, 1890-09-18
THE GIPSIES' HOME.
Wakeman's Wanderings in
Their Ancient Haunts.
IN THE VALLEY OF YETH0LM
Historical Reminisoen of Gipsy
Life and Royalty in
Scotland.
YErHoLM, Scotland, Aug. 7.

EIitoLM, soCOtlduu, aug. q.
Ialways love to come to Yetholm.
It is a sweet, old, out-of.the-way
spot, hid like meadow.lark's nest
in one of Scotland's shining border
wales. Besides, my old friends, the
gpsies, who have made the place
their haunt and home for nearly
400 years, greet me so ioyously that
their radiant faces, vise.like hand
grasps and loudly-bcllowed, ever
quaint words of greeting, thrill me
as one knows in a gladsome home
coming.
The valley of Yetholm itself is
= enchanting enough withoutits tinge
and flavor of true gipsyism. 1t lies
within cannon-range of the English
border, in the southeastern shire of
Scotland, Roxburgshlre, and in It's
eastern district which comprises the
parishes of Linton, Hownam, Yet
holm and Morebattle. On all sides
rise the noble Cheviot hills, more
beautiful and charming in reality
than anywhere painted In all border
minstrelsy. The vale Is do shut In
from the outside world that IL Is
only accessible by two roads, 80
hidden, as one wanders In hamlet
and valley that no egress from the
romantic spot can anywhere be
seen. But winding through the
Cheviot peaks, one thoroughfare
leads to Kelso, and another to Jed
burgh, both places fine examples of
old border towns, through most en-
n trancing scenes. The one trailing
along to Kelso gives noble views of
the region at the junction of the
Tvviot and Tweed, and of the ruins
of Roxburgh abbey, to my mind
the sweetest spot and the finest
Scottish medieval ruin to be found.
Just beyond where 1t leaves Yet
holm through the circuitous open
ING in the hills Is the famous Cherry
trees-Manse, reference to which ever
brings broad smile to every Scotch
face; for 1t was here that the famous
David Williamson, prosecuted
Presbyterian clergyman, who af-
terward ministered ut st. Cuth-
bert's, Edinburgh, was put by the
own daughter, body and boots"
to escape the pursuing dragoons, by
which means the reverend Cherry
u tree Davic, as he WAS ever after
II ward known was saved from his
II pursuers, but at the expense of the
young lady; who, however, after
ward became the first of the rever-
end gentleman's seven wives.
Overshadowing Yetholm itself are
six noble hills of the Cheviot, Sher-
brough, Staerough, Goldsnout,
Green Hamilton. Harelay and great
Nenchen, hiding from the hamlet
the billowy, verdure-clad reaches of
English Northumbrian Wales. Be-
tween the circling base of Venchen
and the sunny haughs of the five
other half mountains, flows the
Bowmont Water, an endless water
song tuned in hollow reeds and over
myriad banks of bleaching pobbles
miles-long shadows of wondrous
tint and tone. At tho crescent-like
Scottish hamlet. A wide clean
street, huge square houses with
peaked, thatched roofs; two old inns
to which nobody ever comes, save
bob-soled kinds at the rare inter walls
of market days and holidays; tiny
windows and huge doors, monstrous
knobs and knockers, red tiles and
brown thatching, with here and
there the forms and faces of old, old
women with bent backs and tren-
bing-frilled "mutch" caps, are what
one sees In IL.
KIRKYETHoLM.
This is old Yetholm. Winding
out of its russet side underneath IA
shadowy vaulting of trees, q pleas
" ant way leads across Bowmont
Water vale, where, often in the very
water itself, occur the fiercest strug-
giles of the famous Bowmontside
games of Easten's Fen, or Shrove
Tuesday. This sunny road, at last
threading around the bold side of
Nenchen, passes gray old mill,
then Is lost in n mass of foliage by
an ancient manse In which lives my
friend, good mi minister Davidson, for
more than "a quarter of a century the
pastor of the hcathen Rommany
tribe at his very door; and then, to
the right and left, and before you,
fringing ragged triangle enclosing
letholm green, aud all that are left
of the cottage homes OF what was
once the largest gypsy settlement in
any English-speaking land. This is
Kirk Yetholmi.
Gipsies stole into Scotland from
Ireland about the year 1850. So
consummately shrewd were they in
carrying outtheir assumption of pill
grmage under the leadership of
Anthonius Gawino, earl of Little
Egypt, and of being under COM
mands of the pope to "wander
seven years without sleeping In q
bed" that they actually secured the
countenance II not the favor of
James Nv. They received no moles-
tation worthyto be called such until
1919, when James VI, "toolS the
government into his own hands,"
Gypsy PROSECUTIONS.
Then a statute was passed Nor
punishment of strong and idle vaga-
bonds and beggars, and relief of the
poor and impotent." This statute
was very severe against the gipsies,
and ordered that their ears should
be cut off and themselves banished.
This law was ratified in 1892, and
another statute passed In 1907 that
they be, on conviction, made slaves
ior life. In 1000 another act en-.
forcing all preyiOiIs atntulee lion in n