LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2484, 23 March 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THAT HALLOW EVE. A party of young people sat together In the great kitchen of an old farm house one autumn night. It was a very old farm house, but it bad been lately purchased and rebuilt and renovated by a Mr Gray, who, with an only child, Mollie. had recently come to Meadville, And this evening Mollie had invited in a few of her friends so help her dedicate her new home. Olive Brown anA Helen Stacy, the daughters of two near neighbors, witn their attendant cavaliers ; Kate Isaacs, who taught the village school, a handsome, ambitious girl, who em led very calmly upon the adoration the youth of MeadvUle beetowed upon her, the most persistent of whom was young Brown, who sat at her side, counting her apple seeds—One I love, two I love, three I love I say, four I love with all my heart, and five I c»st away,' only to learn, > las ! that her apple had been named ' Tom Brown.' These young people, with Mollie Gray and her {accepted lover, Br. Evans, the young physician of Meadvilla, comprised the party. They had been playing games, roasting chesnuts. and eating sweetmeats, when suddenly Olive Brown exclaimed :

' Why, girlß ! do you know what night this is ?'

"' Certainly,' answered Helen Staoy, 'it is Thursday night.' 'But. I mean what night of the month ?' •October 31st!' added Kate Isaacs. ' Yes, and All Ballow'en," added Olive. ' The night spirits are abroad and allow curious mortals to read the future.'

' Oh ! oh !' cried the girls in chorus, 'let us try the charms and determine our fateß. What grand fnn it will ' e.' 'Perfectly splendid!' added another; 'how lovely that we thought of it in time.'

' There is not a word of truth in it, and I am not to be so foolish,' said~pretty Kate Isaacs, with a toss of her head. ' Oh, now, don't be the only one to hang back,' pleaded Mollis Gray, ,it will be such fun, you know.' ' I don't see the fun in going down into a dark cellar at midnight, backward, and running the risk of breaking your neck/ returned Kate. ' But I will do that,' said Olive, ' and you can try some other oharm. Mollie can comb her hair before the mirror, and Olive is to try the well charm. You might go out and pull a cabbage, It is only a little distance from the.house so you need not be afraid.' 'I am not a coward,' responded Kate proudly. 'Then you will go,'clamored the chorus of girls, eagerly. ' But I don't see aiiy sense In It. I never yet heard of a person who ever saw anything to justify all these stories of Hallow Kve, which we read and hear, and it seems so foolish for sensible girls like us to suppose we are going to read the future in such a ridiculous fashion as eatiDg apples or pulling cabbages at midnight of a. certain day in the year.' ' But people have seen these things,' cried credulous Hester, ' a girl once saw her own face lying in a ccffin, and she died the next year.' ' A cheerful sight—or encouraging prospect—responded Kate. ' That alone is sufficient to induce us all to try and read the future on Hallow Eve.'

'And another girl saw the face of an elegant young man smiling right over her shoulder, and she afterward met him and married him.'

* And lived happy forever afterward,' added Kate, laughing. 'My dear Helen, who told you the wonderful ocourrenoes ?' I read them,' replied Helen. 'Ah yes. I see! in the illustrated • Gazette 'of popular fiotion. no doubt. But now, girls, if your hearts are not set on trying the charms of AH Hallow Kve I will throw no more cold water upon your enthusiasm, nor will I refuse to take part in the highly intellectual performances. Whatever you assign to me to do, that will I perform to the best of my ability, even if it Is a flying trapeze feat.'

.'Now that's a good girl—just like your own dear self,' cried the enthusiastic Helen. * Well, you must go out into the yard just aa the clock strikes twelve and pull a cabbage and bring it in I The size, taste, and amount of earth clinging to it will be suggestive of your future husband's stature, disposition, and wealth 1' 'Then I am not expected to see a vision of the creature V

* Not neoessarily— yet, if the " conditions" are good as the mediums say, he may come and help you pull the cabbage. However, I fear you have not sufficient faith to bring about that result, so we give yon * a charm ' which does not require second sight to render it perfect.' ' Nay, verily, for a grain of mustard seed would loom like a mountain beside my faith,' laughed Kate. ' And you, Helen, I suppose yon expeot to see sights, and hear sounds, don't you ?' 'I expect to see something,' Helen asrented. ' You know lamto go down cellar backward and hold a mirror In my hand and say : " My true love, my true love, whoever you .be, Come and look In the glass with me."

And his face is supposed to be reflected there over my shoulder. I am all of a tremble as I think of it. I have read ao many stories about it, and they always saw something. I do not see why I should not.

'Why, of course,'laughed Kate, 'you will see your own face, and no yon and the man you will marry will be one person, It f ollows that you have seen the faoe which belongs to your future husband in the mirror. That is all there is to that charm, rest assured. ' And pray what are we to do while you are hobnobbing with the spirits V asked Dr. Evans, laughing. ' Are there no charms we can try to help us to peer into the future. ' No, sir. You are the makers and shapers of your matrimonial destinies, and have no need of the spirits to assist you,' answered Helen. 'You are reasonably certain if you have a girl and mate yourself worthy of her, and woo her aright, that you can win her. Or if you cannot win her, you can forget her and win somebody else. But we women—we are different. We do not dare to love till we are wooed, and once loving is loving forever with us, whether we are won or no. Therefore the matter holds great interest for

us. ' I do not agree with you, spoke up Mollie G-ray, quiokly. ' I think a girl of seventeen may lovo with all the capabilities of her heart —once outgrow the object of her love. And at twenty-three may love again far more deeply and earnestly. Yet both emotions were love.'

• Well, we'll not discuss that matter,' re. sponded Helen. 'lt is almost eleven o'clock, and we must decide just what we will do with these boys while we are gone. We certainly cannot trust them to take oare of themselves.'

•We might look them in the parlor.' suggested Mollie. 'The windows ate all fastened on the outside as well as inside, and there is only the doors, and we can have them fast.' 'You have me fast now,' whispered Dr. Evans, 'but I think you ought at least to take my photograph and hang it where you can see the reflection. Mollie, will you oomb your hnir before the mirror and repeat your incantation ?' ' I shall see your faoe whether it is there or not,' was Mollie's whispered reply, and then a deep orlmsnn flush dyed her oheek at the boldness of her own words. They were very fond lovers, these two— Dr. Evans and Molly Gray. Albeit they had known each other but three short months. It had been a oase of love at first sight with Dr. Evans, and so great was the ardor of his wooiog that Mollie yielded a most willing consent to his plea, only six weeks after their first meeting, and the wedding day was fixed for the early New Year. Mollie's suggestion of looking the young men in the parlor was finally adopted, and five minutes before twelve she turned the key on them and hurried away to the kitchen, where she was to remain, combing her hair and eating an apple, and reciting some mysterious words, while Helen explored the cellar, Olive repaired to the well, and Kate pulled her cabbage. {Toht> continued.')