New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
GYPSY LIFE.

XOld as oQtlaWeS WONT 10 wv "io '"O 80
links to bind us to their hOmescenery and lead US
into its inner life. What constitutes the an'ithcCc
charm of those wonderful lines:
Afar in the desert, love 20 ride,
With the silent busn-boy alone by my sldc'
hut the nresepce of the savage who belongs to the
scene. and whose being binds the poet to IT, ana
blends him with it as the 1iuX causes the lire TO ei
the goldr' Mr.. Leland thoroughly UNDERSTANDS
the love OF the gypsy for the free and picturesque
lie out of doors he feels it, too; his ragcS k'o"
with it ms fragments of description oorro" "vi"
il an irresistible charm. He brings thcIei"i' ~ w
writing Of these fascinating chapters the rare
qualifications Of an exquisite sSiir"'"' 49,.
snhicet and poetic intuition OF It's inner char"C
o. pr, h,s enthusiasm Is tempered by his shrewd-
50 and saved from extravacancc 10y ms Keen
60 of brnor. Ii is impossible 10 read such
Ill, ,vith,ut sharing the authors delight IN the
oucer and not over reputable but highly roman'c
conpouy TO which it introduces us; and yet IL IS
great store-house of serious and reSonote lhlorma
tion. For Mr.. Leland, il must be ememoereu' ~
no mere vaeabond tourist and book-maker ne
has studied the gypsy problem as man Oh sc''nI''
md has given to the world some treatises Oh the
origin and language Of the race which nave al
established reputation. Respecting their language
in particular he is looked upon as an auihorl'y ho
,peaks 1t hucntly; it has been the means OF o'lhe
ing him into intimate COMMUNICATION WIN tilo
people in widely separated regions OF the Worlu,
mi disclosing to him secrets when tAey euaiu
ie,lously from Gentle eyes; and he has put 1t to
ingeniou, use in his researches into gypsy history
'poucbinc this branch Of the subject Mr. Leland
~. something f. tell Us that is novel and important
lie accent, tie prevalent theory that The eyPaicS
MIGRATED fium India bat he is tho first to point out
tbat Them is still in Northern aud Central liindo-
stan distinct gypsy people calling themselves ana
their language by the same word. h0H' when "eS-
icnotes the gypsy race and gypsy tongue All Owe
the Western world
Hpt we NAV leave The chronological and philoloSi-
cal discussions for the present since valuable as
fbev are, they are not designed TO be the clhei
substance of the present work Here Mr. Lei"hd :
uurpose is to take Us with Ln in some OF his peas
an: ranbes between the hcdEc-rcWs, OF IN inc
streets of strange towns and ,son; us 10 the odd
Characters with whom he seems to nave had an
extraordinary knack of establishing friendly
relations. At st. Petersburg he went with Il dis
tingrlshcd Russian officer 10 certain cafe ire
quented by gypsy musicians:
Ne entered "a largo room. and there sure enough,
stood six or eight gtTls and two men, all very wei
dressed and all Enthusiastically hOmany' tAodph
smaller aud of much slghleI or more uciIT"'c
frame than the powerful gypsy " travellers oi
England In an instant every p3lI OF great via
owes was fixed on Inc. The general was I'D every
STRIKING UGlic tNl 1 NdH hiibilN9'49 "a
fresh stranger, who knew nothing OF the country
and certainly nothing OF gyp>icN or gyp'Yd"lh'
Such verdant visitor Is always most lHleIe5t'!E,
Ii was not by any means NY hist Iecep "l tiIc
kiud aud Is reviewed at glance HE "hoIe party
i said within myself; . I'll,
give YOU something 10 make you stare.
TINS promise | kept, when young man. VINO
looked like handsome light Hindoo, stepped up
and addressed me ii Eussian looked I9hg ana
steadily at him before spoke. and then SAID:
"LatchO dryus Iy0tt" Good day. br0;heIl
What is tidt.' he eXclalmed, stattlcd.
ia lines Iltcio diost,I.' You know very we'll
And then. with the expression in bis iace OF a man
who has been famIatly addressed by DIaHeh
statue, or asked 10y newborn babe nat o CLOCK
is it T. but with great Joy he cred'
ROmdnichdlw
In an instant they were all around INC, marvelling
greatly, and earnestly expressing their marvel at
what new species Of gypsy mint be beng eyd IN
when they are astOnshed ont OF their senses nj
being addressed in Romany by gentleman, make
The most Red Indian efforts to conceal their amaze
Ineni. But | speedily found that THESE russian
pyp,ies were as unaffected ana chlId-ukc as thcy
were gentle in manner, and that they compared
with our own prize-hehting. sturdy-heggiug
always sus pectlng ROmauy roughs and rgtdRdS as
a delicate greyhound might compare with very
threwd old bulldog. trained By an unusually fly "
tramp.
"Rnt 7 must SIT down" I observed on this and
other occasions that Russian gyPSies are very na1
And as it is in human nature To prefer sitting 10y a
PRETTY girl. these Savonldn Romanys so arrange 1t
according 70 the principles of natural sclectlOnor
natural politeness-thai, when stranger is III their
gates the two pIetlost glIls IN their possession SIT
a. his right and left, the two less attractive next
again Il Scridtta. So AZ once danlScl OF c0inelY
men arrayed in black silk attire, OF taultlesS ele
pauce. cried to me- pointing to cIair 10y her sldc
q Bersh IA Gidg. rgd :" jSIt down, siTl,-a phrase
which would re perfectly lnteillgbe to any
Ronany in England. ! admit that there was an
other dainsel, who is generally regarded by most
people as the true gypsy belle OF the party, who did
not cit 10y me- But, rs the orc who had voted
Oh Inv Ia mn "a,
INV liking. being the most intelligent and most
gypsy had good cause to rejoice.
The company sang tor Mr.. Leland. and be gives
IN excellent description of the characteristics of
the wild music for which they are famous. They
seem to have cxertcd themselves with special zeal
ior such an appreciatiye listener:
We intend to sing only Romany tor goa, ryd,'
sad the Young lady on my left and you viii hear
our real gypsy airs The GUt Russians often ask
for soLgs III our language, and don't get them. But
you are a Re maAlchal. and when you 20 nome, lar
over the jdr0 kGio pdN' he broad black wafer,
that is the ocean You shall tell the Rolnauy how
We can sing. LlstenW
Ana | listened 10 tho s;Ianccst, widest and
sweetest singing | ever had aeard,-thc singing Of
Lurcis OF sirens of witches. First, one damsel
with an cXquisItelv clear, firm voice, began 10 sing
a verse of a lOve-balad. and as 1t approached the
end the chorus stole in. softly and unpefcelYcd.
but with eNuIIiste skill. until few seconds the
summer breeze murmurng melody over ripping
lake. seemed changed 10 a midhlght tempest roar
ing over a stormy sea. Ill which the bdSsC OF the
halo sLlucskro Uhe black captaiul pcaled like
thunder. just 10 died away Il second glrI took
up the melody, very sweety, but with little more
cxcitement.-it was like CLEAN OF moonlight on
the stil agltated waters strange contraltO witch
CLEAN: AMI then again the chorus ana the storm
and then another solo yet sweeter, Sad.er and
strangcr,-the movement continually increasing,
until all was fast. and wild. and mad--G locomotive
uuickstep and then a sudden sencc-sunlight-
the storm had blown away
Nothing earth Is 50 like magic and clhn-work
as when women burst forth into lmpTOyIsed
o"..fr ha fEt u rfE ar
what he learned from The elders We; when you hear
birds singing in woodland green. throwing oHt to
God the fairies lrrepress bic foods OF what seems
ike audible sunshine 80 well does il match with
summers light you think 1t is wonderful 1t is
mostly when you forget the long training OF the
prima donna in her ease and apparent naturdlneS>.
IlfiI i. cl