The record-union., 1891-10-31

ilO1sCustltttCG III SOIIlG Olu corner. max
ing 1t easy enough to see that whatever
might be the bounty of the night, each
one had been mindful Of the farmer S
small purse and the asSemblage'S con-
crete mighty needs-all much after the
manner Of our American countryside
donation party" Within, everything
the home possessed, shone as brightly as
the faces of all who came. The house
wife seemed swelling and bursting with
CHEEKY furry and heat over pots and ket-
ties at the great fireplace of the room.
and sundry Savory OdorS promised much
for later hour. The kitchen had been
given over to the youngsters. who were
already deep in their Halloween charms
and games, and becoming one of them,
like the old man who ''cared not for the
fall in Willis Saturday Afternoon" ;" l
soon won place and honor.
Ot all brief periods OF Irish pleasure,
halloween yields the sweetest, because
the most harmless and innocent, delights.
lt IS the night OF unbounded mirth, witch
ing charm and sinless dream. 1t is then
| that the tendereSt OF all OF superstition's
eerie broods, the kindly Irish fairies, min
gle with human moods and wish, and
weave their friendly spells through all
the warp and WoOf of thought, emotion
dream and desire. And his is an insensate
heart that will not grow younger and
tenderer under the influence OF these
mirthful revels. Where viii one begin
and end in telling them as he sees and
feels them?
Over every door to house, room or
barn an apple-paring was hanging, and
some maiden's eager eye was watching
Tor him who first passed beneath, for that
one the fairies had charmed as her be-
loved. Groups of lads on all-fours ducked
their heads in buckets of water and
| brought out small coin with their teeth
5qGSnS o1, hot
which the fairies were to spell, in water
basins, secretly y-cheriShed names. Stolen
herrlngs-Which must be salt, must be
broIled without turning, eaten with hot
tongs and dreamed on without drink"
now made their appearance. Then the
Misunderstanding" and its wild merri-
ment. Whoever turned the hammock on
the huge gridde that hung from the
crane was to wed her whose nimble fing-
ers kneaded It's oaten meal, salt, soda and
water together.
''Nut-burning'' and 'snap-apple" were
going on merrily at the hob. The hazel
nut ashes, in dainty packets beneath the
pillows, Were to yield charmed dreams;
the burning 'snap-apples'' told whether
loving pairs would sputter or mellowly
age during welded life. Then there was
the 'dumb-cake" making for fairy-aided
dreams; the '.charm-pies'' with their
buttons for old bachelors, thimbIes for
old maids and rings for the lucky ones
who should wed; the candle and sweets"
suspended and whirling between grin
ming faces where teeth snapped for bites
and luckless frowsy hair was singed, and
an hundred other innocent delights, lead
ing to the more serious affairs of 'DOst-
man's-knock" and 'forfeits," where gen
uine Old-faShion kissing was there for the
fighting, and the struggle for your
rights" with bouncing irish lass from
the mountains insured her hatred if YOU
did not overcome her, and sore BODY or
broken bones if you did; and then, amid
dea1ening clatter and chatter, the supper
IN the great room, piled upon tables like
tat stalls IN pIethOric market. various,
smoking, awful, but with the ioIliest,
hungriest crew you ever broke bread
with in all your life. And, oh, for room
in which to tell the tales here told, to
give the songs here sung, to reproduce
with all their delicious fioriture the duips
and jokes here perpetrated, while oceans
OF tea flowed gurgingly, and the poteen,
as clear as rock water and as guileleSS of
excise, went on its winding" way.
Shortly after a wild hullabuloo arrested
our attention. The ''byes" had planned
great surprise. Sallying forth when the
tales and songs were at their hight. they
had descended upon another Halloween
party few miles distant, and by main
force had captured fiddler and Brought
him bodily away, the whole crowd of de-
teated, friendly rivals following after in
prideful acclamation. And here they came
with wild whoop and hurroo, carrying
their prize on their shoulders into the
great room where the procession was re-
ceived with ringing cheers. 1t was old
Billy Drain, the blind fiddler, hero now
above all hosts, countryside guests or
strangers, hatless, coatless, breathless
from the old melee, but with pursed and
smiling mouth and positive radiance
shining from his white locks and BEAM
ing trom his blinking, upraised and sight
less old eyes
Was there dance this Halloween night
at that farmhouse on the ancient Kilma-
crenan road? Ask the rafters Of oak that
shIvered a centUry's spIinters and mold
upon the vaulting heads and heels of this
big-hearted Irish peasantry. And ask
the stars that looked softly down until
brighter All Hallow's dawn which lifted
flaming cones upon the peaks Of fair
GlendoWan.
Everybody is familiar with Burns IA
nous poem, Halloween" :" in which oc-
cur the lines,
The auld guidwife's weel-Eoordet nits
Are round an round divided
And monte lads ana lassies fltes
Are there that night decided
and were thousand papers written on
halloween IN Scotland, they could not
all comprise the panoramic sweep and
genial insight into the ways and witcher-
les of auld ScOtia's night of mirth charm
and love making. In tracing the affini-
ties between Irish and Scottish customs.
however, l have come upon some curious
examples of Scottish Halloween custom
and belief.
One of these is the extraordinary and
varied use to which cabbage, or kali, is
put in the traditions and merry-makings
of the occasion. kail-brose or cabbage
broth is inseparable from the Scotch Hal
loween feast. Mischieyous boys push
the pith from the stalk, fill it with tow
which they set on fire and then, through
the key-holes Of houses of folk who have
given them otiense, blow darts Of flame
yard in length. II on Halloween a farm
er's or crotter's kail-yaTd still contains
ungathcred cabhages. the boys and girls
Of the neighborhood descend upon It en-
masse, and the entire crop IS harvested in
five minutes time and thumped against
their owners doors which rattle as though
pounded by thunderous tempest. In
some shires at the pulling Of the kail''
the youths Of both sexes 60 into the kali
yard blindfolded and in pairs, holding
each others hands. They each pull the
being permitted to make selection. All
thus gathered are carried back to the
house for inspection. The straightness
or crookedness, leanuess or fatness, and
other peculiarities Of the stalks are indi-
cative of the general appearance of their
future husbands or wives, while the taste
of the pith, whether sweet, bitter or va
pid, also forecasts their disposition and
character. But the most singular of all
beliefs in Scotland regarding the cabbage
stalk is confined to the minds of very
young children, though it is so peculiarly
a tender delusion that the guidwife holds
it IN respect to ner dying day. The idea
il universal among the little fnllzs in thn