Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-10-24
STORES ARE READY
FOR HALLOWEEN

! While the busiest and most hurried
nation in the world, America is not toe
GREATNESS to remember her holidays
and there are few to whom giddy but
mysterious Halloween has no charms
All Hallow Us day, the old English
feast celebration of the autumn saints
Senevoience, was observed at length
with merry sports and big dinners
! and was season especially invested
with the supernatural. Americans
! once they have reached the years OF
discretion, cease to believe that ghosts
walk and headless horsemen ride on
the last night of this month but leg
ends and old traditions cling, and the
result is delightful holiday, over
which old Mr.. Jack O'Lantern is SOW.
ereign.
Parties during this months last
days will carry reminders of October
81 and the shops are full of clever and
beautiful things to enhance the inter
est OF the affairs. Black cats stalk
crepe paper for decorating purposes,
while black witches bend over cal
drons 1T each plate on the festive
board. Nut cups support gnomes,
brownies and wee, elfish faces, and
candlelight glows through yellow
shades with witches and cats in sill.
houette. The three gray sisters, the
weird fates, have a place on the new
crepe papers and there are whole sets
for the furnishing of the table, COM
plete with paper napkins, table cloths,
plates and cups, each cleverly decor.
ated with some mysterious motif.
To the host or hostess who wants
a successful and really enjoyable
party, Halloween offers splendid op-
portunities. Dances are always popu.
uar with many. club rooms and ball
rooms taking kindly to decorations.
Confetti and serpentine ribbon in or
ange and black add to the merriment
and refreshments in the same colors
are easily obtainable. Jack O'Lantern
faces on waxed paper stick, to gar
nish the ices are among the quaint
novelties for table dressing.
1t is to the old fashioned party,
however, that the greatest merriment
is ascribed. Damp, drafty cellars,
empty. echoing rooms and high rafter-
ed barns with lurking shadows lend
themselves to the eerie spirit of the
night and white sheeted figures fit
with smothered laughter along thor.
oughfares lighted by pale new moon.
A maiden will stare with real inter.
est into mirror lighted by candle,
as she descends the cellar stairs back
ward ut midnight and shrek with un-
affected horror when a gnome's face
peers into the glass over her shoulder
instead Of the beau she hoped to see.
A long apple pairing will frequently
resemble an initial if tossed over the
shoulder on Halloween night and it is
considered very good judgment to
count the seeds in the same apple to
find an index to ones love affairs.
Cornstalks, autumn leaves and home
made pumpkin lantern faces are clos
er to the celebrations of merrye Eng.
land century ago than the modern
manufactured decorations. Roast
game, fowl and meats, individual pas
tries and fruit cakes, home made can.
dies, cider. raw fruits and similar old
world Hastings are quite as fitting as
the more delicate dainties. A field of
corn in the shock is delightful loca-
ton for wienie roast and marshmal-
low toast in mild weather and any
lonely cabin, river club house or sum.
mer camp, where the group Of congen.
ial friends, both old and new. may
gather about the open fire to sing and
tell stories is a proper fitting for the