The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-01-29

Author OF "zns American Crisis. &c.,; "0cer the
AUeGhdnses. &C.," etc.. etc.
CHAPTER w.
FURTHER EXPERIENCES OF RICHMOND
GYPsIEs-JoHN, EARL RUSSELL, &C.
While sojourning in Richmond, we wan
dered on one occasion to the outskirts of the
Park looking over the waste OF an adjoining
common, inhaling with pleasant exhilaration
the unbreathed air OF the heath. Soon our
attention was attracted by a thin and vapory
column Of smoke ascending from ravine,
about two hundred yards distant. Approach
ing the spot. we saw ragged tent, around
which several swa-t, sun burnt children
were playing. On the opposite side of the
tent stood shaggy pony yoked to rick
ETY. cart. Several men were busily packing
away goods and chattels belonging to the
party, which was evidently about to strike
tent and be off. We recognized them at
once as party of.gypsies. Our appearance
seemed anything than agreeable to these
Bohemians; the children scampered off,
while the men appeared perfectly uncon-
scious of our presence. An old bag hobbled
from the tent at this embarrassing moment.
her dishevelled hair streaming over her back
and shoulders, her CLASSY eyes distilling
rheum, and introduced herself by asking If
we wished to have our fortunes told. She
accompanied this question with the encours
aging remark ''that our faces were lucky"
Declining to appeal to the fates upon the
question of the future, we scattered few
pennies among the children, who were mo-
mentarily becoming holder and lessening
the distance which divided us. The unsym-
pathetic men who witnessed what was going
on out of the corners OF their furtive eyes,
now advanced as if satisfied that we were
friends and became as amicable and commu-
NEGATIVE as could be desired. Our intimacy
increased rapidly. In half hour we ascer.
tanned that they had no accurate know ledge
Of their own origin and history, and that
there was nothing peculiar in the habits OF
this particular party-that they were COM
mon place strollers.
This singular and unhappy race, for it is
unhappy, las can be seen from the expression
OF vacuity and melancholy in their faces, is
generally believed tc have had its crigin>in
Hindostan where they belonged to the low
est class of Indians. They are supposed to
have taken to flight early in the 18th centu.
~ when India was ravaged by Timur Bey
for the purpose Of spreading the Mahametan
religion, and thousands were put to death.
Their exit was through the Southern Per-
sian gulf to the mouth Of the EuphIates,
from thence to Bassora into the great desert
of Arabia, afterwards into Arabia Petrea
and so into Egypt by the Isthmus of Suez.
They claim however to be Egyptians and
account for their vagabond life by referring
it to judgment of God upon their forefa
theirs who refused to entertain the Virgin
Mary and Jesus, when they fled into their
country. Every effort to conform them to
the usages of civilization and systematic
labor has proved futile. They adhere to
their wandering, almost savage mode OF life,
picking up scanty support by petty thiev-
ing, peddling, tinkering, jugglery, legerde-
main, fortune-telling and general cheatery.
Whenever their camp.fires are seen glim-
mering ar night, there are sure to be twisted
necks and vacant nests In neighboring hem
roosts. Among themselves they speak a Ian.
euage of their own. which is not the slang
OF thieves, but the language of Romany.
which has sprung from the Sanscript and
the Zend, All ancient Persian dialect. A
dictionary of this tongue has been prepared
and the Bible translated into the idiom by
Barrow. But their language is on the de-
cline and the race passing away. The num-
Der in England does not now exceed $4,000
and as the commons are enclosed and the
land brought into cultivation, they are
gradually losing the spots on which they
have so long pitched their tents and lighted
their camp fires. In some sections of the
country in both England and Scotland, par
ticularly in the latter, they have intermar-
ried with the rural population and become
much assimilated In manners and customs.
When about to leave, one of the girls was
brought forward (she was not over fifteen
years of age) and sang with considerable taste
and power "The Gypsy's Tent" common
cling as follows
"Our fire on the turf,an our tent meath tree
Carousing by moonlight how merry are we!
Let the lord boast his castle, the baron his hall,
But the house of the gypsy is widest OF all.
We may shout DER our cups, and laugh loud as
we will,
Till echo rings back from wood welkin and hill;
No Joys seem to us like the joys that are lent
To the wanderers life and the gypsys tent
Rewarding this sun burnt denizen OF ma
ture with few pence, we took path lead
| ing to Pembroke Lodge.
When visiting Scotland in 1852 We had
the pleasure to meet Lord John Russell,
who had recently resigned the seals OF Of
flee as Premier into the hands of the Earl
of Derby. He was driven to this course by
the unpopularity of his ecclesiastical titles
bill, and the secession OF his ola colleague.
Viscount Palmerston. Aggreved at the
course of events, he had sought in the brac-
ing air and marvellous variety Of scenery in
Caledonia, some relief from the bitterness
and melancholy which seized upon him al
his policy failed his old friends dropped
off, and enemies arose out.of the darkness
as pigmies wax bold when giant falls.
An admirer of his liberal principles, po
litical and religious, like few Of his Brit
ish party friends, who loved him well ant
stood staunchly by him to the last, In gooe
and evil report, we never wavered in oul
respect for Lord John. His course from
1861 65, when Foreign Secretary, did mo-
meet our appreciation in so far as it referred
to Americas relations with Great Britain
At this period, when disappointed and irrl
tated at his management Of the foreign OF
fee, we spoke Of his Lordship in far from
complimentary terms. 1t was unbecominf
In us and unjust to him. His foreign pol