The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-18

have an abiding faith in the cleanliness Of a
ghostly handshake. being gid glove packed
with wet sand and laid on Ice for ten hours
to acquire the proper GOODNESS, and held in
her own hand covered by drapery. All the
light should be from candles, preferably in
jack O. lanterns, though, If it can be so ar
ranged, the light from wood alcohol and
salt burned in small quantities in an old
pan will give the most weird, uncanny
light any ghost could desire.
AS soon as all the party are assembled,
they should be seated in a circle in a room
very dimly lighted, and a young woman
dressed as witch should enter and state
that their courage is to be tested before any
revelations can be made To do this, each
one is to hand her neighbor at her left the
articles to be given out from the kettle
where the magic potion is brewing, and the
one who speaks will be obliged to leave the
room. A clever girl should be secured to act
the part of a witch, who can recite some Of
the lamentations from Macbeth" inter-
spersed with many groans and queer noises:
and if it can be arranged that during her
speech some other girl will shrek and
feign fainting, the effect will be electrical
For the witch's kettle these things should
have lain on ice for at least twelve hours
a very large raw oyster, a poker chip a
chestnut burr, chicken gizzard a strip of
swansdown, blrd's wing. peach pit,
strip OF leather Ito simulate a snake), and
if the small boy will sacrifice one of his col
lection Of beetles, the guests will be con-
WINGED of the genuineness of witches work
If the weather is suitable, the guests may
be asked TO follow the hostess Tree times
about the house, then to go to stump or
hollow tree, and, thrusting in the hand, pull
out the symbol of their future If stormy
IN he
house by the witch, assisted by two imps
According TO the size of the company, the
contents of some of the parcels may be
duplicated. but all must be tied in brown
leaves fastened by thongs of grass. A key
ring, penny, thimble, pencil, knife, PEN
yeast cake, scissors. paint brush and many
other articles will suggest themselves to an
inventive mind as being significant of the
probable pursuits of the guests.
Returning to the house, an acceptable d.
version Will be had by supplying each guest
with pencil and paper with the request that
since it is the night when futures are fore
told. they write a brief prophecy of their
right-hand neighbor. At a given signal all
are handed to the hostess. who allows each
| one in turn TO draw one prophecy and read it
aloud to the company.
There may be something new in Hallow-
| cen observance, but there many old con-
ceits which are delightfully."- weird. To ascer-
| tain how many OF the guests are really SUI
| perstitious, 1t is suggested that ladder be
suspended over the door and a mop stick
| laid on the threshold
AS a change from bobbing for apples. try
peanut jab, providing as many deep dishes
| of water as there are couples. Place the
| dishes on small card tables and on top of
! each dish set dozen peanuts floating, pro-
vide each individual with a hatpin and
when the game is called, each person pro-
ceeds to jab the nuts. endeavoring to land
them in the pretty dish provided, with
out touching the nuts with the fingers. A
very funny stunt is to bob for pennies In
a pan of flour with the hands clasped be-
hind one.
Ii will be very much in keeping with the
spirit of the evening if one of the company
is legerdemainist who can perform
weird. mysterious and magical feats and
will show some of his skill.
a very novel idea for a Halloween party
| is grandmothers family album-snce il is
the night when pictures are said to come
! down from the wall and talk. The hostess
might carry a huge bouquet of chestnuts
| fastened To a wire and tied with green rib
bons. The guests as living pictures, should
represent old photographs, wearing clothes
and hats in the style of from twenty to
fifty years ago, following carefully the de-
/ tail OF hair dressing, etc, in a photogra phi
which the hostess must display in con-
spicuous place for comparison. See IL the
statement Is true that True love is like
ghosts which everybody talks about and
| few have seen"