The last day of October came round apace, and about six o'clock in the
evening the company began to arrive at old Mick Murdock's. Winny
Cavana and her father took their time. They were near enough to make
their entree at any moment; and Winny had some idea, like her betters,
that it was not genteel to be the first. She now delayed, however, to
the other extreme, and kept her father waiting, under the pretence
that she was finishing her toilet, until, on their arrival, they found
all the guests assembled. Winny flaunted in, leaning upon her father's
arm, "the admired of all admirers." Not being very learned in the
mysteries of the toilet, I shall not attempt to describe the dresses
of the girls upon this occasion, nor the elaborate manner in which
their heads were set out, oiled, and bedizened to an amazing extent,
while the roses above their left ears seemed to have been all culled
from the same tree.
Altogether there were about sixteen young persons, pretty equally
divided as to boys and girls, beside some--and some only--of their
fathers and mothers. Soon after the arrival of Ned Cavana and his
daughter, who were the guests of the evening, supper was announced,
and there was a general move into the "large parlor," where a long
table was set out with a snow-white cloth, where plates (if not
covers) were laid for at least twenty-four. In the middle of the table
stood a smoking dish of _calcannon_, which appeared to defy them, and
as many more; while at either end was a _raking_ pot of tea, surrounded
with cups and saucers innumerable, with pyramids of cut
bread-and-butter nearly an inch thick.
The company having taken their seats, it was announced by the host
that there were "two goold weddin'-rings in the _calcannon;_" but
whereabouts, of course, no one could tell. He had borrowed them from
two of the married women present, and was bound to restore them; so he
begged of his young friends, for his sake as well as their own, to be
careful not to swallow them. It was too well known what was to be the
lot of the happy finders before that day twelvemonth for him to say
anything upon that part of the subject. He would request of Mrs.
Moran, who had seen more All-Hallow Eves than any woman there
present--he meant no offence--to help the calcannon.
After this little introduction, Mrs. Moran, who by previous
arrangement was sitting opposite the savory volcano, distributed it
with unquestionable impartiality. It was a well-known rule on all such
occasions that no one commenced until all were helped, when a signal
was given, and a simultaneous plunge of spoons took place.
Another rule was that all the married persons should content
themselves with tea and bread-and-butter, in order that none of them
might possibly rob the youngsters of their chance of the ring. Upon
this occasion, however, this restriction had been neatly obviated by
Mrs. Moran's experience in such matters; and there was a _knock-oge_
of the same delicious food without any ring, which she called "the
married dish." The tea was handed up and down from each end of the
table until it met in the middle, and for some time there was a silent
onslaught on the calcannon, washed down now and then by a copious
draught of tea.
"I have it! I have it!" shouted Phil M'Dermott, taking it from between
his teeth and holding it up, while his cheeks deepened three shades
nearer to the color of the rose in Kate Mulvey's hair, nearly
opposite.
"A lucky man," observed Mrs. Moran, methodically, who seemed to be
mistress of the mysteries. "Now for the lucky girl; and lucky
everybody will say she must be."
The words were scarcely finished when Kate Mulvey coughed as if she
were choking; but pulling the other ring from her mouth, she soon
recovered herself, declaring that she had nearly swallowed it.
Matters, as Mrs. Moran thought, had so far gone quite right, and a
hearty quizzing the young couple got; but, to tell the truth, one of
them did not seem to be particularly satisfied with the result. The
attack upon the calcannon from this point waxed very weak, for the
charm was broken, and the tea and bread-and-butter came into play.
Apples and nuts were now laid down in abundance, and the young girls
might be seen picking a couple of pairs of nice nuts out of those on
the plate, as nearly as fancy might suggest, to match the figures of
those whom they were intended to represent upon the bar of the grate.
Almost as if by magic a regiment of nuts in pairs were seen smoking,
and some of them stirring and purring on the flat bar at the bottom of
the grate, which had been swept, and the fire brightened up, for the
purpose. Of course Mrs. Moran insisted upon openly putting down Phil
M'Dermott and Kate Mulvey of the rings; for in general there is a
secrecy observed as to _who_ the _nuts_ are, in order to save the
constant girl from a laugh at the fickleness of her bachelor, should
he go off in a shot from her side, and _vice versâ_. And here the
mistress of the mysteries was not at fault. Kate Mulvey, without
either smoking or getting red at one end (which was a good sign), went
off like the report of a pistol, and was actually heard striking
against the door as if to get out. There was a general laugh at Mrs.
Moran's expense, who was told that it was a strong proof in favor of
putting the pairs down secretly.
But Mrs. Moran was too experienced a mistress of her position to be
taken aback, and quietly said, "Not at all, my dears. I have three
times to burn them, if he does not follow her; but he has three
minutes to do so."
As she spoke there was another shot. Phil M'Dermott could not stand
the heat by himself, and was off to the door after Kate Mulvey.
This was a crowning triumph to Mrs. Moran, who quietly put back the
second pair of nuts which she had just selected for another test of
the same couple, and remarked that "it was all right now."
The couples, generally speaking, seemed to answer the expectations of
their respective match-makers better than perhaps the results in real
life might subsequently justify. It is not to be supposed that on this
occasion Tom Murdock and Winny Cavana did not find a place upon the
bar of the grate. But as Winny had given no encouragement to any one
to put her down with him, and as the mistress of the mysteries alone
could claim a right to do so openly, as in the case of the rings,
their place, with the result, could be known only to those who put
them down, and perhaps a confidant.
There were a few pops occasionally, calling forth exclamations of "The
good-for-nothing fellow!" or "The fickle lass!" while some burned into
bright balls--the admiration of all the true and constant lovers
present.
The next portion of the mysteries were three plates, placed in a row
upon the table; one contained earth, another water, and the third a
gold ring. This was, by some, considered rather a nervous test of
futurity, and some objections were whispered by the timid amongst
them. The fearless and enthusiastic, however, clamored that nothing
should be left out, and a handkerchief to blind the adventurers was
produced. The mystery was this: a young person was taken outside the
door, and there blindfolded; he, or she, was then led in again, and
placed opposite to the plates, sufficiently near to touch them; when
told that "all was right," he, with his fore-finger pointed, placed it
upon one of the plates. That with the earth symbolled forth sudden, or
perhaps violent, death; that with the water, emigration or ship-wreck;
while that with the ring, of course a wedding and domestic happiness.
Young people were not generally averse to subject themselves to this
ordeal, as in nine cases out of ten they managed either to be
previously acquainted with the position of the plates, or, having been
blindfolded by their own bachelor, to have a peep-hole down by the
corner of their nose, which enabled them to secure the most gratifying
result of the three.
With this usual course before his mind, Tom Murdock, as junior host,
presented himself for the test, hoping that Winny Cavana, whom he had
asked to do so, would blindfold him. But in this instance he had
presumed too far; and while she hesitated to comply, the mistress of
the mysteries came to her relief.
"No, no, Tom," she said, folding the handkerchief; "that is my
business, and I'll transfer it to no one; come outside with me."
Tom was ashamed to draw back, and retired with Mrs. Moran to the hall.
He soon returned, led in by her, with a handkerchief tied tightly over
his eyes; there was no peep-hole by the side of his nose, let him hold
back his head as he might, Mrs. Moran took care of that. Having
been placed near the table, he was told that he was exactly opposite
the plates. He pointed out his fore-finger, and threw back his head as
much as possible, as if considering, but in fact to try if he could
get a peep at the plates; but it was no use. Mrs. Moran had rendered
his temporary blindness cruelly secure. At length his hand descended,
and he placed his finger into the middle of the earth.
"Pshaw," said he, pulling the handkerchief off his eyes, "it is all
humbug! Let Lennon try it."
"Certainly, certainly," ran from one to the other. It might have been
remarked, however, if any one had been observing, that Winny Cavana
had not spoken.
Young Lennon then retired to the hall with Mrs. Moran, and was soon
led in tightly blindfolded, for the young man was no more to her than
the other; beside, she was strictly honorable. The plates had been
re-arranged by Tom Murdock himself, which most people remarked, as it
was some time before he was satisfied with their position. Lennon was
then placed, as Tom had been, and told that "all was right." There was
some nervousness in more hearts than one as he pointed his finger and
brought down his hand. He also placed his finger in the centre of the
plate with the earth, and pulled the handkerchief from his eyes.
"Now, you see," said Tom, "others can fail as well as me;" and he
seemed greatly pleased that young Lennon had been as unsuccessful as
himself.
A murmur of dissatisfaction now ran through the girls. The two
favorites had been unfortunate in their attempts at divination, and
there was one young girl there who, when she saw Emon-a-knock's finger
fall on the plate with the earth, felt as if a weight had been tied
round her heart. It was unanimously agreed by the elderly women
present, Mrs. Moran amongst the number, that these tests had turned
out directly contrary to what the circumstances of the locality, and
the characters of the individuals, would indicate as probable, and the
whole process was ridiculed as false and unprophetic. "Time will tell,
jewel," said one old croaking crone.
A loud burst of laughter from the kitchen at this moment told that the
servant-boys and girls, who had also been invited, were not idle. The
matches having been all either clenched or broken off in the parlor,
and the test of the plates, as if by mutual consent, having been
declared unsatisfactory, old Murdock thought it a good opportunity to
move an adjournment of the whole party, to see the fun in the kitchen,
which was seconded by Mrs. Moran, and carried _nem. con._