The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-29

a REAL old fashioned Halloween
~ celebration offers infinite prospect
of amusement to the pleasure
surfeited fashionable woman who is
always in quest of the novel. Hal
loween celebrations for some years
have been INDUCED in only by those
who know nothing of the super refine
ments of the rich. Now the opposite is
true That part of the great world
which lives happily and dies simply is
dropping the Halloween party. This is
because the middle classes are too
much interested in the marvellous his
tory of the times and educated to the
point where superstition is scoffed at.
The leisure class, however. has tired of
most of it's conventional recreationS
and is glad to recognize anything that
will afford a few hours relief from
ennui.
AS a consequence wealthy folk who
have handsome country places go out OF
tow. for the last week in October, and
most of them then entertain large house
parties. The guests on the night of AL
Saints are treated TO real old fash
toned Halloween dance. The men are
invited for weeks shooting and the
women are asked, as usual, to enter
tain the men. Halloween in the coun-
try admits of the preparation of many
pranks that would be impossible in the
city.
| Families who do not own country
places and yet wish to show that they
are fashionably up to date sometimes
| spend the week at some rural hotel
Sometimes a number of friends organ
| ize a party to go out of town to some
picturesque country inn for the holiday
| Arrangements are made with mine
| host for whatever Halloween extras
are desired-the use of the parlors oil
! some large vacant room for a dance
and the serving of plenty of nuts. taffy
and other Halloween condiments.
A most charming way of observing
| this day. dear to the hearts of all senti'
mental men and maidens, was that OF
| a hostess who remains out of towT
every year until the LIST of November
at her home on the Hudson river. She
| invited about 20 of the younger people
| of her acquaintance to stay with hei
| for three days, the guests arriving tht
| day before Halloween and leaving the
| day after A colonial dance was to b'
| given, and the men and women were
all notified of this, so that they migh
| come provided with old fashioned
| clothes and masks, for they were all Il
| be incognito until the clock struck i
| There was a great hunting out OF ole
| time satins and brocades on the par
! of the fortunate ones invited, and there
| was much trying on of patches of cour
plaster and generous applications d
powder to Disgusting wigs. In advance
| it was voted immensely jolly, and jolly
it certainly proved to be.
After dinner, on the evening of thu
| dance. all retired to array themseive'
in their finery. Then there were suei
| a lodging and peeping and maneuVer
| ing to get out of the different rooms
| when no one was about that identities
| might not be guessed!
| A professional palmist from the cit,
| was hired by the hostess for the even
| ing to tell fortunes, and, as she sa
| ensconced in state in an armchair il
| the hall where every one might heal
her prophecies, there was good dea
! of fun over her various conjectures.
For the evening the house was light
| ed with myriads of small wax tapers
and the effect was charming. Ok
| fashioned figures were danced and ag