New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-27


'Your birds I" said the puzzled hunter;
Why found them in my corn;
And, besides, they are black and ugly
As any that ever were bOrni"
"Get out OF my sighr, YOU stupid !"
said the angriest of crows;
How good and fair her children arc
There's none but parent knows"
."Ahl see, see," said the hunter,
But not as you do, quite;
II takes mother TO be so blind
She can't tell black from white"
nurd Houghton are also about 70 publish two book;
By Charles c. Leland. The first Of hese"The English
Gipses and their Language lis not only an interesting
but valuable contribution to current literature. Mr..
Leland arms that all that he states with regard TO the
customs peculiarties of the Gpses was gathered
directly from themselves and every word given OF
their language whether in conversations, stories.
sayings, taken from Gypsy mouths. He speaks
warmly OF his Gypsy acquaintances, and of the cheer
fulness with which they invariably assisted him in his
labors. Other writer's have complained of the great
shyness and distrust Of the Zncah and their unwilling
ness to impart their language but Mr. Leland appears
70 have won his way TO their confidence in quite I'M
exampled manner. 1t seems that only small proper
ton of English scholars are aware OF the remarkable
social, and pathological facts which connected with
great numbers OF the outOdoOr population OF Great
Britain Every time you look from your window into
crowded London street the chances that you will
more than man who bears in his memory some humid
reds of sanscrt roots aud that is English born.
though 1t was probably in the open air, aud English
bred though his breeding was of the roads. For the
Rommany is the characteristic leaven OF all the tramp
life and nomadic calings OF Great Britain-not the Ian
guage alone Is here meant hut curious inner life and
reemasonry of intelligence ties of blood and In
formation useful TO class who have very much In
mon with one another and very little in common with
the settled tradesman or worthy citizen.
This book will be most. valuable acquisition 10 pbilol
ots. Mr. Leland is thoroughly persuaded of the East
Indian origin of the Gpses and he has spared pains
10 satisfy himself and others this head He even read
a copious Hndustani dictionary entirely through, word
by word ito patient Gypsy, noting down all the words
recognized by the latter, and thus ccumulating an
overwhelming of evidence of the Indian origin of
the ROmmany. His conclusion is that the Gipses are
the descendants of a vast number OF Hndus, OF the
primitive tribes OF Hndustan, who were expelled or
who emigrated from that country, early in the four
tenth century writer in The Atlantic Monthly once
declared that Gypsy had but little affinity with Hndus
TAM, but much with Chech or Bohemian. Mr.. Leland
has made thorough study Of this subject and asserts
that true Ronmany contains OF Hindu words TO
one OF Bohemian
We all know the Glpsies by common repute, as for
tune-tellers horscockeys, and cheats in general but
we know curosy little OF their life among themselves
They are the people in the world absolutely free
from all notions OF religion, whatever-wth no tie to
sniral world no fear Of future, nothing pointing to-
ward the supernatural beyond few tfing supersti-
In
swers to them instead Of relgion-a devotion to
their dead which can hardly be matched elsewhere.
Gipsy said to Mr.. Leland, q" 1t Is nine years since
nv wife died and would give all Angaterrs to have
her again" The Gypsy swears by his dead-his dead
father his dead wife. his dead chdand such an oath
il never broken by these lawless travellers. They
nave one very curious whereby they honor
the departed-a sacrifice, as 1t were TO their NAMES
and this observance still prevails universally notwith'
standing general decay OF many OF their old habits
This tribute is the giving up forever OF something
they have enjoyed in company with the departed.
n q Gypsy loves anything. he gloves liquor; and yet
many one gives up for the rest OF his fe after the
death OF some one with whom he had been wont to
drink One Gypsy refused cigars because he had
smoked since his nephew died. "After my wife died."
said another, "I never took SNUFF again. Sometimes
when she was alive she'd take bit OF snuff from my
box; and when I'd say. Dear wife. what do you do
that fort she'd tell me- It's good for my
head And so when she died I never took
any since" Some eat no more meat be-
cause q sister that was gone was fond OF it; some
give up ale and will never dance or play cards
more when loved companion Of their past froics is
more They even try to avoid calling the living by the
name OF the dead for said one OF these Deerdowees
'Twoud make any man grieve to hear tbei names OF
the dead that were dear to him." This extraordinary
regard for the dead is the only thing among
the Glpsies which indicates any idea of
the immortality OF the soul but this really
nroves nothing more than passionate longing that the
beloved should hnd their Immortality IN the shortyed
remembrance OF those who for them There is
curious kind OF fancifuness among the Gpsles which
their stories and legends reveal. They won't have q
black cat In the house. because, they say, they are
uuearthy creatures, things Of the devil; for the old
devil Won know, Is black, and has four legs and
run arms and head. But white cats
ara GOOD for they like the white
ghosts OF ladies'" IT la in the extraordinary reason
uiven for liking white cats that tue subtle Gpsyism OF
This ntary consists Most people would prefer
n, 70 dwell on fancfu resemblances TO white ghosts,
but goblinand is neghbor to Bohemia. and the Gipses
ara ouite willing 20 form friendships across the border
THO nhiloodst will fnd treasures to reward his seachin
Mr. Ielapds pages and the ordinary reader VIII ind
much entertainment In reading about this e1traord
nary people.
The other volume by Mr. Leland, his Egyptian
Sketch Book also contains much curious and interest
ing information but it seems TO me greatly married Dy
the STYLE IN which IL In one place thetauhor
saws: Oh. you'll 90 through this book bouncing and
atne and 1t is In this bouncing and kting manner
that he has written &C. nearly all He Is possessed APP
psreptly with the idea that he must be hunorlst or
nothing. He has written Hans Breltmann ana
made the world laugh at 1t and, now, to make
the world laugh appears TO him his true mission lie
leaks great deal OF Information" but that IL incl
deDtato be humorlst Ia his ruling idea 30 he tests
on all ,occasions even tho most sacred Tho ten com
nd 70 him audi IN