The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-10-31
HALLOW EVE.

ing links between the most ancient faiths
and those of modern times. The Bel
tame fires kindled on the V Of the
lat Of November is but a remnant OF the
Egyptian worshipof Baal whose highfes-
tiyal washed the same month. ThedlVl-
nation and fortune telling OF Halloween
M from the same pagan sources,
modified by places and people. In
some portions of the British Islands,
and Germany, many of the old rites are
retained, and for the benefit of our fair
readers, we will giyerthem some of the
old accredited ways of raising the cur
tain Of futuFity.
First in order comes the nut burning.
Hear an old English poet on the sub
ject? t.# 4a"
s.Two haxel-nuts / threw into the flames,
And two each nut I gave a sweatheart's name;
This. with the iOudest bounce me sore amazed,
That, in q fame of brightest color blazed.
Az blazed the nut, so may thy passion grow,
For twas thy nut that did SO brightly glow.
Apples are also extensively eaten on
the Eve, this consumption of fruit ally
ing itself to the heather character OF
the day, when the ancients offered sac
rifce to Vertumnus and Pomona.
The apple is eaten standing alone at
midnight before a mirror, and the Wis
ion of the future husband is expected
to peer owe the shoulder.
Then comes the sowing Of hemp or
barley seed.
At midnight (for that is the charmed
houro of HalloWe'en) a young man scat
ters the seed over the yard saying,
"Hemp seed I SOW thee, and she who is
to be my love, come after me and draw
thee,r expecting that on looking over
his shoulder a vision of the future
spouse will be obtained pulling full.
grown hemp. Then a shirt sleeve is
dipped in a rivulet al. the meeting point
of the lands of three proprietors and
hung by tile fire to dry, trusting to see
the visionary she come. in and turn
the other side. Stalks of cabbages are
pulled blindfold, and they augur from
their straiglltness or crookedness the
figure of the future wife; from the
earth which clings to the root what for
tune she will bring, and from the sound
ness of the heart her temper. Then
there is the dish oracle. Three dishes
are set on the floor, n empty, one with
clean, and one with dirty water. The
company approaches them blindfolded,
and each dips in a hand. He who dips
IN the empty one is doomed to bachelor
hood, he who dips in the foul n gets
q widow, and he who dips in the clean
one is the lucky hero who marries
whom he viii. s
Some of the rites of Halloween have
heen given up in Europe in consequence
of tragedies which have grown out of
them. but enough are retained to make
the lat of November, a of jollity
in all the rural districts. Faith in the
oracies has fed, but there is supersti
ton enough lingering to make people
seek their futures in all kinds of absurd
ways. To this day the Jewish bath
coln is believed, aud few of us have moi
-. ~ So q
in our day tried the "Sortes Virgilin9'
very willing to credit the line which
promises o golden future.
The Thibodaux Sentinelis opposed tx
quarantine against yellow fever. Itsayl
Thibodaux had no quarantine in 1888
liz foro. and Onalo,,saa baf
quarantine and nj yellow fever. 1t
conclusion is that a quarantine is use
less. Sometimes a quarantine may no
be necessary. That cannot be discov
cred until it is too late. The yellow fe
yer may not enter # no quarantine ex
lists; butt ii should seek to enter con
eealed in goods. q. strict quarantine vii
keep it out. The people of 0pelousa
are firmly convinced that yellow feve
ID always introduced, IN this latitude
brought from So1ne infected district. an