Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 9, Number 50, DeMotte, Jasper County, 2 November 1939 — HALLOWE EN PRANKSTERS SURPRISED [ARTICLE]

HALLOWE EN PRANKSTERS SURPRISED

With a record of 35 years as a school teacher behind her, and coming into almost daily contact with boys and girls who have ideas that Hallowe’en is a>night for unrestricted fun, has probably been some help for Mrs. Charity Wolff in using a little child psychology at Gobblin time. Quite a few years ago she started greeting long nosed, black faced and tramp-like creatures who turned out to be just Johnnie or Mary, and maybe one of her pupils or neighboring kids, on this night, bringing them in the house and treating them to Hallowe’en goodies . . . things you read about in fairy stories only. From boys and girls of other years, all the kids in town hear, via the grape vine, of Mrs. Wolff and her

hospitality; not exactly a “treat or pay,” but something entertaining. So on Hallowe’en night Mrs. Wolff entertained some 44 children during the evening. Was she swamped? Did they find her cupboard bare? By no means! She greeted them all. If masked, she guessed who they were and heard their long stories of previous nights, and stories of “what my daddy did when he was a boy,” and then brought out the doughnuts, milk, peanuts, candy, etc. To those children who were making their debut in the world of pranksters, this undoubtedly instilled in them the real meaning of “do unto others as you would be done by.” To Mrs., Wolff, who this year retired from the teaching profession, it must have brought to her home former pupils and, yes, even children of former pupils, and also a great number of fond memories.