Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-25
Halloween


Tempty dish, he never would marry. This
ceremony was repeated three times. and
every time the position OF the dishes was
changed.
Girls would steal to the barnyard and
pull first one, then another, and then a
third stalk OF oats. IL the top of the third
stalk was incomplete or broken at the top.
1t indicated that their married life would
be unhappy.
II was held that IL one stole out to the
barnyard alone, and went around a bean
stack three times. counting the number OF
steps, at the end of the third circuit he or
she would catch the apparition Of their
future spouse in their arms. This test re-
CURED grit and It was seldom resorted TO-.
Another spell was TO go to a part of a
stream where the lands Of three different
owners met and dip the left sleeve Of your
shirt in the water! Then. without speak
ing to anyone, &c home and go to bed in
sight OF q fire, having hung the wet sleeve
before 1t to dry. Al midnight. if you kept
awake, your affinity would come and turn
the sleeve. Burns in a song refers to this
ncantation as follows:
The last Halloween I was waukin.
My drookit sark sleeve, as We ken
His likeness came up the house stalkin'.
In the very grey breeks O. Tam Glen.
Young people even yet hail with pleasure
any prediction of the appearance and tenn
permanent Of the | Z partner fate has allotted
them. In the oiden days youngsters took
time by the forelock, and instead OF con-
sulting palmists and astrologers as the
silly and love sick do now, they went into
a kale yard or cabbage garden about mid
J night at Halloween, and blindfolded,
0 nrFAnaA VhaF- "a ~ - --- -
and pulled a plant. 1t being big or little.
straight or crooked, indicated the shape and
size Of the person to whom they would he
married, and II much earth adhered to the
root, it was assure sign that the wished
for partner would have a good sized bank
account, and If the pith of the stalk tasted
bitter, sour or sweet, the temperament of
the longed for spouse was predicted.
| might go on rehearsing these almost
forgotten entertainments and charms, but
the inffiction Of one more before conclud-
ing might prove acceptable.
Another Halloween enchantment used by
the young folks OF past generations, to
ascertain who was to be their life partner,
was 10 steal out unperceived and SOW a
handful Of hemp seed, narrowing It in with
anything convenient, repeating now and
again the following rhyme. usins the word
lad or lass, as the case might be:
Hemp seed / sow ye;
MhOeNel' going To be- my lass
Come after me and draw me.
Then when the seed was sown. II the
party stood still and looked over his or
her left shoulder the appariuon Of the per
son invoked would be seen approaching.
il took a person OF nerve to go through
this ordeal and I have heard il stated that
ofttimes IL had a tragic conclusion. one
incident is worth narrating.
About the middle of the last century a
hired girl in the family OF a typefounder
in the city OF Edinburgh, Scotland, being
DESTROYS of finding out who was 70 be her
husband. went about 10 o'clock on a Hal
lowe'en night into Her masters workshop,
| determined 10 go through the rite OF SOW
ing hemp seed. Placing a lighted candle on