Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-31
ALL HALLOWEEN RITES
A Time of Much Enjoyment and Good
Natured Fun.
Glfmpses Obtained OF the Matrimonial
Future When the Help of the Spirits
is Properly Invoked.

Today is All Halloween, the one day in
all the year when spirits from the unseen
world show kindly interest in the affairs
of mortal man and maid.
The visitors from spirit land are great
sticklers for etiquette and must be invoked
with old-time ceremony. If you want their
aid you must fulfill with care the condi-
lions they have decreed. You need not, for
instance. expect to sit at your ease in your
boudoir and have some industrious sprite
cast upon your mirror as if from magic
lantern slide, the portrait of your future
husband. In order to see his image looking
over your shoulder into the looking glass
You carry in your hand you must go into
the cellar quite alone and without light.
at midnight As you stand there shivering
with nervousness, and while each faint
sound fills you with a hundred nameless
fears, one of the guardian spirits of Hallow-
cen may take the opportunity to show
you your future life partner. If you are to
live a life of single blessedness, of course
no face will appear.
For nervous timorous girls this is quite
a trying ordeal. but it is as nothing in
comparison with the surer method OF test
ing fortune by walking alone three times
around a graveyard at midnight. If you do
this earnestly, say the old chronicles, the
image of your future husband will surely
appear 10 you ere you nave cCHpltteu tHe
third round The only trouble about this
familiar practice of the middle ages is that
meeting the apparition sent by the ac-
ccmmodating spirits, one might easily mis-
much frightened to take good look at il
All in Proper Style.
For the sake of observing the proper
form and observances. lady who has
sent out Invitations for Halloween has
rafa ifaC
very industriously. and perhaps her re-
searches and methods of decoration will
afford hints for others who are Hospitality
inclined
To begin with, the Invitations were writ
ten ON pumpkins. These represented some
ingenuity, for they could not be bought in
any of the shops She managed to obtain.
however, a good picture of a pumpkin, and
with the aid Of some tracing paper this
was easily transferred to pieces of card
hoard, and given the proper shade with a
little water color. These were then cut
out with a sharp pair of scissors, and on
them were written In old English the sum-
mons to the festivity.
The decorations of the parlor for the &C.
casion will be decidedly bizarre in effect.
The mantelpieces will be trimmed with
golden rod and other autumn flowers. The
only light in the room will shine through
pumpkins in which queer and grotesque
faces have been cut. making them into
veritable jack-o'-lanterns From all the
lamps the decorative shades will be re-
moved and the pumpkins substituted
There will be pumpkins amid the flowers
on the mantels, too. in which long wax
c?ndles will be burned; they will hang by
ribbons from between the portieres and
CLEAN from every table. The softened light
is decidedly becoming.
Souvenirs for the Guests.
To each sguest a little silken souvenir
will be presented. either in the form of a
nr a
Every one knows that chestnuts are i'm
portant factors at a Halloween function.
What can be more exciting than to watch
to see which one will pop first in a row or
chestnuts named and put close to the glow
ing embers? They must do more than pop.
however, they must jump out. Sometimes.
instead of landing at the feet of the ex-
pectant damsel, one will capriciously
choose another fair maid. in which case
the inference is plain. The mems fortunes
can. of course be foretold in the same way.
PeerinE Into the Future.
What is more exciting than dropping
melted lead into a bowl of water that the
guardian spirits may twist IL into a smile
of the instrument by which your inten lei
will fight the battle of life, or, if you be a
man, that one which will figure most large
ly in the cutting out of your career! All
sorts of tools represented; The pen, IL
literature is marked as fate; the sword, IL
YOU are to serve your country in war: the
scythe, if farming is to be your destiny.
Sometimes a rope appears with moose
at the end of it, but happily not often do
sure dire predictions dampen the spirits oil
the seekers into the future.
Then you may drop candle grease INTO
water TO see if it will reveal to You the
initial of the name Of your future hus-
band or wife. Or you may invoke spirit
aid to give the proper twist to an apple
pairing, cat by yourself and thrown over
your left shoulder
Bobbing for apples in a tub of water
used to be considered one of the regulation
Halloween sports, and it is very funny
for the spectators to watch the apples
GLIDING the wide-open mouth of the as,
pirant for honors III this line but unfor-
tunately the gentlemen are apt to object
to having their faultless linen spoiled by
the incidental soaking. Therefore this
pastime is usually omitted. The crowns
are c!eVerly designed. They simply
bands of decorative gold paper on a foun-
dation of pasteboard, filled in with pump
kn-celored crepe tissue paper. cut into
pumpkin shape, and surmounted by
green stem. From the queens crown hangs
a veil of golden yellow tarletan. The kings
scepter is made of drumstick wound with
gold paper. and from the end hang green
and golden ribbons, each one of which
bears at its end a chestnut.
After being crowned the royal couple will
be treated with the respect due to royalty,
and will be addressed during the evening
Your Majesties."
A Unique Center Piece.
The table arrangements will be quite
urique,- while preserving the traditions OF
the anniversary. In the center will stand
an enormous pumpkin cut in two cross
wise, one piece being larger than the other.
The smaller piece is TO be used as a ped
estaI. and onto it will lie fastened by the
aid of screws the scooped out larger piece.
nbis will he carefully scalloped around the
edge and filed with autumnai fruits-red-
che cked apples. yellow pears and grapes of
many hues. to say nothing of the nuts.
This is to stand on a cloth embroidered
with golden rod. Four candles ia high can
dlesticks will surround it, each one tied
with a big square bow of pumpkin-colored
ribhcr and each candle, instead of bearing
q little silken shade. will throw its light
through round gourds on which faces are
cut. This is easily managed, for the usual
shade supports will hold the gourds, the
Only point being to tit them well at tht