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The Vesper Rite.

The communicative old witch of the northwest wind imparted so many methods of Hallowe’en fortune telling you can take your choice. Here are the rest just as she told them.

The Vesper Rite,

if observed with due solemnity, will disclose the principal characteristics of any one submitting to the test.

Take six large potatoes and cut them in half. Shape each half into a candlestick by scooping out a round hole in the small end, making it large enough to hold a candle.

Place a half candle in each of the potato candlesticks and pin around each candle a strip of paper on which is written one word indicating a trait of character, such as “modesty,” “bashfulness,” “vanity,” etc.

Then form a magic ring of the candles in the centre of a dimly lighted room. The ring should be about three feet in diameter.

Blindfold one of the players and have the entire party join hands and run three times around the lighted candles.

Then, leaving the blindfolded player standing two feet from and facing the ring, let the others fall back while a chair is placed before her, a fan is handed to her and she is told to make three trials at fanning out the candles over the back of the chair.

After the third trial she must remove the bandage from her eyes and examine the papers on the candles that are left burning, reading aloud the words which reveal her character.

To avoid any danger of skirts catching fire, care must be taken that no one approaches the candles too closely after they are lighted.

Another game is called the

Bean Bag Test

Into a bag that will hold four or five quarts, pour three quarts of dried beans and in their midst hide a ring, a thimble and a brass button.

Have ready a bright new tin cup and let each player in turn dip into the bag and take out a cupful of beans which must be emptied into a plate.

If either a girl or boy finds the ring in the beans it is a sign of an early marriage. If a girl gets the thimble she will be an old maid, and when the thimble falls to the lot of a boy he will marry an old maid.

The brass button in a girl’s cup of beans denotes that she will marry a widower, but in a boy’s cup it is a bachelor’s button and shows that he will be a bachelor all his life and will sew on his buttons himself.

Each player can have but one trial, and if only beans fall to her share, it signifies that her fate is still undecided.

Here is another test called

The Witch Screen

Fig. 57.—Through the lengthwise centre of the cloth cut two slits for each player.

Across the end or corner of the room fasten a breadth of inexpensive cloth for the witch screen; old muslin or any material most convenient will answer the purpose if not too thin. Through the lengthwise centre of the cloth cut two slits for each player. Fig. 57 has eight slits and is intended for four players. Seat the company in a row near to and facing the witch screen, adjust it so that the slits will come on a level with the hands of the players, then, standing behind the screen and looking over the top, say, “I have some wonderful treasures which the witches have loaned us for this evening, but, as the objects are very valuable and must be returned, I ask that you use the utmost caution in handling them, and take great care not to drop or break any of the things while passing them from one to another down the line.

Fig. 58.—The lava from Mt. Pelee.

“The first charm is

A Piece of Lava

brought from Mt. Pelee in a witch’s pocket (Fig. 58). If you will all kindly slip both of your hands through openings directly opposite you in the witch screen (Fig. 59), you may have the pleasure of passing the lava from one to another. Receiving and giving the lava according to rule means a successful year, but woe to the one who drops it, for to him will come disappointment.”

Fig. 59.—Slip your hands through openings in the witch screen.

After you have made your little speech, sit down and, hidden by the screen, take from a tray at your side a hot potato (Fig. 58), which has been in the oven only long enough to become thoroughly heated; place it in the hand at the head of the line with the words, “I give you the charmed lava; pass it on.” Though the girls and boys may not see what they have, they can assuredly feel it, and there comes in the fun, for each in turn will be sorely tempted to drop the hot potato and yet not dare to do so, and no hint being given, the next neighbor will in turn be equally startled. When the lava reaches the last player, some one back of the screen at that end must receive the precious object and store it away on a tray.

Fig. 60.—The wonderful Japanese crystal.

As soon as the hot lava is disposed of, arise and tell the company that the next charm is a piece of

Wonderful Japanese Crystal

(Fig. 60). It will enable them to see and understand everything more quickly and clearly; it will also gain new friends and delightful surprises. To drop the crystal brings dulness of comprehension, no friends and no surprises. Use a piece of ice for this. The third charm is a rare natural history specimen, called

Fig. 61.—The baby porcupine.

The Baby Porcupine

(Fig. 61). The little creature signifies difficulties successfully overcome, but if dropped the fortune will be reversed. The porcupine is in reality a chestnut bur.

A Harmless Serpent

forms the fourth charm; it renders all girls and boys proof against fear of wild animals, and imparts the faculty of taming and making pets of many inhabitants of the forest, but the charm will be lost with one failing to pass it on its way. The serpent is a snake made of soft dough.

One of the best fairy gifts is

A Treasure from the Great Blue Sea

It means a joyous ocean voyage to new and beautiful lands, but if dropped, the player will encounter storms and perils. Hand the first player a slippery raw oyster.

When all the charms have been tested, announce that before returning the treasures to the witches you will place them on exhibition; then turn back the witch screen and let the girls and boys gather around the tray of queer charms, where they can laugh and exchange comments to their hearts’ content. The effect of the witch screen may be enhanced by using a breadth of brilliant-red muslin and pasting on it black moons, stars, cats, etc. Erect at each end of the screen a comic pumpkin lantern head, with white paper fastened on the inside over the features to light them up, instead of a real light placed inside. Slide each pumpkin head on the end of a pole, and rest the pumpkin firmly on four long, strong nails driven in around near the top of the pole. The lower end of each pole may be steadied and supported by being inserted in a hole bored through the centre of a heavy piece of plank, where it must form a very tight fit; or you can sink the pole into a deep pail of stones and earth. If it is possible to have the only light in the room placed back of the screen, the effect produced will add to the mystery and enchantment. Make all decorations as funny as you like, but avoid anything grotesquely unpleasant. Let every item be agreeable, from the least to the most important arrangement for the evening’s fun.

A very pretty way of telling fortunes is with

Fairy Airships

made of feathers. Take as many fluffy feathers as there are girls and boys in the party and paste on each feather a prophecy written on a bit of paper, such as:

 Yes,

 No,

 Sometime,

 Possibly,

 Never,

 At twenty-five,

 Probably,

 Depends on myself,

 If I can,

 I’ll try,

 When the time comes,

 Of course,

 Three times,

 Before you know it,

 Not if I can help it,

 Certainly,

 Doubtful,

 Surely.

Put all the fairy airships into a pasteboard box-lid, which you have previously punched full of holes, and, standing on a stool or chair, hold the box-lid high in the air while you slowly and impressively say to the company: “These fairy airships will decide your fate regarding marriage. Will you marry?” At the word “marry” launch the ships of fate by fanning vigorously under the box-lid with a large palm-leaf fan, which will send the ships flying in every direction; as they sail through the air each player must endeavor to catch one before it falls.

When order has been restored and all have their airships, each girl and boy in turn must read aloud the prophecy brought by the fairy vessel.

All the party will enjoy the

Blarney Stone Game

Place a large, clean stone on a doily-covered fancy plate which rests on a table in the centre of the room, and tell your guests that a certain spell cast on the famous Blarney Stone in Ireland caused the virtues of that wonderful stone to be transmitted to the stone in the very room where they stand, and that if a girl or boy, when blindfolded, can walk up to the table and kiss the Hallowe’en Blarney Stone, she or he will ever after be jolly and happy and prove a most agreeable companion. Then tie a handkerchief across the eyes of each of the players in turn and let them walk up to and try to kiss the stone before the witches come to take away the magic spell, which they will do long before the clock strikes twelve at midnight.

During the evening be sure to try fortunes by the

Fortune Jingle

On different sheets of paper write one of the following verses:

“One is good fortune,

Two a light heart,

Three is a carriage,

Four is a cart,

Five is a new dress,

Six, a new hat,

Seven is a pet dog,

Eight, a pet cat,

Nine is a letter,

Ten is a pleasure,

Eleven is a great joy,

Twelve is a treasure.”

Place each verse in a separate envelope and hang all on a string stretched and tied to the backs of two chairs. Distribute squares of paper each marked with a number beginning at number one. The player receiving number one has first choice of envelopes from the line. Two brings second choice, and so on. When all missives have been taken and the signal given for opening the envelopes, the player receiving verse one reads aloud, “One is good fortune”; immediately after the person with number two reads, and the other verses follow in numerical succession, every envelope bringing its gift to the recipient.

Titania Stands on Her Toes, She Floats, She Drops to the Floor in a Deep Curtsy.