The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-31
ALL HALLOWS E'EN.

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mystic Hallows Fen, or Halloween, as more
us ally called. come and 20 without a
swelling of the heart at the memnries it
bringsP The ghostly tricks, the laughter
and the frolic. the mad pranks, the youth
full superstitlons that as we grow oldel fade
into the heavier realities of life; the frientis
of other years, now scattered like the leaves
of last years forests some. alas! at peace
forever. with whom the giddy round of
Halloween's merry incantations was made
50 joyful in the long ago.
The witcheries of the night before the
festival Of All Saints Day nave from time
mmemoriai been celebrated by the young
of both sexes with ceremonies wherein the
pagan rites OF Bacchus and Pomona seem
curlously and perhaps anonymously min
gled with the creeds and ceremonies of the
Christian religion. With the lapse of time
and the gradual decline in. the popular
mind Of the superstitions of antiquity these
ceremonies have grown more and more in
accordance with the spirit of the age and
perhaps less and less regarded at ali; but
1t is i'm ,ssible for the night to pass with
out some one being reminded of it by the
frolicsulne gambuls of the rising genera
ton, who delight above all things in all ex-
cuse for lark such as Halloween naturally
suggests.
How many college boys have sat up the
whole night taking off and carving away
the gates of honest citizens, and hanging
them at the caves of neighbours houses?
How many have laboriously dissected
farmers wagons which they afterward car
ried and set up on the shed roofs of coun-
try meeting houses, or driven villager s
COW up the college stairs to chew the cud of
reflection in the recitation hall?
How many maiden has tossed the ball
of mystic blue yarn into the cellar or well
to wind the clue into the end with tine in
cantatlon:
Iwnd, bind,
Hoping to find
Who my true lover may be-;
The color OF his hair.
The clothes he may wear
And the day that he's married to me,
half laughing ard half afraid that the flu
ture husband " i'll indeed appear as the end
is reached to name the auspicious day and
vanish. How many have gone surrepti-
ii usly to the garden, walking backwards
to look at the moon over the right shoulder,
and thence. without speaking. to bed, hop
ing to be shown in dreams the husband that
is to be.
How many bevy of girls have com.
pounded with much merry-making the
poundcake containing ring that insures
an early marriage to the fortunate one who
secures it when the cake is cut and divided
among them afterward, or, where is the
maiden SO matter-of-fact that she does not
60 into dark room to look into the mirror
without firm belief that the face of the
wished-for future one might look from its
magic depths to gladden. the innocent long
ings of her heart. Who has not
poured the ladle OF melted lead
into vase of water to examine with
superstitious interest afterwards the forms
the molten metal assumed and thence
drawn auguries of the future fate in store
for the person in whose name the charm is
undertaken. In this popular. and ofttimes
amusing, divination, the lady looks for
horses and carriages as promises of future
riches; of military hats, as sure that the
awaited swain is to be soldier bold and
brave: O wide, broad sheet. great landed
possessions; coffin, the death of near
and dear friend.
But the fantastic forms of the supersti-
tious rites of Halloween are infinite, aud
nearly every aged crone will relate you
scores of instances when the mystic spells
have brought happy results or the con rary
to those who have with minds suitably
tempered by the solemn influence of the
hour set religiously about the all potent in
carnations. Why multiply the list when
every youth in the land has lis quver full
of devices that are certain to bring lin
happiness? Tonight is the time 40 test
their efficacy, and frolic, we doubt not, will
ho upSfiptad