Evening star., 1935-10-27
BY John Clagett Proctor.
BLACK spirits and white,
Red spirits and gray;

BLACK spirits and white,
Red spirits and gray;
Mingle. mingle. mingle,
You that nningle may"
n II AYBE you have read this in
M Shakespeare.
V It is said that Halloween
4 ' L has always been the occasion
of certain popular uSages in Christian
countries such as the performance OF
spells by young people to discover
their future partners for life, and GER
tain freside revelries, as cracking nuts
and ducking for apples. 1t is thought
to be a night when witches, devils,
and other mischief making beings are
all abroad on their baneful midnight
errands. particularly the fairies are
said on that night to hold grand
anniversary.
Since the beginning Of things there
has been belief in the subtle power
of mysterious spells and omens in
affairs of the heart. and We find
Othello, the Moor, winning fair Des-
demona by the aid of spells, and medi-
cine and charms Of all kinds were
recognized assistants In determining
who was to be the future partner in
life.
The same devils and witches Of
by-gone days will make their appear
ance again on Thursday night, and do
all the diabolical things we older folk
did when we were kids and possessed
Of the same devils.
Youth will have its fling, and in
the words Of good old song:
Let us be happy while yet we may.
For time flies quickly away"
And, while we are quoting verse,
perhaps these appropriate lines from
Whittier will be recalled by my
contemporaries in point OF age:
"Oh, fruit loved Of boyhood! The
old days recalling.
When wood-grapes were purpling and
brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved IN
its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a
candle within!
When We laughed round the corn
heap, with hearts all in tune,
Our chair broad plmpkin-our Ian
tern the moon.
Telling tales of the fairy who trav-
eled like, steam,
In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two
rats for her team!"
OF course the witches will walk
oil Nf |idNc oy,IJ
pranks, and many revelers will be
disguised with hideous falsefaces re-
sembling witches, wizards, hobgoblins
and what not. But, fortunately, we
have arrived at a period of civilization
when we well know just who these
witches are, and the supernatural
phase is not, to a considerable extent,
given serious consideration.
HOWEVER, this was not always so,
for when few people could read
and write it was-common to believe
in witches. Indeed, along this line,
the writer will repeat an amusing
story he heard not long since.
It seems a certain sable son Of
Southern skies, in order to prove his
disdain for the supernatural and to
prove his self-asSerted bravery, agreed
to occupy vacant house on Halloween
night, said to be controlled by witches.
Toward dark he built himself cheer
full fire in the fireplace and propped
himself in front and dozed of into
perfect serenity. But upon awakening
on the stroke of IL, cat appeared
in the fireplace, and as it advanced
toward him it grew as large as q
tiger, and when it reached him it sat
down on its launches and began to
lick its paws, and turning to the now
terrified colored man, said: There
are just two of us here" and as the
gentleman Of color was leaving the
premises with the window sash still
around his neck, he was heard to
say: you sho is mistaken; there i
only one of us here!"
Shakespeare seems to have beer
very fond of witches and even begin.
his Macbeth" with a scene where
three witches are stirring the hel
broth. You probably recall that tn.
first witch says, When shall we thres
meet again, in thunder, lightning o.
in rain?"
The Bible also speaks of witche!
and in the eighteenth verse of tn,
twenty-second chapter of Exodus yol
will find this injunction, Thou shal
not suffer a witch to live"
st. Patrick, it is said, was not afrait
of witches and, indeed, offended then
and Sthe devil alike by his uncom.
promising rigor against them. so much
so that they tore of piece of rocl
as he was crossing the sea and hurled
1t after him, which rock became th'
Fortress Of Dumbarton.
~ FRIEND of mine from Virgins
tells me there is belief among
certain superstitious people in hi
State that when a witch comes tt
ones house he has to go in and out
Of every hole and opening before hi
can remain on the inside, and thai
in order to keep the witch from thu
accomplishing his purpose before day.
break sieve is placed on the inside
of the door, over the keyhole, and
that since he cannot get in and out
Of every hole in the sieve before
morning, he is defeated In his pur-
pose and the occupants consequently
are. safe.
p,,t ua do mt haye tn On over ffatc