River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-06-08
GYPSY LIFE.


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GYPSY LIFE.
The Remarkable Adventures Of a psnnsyl
wanna Grl
Cousss srdeut efttt Nsr Y9rs euH
II was under then rule foar Years
and would have been in bondage 10
day If had nor made up mind 70 es
cape from the band BE- my solemn
sacred oath YoIalea ~ not
such wa- the language II "Baretta
Maltel young woman OF tine IL
Ie aud appearance, who was a passeit
gel uu aH eastward bound express
tain from central Pennsylvania q few
DAYS ago. The conductor stated that
she had escaped from gypsy band ia
western Virginia AID was going tow
aid Aei home IN BerEs county which
she said shr had been induced 70 leave
in the summer Of 1872 She had been
given the above name by tie leader
OF the band shortly after she Joined
them
Yes am willing % tell all I know
about these sO.caligd rvpsi5 she said,
~ have rIskrd my hie in leaving them
and. further, ana going - keep moth
iuv hid uHdeT ground They are a bad
set the most Of eiu and / only Won
der tie American people allow the
wandering thieves aud miscrents To
swoop down among the farmers to
plumber NH cheat them
.'T0 begin / was Is wears old when
| was eoaNed to leave home. We
lived beyond Fleetwood first, and then
moved down near the county line of
Montgomery, in Pennsylvania. A band
OF 'gypslgs, as we called 'em, came
along IN wagons and one of the Won.
en- wanted To tell my fortune. | had
Jet black eyes and dark skin. and very
dark hair. and the woman took fancy
10 me. They camped in the woods
near our house, and the woman came
over Ia uuT house very often. Then q
man came and made me present of a
pair of cheap bracelets ! was silly
enough 10 consent TO visit them in the
woods When / went 10 them they
talked Of the nice kind of life they
were leading, and, after getting my
head full OF gypsy life, | at last con
sented 70 60 with them for a month
toward New York state.
"a boy named Bods camein the night
and tapped on my bedroom window
aud said Luke Murel wants you
at the spring They reall down there,
so is the horses. ! could See which
way to 90 by the hight Of the fire
When ! got near 70 them ! saw moth
ing bat big trees aud "A row Ot horses.
Inside the ring OF horses ana trees was
zoe spring, aud a big tire was burning
near 4 big-stone pile on the Other side.
They half told me 20 tlX myself AZ
a"a had on "a summer wrapper ani
my han was done up In the waterfall
style one Of women stepped mp and
told me let my hair down, that Il
would look better. Luke Murell then
stepped up and took me by the hand,
aud led me around the spring the
stones. and the fle, 50 as all the PEG
pie of the hand could see me. We
walked slow smiled, but, strange
To say. none Of them returned IL. and
instead ot having pleasant faces, they
looked sober. cold, and sickly. None
of them had q word 10 say was go
my 20 speak 10 VI Murll. hut sht
had her finger Ou her mouth and sadly
shook her head became nervous
The fire died ont, aud the woods wer,
dark. only faint light arose t al
the embers, and could Just see en-,
outiiuos of the loums of the cruuchlu.
people about me,
Then Wa lel 20 lhr spring. aud
vas told to battle mA hands face tenn
pies and neck .fm the ulsl tame IA u,
life / used llh towel. which d,
handed me- lie poured cold WAtei ul
mH head and then ! sal down un
lamp4to0l Two yuuua Drls then
came up aud TOOK oil ga, ttppers
Ihet brought 4 basin Oi wttcl tn,
hathed my feet While rhla was po
Inr on they sang one oi their ptcullJl
melodies WtyrWtd found out thai
the women did the singing alone ju,
the words AMI music ave uuh tuphI
them after thuN have iva children
After ms feet had been dried thy
spread btauchts 1T cedar and pine hp
fore mt upon which / TODD The
~il.dug stopped Luke MuIdl then
came 10 ne with r. bowl ut WItrI
took a mouthtM tust | Thought "A
was1 ioEe or q trick sud ! laughed
~ the ceremony went ou was con
Agtt That ItN3s more serious than
al inst had surpassed Twas then tax
en through q REGULAR baptism anJ
when received mN urW name %
'hauctl wac told / should never tut
yet IL hUt would always uy known rs
Il They called m, 'Eotl even after
ward Then j Was asked whether
uJs pleased with the people said
",H NLethti bad been lHdl'
Treated nd yr Whether hau
au} reason III lestri having fnpWr
them o. which AID DO
Then thry asked ms whether bad
said that / desired become one a
their number Jul before / could u
swei that question Young gul abau'
ten years Old th, pettic-t creature
think ever saw ram up tO me AN,
gave me what laitglWart learned Wa
bunch OF Wild flowers. She got mp
on the stool and took me around thD
neck aud whispered IN my ear g sa!