The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-25
ST. PAUL, MINI.

tied to the string a short distance from
the tack, SO that when the string
was pulled it would strike against the
pane. Rare sport it was when the
aroused citizen was seen to carefully
open the front door, club in hand. Then
with a defiant cry the whole group of
Boys would leave their shelter and run,
to collect again and repeat the Joke on
some other victim MN ON
The carrying about of Jack o'lanterns made
from followed pumpkins and lighted by CAN
dies and the rigging up of sheet and pillow
case ghosts are boyish ways Of pereptuatfng
the old superstition that All Hallow eve. is
the spirits holiday. Even the thowing Of
cabbage stumps against front doors can be
traced back to an old custom and one which
is even now observed.
The theory is that the witches who are
abroad that night can be interested in the
affairs of mortals and made to reveal the
future If the right kind of nominations and
spells are used. One way to do this is for
two persons to be blindfolded and go hand
in hand into the garden, where after repeat
ing certain mystic words, each pulls up
cabbage stump. If the stalk is straight and
shows white core when broken, the omen is
good one, and if much earth adheres to the
roots prosperity will follow. On the other
hand, if the stump is black and crooked, the
omen is regarded unfortunate. This Is
the custom to which Burns refers in the
poem quoted above when he says and pou
their stocks
But this is only one of many customs pc
taken to enlist the elfs in aiding mortals to
pierce the veil of the future are of interest
to young married people. Some OF the most
popular of these have been described by
modern poet as follows:
You must walk down cellar backward,
Then you look into a glass;
And there, peering Ger your shoulder
See your love, my little lass.
You must peel rosy apple,
Throw the peeling on the floor,
Where it forms the loved initial
OF the lad whom you adore.
You must name a lot Of chestnuts,
And then roast them in row,
And the one which pops the quickest
Pops because he loves you so.
Having followed these old customs,
Should you fail to learn your fate,
Still have patience and remember
All things come to those who wait.
It was not so many years ago that many
lads and lasses followed these instructions
and repeated cabalstic verses and spells
with a great amount Of good faith. People
are fond of saying that in this enlightened
remember that thousands of fortune tellers
do thriving business throughout the land
and find their richest fields in the big cities,
1t Is apparent that we have not entirely got
rid OF superstition.
Under the guise Of Halloween party, how
ever, all these old rites may be revived for
the most enlightened young folks. A country
house with good, big fireplace in the
dining room is the only suitable place in
which to hold Halloween party. Given this
ard score Of lively young people, and the
affair is sure to be a huge success A few
simple and inexpensive preparations, COM
bined with knowledge of some of the quaint,
old customs with which the holiday is con-
nected are all that will be necessary for the
host or hostess
Nuts and apples figure largely in these eere-
which
nuts can be made to interpret the future, but
the most common one is for a young woman
to place two hazelnuts or two chestnuts on
the CRATE giving to each the name Of one of
her admirers. Then the party gathers around
the blazing fire and watches for the result,
which may be read by any one familiar with
the mystic lore. If the nut shrivels up or
sputters and jumps away, the lover 1t pre-
sents is faithless, but if it burns, then the
lovers affection Is warm and true. This may
be carried by adding another nut and giving
it the name of the young lady who places
them.
Fortunes may be told by hanging apples up
before the fire and watching the way in which
they are affected by the heat. Then there is
that familiar Halloween game known as bob
bing for apples. washtub, two-thfrds
filled with water is placed on the floor, and
in it are put number Of apples. The hands
of the "bobber' are tied behind him, and he
must try to catch the apples with his teeth.
With large apples this is a difficult thing to
do, and the only practical method is to plunge
your head into the tub until you can force
the apple to the bottom and get firm hold
on it. Prizes should be given to the sue
cessfuI "bobber" for he richly deserves some
reward for his ducking. 1t is great fun for
the spectators.
There is the bowl test too. Place three
bowls on a table, one filled with clear water,
another with discolored water, leaving the
third empty Then let the company. one
after another. be blindfolded and led in.
Those who dip their hands in the clear water
will marry either maiden or a youth those
who dip into the discolored water will wed
either widow or widower, and those who
touch the empty bowl will remain unmarried.
But n maiden wishes to make personal |