Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-11
A Russian Gypsy Singing.


tame music exists only in that of the
Russian gipsies. These artists, with
wonderful tact and untaught skill have
succeeded in all their songs in combin-
ing the mysterious and maddcning
charms OF the true and wild Eastern
music, with that of regular and simple
melody, Ineligible to every Western
ear. | have never listened to the sing
ing or playing of any distinguished ar
tist-and certainly never OF any far
famed amateur-withoIt realizing that
neither words nor melody were of the
least importance, but that the manner
of performance or display was every
thing. Now, in listening to gypsy sing
ing. one feels at once as if the vocalists
had entirely forgotten self, and were
carried away by the bewildering beauty
of the air and the charm OF the words.
There is no self-consciousness, no van
ity-all is real. The listener feels as il
he were performer-the performer is
ali enraptured listener. There is 20
soulless art for the sake of art but
art for direct pleasure. We intend
to sing only Rommany for You, rya.
said this young lady to my left, land
yon will hear our real gypsy airs. The
Cali (tussians) often ask for songs
in our language and don't get them.
But you are Romanichai, and when
You go home, far ever the baro kato PAM
1.-THE broad black water, e., tie ocean,,
YOU shall tell the Rommany how we
can sing. Listen!" And l 6istened to
the strongest. widest, and sweetest
singing L ever heard-the singing of
Luleis, of syrens, Of witches. First,
one damsei, with ALI eXquisitely clear,
firm voice, began to sing verse of IL
love ballad, and as it approached the
end OF the chorus stole i'll, softly and
unpercefved. but with exquisite skill,
until in few seconis, the summer
breeze, murmuring melody over rip
ping lake, seemed changed to u mid
night tempest roaring over stormy
seu-in which the btsso of the kd,o
shwrShyo 1.-THE black captaiD) pealed
like thunder. And as it died away u
second girl took up the melody, very
sweetly, but with little more excite
ment-it was like CLEAN Of moonlish
on the still agitated waters-a strange
contralto witch gloam then again
the chorus and the storm, and then an
other solo yet sweeter, sadder, and
strauger-the movement continually
Increasing until all was fast, and wild
and mad-a locomotive quick-step. and
then sudden sllence-sunlight-
storm had blown away. In Arab sing
ing, such effects are simply to set.forth
erotomania; in negro minstrelsy, they
are degraded to the lowest humor; in
higher European music, when en-
ploycd, they simply illustrate the skill
of composer and musician. The spirit
OF gypsy singing recalled by its method
and sweetness that of the Nubian boat
man, but in its general effect could
think only of those strange fits of ex-
element which thrill the red Indian
ami make him burst with song.-Mac-
ml!ta"s Magazine.
SOLD HIMSELF Every dishonest
man sells himself. Tue Sioux City
Uoua) Journal relates how farmer
.made that kind of trade, in the liter
al way, and his purchaser held him to
his barguin-as he deserved to be:
A Currectionville farmer sold load
Of corn ut that town the other day.
When it was weighed. he slyly stepped
OIL the scales, and then drove OIL to up
load When the wagon was weighed,
he took good care not to DO in it, and
congratulated himself that he had
cheated the buyer in good shape.
The grain dealer called him in, and
after figuring up the load, paid him in
full.
As the farmer buttoned up his coat to
90 out, the buyer kindly asked him to
smoke with him, and then talked over
the crops and the price of hogs. and
the likelihood of the Maple Valley
Railroad building up that way, till
the farmer fairly squirmed in his chair
with uneasiness about his chores at
home.
AT last he could stand it no longer,
and said he must go. Tho dealer
quietly said that was not to be thought
OF; that he Lad bought the farmer at
full weight, and paid him his own
price, and that he would insist on do
ing as he pleased with his own prop
erty.
The raiser of corn saw that he had
indeed sold himself, in one sense, at
least. He acknowledged his cheat and
compromised the affair. Now when he
markets grain he don't stand on the
scales.
A DANGEROUS SPoRT.-Jumping with
n nf klA ga inn 4 n fv