The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-04-26
From the Waynesburg Eagle.
ESSAYS
Delivered in the Waynesburg College,
BY MISS MARIA LINDSEY.

| ESSAYS
| Delivered in the Waynesburg College,
BY MISS MARIA LINDSEY
Waynesburg, March 2sth, 1855.
The location, during the past winter, of q
small body of that pingular people generally
called "Gypsies" in the immediate vicinity
of our town, induced me 10 enquire inio
their origin, and 10 learn something of their
history.
Who are the Gypsiesi Whence came
they? Are they simply bands of ouicasts
! from different nations, held together by the
cohesive power Of common profit, resulting
from their theving operations and knavish
propensiliesi Arc they but ordinary vaga-
bonds such as are 40 be net with n all coun'
tries; the ercoria lhrowh~of from community
Ply the thousand civilzing agencies con nstant-
ly engaged in the wo:k ofsocial reform, aud
human elevation? or are they separate,
aud distinct people having tribal origin, and
an individual nationality? These question: s
presented themselves 10 my mind, and |
thought that some inquiries respecting them
might be neither uninieresting or unprofiia-
Bile. Upon turning TO the pages OF history,
| found that they were not a collection of
| thieves, robbers, and outlaws from various
nations. They are separate and distinct
reople-a wonderful people-without q
country, without home, without law, with
out political institutions, without rulers, and
without any of The machinery of government,
which othe people have found necessary TO
sell-preservation. They are tribe Of exiles
forever wandering oseLyGods green Earth
like the dove that spead i;s Seary wings over
the wide waste of deuged Understanding
no place of rest-no SPOT to eonsecrate by
the endearng name OF home.
Iheye said they have no country: and yet
they are found in all civilized countries
Wherever Society has carried its organization
and lis blessings. Wherever civilization has
uniurled its banner of light and love, e,--,here
too, these enemies Of society-ihese scofers
al civilization have pitched their tents
They followed lhe footsteps of the naughty
Spaniard 10 The land OF his golden dreams:
aud 10 day they revel in the "haIs of the
Montezumas." They have tracked the har.
dy Anglo-Saxon, in his march across this
continent, aud now chant their W lid incanla-
taiions to the mocking waves that break up
on The shores Of distant Oregon. Their tents
rise among the healthy hills of rugged Scot
land: in The green ls:.es e InsILYi Eng land
along iha sequesI5Fsgyls. pa. " ). bIee5isg Hus.
gary on the lormswept plains Of iron Rus
sa: aud among the gorgeous castle ruins OF
Spain; and everywhere they are the same dis
tinctve people, having the same ineffaceabe
type of their strongly marked tribal charac-
lerstics.
Respecting their origin, we know nothing
definue. The ballad singer and the wander.
ing minstrel, who were The earliest histori-
ans in other nations, appear 10 have had no
existence among them. The muse of history
kept no date Of their birth, aud wrote 70 rec
ord of their early progress. Poetry filings no
slsr-like radiance oyer their nslise land; and
sings no strains of fearful sadness over their
exodus If sculpture had perpetuated the
features of their founders, posteri.y might
have conjec,ured their character from the at
tributes of their ancient heroes or the dra-
perry spread around them. II painting had
embalmed their primitive customs the anti.
ouarian might be guided iu bis researches
by the representation Of quiet pastoral scenes,
or the poriraiiure OF barbarian battle fields.
But for them, the marble never assumed a
form, for them the canvass never glowed with
beauty. One only gude-post remains 10
point the inquirer backward along their path
, of travel.
A single taper throws lie feeble ray into
the darkness which gathers about their youth.
time. Language, that never.failing key 10
the descent of lribes-is true 10 its mission
here. By tracing up their words 10 their ra-
diess, linguists have discovered their mother
tongue, and found il 10 be one of the Oldest
known upon earth. Amid their confused
and often unin'elligible jargen, the venera-
BILE sancri constantly peeps out, like The love-
ly face OF one of Raphaeps angels from
among the ,altered rags which, the Artist
designed should make the world believe
the celestial visilant was but begeaf boy.
This infalli5le test of language proves
them 10 be of Indian origin; but the light
reaches no farther. All beyond is utter dark
ness.
Whether they are an of.shot from some
Tartar tribe and hurled from their ancient
seats by the rude hand of conquest, or the
fugitive descendants of some scattered cast
Of benighted Hindoslan, must be left TO mere
conjecture. We know indeed iha, their pri.
meyal home was somewhere IN the storied
plains OF the East-he old East; the fount-
ain of light-and ibe cradle of humanity
but whether their tents 6rst arose among the
mountains which look down upon the land
Of Confucius; or along the Abana and Phar-
par, those pleasant of Damascus which
the leprous Naaman loved; or In the valleys
Of The Nile, where amorous breezes delight.
ed 10 kiss the brow of the beauteous Cleo
patria or along the jungle-banks Of the dark
Ganges, where the fanatic mother still filings
her wailing babeto the wild waters, the world
may never know.
Tk-.s =. ....a II.