Historical Poem
1887
Great-Grandma's Hallowe'en
By Helen Chase
Good Housekeeping. October 29, 1887, p. 300.
October days were almost done;
The red leaves strewed the garden,
The dahlias bent their splendid heads,
And seemed to ask our pardon
For leaving us; the cricket sang
A plaintive little ballad
Among the grasses, while, above,
The blackbird —saucy dallard!--
Chattered and crooned from out an ash,
Aflame with scarlet berries,
While idly drifted, in the wind,
The thistle's fairy wherries.
All Hallowe'en was almost here;
Great-grandma —dainty maiden*--
In lilac print, was stepping round
Her store-room, richly laden
With golden pies and 'lection cake,
And luscious tarts and crullers,
And apples —stored with nectar—each
Aglow with gorgeous colors;
For such a party as was set
For Thursday night, why, never
Had Middlesex been bidden to,
In cold or summer weather.
And Lois Brown would bring with her
Her cousin "'way from Bostin;"
While Persis Drake, the old Squire's son,
Would have Alphonso Austin,
Just home from foreign parts, where he
The Queen, in her young beauty*,
Had seen in London town! Each maid
Felt it her bounden duty
To don her finest gown, and strive,
With purpose sweet and hearty,
To show the strangers "how to hold
A Hallow Even party."
At last it came —the fateful night!
Great-grandma —like a picture,
In peach-blow silk, and bodice trim--
Received her guests. The mixture
That's sacred to all Hallowe'en--
"Snap-dragon" —crowned the buffet;
The hickory logs blazed merrily,
While Ruth and Simon Luffet
Led off and named the chestnuts brown,
And set them wildly snapping,
And swung the finger-rings, to tell
Your fortune by their tapping.**
"Oh, who will try the lonely walk
Around the garden, holding
A looking-glass, as backward she
Steps slowly? None?" Then, folding
A kerchief round her dainty neck,
Great-grandma bravely started
Adown the path, while silently,
The girls all stood—faint-hearted.
"What's that? A shriek?" All sought the door.
There stood Great-grandma, blushing,
And by her side, a gallant youth,
Her sudden tumult hushing.
"Good friends," he said, "my ship rides yon,
At anchor in the harbor,
And with dispatches, as I rode,
I halted at the arbor
To hear your merriment, when sped
A maiden down the border,
And" —(here the gallant stranger smiled)--
"She deemed me a marauder!
But if her gentle heart can prompt
Her to forgive my daring,
I vow she never shall regret
Her deed of sweet forbearing."
Great-grandma smiled, and held her hand
Out toward the handsome stranger,
And over it he bowed. Alas!
Her lovers each saw danger
To all their schemes in that caress!
And—well, within the harbor,
A ship long tarried, and next June,
When roses decked the arbor,
A bride across the old oak hall,
All swept and garnished duly,
Stepped softly to the stranger's side,
And vowed she'd love him truly!
*Note that the poem was written in 1887, but tells of an old woman reminiscing and waxing nostalgic about a much earlier time. The reader is cued in to this when Great Grandma is called "dainty maiden" —i.e., when the story takes place, she is still a young, unmarried woman. The line "the Queen, in her young beauty" is a reference to the early days of Victoria's rule: she took the throne in 1838.
**For details of old fortune-telling techniques which help the reader understand this poem, please see this piece from 1895: All Hallow Eve
The red leaves strewed the garden,
The dahlias bent their splendid heads,
And seemed to ask our pardon
For leaving us; the cricket sang
A plaintive little ballad
Among the grasses, while, above,
The blackbird —saucy dallard!--
Chattered and crooned from out an ash,
Aflame with scarlet berries,
While idly drifted, in the wind,
The thistle's fairy wherries.
All Hallowe'en was almost here;
Great-grandma —dainty maiden*--
In lilac print, was stepping round
Her store-room, richly laden
With golden pies and 'lection cake,
And luscious tarts and crullers,
And apples —stored with nectar—each
Aglow with gorgeous colors;
For such a party as was set
For Thursday night, why, never
Had Middlesex been bidden to,
In cold or summer weather.
And Lois Brown would bring with her
Her cousin "'way from Bostin;"
While Persis Drake, the old Squire's son,
Would have Alphonso Austin,
Just home from foreign parts, where he
The Queen, in her young beauty*,
Had seen in London town! Each maid
Felt it her bounden duty
To don her finest gown, and strive,
With purpose sweet and hearty,
To show the strangers "how to hold
A Hallow Even party."
At last it came —the fateful night!
Great-grandma —like a picture,
In peach-blow silk, and bodice trim--
Received her guests. The mixture
That's sacred to all Hallowe'en--
"Snap-dragon" —crowned the buffet;
The hickory logs blazed merrily,
While Ruth and Simon Luffet
Led off and named the chestnuts brown,
And set them wildly snapping,
And swung the finger-rings, to tell
Your fortune by their tapping.**
"Oh, who will try the lonely walk
Around the garden, holding
A looking-glass, as backward she
Steps slowly? None?" Then, folding
A kerchief round her dainty neck,
Great-grandma bravely started
Adown the path, while silently,
The girls all stood—faint-hearted.
"What's that? A shriek?" All sought the door.
There stood Great-grandma, blushing,
And by her side, a gallant youth,
Her sudden tumult hushing.
"Good friends," he said, "my ship rides yon,
At anchor in the harbor,
And with dispatches, as I rode,
I halted at the arbor
To hear your merriment, when sped
A maiden down the border,
And" —(here the gallant stranger smiled)--
"She deemed me a marauder!
But if her gentle heart can prompt
Her to forgive my daring,
I vow she never shall regret
Her deed of sweet forbearing."
Great-grandma smiled, and held her hand
Out toward the handsome stranger,
And over it he bowed. Alas!
Her lovers each saw danger
To all their schemes in that caress!
And—well, within the harbor,
A ship long tarried, and next June,
When roses decked the arbor,
A bride across the old oak hall,
All swept and garnished duly,
Stepped softly to the stranger's side,
And vowed she'd love him truly!
*Note that the poem was written in 1887, but tells of an old woman reminiscing and waxing nostalgic about a much earlier time. The reader is cued in to this when Great Grandma is called "dainty maiden" —i.e., when the story takes place, she is still a young, unmarried woman. The line "the Queen, in her young beauty" is a reference to the early days of Victoria's rule: she took the throne in 1838.
**For details of old fortune-telling techniques which help the reader understand this poem, please see this piece from 1895: All Hallow Eve
|
Victorian
|
Get this wonderful Victorian image from our archive, of a sweet girl witch and her black cat, printed on a bag, mug, and more!
Coloring pages for trick-or-treaters
Just drag them onto your desktop and print!
Other pieces of special interest for October:
All Hallow Eve (1895)
The Autumn Woods (Poem—1888)
In Nutting Time (Poem—1890)
Mourning and Mourners (1888)
October (Poem—1888)
Song for October (Poem—1888)
The Children of Arachne: European Spiders
Back to Historical Articles Index
Buy the book
|
A Rapping At The Door:
|
In a seaport town in the late 19th-century Pacific Northwest, a group of friends find themselves drawn together —by chance, by love, and by the marvelous changes their world is undergoing. In the process, they learn that the family we choose can be just as important as the ones we're born into. Join their adventures in
The Tales of Chetzemoka
***
Victorian Cycles
Hand-built 1890's-style bicycles
Interested in a real time machine? Commission one of our 1890s-style custom bicycles! Custom, hand-made steel frames with wooden fenders and chainguards, leather saddles and cork grips. Whether you are interested in a roadster or a racer, we can build you the period bicycle of your dreams.
***
For words of wit and advice sage,
I hope you'll like my author page!
History lessons, folks who dare,
Please do share it while you're there!
https://www.facebook.com/ThisVictorianLife
Thank you!
If our website has been helpful to you, please consider making a cash donation.
Your generous support helps us maintain this website and continue our outreach, so that we can keep teaching others about the history we love.
Everything helps and is appreciated!
Search this website
***