CHAPTER XXV

WITCHERY

Assured of their welcome, laughter, jollity, and mystery all attend the Halloween frolics which are given up to sports with kale, apples, nuts, mirror, etc. These ordinarily commonplace articles are claimed, on this eventful eve, to be touched with magic, endowed with the power of prophecy and enabled to tell of wonderful adventure or fortune which will befall any one who puts their virtues to the test. And it is Halloween, of all the nights in the year, that is best loved by the sprightly little fairies, gnomes, and elves, who delight in sallying forth from their homes under stones and in old hollow trees to play pranks on us poor mortals. The witches also are out, flying through the air to their annual dance, on their queer steeds, either cats or broomsticks.

James Hogg’s poem, “The Witch of Fife,” gives a comical description of the witch who flew out of the lum (chimney) and left her husband, who soon followed with his coat “waflling in the wynde.” The witches’ rides would not be apt to injure old broomsticks, but should you happen to see any cats the morning after Halloween, notice how tired the poor creatures look after carrying the witches all night! That is why the Scotch lads and lassies pity the pussies.

Of course, there are really no fairies, genii, or witches; they are all only “make-believe.” Nor are we to put any faith in

=Halloween Fortunes,=

for these are merely tried to furnish sport for the time and to make us merry; a hearty laugh of itself is good fortune. Often it is the best kind of medicine.

Whether you will be

=Rich or Poor=

can be ascertained with three saucers. Fill one with salt, which, being white, stands for silver; another with cornmeal, signifying gold, its color being yellow; while the third remains empty (Fig. 582). If you dip your left hand into the cornmeal, you will be very wealthy; if into the salt, you will be comfortable, but lack the luxuries of life; if into the empty saucer, you will be obliged to work hard for a living.

=Feather Tests=

To foretell the complexion of your future mate, select three of the softest and fluffiest feathers you can obtain. If none is handy, take a pillow and rip open the end seam about an inch or so, making the hole scarcely large enough to admit of your pulling out a few feathers with the thumb and forefinger. The little opening can be sewed up again in a moment’s time. On the bottom end of each downy messenger fasten a small piece of paper; a drop of paste or mucilage will be sufficient to gum all three in place. Write the word “Blond” on one paper; on another, “Brunette,” and on the last, “Medium.” Label the papers before gluing them on the feathers (Fig. 583). With your right hand daintily hold up one feather, by its top, in front of you, and gently send it flying with a puff of breath. Do the same with the next, and also with the last one; the feather landing nearest to you denotes the complexion of your true love. To make the test sure, try the charm three times, but be careful not to use too much force when blowing the feathers.

For the

=Touchstone Charm=

seven small, clean stones are required—six of the common grayish color, the seventh white.

All should be as nearly as possible the same in shape and size (Fig. 584). After being blindfolded and having the position of the stones changed on the platter, describe a circle in the air three times with your left hand, at the last bringing the forefinger down on one of the stones. Try the charm three times. Should you touch the white one twice your life will be full of light and happiness; if the gray twice falls to your share there will be shadows with the light.

=New Friends=

Old friends are treasures and cannot be too highly valued, but new ones also frequently prove to be added joys in our lives. To determine how many new friends you will find in the ensuing year, count the number of buttons on the dress or coat of the first person the fairies send to you after twelve o’clock at noon on October 31st. Should someone enter whose clothing shows no buttons, you will be obliged to rest contented with the friends you now possess, as no more will be added to the list until the expiration of a year.

=Naming the Bedposts=

Before going to sleep on the last night of October name each of the four bedposts, the first being “Art”; the second, “Science”; the third, “Literature”; and the fourth, “Business.” The post you see first upon awakening will denote the pursuit in which you will delight. Should your eyes first rest upon the post called “Art,” many beautiful things are in store for you. If the “Science” post is first seen, you will rejoice in deep learning, etc. Be sure not to get the posts confused; remember the order in which they have been named.

=Witch Writing=

Should you wish to know how any one of your friends may feel toward you, here is the test. Write your name out in full (Fig. 585—we will suppose the name to be yours). Under your name write that of a friend (Fig. 586), then carefully cancel all letters in the coupled names which are [Illustration: Fig. 585.] the same (Fig. 587). Let us go over the first two names that we may thoroughly understand how it is done. Take the first letter in the first name—K; [Illustration: Fig. 586. Fig. 586.] you will not find the same letter in either Mary or Hallon. Take the next letter—a; there it is in Mary and in Hallon. We will cross out all the a’s. There are no t’s in the lower name, so we go on to the next letter—h—which is an initial in Hallon and again occurs in Smith. Cancel them all. There are no e’s, but we find r and n in the other name. Mark them both. I is not repeated in the lower name, and in [Illustration: Fig. 588.] Smith we find only m (h being previously cancelled), which is the first letter in Mary. Cross them out, then repeat aloud these potent words:

“Friendship—Love—Indifference—Hate,”

giving each cancelled letter one word in the magic order (Fig. 588). In this way you find that the girls love each other. Try your name with a number of others. The results constantly vary. Couple two friends’ names together and put them to the test.

=Home or Travel=

Apple-seeds, too, will act as charms. Stick one on each eyelid and name one “Home” and the other “Travel.” If the seed named “Travel” stays on longer than the other, you will go on a journey before the year expires. If “Home” clings better, you will remain at home. Again, take all the apple-seeds, place them on the back of your outspread left hand and with your loosely clenched right hand strike the palm of the left. This will cause some, if not all, of the seeds to fall. Those left on your hand show the number of

=Letters=

you will receive in the coming fortnight. Should all the seeds drop, you must wait patiently for your mail.

=Your Fate=

Gather up all the seeds and make them do duty again. There must be twelve of the little brown charms. Put them carefully to one side while you cut twelve slips of blank paper exactly alike and on one side of each write the name of a friend. Turn them all over with the blanks uppermost and mix them so you will not know which is which; then holding the seeds in your left hand repeat this verse:

“One I love, Two I love, Three I love, I say; Four I love with all my heart and Five I cast away. Six he loves, Seven she loves, Eight they both love; Nine he comes, Ten he tarries, Eleven he courts and Twelve he marries.”

Stop at each line to place a seed on one of the papers, and then turn the slip over to discover the name of the one you love or cast away, as it happens. Continue matching each apple-seed with a piece of named paper, as you count, until all twelve seeds and papers are used. It is both surprising and interesting to have one’s fate forecast in this way.

“Bobby” Burns’s well-known poem “Halloween” tells of many charms and spells to be tried on “Witch Night.”

=Dreams=

mean much on Halloween, but certain ceremonies must be carefully followed in order to insure the spell. Before going to sleep for the night have someone bring you a small piece of dry bread. No word should be spoken after this; silence must invariably prevail. Eat the bread slowly, at the same time making a wish and thinking of the pleasantest things imaginable. Then smilingly drop off to sleep, and your dreams in the land of Morpheus will be sweet and peaceful, and your wish will come true if the charm works in the way it should.

Here is an old verse on

=Shooting Stars=

which has been handed down for generations:

“If I a shooting star can see And before it falls count one, two, three, I'll find my love in the nearest tree, For I hunt him and he hunts me.”

Watch for the star and when it comes, if your courage does not fail, look up a tree. Though you may possibly not find the desired sweetheart, you can make a wish on the shooting star, at the same time repeating these lines:

“Star, star, bright star light, First star I have seen to-night, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish to-night.”

An entertainment suitable for any season of the year is called the

=Ghost Ideas=

It is intended only for the older girls, not being adapted to little ones. The ghosts are jolly, bright, realistic beings, full of fun, who, being invited to your house, enter heartily into the frolic, each doing her best to make the entertainment a success. All the prominent past century ghosts must be included in the party. Artistic, dramatic, historic, literary, and political ghosts should be present, also the spirit of customs, ideas, events, and things belonging to the past century. Summon your fellow-ghosts to haunt your house three hours before midnight, appearing in costumes appropriate to their earthly existence.

Tell them that not a word must be spoken until the company is relieved from the spell of silence and state in your invitation that all ghosts are expected to promptly signify their acceptance in writing, otherwise they will not be admitted to the haunt.

When the ghosts have assembled each character should be announced as she enters the reception-room, where the hostess and one or two other spirits of the occasion await the arrivals. The announcement must be made in clear, well-enunciated tones, and always be prefaced by the words “The Ghost.” Guests after their introduction are allowed to speak and they should talk and act as nearly as possible like the spirits they represent. The event will then be a success if carefully planned, and you will have given to your friends a novel and delightful treat.

=Fortune’s Wheel=

is a midsummer game for little folks. Such a beautiful, long day for a holiday, and no one remembers to keep it now, although many, many years ago Midsummer Day, the longest day in the year, was looked forward to with as much pleasure as we find in the anticipation of Christmas.

The people had strange beliefs in those days, and they thought a being called Fortune would send them gifts on this holiday if they went through certain performances to gain her good-will.

Now suppose we make believe, for a time, there is such a person as Fortune, and one of you shall play her part, and we will have a game of “Fortune’s Wheel,” which will be very appropriate and interesting for June 21st. At one end of the lawn we will mark off as many spaces, six feet square, as there are players, not counting Fortune.

Rope or twine tied to the fence at the back, and to stakes driven into the ground in front, as seen in the illustration, will mark the boundaries nicely, and we will tie some small flags or bright-colored streamers to the tops of the stakes to make them look pretty. These spaces we will call stalls. About ten yards from the stalls, and directly in front of them, we must stretch a rope, tying it to stakes or trees, so that Fortune shall be kept within bounds.

Now bring your rolling-hoop, and we will turn it into Fortune’s wheel by tacking two tapes across it, as shown in the diagram. In the centre, where the tapes cross, we will tie a little bag, which is to hold a gift.

Simple little toys, bonbons, and cake, only one at a time, however, are the gifts Fortune’s wheel will carry.

Come, little girl, whoever is to be Fortune, whip out your handkerchief and tie up your eyes, for Fortune must be always blindfolded; then stand by the rope, which will keep you from going too far away.

The rest of you scamper off and take your places, each one in a stall.

Now, Fortune, walk up and down a little that you may not know exactly where you are; then, standing so that you can reach the rope with your hand, take your wheel and strike it hard, sending it down toward the other players.

Whoever catches Fortune’s wheel may have the gift it carries, but no one must go beyond his stall to reach it. The wheel must enter a stall before it can be caught by the player in that stall, and when it enters a stall and falls to the ground before being caught, the player whose stall it is in must change places with Fortune, become Fortune, and roll the wheel. When the wheel stops before reaching the stalls and does not enter any of them it must be carried back to Fortune, who will roll it again.

Each time before the wheel is started the players in the stalls must change places.

When one gift has been won and taken from the bag put another in its place and Fortune will roll the wheel until all the gifts are gone and the game ended.