The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-03

honored games, such as blind mans
pun ana hide and seek. were played by
me guests after the unmasking. which
'"oA place at midnight. Then all sorts
Oh conventional tricks were played and
pne various ancient charms were tried.
"V 'olillon favOrs were especially
P'e'ty' The daintiest little sachets
'u's's'lhg Of yellow satin I'm the shape
~ immature pumpkins. were among
tho uHles distributed To- the dancers.
pa'"'y water colors representing Hal
l"Ne'h witches and highly colored elves
Mete among those ON the table. and
ittie SlNer kettles, suggesting witches
caldrons' We're distributed
Halloween pie was also served. In
IL all sorts OF gifts were found. There
were several rings toy donkeys. cats.
dolls and oddities Of every sort calcu-
lated 10 create mirth.
The wcirdest feature OF the affair was
almost the last. When every one had
become tired of dancing. the doors OF a
room, closed during the greater part OF
the evening. were thrown open and the
gtt-stS- wvrC invited To enter. ON a
platform they could dimly see a strange
sight. An old crone. with staff in
her hand and looking for an the world
like the alleged portrait of Mother
Goose as 81 generally appears on the
cover or title page Of her immortal
rhymes. was seen stirring the contents
OF "A big black kettle that hung over
a few burning logs.
When the guests crowded into the
room. they found that a ribbon pre-
vented the curious from going too near
the sorceress and peering under the
folds Of her somber robes TO discover
IL possible her identity.
In a thin, squeaky voice she asked
that one by one the guests approach
her and by means OF her spells learn
their fate. Each was TO throw "A flower
into the caldron and then. when the
fire burned brightly. those who wished
to know the future must plunge their
hands into the kettle and take out one
Of the silver tablets To be found at the
bottom. These. the old hag declared
had been distilled by her magical arts
and contained an infallible prediction
in regard 10 the future.
The first trembling victim TO consult
the oracle was almost afraid 10 plunge
i'm the required bare hand for. after
mumbling a few words, the witch cast
a liquid into the kettle, which blazed
up and covered the surface of the wa
ter with a ghostly white flame that
made her face and those OF the seekers
after knowledge look ghastly.
SummOning courage at last, the
barred hands were plunged into the ket-
tie, which, after all. contained nothing
more formidable than water with lit
tie alcohol thrown on the surface. rhe
alcohol was lighted by touching 1T with
a piece of punk skillfully inserted into
the end of the witch's stick with which
she pretended TO stir the mixture. AZ
the bottom of the kettle were number
OF slips OF paper wrapped i'm tin foil or
which We're written some enigmatical
cohjectures in regard 10 the future in
more or less excellent doggerel
After every one had obtained one the
guests, who had by this time entered
into the spirit OF the thing. joined
hands and danced about the witch and
her caldrOn. the last of the alcohol
being thrown upon the fire and blazing
up beautifully. AS the hostess had a
general knowledge of her guests, al
though there was no way to govern the
distribution of the slips. some predic-
tions were found TO be extremely funny
and apropos. FRANCES HYDE.