A "RED EAR" party is what they called it in the invitations. It was
the opening party of the year in the high school and the seniors
planned it.
The cards they sent out said:
_Oh, this time o' the year
You'll recall the red ear
(It will never go out o' date);
So the members of "twenty"
Have planned fun a-plenty
At a regular Harvest Home fête--
You're invited_!
The school hall was delightfully decorated emphasizing the autumn
colors. Bright tawny leaves banked the platform where the orchestra
sat, and along the side walls globes of red and orange balloons glowed
among the soft tans and browns of cornstalks. From the ceiling,
myriads of red and orange paper lanterns swayed brilliantly.
The dance programs were "red ears" cut from cardboard, and tiny red
pencils dangled from them. Some of the names of the dances to excite
curiosity were:
The Corn Stalk
The Scarecrow Skitter
Farmerettes Fancy
Popcorn Waltz
Orchard One-step
Pumpkin Pie Walk
Red Ear Dance
Harvest Home Revue
The Corn Stalk was in the nature of a grand march--everybody "stalking
stiffly" round and round in time to the music, which ended in a
rollicking one-step.
Then followed the Scarecrow Skitter. A dilapidated old cornfield
character in all the crudity of flapping black was brought in and
established in the center of the floor. In his shabby hat fluttered a
handful of rusty crow feathers, and the feature of the dance was for
each boy to secure one of them in passing for his partner. The poor
old fellow was nearly torn to bits in the process.
The Farmerettes Fancy was another name for "ladies choice." All
the girls were given tiny toy rakes, hoes, spades, or other farm
implements which they used as favors in choosing partners.
For the Popcorn Waltz, the favors were popcorn chains for the boys to
hang around their partners' necks. There was a temptation to devour
these adornments as well as to use them for decorative purposes, and
on the whole they were a source of much fun.
The orchestra at intervals in this dance made use of some contrivance
which sounded like corn popping briskly over the fire.
A shower of snowy white confetti from the balcony still further
emphasized the popcorn idea.
In the Orchard One-step the boys were asked to pick peaches. The girls
stood behind a high screen and thrust their right hands above it. The
boys reached up, touched the "peaches" they chose and thereupon the
girls thus designated one-stepped away with their partners.
Instead of a cake walk, a Pumpkin Pie Walk was announced. The
contestants could indulge in just as crazy, funny or pretty dance
steps as they liked. The reward to the most original, entertaining and
clever couple was a big pumpkin pie.
Then came the Red Ear Dance. Everybody was blindfolded and asked to
pick an ear of corn from a big basket. When vision was restored the
girl holding the red ear (an ordinary ear with a red crepe paper
wrapping) was acclaimed queen of the carnival, and was presented
with a bouquet of red roses. During the dance a red glow by means of
special lighting arrangements filled the hall.
The Harvest Home Dance came just before supper, and lived up to its
name, in that paper costume caps designating fruits and vegetables
were given out and worn, so that the whole room seemed to be filled
with the "harvest."
Tomato, carrot, corn, apple, wheat, squashes, grapes, popcorn,
watermelon and blackberry were all represented.
The supper dance occurred midway in the evening, and the other novelty
dances described were interspersed before and after it.
The supper consisted merely of peach ice cream with sugared popcorn
on top, served on grape leaves, nut macaroons, tiny pumpkin tarts and
fruit punch.