The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-25
Our Halloween.

"Can't we have some kind of good time
on Halloween, do something to remember
this one particular night, for we shall new
or all be together agan-something on the
soul-harrowing. blood-creeping order, as
BELTS the night2"
We were merry party of schoolgirls,
most of whom were already beginning to
aspire to the dignity of young ladyhood;
but just where the dignity came in l fail to
remember, for a madden, merrier set never
walked the echoes in that old school build
ing of M, or made the staid towns
people hold up their hands in horror at their
wild pranks.
The time was close at hand when our
band would be broken up, and SO we want
ed remembrance of this last Halloween.
Plan after plan was brought up, discussed,
and rejected. We we're about giving up,
as no two seemed to agree, when Bell
Brown arose in her majesty (and she 1cds
regal-looking girD and said; "I'll tell
you, girls all come up to our house, and
We'll try having supper. You know you
are bound to see your future husbands if
you give them something to eat. Not a
hot supper, you know, but real nice cold
one and il the spirits of our future. spouses
don't appear and devour everything, we can
cat tlt supper anu iuhudBC W
have little fun anyhow
Snow Bells father was widower, and
she his precious only; consequently she
ruled the house, the good and most fond
father giving up to her widest schemes
with gentle sigh of resignation that was
touching to behold, especially when we all
knew Bell got her love for fun and her
great ingenuity for getting into and out of
scraDes from that same father
Now tho rest of us made up our minds
frequently to have certain doings and gath
erings at home, but the making up of our
minds and getting the heads of the house
to make up theirs in the same direction
we're two entirely different things. So
most of our plans for what we called a reg
ular strain" were very apt to come to an
untimely death. But when Bell arose in
her might and grasped her sceptre, we
knew the thing was bound to go whatever
1t might be: How we did envy that girl
her unbounded power over her father and
that deaf old housekeeper, who couldn't
hear us it we pulled the house down about
her ears / don't think we meant anything
very bad by it, but don't believe there
ever was any one so afflicted whose sfiic-
ton was the subject of so much secret re-
joicing and congratulation. You see, most
of us were apt to be brought up rather sud-
denly in our mad career by the persuasive
remark of one high in household power
81 will not have it, this noise must be
stopped, it is enough to wake he Seven
Sleepers," Few of us had much sympathy
for the above mentioned Seven Sleepers,
and would little rather have walked them
than note If sleep and death are so near
akin, think we were waking them in good
old Irish style.
Bell, as mistress of ceremonies and host
ess, arranged the plan for our frolic. 1t
was to be kept a profound secret from all
but the initiated. We wero to assemble at
her house, have as much fun as we could
in the early part of the evening in story
telling and games and whatever else the
gentleman who lives in place which shall
be nameless could find for side hands to
do A table was to be set with plate for
every girl present. Our future husbands
We're expected, if they behaved as we'll
bred spirits are said to, on that night to
enter as the clock struck twelve, and seat
themselves, each one at the plate of that
particular fair one who was to represent all
of hope, joy, truth, faith, and all the other
virtues for his especial edihcation the rest
of his natural life. |. any were to die un-
married, the seat would be left a miserable
blank.
l remember VIC spent some time discuss
ing whether we should put our names on
the plates representing us. Some thought
the spirits couldn't amount to much II they
couldn't find their right places without such
distinct pointing out. 1t was decided, after
much talking, TO use the names, as one OF
the girls said, ito prevent all mistakes and
future heart aches"