The Republican journal., 1874-07-16
Gypsy Life in America.

from Chester county, Pa, under date Q
June 9TH, in which he gives an interest
ing account of band ofGypsies encampe'
in the Welsh Mountains, on the border 0
Chester, Berks and Lancaster counties
| He SAYS
''Away Oft here in the romantic Welsl
Mountains, overlooking the beautiful val
ley Of the Conestoga, about l25 miles Yves
OF New York, your correspondent has beef
| spending the day with Gypsy band, The
company is the largest that ever visiteC
this section. Mira the daughter of thu
Chief, is said to be the fairest child Of the
forest, in America and Londo, her father
one of the most intelligent of the family
Of Hernes, the leader of the north of Eng
land tribes. They are, comparatively
speaking, rich, and their sorceresses ant
fortune tellers the most accomplished on
the Continent
| had q desire to know all about this
singular, strolling, vagabond real Gypsy
life in America. to learn the habits. Gus
toms, rights, and religious ideas Of these
twany skinned people of the woods, and |
told ''Londo, the chief of the tribe. what
| desired. After he had placed camp
stool at my service he excused himself to
make a horse trade, and he sent his daugh-
ter, Mira, to answer whatever questions
the visitor might ask She is beautiful
girl. Not tall. nor coarse-ieatured as her
mother, but medium in height compact
ly built, round broad shoulders. full chest.
very regular features, very black hair,
black, dazzling eyes, and 4 soft. pure
olive skin. When she smiled she showed
a pretty set of teeth, and whom she spoke
did so modestly and shyly. This was the
titteenth-vear old daughter OF the Captain.
She was born in the woods of Yorkshire,
England, and never slept 4 night in Il
house. She was dressed in 4 pretty
colOred calico-goWn. A sash OF scarlet
flannel was about her waist and string
of pretty little shells formed necklace
~for her. A large, beautiful! topaz in heavy
setting ornamented her left forefinger.
while several smaller gold rings were on
her right hand. She had bracelets, and
carried a money pouch made OF beautiful
snake skin at her left side Her slippers
were OF red morocco. and her dress did
not come down near rs tar rs our city
Young misses do. She said her father was
very busy, and that il She could furnish the
required information She would be very
happy to do SO. | asked her about fortune
telling.
She smiled and said. ''Perhaps YOU think
that is about all the women folks know.
or at least that i, the subject they are best
informed on" Her English was very
good and her Judgment inthis still better
She continued: ''Well mother is the very
best iortnne-tcller in America sp-day; at
least we think so. Her mother was the
Queen of the tribe in which she was born,
and mother gained all her knowledge
from that source She has received is high
rs $50 tell 4 single fortune 1t was tor
a lad kving near the Catskill Mountains
Mother used signs, tokens, herbs. roots,
and various other mysterious articles. and
nobody knows why except herself, She
has seven bone rings made to fit her seven
longest fingers. Every day in the week a
different ring is worn Between the skin
OF the iinger and the ring she carries Il
charm. There are 50 many OF them that /
forgot them. A snake tooth is one Prob
ably YOU have heard Of the witch, caul-
dron in Macbeth, and what they putin to
stew up?" II have been told about it,
''Well. mothers RING charms are equally
rs mysterious
At this the mother came from one of the
tents near by and approached She was a
tall, handsome woman, about fifty wears
OF age. Her gown was as cOlored as the
wild flowers she had daintily woven in her
dark. coarse hair. She surveyed her Wis
tor, then looked mqurngly at the daugll-
ter. and then spoke There is much to
be learned and much to be forgotten in
this busy, busy, weary life. How she
knew my mission IS mystery Her name
she said, was Deborah Herne, and she
was born in Spain. Her English was
only tolerable. She wore a bone ring on
the third finger of her left hand, tor it was
Tuesday. Under the ring was dried
lizards tail that had been wound round
the ring when it was yet pliable asked
her why She wore them Her rspiy was
The only person in all this life / shall
ever tell will be little Mira ana she clasp
ed the beautiful Gypsy girl in her arms,
and kissed her over and over again These
Gypsies have q blind love for their chill
dren Then the mother Went away and
commenced playing with and tossing
around four little ragged baby boys anG
girls that We're playing in pile Of hay
and straw on the ground. Mira smiled
and said ~ es mother frequently assures
me that she will tell me all She knows
some time or other She was told Il great
deal by grandmother on her death-bed
Probably | shall never know mother
secrets until she comes to die. Well.
hope may never know, and then She will
always be with Us. We have five women
folks in our camp who tell fortunes Foul
of them are only ordinary folks who deal
with cards. They get twenty-five and fifty
cents from females, and one dollar from
the men. The reason women are charged
less is. they can't afford it. for it is almost
impossible for wife to smugglc dollat
from her husband. whereas fifty cents on
4 quarter is not 50 difficult. All the money
made on tortrme-tellin@ is put in the gen
eral treasurer. 1t passes through father
hands, and then | @et it," Mira then
reached back. caught hold of her snake,
skin satchel, and opened it. Several hun
dred dollars thrown in loosely were shown
.<l'm fathers treasurer. and nav out
money when he saws | shall. But | dc
50 hate to part with it when they lose on
l,orro ,ao;nn hctS If | coulI l,aal- ,,a n.