The Republican journal., 1872-10-17
Halloween or, Chrisse's Fate.
Some merry, friendly, country folks
Together did convene
To buen their nits, and pou their stocks
And haud their Halloween

1t was a merry band that trOOped into
the square hall of the great comfortable
| homestead at The Grove, that bright
| October afternoon, and the mellow light
| of the setting sun made glory about the
| bright young heads, and lit the laughing,
girlish eyes with yet greater brilliancy.
Rich chestnut braids, bright golden coils
and raven bands. were alike radiant for
the moment.
I-serene spinster-had been wheedled
and coaxed until [ stood committed to
give these madcaps Il ''IIalloween'' frolic
To tell the truth, my scruples were not
very obstinate, for | hoped that these
merry Young voices would dispel the
shadow that was falling on the dear old
home whence all had passed-to the altar,
to other homes, and to heaven-save Just
my lonely self; and from sheer force of
habit | clung to the homestead hearth,
propping my dropping spirits with tre-
quent visits from CHEEKY young relations,
and the determination that the old house
should be except up" tor the holiday
gathering For at Thanksgiving and the
.'Christmas Week" the home band rallied
from all points of the compass, and the
ties of kinshp gathered new strength.
SO it came to pass that my niece, Kitty
Cole, was spending the month with me,
and having happened upon an old book
upon The Supernatural" had become
imbued with a frantic desire to test some
Of hernew-found theories on the approach
inc ''Halloween." Now, as | was al
together too sedato for such pranks, she
had found some fellow conspirators Of her
own age, and the time was at hand which
was to test my hospitality, rs we'll as
their ingenuity and nerve. And how
Jolly it was, to be sure. to see the grace
iul forms and bright young faces fitting
about, preparing the nights's mysteries.
| soon learned that my principal role was
Lady Bountiful-in other words, to place
house and substance (pro tenn at the dis
posal of the marauders. Their prepara
tons were soon cOmpleted and after tea
the girls drew about the ample fireplace
to watch ''the melting of lead' in little
old ron skillet which they had unearthed
from some unknown qnarter-for youth
seems TO possess a magician's charm of
intuition if not OF creation, and those girls
certainly made discoveries that We're new
to my gray hairs even. From my chair
in the corner. | had the privilege of a
spectator. and watched with curiosity as
Kitty hurried in from the kitchen regions
with the tin basin OF clear water in one
hand, and u rusty iron spoon in the other.
Depositing the basin on the hearth, she
knet before il, and with a-''now, girls.
who comes first ~ plunged her spoon into
the glowing embers for the necessary
heating. Responding to my look of in
quiry, Madgc Milton enlightened me with,
''vou see Miss Jeanette. we must drop
the melted lead into the water, and
whatever form it takes will show the oc
cupation of Your future husband. Pm
awfully curious" said Madge, $50 think
III take my turn, since you're all so
modest about speaking" Dipping up a
little of the molten metal, she dropped it
in ditlusive sort of way into the water.
The sharp hiss and sputter brought an
immediate "cloud of Witnesses and a
puzzled silence, which was soon broken
by merry queries.
"Why, Madge. it looks like pulpit
hope you're not going to marry mission
ary ?"
''Indeed, no, dear; it is much more like
beer mug Guess it's German stu
dent"
"Well, it's obscure enough to be any
thing" said Madge in tone of dissatiS-
| 1ttttloH III HOl cllC w HI w 1871 lot til,tt
venture. Who'll spoon neNt?"
With 81 believe I'm your next neigh
bor," Netty Fame consulted the fiery
oracle; and peals OF laughter arose as
one after another traced resemblances,
until Kitty sprang from her post with
flushed tlace and burning fingers, and the
declaration that it was time for something
new.
Il conclude from this trick that we shall
all marry thinkers. Where are the chest
nuts, Auntie ? Francis, Just slip into the
kitchen and bring that long handled shovel
that stands by the Dutch oven, there's a
lambkin. for | don't propose to sacrifice
my poor hands further IN this cause
Again they drew about the fire with
mock anxiety, and gazed steadily upon
the chestnuts that bore then names and
hopes, as they were placed in couples on
the hot shovel, each fair lassie with Il
favored swain. Miss Kitty (by proxy
coqnetted in very characteristic way
| tizzing and hopping, until in a burst Of
generosity and enthusiasm she revealed
entirely her white heart. Madge sputtered
and Kissed, and finally left her lover al
together, in mad leap into the flames,
while demure little Daisy Burns sighed
| her life away nesting close beside her
stolid choice. Netty Fame skipped about
| in an uncertain sort of manner, first to
one lover and then to another, until she
finally edged into cold corner, quite
alone.
The pleasures of "popping" being ex-
hausted, several other experiments were
proposed which | was obliged to veto, as
all included outdoor expeditions, and
one involved my winter supply of cab
bages SO my plea of icy dews and un-
certain routes in the darkness prevailed
and the wonder-book was scanned anew
''There, we forgot the herrings we
were to bring from the village! What
| shall we dop Miss Jeanette, that's such
Il fine trick You must swallow salt
herring in three bites, bones and all, and
not drink Il drop till the apparation of
your future spouse comes in the night to
offer you u glass of water. We must
have that. Haven't you herring in the
house, no matter if it is ever so drY?"
| racked my brains in vain, but could
find no compromise between Goldfish and
sardines. But meanwhile they had turned
to tresher fields and pastures new. need
hardly enumerate thevarious experiments,
though they were many and ludicrous. But
finally came the most momentous and in
spring of all, that which was to show the
true metal.
my dears,' announced Kitty, in a seri-
Gus dignifed tone, "buckle on you armor
now, for | am about to propose what de-
mands Spartan courage. Leading from
the library next us is a covered way, which
communicates directly with an old sum-
mer house, which was enclosed to serve
as a study for grandfather when he was a
young man. 1t is just the place tor our
last, most important charm. One of us
must take 4 candle and an apple, and
having first let down her hair, must pace
along this lonely corridor, enter this