The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-10-26

| gathered together aud performed var
ious tricks and tests fer the purpCs
of revealing future husbands and
wives. These tricks are described In
Burns poem "HallCwe eu,' in which
the writer refers to different tricks
and especially to tests perc rmed with
apples and nuts. In fact "Nut crack
Day" was the name commonly given
to Halloween in Scotland. Burns
| says:
"Among the bonnie winding banks,
Where Doom rims wimplin, clear;
Where Bruce ance ruled the martial
ranks,
An shook his Carrick spear;
Some merry, friendly country folks
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, and pou their
stocks
An baud their Halloween
Flu blythe that night.
"The auld guild wife's we'll -hourded
nits
Are round an round divided,
An monte lads and lasses' fates
Are there that night decided;
/
Some kindley couthie, side by side,
Are burn the gither trinity;
Some start ava wi saucy pride
An jupm out Owre the chimle
Flu high that night. "
These observanes have descended
through generation after generation
and to this day are popular, not only
among the superstitious but among the
sensible and practical young people of
America as we'll as among those of
other countries.
Before the Civil war, in the south
ern states, Hallowe'en was one Of the
most popular holidays. 1t was the
custom there to observe it not unlike
we, of the present day, observe our
Decoration or Memorial day. In
Louisiana it is still customary to dec
crate the graves of friends and lela-
tives.
Tho tricks and tests common to Hal
lowe'en were also popular among the
southern young people. At the pres.
ent time Halloween is still observ d
but not In the same manner exactly,
as it was in the olden days. Now the
uhhul lhpho VI ttlbbIhJlOn ls blb Ib-
moval of gates, the greasing of street
car tracks with soap, and other tricks
which, to the boyish mind, are anus
ing. Among the older people Hallow-
cen Is observed as time for the en-
tertainment of friends in the home.
There are innumerable tricks that can
be tried which will afford amusement
to almost everyone. One appropriate
at any time, but more practiced ON
Halloween, is the apple pairing test
A person is given an apple and a
knife, the apple to be pared in con.
tinuous strip. After this is done the
pairing is swung three times around
the head and these lines are repeated j:
"Apple, | pare and swing to know
whom
| soon shall marry.
From my hand | now thee throw;
Mystic letter carry. ~
The pairing Is then dropped to the
floor and nearly always forms some
letter. Another is called the "Weal
or woe" test, and consists of suspend
ing horse shoe in doorway, each
fortune seeker to attempt to toss an
apple through the shoe. IL successful,
happiness is his fate, but if the apple
goes wide of the mark, woe to him.
A test performed by Southern girls
in the days before the war was as fol
lows One girl was blindfolded and
lighted candle held before her.
After she was turned around three
times she was supposed to blow out
the light. If successful, she was loved
by ore of her choice. If she lied to
eXtinguish the light, his love was
another's.
The test of the three dishes origi-
mated in Scotland and great faith was
placed in the charm. Three dishes
were placed side by side one contain
ing clear water, one full of muddy
water and the third empty. The per
sons testing this charm we're blindfold-
cd and foun their fortunes by dip
ping their fingers into one of the
dishes, If they dipped into the clear
water maiden or young man Gas the
case may be- as their future partner,
into the second "A widow or widower
and II into the empty dish it would be
one s fate to remain single.
The candle test is an interesting
one. Three lighted candles are placed
in an open window and each guest
names the candle tor sweetheart.
The candle to be estinguished first
signifies that the lover for whom it
was named is untrue, the one flicker.
ing in the breeze shows iickleness,
and the one burning steadily shows
the one who will ever be true.
These tricks combined with fortune
telling by cards, tea leaves or any
other way, will furnish very Jolly
evenings entertainment. Decorations
of jack.o- lanterns, owls, bats and
other thing mystic help carry out the
werid effect E. NJ. II.