All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity.

ime. 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, howeve

, I shall not attempt to describe the dresses of the girls upon this occasion, nor the elaborate manner in which their heads were set

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

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

ano, distributed it with unquestionable impartiality. It was a well-known rule on all such occasions that no

asion, 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 dis

his teeth and holding it up, while his cheeks deepened three shades n

seemed to be mistress of the mysteries. "Now for the

he were choking; but pulling the other ring from her mouth, she s

ght 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

n aback, and quietly said, "Not at all, my dears. I have three times to

'Dermott could not stand the heat by himsel

the second pair of nuts which she had just selected for another

ed 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 mistr

good-for-nothing fellow!" or "The fickle lass!" while some burned into

siastic, 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

ther to be previously acquainted with the position of the plates, or, having been blindfolded by their own bachelor, to

oping that Winny Cavana, whom he had asked to do so, would blindfold him. But in this instance he had

erchief; "that is my business, and I'll tr

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

andkerchief off his eyes, "it i

It might have been remarked, however, if any one ha

e-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

ell as me;" and he seemed greatly pleased that

ate 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

een 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 th