The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-06-03
-r From, Reynola's MiscezlasnY.
HOW I HAD MY FORTUNE TOLD.

oelis, their odorous hedges all alive with
snowy hawthorn buds, coming, ever and
anon, into little villages, apd then passing
through copse aud woodland, when, e.
, merging out of a leafy coppice, the
sounds of a merry five, and the l.ug ghter
of number of young pleasant boys and
little maidess met my ears; and present
ly | was on the skirt of a pleasant village
green, with It's pound" and stocks, /"
and velvet sward, aud little may pole,
built 10 front of a rampant "Red Lion"
swinging before an old fashioned, ramb.
ling old taVcrn-some hundred yards a.
cross, the pond, all alive with ducks and
Cabling geese; and the scene was as per-
feet a Yastoral-as lovely, and as thor
oughly Enslish-as anything ever came
by chance across in the course of my life.
All at once, as | was leaning on my
stout stick, and glanciug at my dusty
shoes, and then across the green "all pied
with daisies, to the merry throng at the
may-pole, and listened to the laughter of
the young ones, and the shrill but rejoic-
ing "morris" of the flute. voice BY my
side startled me with its deep, rich, con-
tralto tones, saying, "Cross but the gip-
sy's hand with piece of silver, my pretty
gentlem an, and have your fortune told!"
| turned, and looked upon face whose
fascination took away my breath | have
ever been sensible to facial beauty, and
bad seen many pretty face in my ram
bles, both British aud "foreign" home.
growth and colonial-but not SO attrac-
tive, so startling as this. Ha'a
The hue was of dusky olive, in which
the rich blood mantled as in rapid pulses.
The eyes were large and lambent, deep
and dark, and flashing like wells of light
out of brown, fatbo,nless depths. The
lips we're full, rudy, and of moist, YER
neil hue, which is not to be discovered in
painting, unless Morland may have hit
their warmth of tone.
The hair was black and glossy, steal
ing in long sipuous curls beneath a
white coil. covered by a broad -leafed
buckle" hat, and, with the red cloak and
the russet bodice, there stood before me
the loveliest ideal of gypsy of eighteen
the eye of reality ever rested upon.
''Let me tell your fortune, ny pretty
gentleman!" 10 @.a
But now cane procession of at least
score of gipsies-male and female, old,
young, sturdy manhood, rich, mature ma
tronhood, infancy, in its donkey panDiers,
and old age in its light car-all going. as
| guessed, TO a neighboring fair and their
lips were full of furtive mirth, as the gip-
So halted, and held me still by the witch
cry of ber glorious eye.
On they passed along the winding road
and We were still together. For time I
gazcd dreamily after them and then full
on her. The eyes had ceased to be bold
they dropped before mine.
Your fortune, my pretty gentleman!"
still echoed in my ears. Esa
was handsome fellow enough-so
my sister said was strapping youth
five feet ten in my stockings
pull, ard fence, and wrestle, aud had car
ried double rst"-so she might not
have been mistaken in her pretty "gen-
tlenan," after all. ~ fat
One man-a strong built carl, SIX
footer. at least, having in his arms q
splendid game-cock. going to make IN ain
| doubted not-turued upon me with
something evil in his glance, in which I
read a passion that, in the unknown ma
ture of the gypsy, had never dreamed Of
before. He spoke to her in voice half
Of comma and. half of entreaty.
France it, Judith, after the Roms and
Juwas," he said, 10 Romany dialect
"The Busnee blood is cold. and his ely
smaller than bis hand and less to hold"
| did not understand his jargon, save
that it was something depreoatory The
gipsy moved not; her smile, her exquisite
face was yet bent full upon me. Jealous!
Jealous of neil don't know to this
hour what stirred my blood, but | never
felt such thrill Of exultation as ! felt at
that moment.
| took out piece Of silver, and, giving
it to her held out my hand.
"Speak it, Judith" said Read me
my future, for it is very dark to me, and
| would know it. 90.
She followed the lines Of life and death,
doom aud fate. Her look grew grave,
and she fingered over her tasf with a
certain troubled aspeet which interested
me.
STRANGE" she murmured; "for [ see
myself mixed in this tangle of destiny
There is trouble-tbere is peril-there is
much of evil menace; and, yet, stranger,
| see it writ here, ay, as plain as the stars
are written down, in the sky. that the Ro-
mary girl will meet the Busnee again,
and help him in the moment when life
and fate, and all bis future, are quiyer-
ing 10 the balance" "tgJ 3eg
$50 be it judith" l murmured; $50 be
i'll" Come what may, only let me meet
with thee againP' ies1
II see trouble, and reyerses. and sor-
row, like to beart-break; l see clouds
and darkness, biilows and tropic storms,
and far land; | see new home, the
dawn of another day; and, yet, oh! mas
ter of the seal and reader of the dark se-