The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-31
TWAS EVER THUS
The Halloween Story That
Never Grows Old.
Tale Of q Lads First SpoOk
Fr0lic in Topeka.
DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU
How Topeka Boys Used to Cele-
brate the Night.
Mayor Tells of Many Changes
Since His Youth.

! Once up time there was little
: Eoy-a good little boy. He usually
, went right straight home from school
!, without stopping to play on the way.
I. When darkness came he was always at
+, home-didn't play out under the street
| lights-just stayed in the house with
his father and his mother.
4 But one night-Cne bright moon
/ light night. with the wind whispering
to the leaves and the leaves stirring
and rustling like they were turning
|. over in their sleep-the little boy could
not be found at home. His mother
called him when supper was ready,
hut he didn't come. Then she looked
down in the cellar where everything
everything was lonesome and creepy,
cracky sounds made funny feelings
run down her back.
Il But the little boy wasn't there. And
his mother was frightened.
i She went down stairs and told his
papa she couldn't find the little boy.
Papa said, "Psnaw. let's eat supper.
He'll be here pretty soon."
worried, for there at the table was the
little boys empty chair, and his plate
was there, but the little boy was gone.
Il After supper the father started to
he was reading the mother slipped
away into another room because she
did not want him 10 know she was cry
ing. After a while she came back.
'He-he never was away from home
Il this late before. Do-do you think
anything might have happened to
him ?" mamma raid. Her voice was
trem blylike. Papa laid down his paper
and he saw mammals eyes were all
red.
h ''why. no, of course not" he said.
Don't worry. He'll be home pretty
soon. It's a nice evening and I be-
lieve I will take a walk"
Daddy. He Was Scared Ton
Il You see papa was scared. too. only
he did not want mamma to know it.
So he put on his hat and started out
to look for his little boy. When he
a wire someone had tied there and
nearly fell. When he got out on the
walk he saw a piece of paper in the
way and gave it kick and nearly
broke his toe. There was a rock un-
Fl der the paper, and when he got to the
corner and stepped to the street he got
all shaken up because the gutter-plate
at the crossing was gone.
II He walked all around everywhere but
couldn't find his little boy. He saw lots
Of little boys and some big ones ducking
b around corners and scooting up alleys,
but he could never catch up with them
to ask them If they had seen his little
boy. so he kept getting more uneasy
and decided he would go to the police
station and ask the police to look for
his little boy. But first he thought he
would go home and see If his little boy
hadn't como back. He did and just as
he got to the porch a noise caught his
ear.
There was a cracking in the rose
bushes. Pretty soon something came
creeping up toward him and the man
said real loud and cross:
II "Who Is that?"
III And someone said:
II "Its-it's me.''
Then papa said: you go right to
] bed
His mamma had the door open then
and rushed right out and caught her
little boy up In her arms and was just
squeezing and squeezing him, but his
papa said: IT told him to go right to
bed The mother also said: Yes,
you must go right to bed" and she
! didn't go up with him to tuck him in
Just let him go all alone. And while
the little boy was going up the stairs
he said in a tiny. weak little voice:
II don't believe want any supper to-
| night"
After the little boys papa had set
tied down and was reading his paper
again. the mother slipped upstairs real
| quietly. She did not turn on the light.
! but went over in the dark and got hold
of the little boys hand and put her
head down close and said: Nov tell
/ me all about It."
And the little hoy put his arms
around his mothers neck as he an
/ swered:
TITS Halloween. 1 was out with some
fellers throwing corn at windows"
Who Was He?
Who was the little boy?
III Oh. just the average boy participating
in his first Halloween celebration.
To Erown.ups Halloween is the last
L of it-and nothing more. For youngsters
l the last night in October is Halloween
and lot of other things and to those
/ n
| may mean even more yet. for dictionaries
| say /, is not only time for merry-mak-
time for the invocation of witchery to
l secure glimpses OF future husbands and
= wives. Doubtless many young women in
Topeka tonight will walk backward down
, the cellar stairs with a candle in one
hand and mirror in the other. looking
I for their future husbands. even when
4 in which to search.
When Topeka Was a "Child.''
When Topeka was village 1t was not
| but deviltry, according to r. L. Cofran.
mayor now and who was mayor then.
/ 1T is not necessary to specify the
mayor. because everything was done
l that ever has been done in that line The
boys of those days. who are old men now
what is left OF theu1-were fertile in
l imagination and resourceful IN execution.
l so the widest flight of imagination in
describing what they ~ did is within nth the
eted cows on church steeples and tied a
l goat to the old fire bell and aroused the
/ whole town.
II But Topeka, along with other cities,
Il has outgrown rough and destructive ways
of observing Halloween. Practical jokes
| and the creating Of costly or embarrassing
| situations are no longer considered funny
| or smart. MasQue balls parties jack-o'-
lanterns ana wholesome merry-malxing OF
various kinds have taken their places,
n and Topeka tonight will celebrate the
1 overlooking OF the cornucopia in this
way.
Halloween has its origin in the natural
ly good feeling arising at the completion