Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-31

fAOO ODl OIL, 1CCOs
as his bellows, an Zeke 'ad mighty arm
ct HIT" another would testify.
"Right well could Zeke shine pan-hole
'thout wastin' solder" came from another
true sdmirer.
EFF him 'adn't been one o. hus," came
from another cumulative tongue, "an' wat
q rare chor (thieD e would made. to be
sure.
But the most seductive eloquence on my
own part could not secure a word Of praise
for the grander Zeke who had given his life
for that Of the littly gipsy child who played
at my knees As we talked. This was because
of the universal fatalism Of gipsies. 1t
would have been precisely the same in their
strange minds if the shiftless fellow had
fallen from ledge and had been drowned,
or from horse and broken his neck.
DEATH Is THE END.
When a gipsy dies that is the end. Every
member Of the race has horror of death be-
cause no gipsy lives who has faith in a
hereafter. They cannot be induced to con-
template it No genuine gipsy ever ac-
cepted Christianity. Borrow in his many
years OF Bible and missionary work among
them never claimed to have converted one.
have witnessed great many gypsy fu-
nerals. At some, especially in the case of
the burial of "king" or queen" of tribe,
there is much gipsy pomp and display. Yet
on all occasions of this sort there is q celer-
ity of action in getting the remains under
ground and leaving the place of interment,
When old ''King" Faa was buried in Scot
land, some 40 years since, over 300 asses and
shelties were in the cortege, and yet so dis
mayed were the gipsies when the remains
of the merry old rascal were lowered into
the ground that they all took flight. many
running their donkeys to death to escape to
their homes, so that for days there was none
brave enough to decently cover his coffin.
In gypsy funerals the world over there
are three distinct rites, or features of one
rite. These comprise the burial; burning
the effects of the dead. and the bing-drom-
ing, or ''giving the devil the road" that is,
driving away the evil spirit of mourning
and melancholy from the tents and hearts
of those who have lost relatives or friends
by death.
1t is q singular fact that while gipsies are
universally disbelievers, they will resort to
all manners of shifts to secure at least final
irterment of their dead in some churchyard
cemetery. Their reverence for the canonic-
al, or authorized, cemetery Is only equaled
by their utter disregard and contempt of all
other things the Christian world holds as
sacred.
The burning Of poor old Zeke's effects is
sufficiently illustrative of all similar scenes,
which are seldom witnessed by Gorgios, or
non-gipsies, as the rite is held to be q secret
and sacred one transmitted from Aryan
haunts, as gypsy tradition has it, and prac-
ticed for thousands Of years. Though my
relations with this particular band were
those Of the greatest intimacy and trustful-
ness, no information was given me of what
was to occur, and should have missed it
altogether had not laid awake in my tent
determined not to be cheated. About mid
night heard low voices insthe tents about
me; could soon distinguish the sounds as of
the gipsies all gathering at one spot in the
camp; and could see the flicker OF freight
shining upon tent cover, wagon top and the
circling forest edges without. I stole noise
lessly to the side of a most intimate gipsy
friend, who regarded my coming with
tion to my presence.
BURNING THE TINKER's GOODS.
In the dim light saw that all the occu-
pants of the camp were standing In circle
about the cart grinders wheels, forge and
chests which had accompanied tinker Zeke
on numberless merry and proftless pilgrim
ings. Beneath and about the articles were
piled dead pine branches, and bunches of
dry cones and needles. Suddenly the wife
of the dead tinker emerged from the circle,
and, as hush fell upon the throng, mourn
ing aloud in some plaintive words she
walked slowly around the articles four
times. each time pausing for moment and
kneeling at the eastern side, when she at
once resumed her place in the silent circle.
Instantly there was q rush from the single
burning campfire, and dashing through
the crowd csmegan old gypsy hag, the old
est spae-wife or fortune telleS Of the band,
who with faring pine torch set the wait
ing pile ablaze in many different pla-.
ces with wondrous celerity. The flames In
stantly leaped to the tree-tops disclosing
mute and apparently awe-struck faces sur
rounding the sacrifice. The old hag repeated
the movements of the widow. torch in hand,
the meanwhile uttering shrill lamentations
in Romany, and disappeared as suddenly as
she had come. Then the entire band stood
speechless and motionless until the flames
had consumed the articles, when in the
Pickering light of the dying embers each
male gipsy greeted the widow heartily and
quietly passed to his wagon or tent, all the
women Of the band finally escorting the
wi6ow to her own tent, where after bit Of
CHEEKY chattering she was left in quite con-
tented mood for the night.
,Bing- -Droming always occurs the succeed
ing night, as it did in our Lake Sebago
camp. The devil "is given the road" with
the utmost hilarity and merry-making, and
registering which occasionally takes on out
landish aspects. On more than one occasion
have seen a man of straw, provided with
horns and hldeously painted, tossed about
the gipsy camp the subject of terrible mis-
use, and finally, when the revelries were at
their height, kicked and thumped for miles
down some dusty highway. to at last be
pitched into some noisome pool, with stones,
sticks and clouts of mud cast upon and after
his diabolical highness. IF after this sacri-
fee and expurgstion gipsies continue to
mourn, they always suffer contumely and
contempt. Illus does W at we can to cheer
SORROW" these strange folk say, "an' then
doesn't abear chitterin' and sniflin' no
longer!'' EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.