uard.

"Who are you," exclaims the bridegroom, "to dare obstruct the king's
cavalcade? Behold the bridegroom cometh! Go ye not out to meet him?" The
answer comes from within the abode. "It is a ruse--so many thieves roam
about, more than probable you and your band are of them."

* * * * *

In England in 1557 the boys of London town sang a rhyme at their mock
wedding feasts of--

"If ever I marry I'll marry a maid,
To marry a widow I'm sore afraid,
For maids are simple and never will grudge,
But widows full oft as they say know too much."

This song was entered at the Stationers' Hall, 1557 A.D.

LONDON STREET GAMES.

A WEDDING.

After the preliminary rhyme of--

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
All good children go to heaven.
A penny on the water, twopence on the sea,
Threepence on the railway, and out goes she,"

has been said, the lot falls on one of the girls to be the bride. A ring
is formed and a merry dance begins, all the children singing this
invitation--

"Choose one, choose two, choose the nearest one to you."

The girl bride then selects a groom from the rest of the other children.
He steps into the centre of the ring, joins hands and kisses her, after
which, collecting a posy from each of the others, he decorates her with
flowers and green leaves. A fresh ring is now formed--figuratively the
wedding ring; the whole of the children caper round singing--

"Rosy apple, lemon and pear,
Bunch of roses she shall wear,
Gold and silver by her side,
I know who shall be my bride."

"Choose one, choose two, choose the nearest one to you."

"Take her by her lily-white hand,
Lead her across the water,
Give her kisses one, two, three,
Mrs. ---- daughter."

THE KING OF THE BARBARINES.

In this street game an entire regal court is appointed, the children
taking the characters of king, queen, princes, and courtiers. When these
preliminaries are settled two children join hands and whisper
something--supposed to be a great state secret--to each other. This at
once causes a rivalry amongst certain of the mock courtiers, and the
dissatisfaction spreads, culminating in an open rebellion. The children
take sides. Things now look serious; the prime minister tells the king
he fears rebellion, and for safety his little majesty, attired in royal
robes, and wearing a paper crown, retires to his palace--one