Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-29
A Halloween Popcorn Party.

L "
that the large parlors of their hostess
were decorated with sheates of ripe
| corn; the mantel-piece was covered
with them, and from the chandelier.
| hung huge punches of ears tied with
dark green ribbon. Here and there, all
| over the room, were candles in green
or yellow shades, their strange sub
dued light in keeping with the spirit
of Halloween. 6a
Since they had been prepared for a
popcorn party by invitations deli
cately tinted and shaped to represent
Ian unhusked ear of corn, the young
people were not surprised when the
hostess brought forward an immense
bowl of. kernels and several peppers,
| and set them to work. They popped
| the corn over the CRATE fire. and
| emptied it upon a long table spread
| with q white cloth. OF course, all
could not work at once, but those who
awaited their turn enjoyed themselves
as much as the others pairing apples to
| find out their true loves initials, trying
their fate with saucers, peering into
the future by means of a ring and
glass, and trying the hundred and one
charms of Halloween.
| When all the kernels had been popped,
the hostess held up the last popperful
Guess the number of kernels in the
pepper she said. Slips of paper We're
passed, and each guest wrote his name
and guess upon one. When the slips
were collected, it took but a moment
| to count the kernels, and the lucky
young woman who guessed within five
| of the correct number was given a
ticket which she was told to keep until
/ the close of the evening.
| Everyone was then provided with a
sharp needle and very long thread,
| and it was announced that every kerr
mel of the snowy pile on the table was
| to be threaded, and that prize would
be given the one who could show the
longest string at the end of five min
utes. This proved very exciting work.
and the time seemed all too short.
| When it was over, another ticket was
| given. The long festoons We're carried
away by the hostess.
| A game of corn conundrums" was
] started, and each person was expected,
to contribute. What officer in the
| army is hidden in corn?" asked one
What part of the human body is
found in corn?" asked another The
answers are, of course, colonel OSer-
neD and ear. Others given were. Il
have seen strong hardy ponies in a
corn field (cobs). Material for
ladies' dresses is found in corn (siD.
and so on, with tassel. maize. stalk,
etc., great ingenuity being shown. A
third ticket was given to the cleverest
| conundrum- maker.
| Assuming an air of great solemnity
the hostess declared that every person
there present would be permitted on
this Halloween to visit the Cave of the
Witches. and learn what happy or ter
rible fate the future held in store.
| Speak no word, lest you break the
SPELL she said. when you reach
| the cave stand against the walls. OBJ
serve what the witches do, and when
they beckon, go forward. Now form in
line and follow me-" She led them
down the hall. stopped moment at
the door of room, then entered softly
or her toes. her fingers to her lips.
All followed. sass
jackie lanterns furnishing only a.
ghostly glimmer of light. Almost all of
the furniture had been removed, or
was covered with dark cloths. The
| walls were covered with leaves and
branches. Huge paper bats with red
mouths were hung from the ceiling and
| caused little screams of fright when
| they struck against some ones face in
| the semi darkness. But everyone's
| eyes were turned toward the middle of
| the room. Here was a great kettle,
| suspended gypsy fashion, over pile of
| sticks. and around it We're three
strange and terrible figures-the
witches. They were dressed in long,
tattered garments, dark red handker-
| chiefs around their shoulders and on
| their heads: their hair hung about
| their naturally white faces in wild
| disorder. while in their hands they
grasped wooden ladies with which they
| stirred the contents of the kettle. They
| walked around and around, murmur-
ing strange words and uttering horri-
| BILE groans, until at last one of them
stopped down, there was a scratch and
| then glare of bright red light, that
showed the almost frightenen faces of
the guests. One of the witches then
approached young man, touched him
with her ladle and said, Come! learn
thy fate" When she had reached the
kettle she pointed at its contents.
Choose" she said. He boldly plunged
in his hand and drew forth a popcorn
ball. Your fortune is within" cried
the witch. and beckoned to another.
One after one, each drew ball from
the kettle. and as each approached,
there was a scratch and a burst of
green or blue or yellow or red light.
The balls were the common ones
found in all candy shops. They had
been cut in half on which was written
fortune, humorous or otherwise, had
beeh placed in one half. and the other
half it's edges very slightly moistened
with molasses. had been placed over it.
The fortune was thus A the renter of
the bail; and as these boukften balls
are NOT at an sticky, no paper suf-