Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-05-28
1nterrstinq GaIc.
HOW HADMY FORTUNE TOLD

| had beer rambling, on lovely morn
ing in the month of May, among the
green lanes of Surrey, with their bosky
dells, their odorous hedges all alive with
snowy hawthorn buds, coming, ever and
anon, into little villages, and then pass
ing through copse and woodland, when
emerging out of leafy coppice, the
sounds of merry fife, and the laughter
of number of young peasant boys and
little maidens, met my ears; and pre-
scntly | was on the skirt of a pretty
village green, with its "pound' and
"stocks," and velvet sward, and little
May-polo, built in front Of rampant
cred Lion" swinging before an old
fashioned, rambling old tavern-some
hundred yards across. the pond, all alive
with ducks and Cabling geese and the
scene was as perfect pastoral-as love
ly, as thoroughly English-as anything
| ever came by chance across in the
course Of my life.
All at once, while / was leaning OF
my stout stick, and glancipg at my dust,
shoes, and then across the green "al
pied with daisies" to the merry throne
at the May-polc, and listened to the
laughter of the young ones, and the
shrill but rejoicing morris" of the flute,
a voice by my side startled me with its
deep, rich, contralto tones, saying,
Gross but the gipsy's hand with a
piece of silver, my pretty gentleman, and
have your fortune .oldY"
| turned and looked upon face whose
fascination took away my breath. have
ever been sensible to facial beauty, and
had seen many pretty face in my ram
bles, both british" and "foreign"
"home growth and coloniaP-but none
so attractive, so startling as this
The hue was Of dusky olive, in
which the rich blood mantlod as in rapid
pulses The eyes were large and lam
bent, deep and dark, and flashing like
wells of light out of brown, fathomless
depths. The lips were full, ruddy, and
of a moist, vermeil 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, sinuous curls beneath white
Golf, covered by broad-leafcd "buckle"
hat, and, with the red cloak and the rus
set bodice, there stood before me the
loveliest ideal Of gypsy of eighteen the
eye Of reality over rested upon.
" Let me tell your fortune, my pretty
gentleman :"
But now came procession of at least
score of gipsies-male and female, old
and young, sturdy manhood, rich, ma
ture matronhood, infancy, in its donkey
panniers, and old age in its light car
all going, as ] guessed, t6a ncighhoring
fair; end their lips were full of furtive
mirth, as the gypsy halted, and held me
still by the witchery of her glorious eye.
On they passed along the winding
road, and we we're still together. For a
time | gazed dreamily after them, and
then full on her. The eyes had ceased
to be bold-they dropped before mine.
your fortune, my pretty gentleman p
still echoed in my ears.
was handsome fellow enough-so
my sister said | was strapping youth
five feet ten in my stockings--could
pull, and fence, and wrestle, and had
carried "double Gst'-so she might
not have been so much mistaken in her
pretty gentleman" after all.
One mana strong-built carl, six
footer, at least, having in his arms a
splendid game-cock. going to make a
main, / doubted not-turned upon me
with something evil in his glance, in
which read passion that in the un-
known nature Of the gypsy, | had never
dreamed Of before lie spoke to her in
a voice half Of command, half Of en-
treaty.
France it, Judith, after the Roms
and Juwas," he said in Romany dialect.
1.-THE Busnec blood is cold, and his ely
smaller than his hand, and less to hold"
/ did not understand his jargon, snve
that it was something doprocatory. The
gipsoy moved not; her smile, her ex-
quisite face was yet bent full upon mine.
Jealous jealous Of inc don't know
10 this hour what stirred nv blood hut