The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-04-26
the nameless waves Of turbulent Ocean.

4
\ fruits Of industry perished The homes o
innocence curled in flames and the Genius
ofdistinciion poured out all bis wralhful vials
When the storm had swept by, the Gypsiei
were seen 10 follow in Its track-stripPine
the dead and piundering the living. Since
( then, they have followed the sun in his west
ward course around the globe. No mount
ain was TOO high for them 10 climb no river
too broad for than to cross; no forest too darh
for them to penetrate. Over The wide Allan.
tic they seemed 10 come on the wings of The
I wipd--iembted moi less perhaps by the con-
genial freedom OF our country, than by the
superstilious credulity Of our people. From
city 10 city-fiom town 10 Town they have
wandered through our land and, what some
may consider as remarkable as any other in-
cijent III their history, they have a, last
discovered there is such place as Waynes.
burg
And they will be likely 10 remember il
too; for, il Madam Rumor speaks truly, their
knavish impositions were pracliced with con-
siderable success upon the credulous in the
neishborin1 community.
Fortune telling, which has ever been their
favourite mystery, is said 10 have been pc
culiarly profitable here. Many sober, staid
and respectable citizens-ashamed TO visit
them in the light of day,-wou!d wait till
| the lengthening shadows of eve fell upon
| tb, Ea Al ursfu nj
sauce OF the eround to he certain that nc Gu
,ioas eye was watching their movements,
the would glide stealthily up 10 the Gypsey
tent, and present their broad palms with
as much eagerness as ever an ancient dupe
fell at the shrine of the Delphian Oracle.
have been told, ii was quite amusing 10
see the efforts of these pretended sesrs to
please their victims, and TO command their
faith by predicting the qualification OF their
most cherished wishes.
To lhe young mailens they promised low
ers--alwsys handsome, and sometimes rich :
TO the young gentlemen the realization Of
those visions of glory, aud dreams of fame
which arc 80 aluring TO the youthful mind ;
10 The old riches, and nothing but riches, for
they had sufIicien, knowledge of the human
heart 10 be aware that avarce is the las, pas
sion that dies within it. But they Go not re-
J y sll<rre srS (oriune-leliog They have
many other i'm Positions hch are equally pro.
filabe. One Of them was recently practiced
upon simp,e-hearled indiviiual, not TWEEN
/
| ty-fve miles from the shadow of these Col.
lese.walls. They promised him that if he
would deposlt all his money in a particular
place, and let it remain Tor several days, with.
out looking at il, it would be doubled in val
ue. He did so. OF courss the money was
abstraced by one Of their gang before the
appointed day; and thus The hard earnings
Of years were swept away fram an honest
but ignorant man. Pity him, we cannot
conlempt for such supersliIious weakness
checks the feeling of compassion before it
rises 10 a high, or finds expression in a
tear.
! The Gypsies are supe rstious themselves;
but they have no 'superstilions of their own.
Every thing which they believe they have
learned from ohe. races. The sofceres,
charms, spells and wilchcrafi, of the ma
tons among whom they dwell, are implicit.
| ly believed by them while they have moi
the slightest faith in their own pretended arIs
OF palmis,Iy, and divna,ion. But the most
remarkable feature in the national characters
OF this singular people, in their utter ineli.
gion. Theologians have asserted that the
most benighIed tribes have some vague con-
ceptlons Of a Great First Cause, and of reli
gious obligations. The Gypsies constitute
these only known exceptions TO the correct.
ness of this general remark; they seem moi
10 have had the most distant idea of Su'
preme Being, or the faintesl dream of futu.
| rily. They reared no a,ers-They kindled
no sacrficial fires--they built no temples
they carved no idols. Their minds ware O
dark, and gloomy chasm, where no ray oi
revelation cas-, the feeblest geam of the great
hereafter. II they ever had national re.
ligion, it is now shrouded in profound mys'
terry.
Upon their first appearance in Western
Europe they stated that they were pen,ents
who had been condemned by the Pope 10
wander through certain term of pilgrimage
in expiaiion Of the sin of their Egyptian an
ces,ors, in refusing succour to the holy fami.
ly. But this was merely one of their fabri.
cations to gain credit, and obtain money
They now profess all religions, and care fol
none they claim tobe Proleslants, Catholics,
AIahomeians, or Mormons as their in,erests
may dictate; and they ridicuIe, renounce
and blaspheme all without compunc,ion.
II would seem natural, that such Tribe Of
wanderers dispersed among all civilized ma
lions without social organization or recog-
nized rulers, would soon loose their national
ity, would mingle with and become merged
in The respective predominant races Of The
land in which they dwelt, just as the mount.
ain rivule, which leapingfrom its native rock
and ,lashing down the wild glen mingles
with The rushing river, and looses It's self at
Hast, ii the blue expapse Of the majestic
ocean. Not so the Gypsies. Like dwarited
and blasted fir among the prucely cedars Of
Lebanon, they stand isolated, incongruous,
and alone in tie midst of populous world.
/ Claiming no Kindred with the stranger nc.