The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-12-10
Our Halloween.


time on Halloween-do something to
remember this one particular night, for
we shall never all be together again
something on the esoul-harrowing, blood
creeping order, such as BELTS the
might 2"
We were. a merry party Of school
fgirls, most of whom were already begin
ming TO aspire to the dignity of young
1adyhood; but Just where the dignity
came in fail to remember, for madder,
merrier set never walked the echoes in
that old school building of NJ, 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
wanted remembrance of this last Hal
1Oween. Plan after plan was brought
up, discussed, and rejected. We were
about giving up, as no two seemed to
agree, when Belle Brown arose in her
majesty land she aUds a regal-looking
girl and said: "I'll tell you, girls: ali
come up to our house, and we'll try hav-
ing supper. You know you are bound
to see your future husbands if you give
them something to eat. Not hot sup
per, you know, but real nice, cold one;
and if the spirits of our future spouses
don't appear and devour everything, we
can eat the supper ourselves and man
age to have little fun anyhow
Now, Bellies father was a widower,
and she his precious, only child; conse-
quently, she ruled the house, the good
and most fond father giving up to her
widest schemes with a gentle sigh of
resignation that was touching to behold,
especially, when we all knew Belle got
her love for fun and her great ingenuity
for getting into and out of scrapes from
that same father.
Now, the rest of US made up our minds
frequently to have certain doiDgs and
gatherings at home, but the making I'D
of our minds and getting the heads of
the house to make up theirs in the same
direction were two entirely different
things. So most of our plans for what
we called a regular "train," were very
apt to come to an untimely death. But
when Belle arose in her might and
grasped her scepter, we knew the thing
was bound to go, whatever it might be.
How we did envy that girl her un-
bounded power over her father and that
old deaf house-keeper, who couldn't hear
US if we pulled the whole house down
about her ears don't think we meant
anything very bad by it, but 1 don't be-
lieve there ever was any one so afflicted
whose affiiction was the subject of so
much secret rejoicing and coDgratula-
tion. You see, most of us were apt to
be brought up rather suddenly in our
mad career by the persuasive remark of
one high in household power-'I will
not have it. This noise must be stopped;
it's enough to wake the Seven Sleep
ers." Few of US had much sympathy
for the aforementioned Seven Sleep
ers, and would a little rather have
walked them than not. If sleep and
death are so near akin, I think we were
waking them in good old Irish style.
Belle, as mistress Of ceremonies and
hostess, arranged the plan for our frolic.
It was to be kept profound secret from
all but the initiated. We were to as
semble at her house, have as much fun
as we could in the early part of the
evening in storytelling and games, and
whatever else the gentleman who lives
in place which shall be nameless could
find for "idle hands to do" A table
was to be set with plate for every girl
present. Our future husbands were ex-
pected, if they behaved as all well-bred
spirits were said to, on that night, to
enter as the clock struck twelve, and
seat themselves, each one at the plate of
resent all of hope, joy, truth, faith, and
all the other virtues for his especial edi-
ficatiOn the rest of his natural life. IfI
any were to die unmarried, that seat
would be left a miserable blank,
l remember that we spent some time
discussing whether we should put our
names on the plates representing us.
Some thought the spirits couldn't
amount to much If 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, ''to prevent all mis-
takes and future heart-aches.n
The eventful evening came, and a
merry party we were. We tried all the
projects we could think of, even to
bobbing for apples in basin of water.
As it grew later We grew quieter. 1t
was a dismal night; the wind howled
and moaned as though all the spirits of
the air were abroad. The old trees
around the house tossed their branches
in the wild air, and moaned with Ioud
complaining. Our table was most
temptingly set forth with MANY a
dainty. We looked at it with longing
eyes, and it had certainly been arranged
more to the substantial tastes of US NOR
tails than the airy sort of fare that we are
taught to believe specters prefer. II
should think the poor, cold, half-starved
things would be glad of any excuse to
get good solid meal.
The house sat rather high, with a long
terraced walk to the front gate. It was
an old-fashioned brick, with a wide hall
running through the entire center. and
large rooms on each side. On one side
was the family sitting-room, with the
dining-room directly back. Here we
held our court.
AS the time wore on, our talk grew
strongly tinctured with the supernat-
ural. All the ghost stories we had ever
heard or read land what schoolgirl has
not store of them) were aired, to the
shivering delight of the greater number
although some of the braver ones did
pooh-pOoh them, and say, "stuff and
nonsense" We knew they only did it |
to appear brave. And Oh, goodness
how the courage was slowly but surely |
Oozing out at our finger ends
The household were all wrspped in
the slumbers of the just. AS the night |
wore on, everything grew so still, ali |
sounds OF life seemed to have ceased. |
Nothing to be heard but the siphing and |
sobbing Of the wind through the trees
around the house, and occasionally a |
louder shrek that sent little shivers of
Tear creeping over US. But we only |
huddled the closer together, feeling there