The morning times., 1896-10-25
SPINNING SUGAR.
Charms and IncantationS for the
Fateful Evening.
GRACE T. REED.
Bv EMILY FORD.

All Halloween seems To belong TO low
ers of all ages quite as much as mat
ter of course as ST. Valentines Day itself.
II is upon this fateful eve indeed that
the always fascinating question as to Tn.
exact date of the arrival of the prince
is answered. and he who would know
who is 10 he the ''one girl in the world
must keep his eyes and ears open, as the
eventful evening approaches.
All the we'll known incantations, such as
whirling the peel of orange, lemon or
apple, three times round the head. 10
read he initial of future wife OF husband
in the letter ii forms when it falls; the
naming Of the seeds found in the sev-
enth apple in the dish, boginnine to Count
from the one to the left OF the first touched
with the eyes closed, the seeds 10 be placed
on the eycliCis, the one, OF course, that rr-
fuses to fall, typifyins the faithful sweet
heart. Then there is dropping hot, melted
shot into cold water, to read not only
names, but fortunes Of marvellous interest
in the cdbaliSt characters, formed in the
bottom of the dish and also narin. chest
nuts as they lie i'll pairs, roasting before
the open fire.
\ plump, perfect-loOking nut represents
belle or beau. Around this are grouped
lovers and admirers represented by other
more ordinary nuts) one by one as they
are tried by the fire they pop away, but
one remains and all is well. All these
and many other old signs take on new
meaning on this night, but he or she who
can fill the mouth with water AMI
run around the block, bringing every drop
safely back, is surely to hear the name
Wit h,,Ct Il thA no
ring in the cake, particularly in the
rolled-up pancakes which have there
and then been cooked. turned, and tossed
in the pan, without dropping by the young
people themselves, and the hobbing for
apples and other time-honored customs
must none of them he omitted this year.
The hostess is always fortunate, how.
ever, who can wind up her party with
Something quite novel, and nothing pro
vides 4 more satisfactory diversion than
spinning sugar in the sweet spinning
Of which all sorts of happy fates may
be woven by tb efingcrs of the brave and
fair. For this magic weaving the COM
pany must gather about a large table. A
Halloween party should never number more
than enough than to sit about a table, say
from fifteen to twenty. Put about three
pounds of barley sugar in the chatting dish
or in n saucepan over your small oil or
gas stove.
Cooking thermometers are no longer eX-
penSiye luyuries. and as the sI gar melts and
becomes hot this must be brought into rcqu-
sition. The sort for testing the heat of
water, melted sugar or fat are cheaper
than those for the oven, and one that may
he immersed in boiling liquid without IN
jury may be bought for 40 cents. However,
if there is not one at hand, by careful watch
ing the sugar may he caught in just the
proper melting mood for spinning, which is
exactly 800 degrees.
Each guest must now be armed with a
common iron skcwer, the heat under the
sugar to be turned sufficiently low to keep
the hot liquid at the required temperature.
for it is while in the act of solidification
that it becomes maleaGle. The skewers
are now to be dipped into the hot sweet
bath. the workers are to have flat dish
or bit of clean pasteboard. The bottom of
new boxes sent home from the shops may be
kept and covered with clean paper for the
purpose. 1t is now that the fun begins, and
he or she who possesses the most vivid
imagination has an opportunity to use it to
its utmost capacity. Each member of the
party now finds 1T his place card upon
which is written the name of the one whose
fortune they are to tell: the skcwcr is dip
ped and out it comes with n golden thread
attached, which need never be broken until
something has been built thcrefrom by the
holder thereof.
Castles in the air may now become ma
terialized, and With a golden house as a
text it Will be al easy matter to forctell
all sorts of happiness for the oW ner of the
name upon the card. A golden slipper may
next chance to be woven. and this, OF
course, foretells happy marriage, as also
do Il pair of cooling doves, Il box of we'd
ding cake Ind other matrimonial emblems
Should mitten or other adverse signs spin
themselves from uunw Hing hands it is
well to remember that the spell ends with
! the year.
People who have a knack at drawing
will, of course, build very elaborately, and
spin beautiful things With these threads OF
| gold. but often the queer-looking shapes that
| develop under the hands Of those With less
| deft fingers will be far more mysterious IL
| appearance, and " ill lend themselves to 9
| much more fascinating ne-telling thai
those more readily deciphered. :