Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-02

and kinks were old and uncanny enough
to harbor spectres long before Burn s I'M
mortalized Halloween" and sang:
..Whyles owne linn the br1rnic plays,
AS thro' the glen it wlmpl 1t:
Whyies round a rocky scar 1t strays.
WhyIes in a will it dimpP 1t;
Whyles gIittered to the nightly rays,
Wi bickerin, dancin dazzle;
yVhyles cooket underneath the breas,
Below the spreading haze.
Unseen that night"
And it Is to the Scotch people that we
are largely inde bted for our Halloween
and other customs that cannot be well
celebrated without ghost.
This is where the fear OF failure comes
In. We are too new and too modern AZ
our civilization. We have no ancient alb
beys and highland castles and locks and
barns and things where ghosts can proWl
around in costumes to match the scenery.
THE AMERICAN GHOST
The American ghost even on HalIow-
cen night has to danes bS fore the mid
night mirror either in sheet or his best
suit and the poverty Of the choice natur.
ally units him for the spectacular past
fashion bids MIN to play. Of course.
there are EXCEPTIONS Not SO many
moons ago I was at a dear old mansion,
where there was a real bonafde ghost.
old Revolutionary Tory ghost, with cooked
hat. gold lace rufIies. high yellow boots.
red jacket. and a most unpleasant smell.
At least that is what they say. always
had business elsewhere just about the
time he was due to appear. Those best
acquainted with him affirm that he rat
tltxs his sword to the rythm Of lady 8
shrek. but that otherwise he is harmless.
and wouldn't be half bad to have around
If 1t was not for habit he has Of wear
ing his head in one hand.
Modern science Is interested In the evo-
luton Of the specter. She considers 1t
possible that there may be such thing
as the new ghost.
Certainly the old ore has been lllusfve-
and e1usive-and hard to define.
THE NEW KIND.
The new ghost is sociable and 'sriGnd-
iy.' You don't catch him prowlins around
nouldy. midnight church-yards an!
haunting ruined towers with owls and
bats. No. indeed. He hides In the warm
shadows OF nurseries and rocks the baby $
cradle: plays entictng airs on invisible
violins. and tells you secret thoughts au-
tornaticaiIy on scented note paper. He
goes incognfto. to teas without being
obliged to taste things and gets into th'
theatres dsad-head to -leer at the zap
Z =. =: princess at,d ShsoH olitstoa ternarks
Snan hcrsruStic swain brings III the olsh
OF cold turnipS.
Oh, he's a daisy, And the Fallove' en-
ghost Is a man after his own heart. Fer
he Is a naughty sprite. full OF fun and
fro1ic. and don't care y snap for the old
timer with clanktng chains ana a CORY
cash in his left side. -"
HALLOWEEN.
Well Halloween has come and gone
or viii be- by the time these few lines
are In print. because the olo-tinle pagan
festival is in full blast-bogies, ghosts.
hobgoblins and all in half the country
houses of Americas l write
At "Wildwood." the residence Of Mr.
Hiram Miller. Of Augusta county. party
Of young people are keeping All-Hallow' 6
Eve in good old-world style.
This neighborhood in the Valley Of Vir-
gnia is noted for its we"lth and conser-
vative tendencies. Oid-fashioned ideas
and old-fashioned ghosts are good enough.
It was settled by the early Scotch, and
many of the curious old customs are just
as they crossed the Highland border CEN
turies ago.
The party was a full-dress affair for
the occasion, WI h the Girls gowns
quaint and very ''o!dtineg,' and se, Itet
unlike the styles of to-day.
The triple cape collars. long. narro"
sleeves. with the hand puff. "sirpsey'
skirt narrow ribbon belts, and chatelains,
were not so far away.
A GRANDMOTHER'S DRESS.
One dress that came over with great
grandmother had an underskirt of double
fall Of soft cream lace, the overdress. q
sort of poIonaise OF canary silk, with
bunches Of crimson blossoms. It had
three straight seams in the back, each OF
which, with the urdsr-arm seam turned
under into queer little pIaits. very much
like the slot seams fashion Is ravins
over this Halloween of 1902. 1t was eS-
cessively becoming to its brunette wearer,
who carried crimson flowers in her hair.
and huge red bows on her slippers.
Another wore the dress OF IAN old stage
queen It was of .puse':-coiored water
ed silk. so heavy and stiff and rich. The
skirt was very full and very long. and
stitched on to the funniest little round
waist. the back seams of which looked
like this. V. A back lace stole and II
little old yellow silk reticula finished OFF
the picture
SOME VENERABLE GAMES
All the old Halloween games you ever
heard Of were brought into requisition
to carry one back to days of yore-hurn'
nuts in q '.paunikin.' apples swinging on
tho end OF string fastened to ma l.
and to oe caught "b!indfold;" the dumb
supper Of salt herriDgs and saited eggs:
the walk through a long corridor. wher.
the girl gees backward munching ar
apple. and combs her hair before mir
rOr, and face tails across In2 glass De-
side her own-they were all there.
The mcst eerie OF the outdoor games
was the winding OF "clew OF blue
yarn in a bog-hole "Wha hands, (whc
holds) quavers a voice at the toy while
the winding goes on. and back from the
depths comes the answer IN form Of ths
name of the lad who waits.
The charm OF winnowing three "wachts
O. naething" is good one. Here the lac
CT lass goes TO the barn alone and thret
times winnows the grain. AT tho thirt
time the phantom OF the person wished
for will pass through the barn.
heard they had a real. nice ghost
for this charm-but I wasn't there
Whether the ghost groaned or not. the
supper table did beneath the weight ri
old time dlshes-nirce. squash. ard pump
kin pies as large as whselbarrcw wne. Is
rice pudding a la 1873, queer cakes. dough
nuts. spiced meats. jel!Ies, cider. apples
and popcorn-and the best oid-fashtoret
appctites for the feast.
From the days OF the Druids unto th.
present the eve OF All Hallows has bee.
kept with spells and lamentations OF {
| pagan NEUROLOGICAL character. It Is th.
one holy eve which has no spiritual o,
sectarian influence. and can be partici
mated In by all nations. With It's harm
less fun and frol{c. it should be un.ver
! sally kept
! Apathetic Williams sburs.
WILLIAMSBURG, VA. November L.
| tSpeciaL)-Altnough next Tuesday Is elec