The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-25
iii PAGE FOR WOMEN ABOUT FASHIONS AND HOME
.IIOIIOWe' en- the
Season Of MIrthj

Season Of MIrthI
Next Saturday is All Hallows Eve. or /
Halloween. as we in latter days have
come to call it. It Is the eve Of ALI Saints
Day. which dates from A, y, $40, when
tho Pope OF Rome ordered that the Pan.
theon should be converted into Christian
church sacred to the memory Of all
martyrs.
The festival OF All Saints, first held on
the 1st Of May, was changed to Noverr1-
Der list, in ammo domini SS4.
1t Is believed that witches are abroad
on Halloween, that spirits walk abroad.
that the curtain yelling the future Is
lifted, admitting to favored mortals
glimpse into what It promises. or with.
holds.
From time inmemorial the ruling spirit !
Of Halloween is the spirit Of fun.
frollc and merriment. Even the
most sedate and dignified for the time be-
Ing pass under the spell Of mischief
which comes uppermos t, and romps and
pranks with the widest.
All the old Halloween charms and
invocations-and their name Is legion
are perennial Year after year lads and
lassies sit around the blazing hearth. and
test each others constancy by toastnR
nuts. Sometimes three nuts are used,
representing lady love and rival suitors.
The nut which burns longest and with
steady flame is the more devoted sutton.
When the nuts are disposed Of and the
apples brought in. the fun wakes fast
and furious. Apples are bobbed for. and
many lad gets a ducking before ha
captures the rosy-cheeked wine sap in
which the name OF his inamorata, written
on a slip of paper. has been cunningly
tucked away. Apple parings are whirled
in air Will ethe parer repeats mentaily:.
Apple sweet or apple sour.
Spell his name upon the floor:
If the letters there see,
Then know bride I'll be.
If you break, my heart WILL too,
For know my loves not true.
If horseshoe be suspended from q
doorway, and an apple flung successfully
through 1t, good luck will attend ths
thrower
But there are dozens Of other charms.
Ghost writing is very mysterious ana
exciting. Each guest receives an enc
lish walnut With the solemn assurances
"Hold above the candle what is found
within.
But do not scorch It, lest 1t be . sin.
When the halves OF each nut are part
ed, carefully folded piece Of blank
, paper is all that Is found. But when
the paper is held over the candle, be-
hold! Words appear. The trick IS very
lemon juice and with this. as Ink, write
short rhymes on a number OF pieces OF
paper. Allow the ink to become per-
fecty dry, when It will fade out. The
charms can be placed In box and each
guest asked to draw what appears to be
blank slip Of paper. After the paper
has been puzzled over and commented
upon. it is handed to some one In the
secret who reads the ghost writing by
/ means OF a lighted candle. Everybody
| clusters around to watch the magical
developing Of the words on the blank
| paper, as the "seeress" moves the mes
| sage back and forth over the Lighted
candle. The heat brings out the writ
ing. The verses and couplets may be
taken from books. For example:
Tell me this. and tell me truly.
Will my sweetheart love me onlyT
Your true love shall love you true
If your true love was meant for YOU
II you take q candle, go alone IN 8
dark room at midnight and eat an APP
ple before looking glass, the face OF
your future husband will appear over
your shoulder and you can see his re-
Election in the glass. So they say.
Another way to get a view Of your
husband or Wife to-be is to go to bed
on Halloween wit ha glass OF water, ID
which small silver Of wood has been
placed standing on a table ny your PEG
side In the night you Will dream OF
falling from bridge INTO river ana
OF being rescued by your future hus-
band, whom you will see as distinctly
as though viewed with waking eyes.
Or. wet a shlrt-sleeve, hang 1t up to
the fire to dry and lie In bed watching
1t till midnight. when the apparitlon ~
your future llfe-partner VIII come ~
and turn the sleeve.
An up-to-date Halloween test 10 to
hang I'M rupons representing the vari-
GUS colleges The girls are blindfolded
and each picks out a ribbon the oolors OF
which will Indicate the alma mater OF
tho husband-to-be. This trick could %
carried out with cards painted IN wafer
colors with tho various college colors
or names.
Children born on Halloween are said
to be able to see and converse with fairies
witches anu other supernatural beings.
Sir Walter Scott makes use OF this idea
In The Monastery.
If on this evening you shake hands
with a very blonde man you will have
blonde--bcfore the bells shall have runs
in the new year of 1904.
If your lover should. under the potency
OF the magic evening, propose marriage
on this night. let him bind you at once
by tying blue ribbon upon your wed.
ding ring finger, that both ne and you
may be true. It might be we'll when
dressing for me evening to see that you
have somewhere about your person the
requisite bit Of ribbon.
n you are not quite decided IN your
mind as to which OF two lovers you prs.
fer, think of both Just before you fall
asleep and If you dream Of one. your
fate Is decided
Just at midnight and you must by no
means retire before that magic hour on
the S1st OF October, listen for the sound
of bells from the nearest church steeple
or there are none In your neighborhood
YOU can't do thls). Should you hear q y
mn and distinct peal, begin on your trous-