The Forrest City times., 1905-11-03
The Halloween Party.

Young Ladies Guild at the residence of MT. Ellis Hurley last Tuesday night was as successful as the young ladies could desire. The grinning pumpkin which has been conspicious sight on our. business streets the past week served as an excellent lure to attract the guests, and also to arouse an eager anticipation of the sights that were awaiting them Oh All-Hallow-Eve. By eight o'clock the crowd began 10 gather. A couple of Jack-o'-Lanters aglow at the gate lighted the guests up the walk, and TOW of lanterns on the porch illumined the doorway. One step across the threshold, and one found himself in the land of unrealities made real-a land of ghosts, goblins and spooks; of witches, cats and bats; where fiickering colored lights made distorted shadows of the strange be- ings Hitting about, and where music and laughter invited the guests to join in the whirl of the spooks. The walls of the long hall were hung in white, finished at the top with bor- der of colored maple leaves and greens from the wood. Upon the white walls were plentiful sprinkling of black cardboard cats and bats; cats with arched backs and bristling tails; cats crouching; cats climbing; bats in blind upward fight and bats in downward dive-horrid, spooky things in bold re- lief against white walls.
 Pumpkins and gourds, which served as lamps were everywhere, suspended in doorways, where they slowly re- yolyed, casting on all the crowd i'm partially hideous wink and grin; standing tripod-like, on three legs; resting on tables and stools draped in white. Artists alone could have pro- duced the variety of faces and ex pressions that the pumpkins wore. There were wall-eyed, goo-goo eyed, winking, blinking, and mournful eyed pumpkins; pug =nosed, spread -nosed, retreating-nosed pumpkins; snaggled toothed, and toothless, some wi h downcast mouths, others wearing broad, expansive smile; and still others with horns and goatees. Each with his own peculiar smile and blink shone upon the company with green, vel low, or red light, according to the shade of paper lining.
 The same order of decorations with punches of turnips and carrots were used in the dining room. Strings were fastened in zig-zag fashion across the hall, and apples, candy, and cakes suspended from them by strings of different lengths. A tray of candies, in charge of a spook, was literally dis tributed, provided each piece was re- moved between the lips. The result was number of guests with flour be- smirched faces. Various other Hal lowe'en tricks and games were enjoy ed. Perhaps the most popular corner of the hall was the fortunetellers booth presided over by Miss Simmons in the picturesque dress of gypsy. Miss Simmons has made study of palmis- try, so the guests pressed in eager crowds around her, confident of re- ceiying a scientific interpretation of their palms.
 A thrilling feature was the exhibi- tion of Blue Boards wife in dark recess behind the hall. Miss Elizabeth Gatling represented the unfortunate lady. Only her head was visible, ap- parently suspended by the hair against awhite and dblood-stained back ground. The imprint of bloody hand was visible, and try on which "witche' s oils burnt green and blue and white, ' threw ghestly light on the scene.
 Among the impressions gained by the thoughtful observer at this even- ings entertainment are the comforting truths that people can be entertained by some other methods than tn e streneous game of the'conyentional party: that simple sports can be en- joyed by grown-up children; and that, judging from the way the older guests chatted as they looked on from retired corners, conyersation-re genuine conversation, not gossip-is not al- together the lost art that the peSsi- mists claim it to be. May Hollowe' 'en always be celebrated as simply and as joyously