The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-22


"And only think" said Cousin Hope,
that fault Of hers was nearly the ruin Of
all my life. > Youths Companion.
Witches Night.
From the earliest times men have been
trying to look ahead. The ancient Egyp-
tians had o1acles where their gods were
supposed to answer the questions of men
by dreams and other ways; the ancient
Greeks also had famous oracles, which
people came from far-of lands to consult
the Romans killed certain fowls or ami
mails, and guessed at the future by the
looks of their internal organs; the He
brews and the Babylonlans had their own
peculiar ways OF finding out what was
to happen. The world has not vet out.
grown the longing to look ahead. The
Hlndoo to- day sets a lamp on his sacred
river, and judges Of the future by the
length of time it burns; the Chinaman
consults his 'wlse men," who pretend to
understand signs; the ignorant African
takes notice of the cries of birds and
animals; the English-not long ago
tried to learn by help of what they call
''wiches;;" and Spiritualists, even now,
believe the predictions of a medium
No serious attempt to look into the
future has been made for long time BIZ
intelligent people, and the old customs
have become frolicsome trying of
"charms," especially on one night Of the
year. It is curious enough that the night
selected is the eve of the festival of All
Saints, which was established in the
seventh century by pope of Rome, in
honor OF all the saints who had no par
ticular day assigned to them. The Ro-
mans brought this festival to England ;
there it became All Hallows, and the
evening before it Hallow Even. or Hal
loWeen, and that was the night sacred to
charms and games. In the seventeenth
century, England gave up the night to
feasting and trolicking. Nnts and apples
were plenty from one end of the island to
the other, and "Nut.crack Night was
the name given to it.
In England, the revels were for fun,
such as diving for apples floating in a
tub OF water, and, of course, getting very
wet; or trying to snatch in the teeth
an apple on one end of a stick, which
had lighted candle on the other end,
and, being hung by string, could be
spun around very fast, so that the play
ers often seized the candle instead of the
fruit; or playful fortune telling by nam
ing nuts, roasting them before the fire,
and watching their conduct when heated,
they burned steadily, or
bounced away, or burst with q noise,
each movement of the charmed nut being
of great importance.
One nut test was tried by grinding and
mixing together walnut, hazelnut, and
nutmeg, making into pills with. butter
and sugar. and swallowing them on gong
to bed. Wonderful dreams would fol-
low (Which was not surprisingly.
In superstitious Scotland, the night was
given entirely to serious and sometimes
frighttul attempts to peer into the future
Dy means OF charms. One way of trying
fortune was to throw ball of blue warn
out of window, and wind it into a ball
again from the other end. Near the last
something would hold it fast, when the
Wlnder must ask: "Who holds2" The
answer would name one vino was to have
importance in tile questioner future.
Another Scotch custom was "pulling
kale. stocks" A young person went
bindfolded into the garden, spulled up
the first kale or cabbage stalk he touched.
and carried it into the house. The whole
future was read from that stalk; the size
indicated the stature of the future part
ner in life; The quantity OF earth at the
roots showed the amount Of his. or her
fortune; the taste of the pith told what
the temper would be; and when the
stalk was placed over the door, the first
name OF the person entering was the fatal
name.
The island of Lewes on the coast Of
Scotland, had some curious customs
Young women made ssdumb cake" and
baked it before the fire with certain cere-
monies and in perfect silence, expecting
to see wonders; and the people also sac
riticed to a sea- god called Shong, throw
ing cup of ale into the sea, and calling
on him to give them plenty Of sea-weed
to enrich the grounds.
In another Scotch trial, q girl would
60 into q barn, holding winnowing
sieve, and stand alone, with both doors
open, 10 see ler tate.
The fashion of trying charms is now
nearly out-grown among English. speak
ing people. It survives in America as q
pleasant flolic for social gathering. In
our own day, young people ':sow hemp
Seed 'eat apples before the glass;"
holding candle and mirror. They
also 'pop chestnuts,'' "launch walnut
shells" holding tapers, and try the ..three-
saucer test of the future.
In some of our cities, the boys on Hal
loween collect old tca-kettles, boots. large
stones, ETC., and deposit them in clean
vestlbules, ringing the door-bell and run
ming away.
Thus the 81st Of October--set apart by
q pope rs q religious stival-became,
in snperstitious times, "The Witches
NIGHT: ~ crossed tho OceAn "a a ooooo,, Gov