HALLOWE'EN REVELS
"Come, on mystic Hallowe'en,
Let us seek the dreadful scene,
Where the witches, imps and devils,
Elves and ghosts will hold their revels!
1107 Carberry Avenue.
Seven o'clock."
THIS was the invitation received by Harry, Alice, Fred and even Bob, who
had an inkling of what was about to happen, inasmuch as 1107 Carberry
Avenue happened to be his own address. At seven o'clock that evening Bob
was nowhere to be found. However, when four horribly disguised figures
were ushered into the house, the witch who pointed the way up the stairs
seemed satisfied. A few minutes later, the ghosts and demons having
removed such garments as were needed only in the outer air, assembled in
the weirdly lighted living-room. All of the electric lights were covered
with yellow crêpe paper shades, with faces cut in them. Jack-o'-lanterns
stood in every conceivable place, and a fire burned brightly in the open
fireplace.
The two witches, who were evidently the hostesses, commenced a weird
chant in a minor key. The male ghosts, three in number, immediately took
up the music, if it could be so called, howling in loud and uncanny
tones. Thereupon the witches beckoned the whole company with all speed
to the dining-room.
The table was a mass of color and light. Potatoes, carrots and beets,
with sticks for legs, held the lighted candles. At each place were
individual favors, witches holding the place cards, and small
Jack-o'-lanterns standing beside them. The center of the table was a
miniature field of pumpkins and cornstalks.
The place cards were read and the places were found. The guest of honor,
he who sat at the right of her who was evidently "witch-in-charge,"
discovered the following on his card, and the others were equally
descriptive and illuminating:
This place is laid for one who soon
Will marry!
O youth bewitched by maid and moon,
Be wary!
But if you can't, then make it soon,
Dear Harry!
The supper, decorative as well as delicious, was all upon the table.
Little individual pumpkin pies on paper doilies stood beside each place.
The salad caused much delight among the guests, who at the invitation of
the witches, had now removed their masks. A large red apple with a face
cut on the outside, had been hollowed out, and the salad was within. On
the top of the apple was a round wafer with a marshmallow upon it to
represent a hat. The hat was further decorated with a "stick-up" of
stick candy on one side. The apple stood on a leaf of lettuce, with a
yellow salad dressing necktie. The favor boxes, which were under the
witches, were filled with candy corn, while the popcorn balls, placed on
a platter, had features of chocolate fudge, and bonnets of frilled
paper.
The supper menu was as follows:
Oyster Patties Bettina's Surprise Salad
Hallowe'en Sandwiches Pickles
Pumpkin Pie
Cider Doughnuts
Jumbles Popcorn Balls
"Have another jumble, Harry," urged Ruth. "See, this one has unusual
eyes and a particularly soulful expression."
"I have already eaten so many that I fear my memory of this party will
be a jumble of faces! I'll see them in my sleep--all with that soulful
expression!"
"Another toasted marshmallow, Bettina?" asked Fred, thrusting it toward
her on the end of a hat-pin. "This candle is nearly burned out, so I'm
afraid I can't offer you any more."
"It is really time to bob for apples," said Bettina. "Who ever heard of
a Hallowe'en party without that! And we must each try to bite the
swinging doughnut, and then we must blindfold each other and try to pin
the tail on the unfortunate black cat. Bob, will you carry this tub into
the living-room? And Ruth, will you remove the popcorn balls to the
piano bench? Perhaps someone will grow hungry from the exertion of these
games. And I know that later in the evening Alice, though a guest, will
tell our fortunes."
"Alice can tell my fortune by looking at her own hand," said Harry.
"Because she holds my happiness there."
"What a sentimental sentence, Harry!" said Fred, looking amazed. "See,
you've embarrassed us all!"
"Well, I'm always being called cold and reserved, and I've decided to
turn over a new leaf."
"Oh, Harry, don't be so foolish!" said Alice, who had grown as red as
the apples on the table. "It's time for games!"
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Oyster Patties= (Six portions)
3 T-butter
4 T-flour
1 C-milk
1/2 t-salt
1/8 t-paprika
1/2 pint of oysters
Clean the oysters by removing any shells, and drain off the liquor. Melt
the butter, add the flour and salt, and mix thoroughly. Gradually add
the milk, stirring constantly. Cook until very thick. Place the oysters
in a pan and heat one minute. This "plumps" them. Do not cook too long.
Add the oysters to the white sauce, and serve immediately in patty
shells which have been freshened in a hot oven.
=Bettina's Surprise Salad= (Six portions)
6 apples
1 green pepper, chopped fine
1/2 C-diced celery
1/2 C-seeded white grapes
1/2 C-sliced diced pineapple
2 T-chopped nut meats
1 C-salad dressing
1/2 t-salt
1/2 C-diced marshmallows
Remove the insides of the apples, add the green pepper, celery, grapes,
marshmallows, pineapple, nut-meats and salt, mixed thoroughly with the
salad dressing. Serve very cold.
=To Make the Hallowe'en Sandwiches=
When the bread is a day old, cut in slices one-third inch thick. Match
in pairs. Cream the butter and spread one side. Place the other side on
top. Press firmly. With a thimble cut out circles on one piece of the
bread, cut nose and mouth with a knife. The butter showing through gives
the resemblance to features.
=Pumpkin Pie= (Eight pies)
=Crusts=
1 C-flour
5 T-lard
3 T-water
1/2 t-salt
Cut the lard into the flour and salt. Add sufficient water to make a
stiff dough on a floured board. Roll into shape one-fourth inch thick.
Place in tin muffin pans making individual pies, filling with the
following mixture and baking 30 minutes in a moderate oven.
=Pumpkin Filling=
1-1/2 C-canned pumpkin
2/3 C-brown sugar
1 t-cinnamon
1/2 t-ginger
1/2 t-salt
2 eggs
2 C-milk
Mix the ingredients in the order given, and fill the pie-crusts
two-thirds full.
=Jumbles= (Twenty-four jumbles)
1/2 C-butter
1 C-sugar
1 egg
1/2 t-soda
1/2 C-sour milk
1/4 t-salt
About 2 C-flour
Grape jelly.
Cream the butter, add the sugar, and gradually add the egg, the soda
mixed with the sour milk, the salt, and the flour to make a soft dough.
(One which will roll easily.) Cut into shape with a round cooky cutter.
On the centers of one-half the pieces, place a spoonful of grape jelly.
Make features on the rest, using a thimble to cut out the eyes. Press
the two together, and bake 12 minutes in a moderate oven.
_NOVEMBER._
_Cosy fire a-burning bright,----
Cosy tables robed in white,----
Dainty dishes smoking hot,----
Home! And cold and snow forgot!_
[Illustration]