"Connecring the dots": origin?

[Wilson Gray]

When I was a child, there was a popular game called "dots." You put
parallel lines of equal numbers of dots onto a sheet of paper. The
number of lines was a function of the patience of the person drawing
up the "board." The game was played by connecting the dots, drawing
only one line at a time. Neither player "owned" the lines, so that A
could draw a line to connect a dot to which B had already drawn a line
to make a connection. The point of the game was to be the one who was
able to make the most squares by connecting the dots. A put "A" into
his squares and B put "B" into his, to keep track.

There were also puzzle-drawing for kids that involved connecting
seemingly randomly-placed, numbered dots in such a way as to draw some
figure by connecting the dots in mumerical order.

I'm not suggesting that *either* of these games is the source of the
phrase, "connecting the dots." They're just two games that I know of
that involve connecting the dots and which come to mind whenever I
hear talk of "connecting the dots."

Does anyone know the actual source of the phrase? BTW, I don't really
care. I'm just randomly wondering.

-Wilson
–––
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"––a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
–Mark Twain

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