As the amateur will aspire to come before his parlor audience some day or other, it may be some little service and help to him to give a few suggestions as to the best way of conducting such an exhibition, and to specify the kind of tricks to which he will do well to limit himself. It will be desirable to open with an off-hand expression of his wish to place before them a few amusing tricks to wile away an hour; and let him assume a lively air, for his own liveliness will sustain that of the spectators.

There are some conjurors who, though they can perform good tricks, exhibit them in such a heavy, uninteresting way that they create no enthusiasm. An over-anxious look, coupled with a creeping, fearful movement, and a dull, monotonous voice, will suggest distrust and dissatisfaction, even where the audience has come together prepossessed with the expectation of mirth and glee. Let none assume, then, to wave the conjuror’s wand till he has himself some confidence in his powers, knows what he purposes to do, and means to carry it out. I would say that a moderate degree of assumption, a gay vivacity, ready to break out into a smile, a cheerful spirit, and a joyous voice, will go a great way to bespeak favor, which the performer can quickly repay by dashing off his tricks with enthusiasm. The language used by the conjurer should be studiously guarded. Let there be no vain-glorious assertions, no self-praise, but respectful deference to the judgment of the spectators; rather inclining to give them the credit of understanding more than they do, than twitting them with understanding less. Be neither overbearing with conceited “chaff” upon any of the company; nor, on the other hand, venture upon extreme and disconcerting compliments to any person present. Rather, as a courteous master of the ceremonies, conduct the experiments with a simple effort to please and to amuse all. With the exhibition of an amateur, the performance of some lively airs upon the piano by any friend will form an agreeable accompaniment, especially if the spirited and humorous melodies are introduced, which the public taste recognizes as the tunes of the day. You will do well to have your table neatly and carefully arranged. Let it not lie too near to the spectators, nor within reach of too minute inspection. It should be of sufficient height to show the main objects placed on it; but the surface of it may be just high enough to be sheltered from the spectators clearly viewing every article upon it. The ornaments should be few, yet, at the same time, be serviceable to shade a few articles which it may be policy to conceal.

1. The centre table may be a moderate-sized kitchen table, with a drawer to stand open; so that the performer can take any article out of the drawer with one hand, while engaging the eyes of the spectators with his other hand. A colored cloth should be over the tables, on the side towards the spectators.

2. Two small tables, at the sides of the centre table, may also be useful, as in Fig. 23.

3. With tables arranged somewhat in this manner, the amateur will be able to take up articles, from either the surface or back of the tables, without attracting notice to his doing so. He must practise taking up things with one hand, while his other hand and his eyes are ostensibly occupied with some other object; for if the spectators see him looking behind his table, their eyes will immediately follow in the same direction.

The amateur will do well to select the simpler tricks for his first attempts, and never pretend to exhibit even those without having frequently and diligently practised them. He must make up his resolution to train his hands to the passes, and to the several manoeuvres in the tricks, as diligently as young ladies train their fingers to the keys of the piano.

And let them not be discouraged if they feel awkward and nervous at first. Some of the best conjurors have candidly confessed their early failings and misgivings. With practice and perseverance this will, in most cases, wear off. I would augur that, if they feel an interest in the art, and a desire to excel in it, they will most probably secure a measure of success that will amply repay their efforts.

TRICK 25.—The Conjuror’s “Bonus Genius,” or Familiar Messenger.

This is an old trick that has delighted thousands, and may amuse thousands more, if adroitly performed. There are only the simplest mechanical arrangements connected with it; its successful exhibition depends upon the dexterity and vivacity of the performer.

PREPARATION.

You must have a strong wooden doll, about eight or ten inches high; the head must fix on or off by a peg at the bottom of the throat, being placed in a hole made at the top of the bust. Besides a close-fitting dress to its body, a large, loose, fantastic cloak must be placed round the whole figure, but must be so arranged as to allow the head to be pushed down through the part of the cloak that covers the bust, and an elastic pocket must be neatly made inside the cloak to receive and retain the head.

Having the above apparatus ready, you may commence by saying:

“Allow me, ladies and gentlemen, to introduce my learned friend and assistant—indefatigable in traveling to the most distant parts on any message I may wish to send him. He used to be recognized by early conjurors as their Bonus Genius—their good familiar spirit. But, whatever his special title, he is gifted with the art of rendering himself visible or invisible, as he feels disposed, while he travels to distant countries.

“Allow me to call your attention to the solid frame and unflinching nerves, at any rate to the well-seasoned constitution of my friend. [Rap him loudly, rap, rap, rap, on the table.] The raps he received during his education doubtless accustomed him to bear much without flinching. Though his travels have ranged from China to Peru, from the Equator to the Poles, you perceive he still sounds like a hardy Pole himself. (Rap, rap, rap.)

“I perceive, however, by the glaring of his eye, that, after my too rough handling, he is desirous of starting on his travels. I suppose we must provide him with the needful for his expenses. Large sums are given now-a-days to special correspondents in foreign countries; who will kindly give him sufficient? He will want a golden or silver key to open some curiosities he may wish to inspect in foreign cities. (Pause.) Oh, well, as there is a delay about it, I must myself supply him. I think I have a few disposable coins in my pocket: he shall have them.”

Suiting the action to the word, while your left hand holds the upper part of the cloak near the neck, so as to cover what you are doing, you withdraw the wooden body with your right hand, while you move your right hand down to your pocket for the coins. You then leave the body of the doll in your pocket, and taking out the coins, present them to the head and cloak of the figure, which is held in your left hand, saying: “There, my good friend, you can now, if you wish, proceed on your tour to Algiers, or Dahomey, or Timbuctoo, or wherever the universal Yankee travelers fancy at the present to resort.

“Ah, I see he is pleased and in good spirits again. He wishes apparently to bid you good-bye. You will excuse his looking also round about him, to judge whether the weather is fair to set out; after which I will lay my hand on his head to express my good wishes for his journey. I dare say he will not stay much longer after that than a schoolboy does after his master has bid him good-bye.”

Place with formal ceremony your hand on his head, press it down through the opening below it, receive it in your left hand underneath the cloak, and bestow it safely in the pocket.

Affect astonishment at finding the gown alone left in your hands, and fold it up with a lamentation at his departure. You may say: “It is clear that he has chosen to go to a hot climate, as he has left his cloak behind him.”

Discourse for a few minutes about sending a telegram to overtake him at London or San Francisco—talk about the sea-passage, railways, tunnels, and what not.

“Ah, but I need none of these if I wish him back. I can summon him again by a few mystic wavings of my wand and by secret art. Hey, my friend, I need thy presence; quick, return, I pray you. I wish to see you again in your familiar garb—

Swell out the cloak with your left hand, and at the same time thrust up the head from the pocket. It will appear as if the whole figure stood before them.

Then say: “I fear, dear friend, I have trespassed by abridging your tour. You can hardly have traversed Algeria, crossed the mountains of the moon, or found the birthplace of the Nile; and no one returns now-a-days without some such marvel to relate. I will let you depart again. As some people say to troublesome visitors: ‘You may depart now; please to call again to-morrow.’”

Repeat the manoeuvre, as before, of secreting the head. Then exclaim: “Alas! he is gone in earnest, like the sojourner of a day (with mock pathos.) When we have lost him, we feel our loneliness.”

Fold up sorrowfully the cloak of the departed, and so conclude the trick.

TRICK 26.—The Shower of Money.

A dozen silver coins, or pennies, will be equally useful in exhibiting this trick; but some fictitious coin, in color resembling gold, will perhaps more effectively delight those who are charmed by the yellow glitter of the precious metal. The performer must have provided himself with so many of these in his left hand as he purposes to produce at the end of the trick, and two of the same coin also must be concealed in his right palm. He must further borrow a hat from one of the company.

The imagination of the spectators having been excited by the expectation of beholding a shower of money, the adept in sleight-of-hand, keeping one of the two coins in his right hand concealed, must advance the other coin to the end of his forefinger and thumb, while he pretends to pick a coin out of the candle, or of the rim of a hat, or from a lady’s fan or shoulder, or may pretend to clutch a coin floating in the air. As he brings away his prize, he may rattle it against the other coin concealed in his right hand. Then, making Pass 1, he may pretend to pass it into the hat, being careful precisely at the same moment to drop, audibly, a coin from his left hand into the hat which he holds in that hand. Let him tell the audience to keep count how many he collects: it will rather distract their attention.

He can continue this pleasant appearance of acquiring wealth for ten minutes, or as long as he can devise various methods of appearing to clutch it, till the number with which he stored his left hand is exhausted.

He may then request some one to count out, audibly, into a plate the coins collected in the hat, which will coincide with the number he has appeared to collect so magically from various sources. When adroitly done, this trick is very pleasing and effective.

TRICK 27.—To Furnish Ladies With a Magic Supply of Tea or Coffee, at their selection, From One and the Same Jug.

PREPARATION.

Have a metal jug to hold not less than three pints. It must be constructed with two compartments in the lower part of it, holding about a pint and a quarter each, and these must each have a pipe connected with the spout of the jug and another pipe connecting with its handle, and in the handle a small hole about the size of a letter—o—in this print. These lower compartments must be filled with good tea and coffee before the jug is produced.

The upper chamber or compartment, like the upper portion of a patent coffee-pot, must have no communication with the lower divisions, and must be well closed also at the top with a tin cover, closely fitting. Have half a dozen small tea-cups and half a dozen small coffee-cups ready on a tray.

Begin the trick by placing openly in the upper compartment coffee-berries and tea, mixing them together. Take up, as a sudden thought, an old blacking bottle, and pretend to pour from it into the jug, to furnish highly-colored liquid to improve the coffee; and a little gunpowder, about a teaspoonful, may be fired off over the mixture to make the tea strong. Wave your wand over the jug.

Then you may address the ladies: inform them that the ingredients are well mixed, and invite them to name which they will prefer, “tea or coffee,” as you can produce either at their command from the same jug.

Get some friend to hand the cups, while you follow him, and, by unstopping the holes in the handle for admitting air upon the coffee or tea, the one of them that each lady names will flow out from the spout of this magic jug.

TRICK 28.—A Pleasing Exhibition for both the Performer and the Audience to view when they feel a little Exhausted.

PREPARATION.

Have two pint bottles and one quart bottle; the pint bottles to be filled, one with a liquid resembling port, the other with one resembling sherry; the large bottle to be at first empty. Three opaque metal stands—the centre one to stand under the quart bottle, to have a large cavity to hold a quart, and the upper part of this stand to be full of large holes, like a cullender, for the liquor to run from the opening at H into that cavity.

You must also have three metal covers, of proper size to cover the above three bottles—these covers to have handles at top, so as to be easily lifted. The large centre cover is simply a cover; but the two side ones, which are to cover the pint bottles, must be made with metal cavities large enough to hold, one a pint of port, the other a pint of sherry, at top, with a descending pipe to fall into the mouths of the pint bottles.

There must be a small hole at top of each of the small covers, at B and C, which hole, being covered with tinfoil, will, as long as it is closed, prevent the wine from running out at D. But when the tinfoil is scraped off, and the hole admits the air, the wine will then be able to run into the pint bottles.

The above apparatus being all ready, commence by saying: “I will now pour this pint of port and this pint of sherry into the large bottle, mixing them inseparably together.” Having done so, remove the stopper at bottom of the large bottle as you place it on its stand, and immediately place the large cover over it. The mixed liquid will gradually run out into the concealed cavity in the stand.

You must now talk a little magic nonsense, to draw off the attention, while you place the special covers over each of the small bottles, so that the descending pipes in the covers fit in the necks of the bottles. Remove the tinfoil with which you had covered the holes at A and B.

With a few magic waves of your wand, and words of art, say: “I shall now cause the mixed liquids in the centre bottle to appear severally in their own original bottles.” Let the covers remain a few seconds. Clap your hands, saying: “Change, begone!” Lift the centre cover: the large bottle will be seen to be empty. Lift successively the covers from the small bottles: they will be seen to have each their proper wine—one port, the other sherry.

TRICK 29.—To Furnish a Treat to the Gentlemen.

For this the magic bottle must be procured. One with three or four compartments is amply sufficient. In these place gin, sherry, and port wine, respectively. The bottle will have three or four holes, on which you place your fingers as if stopping the holes of a flute. You may have a bucket of water and a common bottle, resembling the magic one in size and appearance, near your table. Have ready also a tray of wine-glasses of thick glass, and holding only a very small quantity.

Exhibit the common bottle to the audience, and then place it on your table, and direct attention to some of the other articles on your table. “Now I must begin my experiment. I will wash and drain my bottle, that you may see the experiment from the beginning to the end.” Place it in the bucket, and while shaking it about, and letting the water run out, exchange it for the magic bottle lying by the bucket. Wipe that carefully with a napkin, as if drying it, and calling two or three of the audience forward at a time, inquire which they prefer. Have the stops according to alphabetical order to prevent your mistaking—gin, port, sherry. Continue supplying the small glasses as called for, till your bottle gets nearly empty, and then pour them out indiscriminately. There will have been sufficient to satisfy the most eager.

But if you wish to continue the trick, yen may have a second magic bottle prepared in the same way, and you will easily, while propounding some magic charm and gesticulating, make some pretence that will enable you to exchange the empty for the second bottle, and so proceed.