young
man.
“Cousin Benedict, mother, as you
know, buried 500 pounds in the hill
side under the pear tree in the back
garden, because the state of the coun
try is so disturbed that she was afraid
to put it into a bank.”
“You’re going to tell me the money
has disappeared,” said Cousin Bene
dict. “Well, I know nothing about it.”
“Why, how hasty you are. Cousin
Benedict!” replied Betty. “I was going
to tell you that mother is thinking
of putting the other half of her money,
500 pounds more, in the same place.
What think you. Cousin Benedict?”
“So,” he said as a relieved evpres
sion came into his face, and he smiled,
for a happy idea occurred to him.
“What do I think? Why. she couldn’t
do better than bupy it all. Ecod,
Cousin Betty, if the Yankees take my
nag, what will prevent them from tak
ing your bag? No, Coz, believe me.
There is no bank so safe nowadays as
a clay bank.”
“Then we will do it,” said Betty de
cidedly. “We will bury the second
500 pounds alongside of the first. But
don’t speak of it to any one. Cousin.
Benedict.”
“Not I,” replied Cousin Benedict.
“I’ll lay heavy odds you'll be talking
of it before J do.”
A few hours later Betty, who had
.hidden herself near the clay bank,
saw Cousin Benedict stealthily going
Into the back garden and replace five
hundred pounds in the * hole In the
bank under the pear tree, from which
he had taken it. This was just what
Betty had expected he would do. She
had discovered that the money had
been stolen and she suspected Cousin
Benedict. She immediately calculated
that, if he saw a chance to steal an
other five hundred pounds, he would
replace the first sum. so that it might
not be missed when the additional
money was placed there. Then he
could steal it all at the first conven
ient opportunity.
You may assure yourself It was not
long after Cousin Benedict had re
placed it before that 500 pounds was
in the possession of shrewd Mistress
Betty Reddywitte.
And what a jolly Christmas the Red
dywittes had the next day, to be sure!
And was anything ever known like tha
rejoicing when the man of the house
(heaven help the poor child, there was
none to take her place) presented her
mother with the treasure that had
been lost and found again!
They were all happy togethei—all
but one. Cousin Benedict, after a brief
but pointed conversation with Mis
tress Betty, had gone away never to
return.
THE MOCKIXIU tIIRD WOMAW.
An old woman who owned a small
mocking
Bird, said "Goodness me, this is shock
ing!
Here it Is Christmas Eve,
And I really believe
The poor creature has not got a stock
ing.”
THE BADLY BCII.T BN All-
Said the snail: “It has Just struck
nte dimly
That although it may be but a whim,
wa
Should reaUy receive
Home gifts Christmas Eve;
But alas! None of us has a chimney!”
NOLI rZOMb OK I,ANT
Nl BOAT'S I'tULgl.
Behruiliur Mta.
W—aver,
K—way.
W~hol,
A—spire.
A -bridge,
B— tress.
TraaapewA Word*
(1) <'ork rock,
i 'it Uma mail,
(l) Ayr-rsy.
ill Troy —lory,
ill l-*on - tone.
iti Xstko—kalo.