The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-11-06
A Gypsy WEDDING.
The Part Which the Broom-Stick Play4a
in the Ceremonies,

in the Ceremonies.
Few things are more simple than a
marriage ceremony among the Gypsies,
and description of wedding as re-
Gently witnessed by the writer, will not,
we believe, prove uninter@ting. There
were more than score of tents at the
encampment, where we wele temper
airy guests, and at the opening of each
a fire was burning, cracking AID blaz-
ing away as early as six o'clocAin the
morning of the day which was 70 wit
ness the marriage of one of the fatriee
young girls of the camp. An lOur
afterward, and an old Gypsy man Nth
silvery hair and bronzed, wrinkled fae.
with but one eye, stepped on lille
mound and began playing the violA
which has but two strings on it. Tn
players opening piece was the well
known tune, "Haste to the Wedding, N
to which the younger gypsies were soon
dancing with great hilarity. While
some of the older women were watch
ing the dancers, others were engaged
in culinary preparations. At the
| opening of one of the tents stood the
swarthy-looking masculine Gypsy
chief, with his hands in his pockets,
steadfastly gazing upon the dancers.
AT given signal from the chief, the
music and dancing ceased. Two rows
of Gypsies, with about twelve or
fifteen in each row, were formed,
standing face to face. being between
four and six feet apart. Hallway
down between these rows two Gypsies
| held up a broomstick about eighteen
inches above the ground. All being
thus far in readiness, the chief called
out the name of the bridegroom, who
was very handsome Gypsy man about
| twenty-five years of age. His hair and
| eyes were very dark, and the conforma-
ton of his face strongly indicated the
race to which he belonged. He wore
an olive-colored velveteen coat red
waistcoat, and a glaring-colored hand
| kerchief round his neck. In person
he was tall, muscular and well made.
In obedience to the chiefs command
| he came from tent at one side of the
encampment, walked between the rows
of Gypsies, stepped over the broom
stick, turned round, and then stood
with his arms akimbo waiting the
arrival of his intended wife.
The chief then called out the
name of the bride, who came from
a tent at the opposite side of the
encampment. She was about nineteen
years of age, rather short of stature,
apparently of healthy and hardy con-
stitution, while the pearly luster of her
eyes and long, dark, glossy hair seemed
to identify her with the purest remnant
of the Gypsy race. She also walked
between the two rows of Gypsies,
tripped very lightly over the broom
stick, which she had no sooner done
than the young Gypsy man, in the most
gentle and gallant manner imaginable,
| took her in his arms and completed the
ceremony by giving his new-made wife
some of the loudest kisses we ever
| heard in our life. Then the music and
dancing were resumed the whole of
the members of the encampment had
| suspended business; preparations for a
good feast were going on; every face
| looked bright and every heart seemed
| joyous. The men smoked, the women
talked volumes, the children shouted
and frolicked the old horses grazed
by the sides of the banks, the do US
nibbled their coarse food with a. a.
satisfied air, and looked as if conscious
that they were to have that day S respite
from their weary tolls; even the two
or three dogs that were there wagged
their tails as if in anticipation of an
extra feed or of better and a larger
quantity of rations than usual, even
with out the trouble of having to hunt
before any dinner could be allowed
them.-Brookty,a Magazine.