There are very few games one person alone can play. Mrs. Cheney has compiled a collection of these games, under the name of “Patience,” which are very desirable. These games are an acquisition to any home. They amuse an invalid, and often act as a sedative to men wearied of business cares, who desire some simple amusement before sleeping. They do not produce the feverish excitement of games of chance and skill played against an opponent. Yet they can become a social pleasure, by others looking on and sharing in the interest of the game, and the pleasure of success. Boys and girls would do well to learn them, as they will not divert the mind from study, yet may help to pass pleasantly an idle hour, besides exercising the patience. The publishers have allowed us to give the directions of some of the games; we also will add “The Army Solitaire,” and when you play it, think of the pleasure it has given to many a weary soldier, in diverting his mind from the hardships of war. Our famous generals often played it the night before a battle, and if successful, looked upon it as a good omen. We will add a few simple social games.

1.—THE LEGITIMIST.

TWO PACKS.

This name is of French origin, but it seems to have no special adaptation to the game. It may have been applied to it from some old royalist, who solaced his years of exile with the company of mimic kings and queens. It requires close attention, but is not otherwise difficult.

Take a king and place it at the left. Then, having shuffled your cards well together, begin to lay them off. You place in succession, in a horizontal row, next the king, the queen, the knave, ten, nine, eight, seven, and six, as they appear from the pack. On these you form the families of thirteen cards each, piling downwards, not following suit, and ending each family with the number next to the bottom card, so that you will finish, if successful, with a row of piles, whose top cards number from the ace to the seven, inclusive. Put the cards that you cannot immediately use in stock. You can take up this stock, re-shuffle it, and re-lay it twice.

You must be very careful to observe when your families are complete, for as each one ends with a different number, you will be likely to put on too many cards if you are inattentive.

2.—THE SULTAN.

TWO PACKS.

This is, perhaps, the most curious and interesting of all the games of Solitaire, and, if successful, it forms a pretty picture of the sultan or king of hearts, surrounded by his eight queens. As it is rather difficult to understand the arrangement, we have prepared a little diagram to illustrate it.

Take out the ace of hearts and all the kings. Place one king of hearts in the centre. Just above him place the ace of hearts, and below him the other king of hearts. On each side of the ace place the kings of clubs, who represent war. On each side of the first king of hearts are the kings of diamonds, representing the treasury; and on the lower line, each side of the second king of hearts, are the kings of spades, representing the industrial forces.

Then shuffle the remaining cards, and lay off from the pack. Put the first four cards on one side off the square formed by the kings, placing the ends of the cards towards the square. Put the next four cards on the other side in a similar manner; these eight cards form the divan.

Leaving the sultan untouched, form the other families by placing the aces on the kings, and so piling in regular succession, according to suits, ending with the queens. Place all cards which you cannot immediately use, in a pile on the table, which is called the stock. You can use the cards you are laying off from the packs, or the top card of the stock, or any card in the divan, in forming your families. When a card is taken from the divan, you may fill its place, either by the top card from the stock, or by the next card from the pack, as you think most likely to be favorable to your purpose.

When you have exhausted the pack, you can take up the stock and use it as a pack, always keeping your divan full. This you can do twice. Some skill is required in placing the cards in the divan, and in selecting them for use, and constant care is needed that no opportunity in placing a card in the families escape you. You will, after a little experience, generally be rewarded with success.

3.—FRENCH SOLITAIRE.

ONE PACK.

This game is very simple, and well adapted to invalids who cannot make much effort.

Shuffle the cards well. Lay the four aces as they come in a row. Place the other cards as they appear from the pack, on the aces in order, without following suit; as, ace, deuce, three, four, &c.; this is called putting the cards in families.

Place the cards which do not fit on these, in due order in four piles below, and whenever the top card will go on the upper line, in regular sequence, you can use it, which will thus free the card beneath it.

The skill consists in deciding on which of these four piles to place the cards from the pack, and which card to use, if you have two top cards of the same number. Of course you must not, if you can help it, place a higher card on a lower; but if you have already four piles, this will often be unavoidable. You must then endeavor to get off the higher cards, to free those beneath. According to the old, strict rule, of not looking to see what cards are beneath the top card, it becomes an excellent exercise of memory to recall in which pile are the cards you want at the moment. It is not well to place many cards of the same number in one pile. If you can complete the families in the upper row to the kings, you have succeeded in this game; if not, you have failed.

You may make this game still easier by taking out the aces, and placing them in the upper row, before beginning the game; or you may make it more difficult by following suit in the families, in which case you are entitled to take up the lower piles, re-shuffle them, and re-lay them twice.

4.—THE ARMY SOLITAIRE.

ONE PACK.

The army game is a decided favorite with all who like solitaire games; we have never seen any printed directions, yet there may be in some book we have not had access to. We prefer it to any other game of solitaire, and we hope these directions will be sufficiently plain to interest our readers to try it.

Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Then deal off the first card, whatever it may be, and place it on the upper corner of the left hand side of an imaginary square. This is called the foundation card, on which to form a family. For instance, if it were the six of diamonds, the next card to place upon it would be the seven of diamonds, as the family must be formed in regular succession, according to suit. Whenever you come across, in playing the cards, the six of spades, hearts, or clubs, these are the foundation cards (as the first card dealt gives the requisite value of the other three foundation cards, or as some call them, the four towers of the fortress), and can be placed in the other three corners, to form a square. On these build your towers, as we directed in diamonds. If you succeed in forming the four towers or families in suit, and in succession, you have conquered.

When you deal a card that cannot be placed on the corner families in succession, place it on the sides of the square, between the foundation cards, as three of clubs, and nine of spades, eight of diamonds, king of hearts, and one can be placed in the centre of the square, as the ace of diamonds; these five cards are called the reserve forces, and on these you can place any card in downward succession (suits need not be followed), which cannot be used on the towers. For instance, if you deal off the deuce of hearts, or any other deuce, place it on to the three of clubs; or any eight, place it on to the nine of spades; or king, place it on to the ace, so on; but with every card turned, first look at your foundation cards, or towers; never lose an opportunity to build up these. All cards that cannot be played on to the four towers or the five reserve cards, may be placed on one side as stock.

Whenever any one of the five reserve corps cards are vacant from being used to build up the towers, or a vacancy made by being able to place reserve cards on the other reserve corps, replace from the stock, and by taking a card from the stock, a desirable card to use on the towers may be freed.

The great skill of this game consists in the judicious arrangement of the reserve corps; if you have two top cards on different piles, of the same value, you should carefully consider on which pile it is best to place the card dealt of proper value, for future use.

If you can complete your towers in the first play, without shuffling your stock, you have gained a great victory; the stock can only be shuffled and played over once. If the towers cannot then be built, the game can be commenced anew. Sometimes the cards deal out so perversely that even skilful play and patience cannot build the towers.