Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-01
A LITTLE ROMANCE.
An Augusta Citizen Tells the Love
Story Of His Life.
u All Started Through All Ha,iowe' EN- Mis-
Story Of Projects.

All fiaiiowe'en, telling of the meaning
OF the night and the origin of the Gus
tom of trying projects on that n;oh4
you also said that the young people If
today do not observe the night to 81
great an extent as in the old DAYS
Well, that is right They do not.
can remember the time when we used
TO nave great times in the little conn
try town where lived It was tba
event of the month.
"All the lads and lassies of the coun-
try around would plan for weeks ahead
for the good time they would have on
the night of All Halloween. At the
cuttings and the like they had to work
beside enjoying themselves, but upon
this evening they had nothing to do
but to play kissing games and try the
projects.
we would gather, on that night,
early in the evening. Not at a late
hour as the young people of today
seem to think is the only proper thing;
and we would stay until after -
O'Clock. We would try all the projects
we knew of. and then resort to kissing
games until the hour of u approached.
Then we would try more projects.
"One of the projects was the chest
nut test. The lovers-but it was not
always the lovers who did it-would
gather chestnuts the third night before
Halloween, and lay them away in 4
dark room until the fateful night.
Then they would lay the nuts upon Il
hot stove or in front of a hot fire. If
they lay still and roasted, it was a sign
the lovers would be married and live a
happy life. On the other hand il they
sputtered and flew apart the lives of
the two would thus fly apart-at least,
they should.
Yes, there are dozens of tests that
the older readers of your paper have
not forgotten. There is the one of the
mirror. A mirror is securely fastened
against the wall in the cellar Holding
a lighted candle in the left hand the
person walks down the stairs back
ward in stocking feet Arriving at the
bottom of the stairs he turns twice
around and advances to the glass,
holding the candle above his head. In
ola ;, to
partner of his future joys. The young
women would burn a hair taken from
the crown of their heads. If the
lighted end went out before an inch
OF space was burned, the woman would
be married inside the year
From this man the Journal learned
many of the charms that are or We're
supposed to be invaluable.
| Suspend an apple in the doorway 50
| that it hangs five feet seven inches
above the floor, and as many persons
as pass under it without touching it or
many months will elapse before you
marry; but 1 have seen this prove in
| definite, because a person aware of an
| inch or two more of stature will be
sure to dodge it.
If the day of your birth was pleasant
and Halloween stormy, or vice versa
you will have great trials through the
year, but if the weather should be the
same as that on the day of your birth
your life will be peaceful.
If your lover proposes marriage on
this evening let him bind you at once
by tying a blue ribbon upon your we'd
ding ring finger, that both may be
constant and true, precaution by no
means to be neglected in these days OF
easy divorces. 1t will be well. when
dressing for the evening. to have some
where about your person the requisite
bit of ribbon.
If on this evening you shake hands
with.a very blond man you Will have
proposal-but not necessarily from the
blond-before the bells shall have rung
in che new year of '99.
Just at midnight, and you must by no
means retire before that hour, listen
for the sound of bells from the nearest
church steeple, and if they reach your
ears in full and distinct peal, you
may get ready your wedding finery'
but if there is a dull and muffled SOUND
possess your soul in patience for an
other year If you are not quite oe-
cided in your own mind as to which d
two lovers you prefer. think OF ooth
just before you fall asleep and II you
dream of one your fate is decided.
did you ever know of case Where
the projects worked successfully, ano
at last succeeded in getting the coupe
married?" asked the Journal man.
"Oh, yes, know of several cases
where the result has been marriage
answered the man. Il don't KNOW d.
the projects had anything to do VIII
it. but they all the same turned out .
ho ,,,o+obar Now I will cite one case