Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-07

are fond of "christenings, although
they attach no ethical or spiritual value
to the office whatever. But they like
the significance and Importance at
taohing to the ceremony. The higher
the dignitary, the more interesting the
occasion. Rt. Rev. Bishop Coleman, of
Wilmington, Delaware, was last June
called from his carriage by some gypsy
friends OF mine, as he was passing their
camp between Wilmington and Stanton,
to baptize a two-days-old gypsy baby.
The gipsies overwhelmed the good bishop
with blessings for his kindness, but had
much fun at his expense after his depar-
ture. All other gipsies do their own
christening in any sort of fashion which
provides the most frolio and merrIment.
Occasionally this Is carried to such ex-
cess, as with gypsy marriage festivities,
especially If the babe happens to be the
first born and q male child, that the
proud father and mother are literally
impoverished before the merry making
is at an end.
But these festivities, to which the sub
ject is an unconscious participant, may
be regarded as the one occasion in the
Gypsy child 3 life, where it attracts gem
eral or even special attention. There
are no "tootsy-wootsies among Gipsy
children, The babe is nursed and laid
upon the bed of blankets and leaves
within the tent. 1t seldom ais, and
there is always an herb tea for any par
ticular ailment. If it is spunky and
cries, it cries until 1t tires at an occupa-
ton which yields no more gratifying
return than thorough spanking. 1t is
not permitted in any particular to occu-
DIV the entire attention of the universe,
and gradually grows into consciousness
that there are other affairs in the world
besides its own. When it begins to
crawl, it has already precautionary pro-
cliYities. 1t is allowed
TO CRAWL INTO THE FIRE
and burn its fingers, if 1t wishes. No
body has Mysteries over this, and it sell
dom does any of these things the second
time. Indeed the entire practice of
ohild-training among Gipsies, if any may
be said to exist, is that the child shall
itself learn by its own experience. And
Que of its most rugged experiences of
learning is that it is about worth its life
to disobey an elder, q superior, or
parent. The vlgor and directness
with which a Gypsy Furnishes
that child's humble submission
to the same Is ever dumb and re-
sentless, and often, to q most ridiculous
degree, a matter for apparent relish and
gratitude on the part of the suffering
subject. Singularly enough this applies
to a child of sixty as well as of six; for
many a time 1 have seen weakened old
Gipsy men and women of eighty or ninety
deliberately though feebly fog son or a
daughter of fifty or sixty. who thanked
the parent for such sffectionate attention
in the most respectful and grateful terms.
The moment Gypsy children have got
beyond infancy, dogs, horses and the
water have their almost undivided at
tention. The grave, wise, voiceless
Gypsy dogs wsllow them about bravery,
but with marvellous caution and tender
ness of fellowship. The first real view
of life is taken from the back of 4 horse,
and the hereditary instinct of horse love
and care is so wonderful and acute in
both boys and girls, that l will defy you
to find on irom rajah ohauvie, that is,
a genuine road-lord (Gipsy) child. of ten
who is not more competent veterina-
rian barring surgery than any non-Gipsy
veterinarian. Gypsy camps are univer-
sally beside living waters, always beside
running streams. il possible, and the
young Gipsies are more in the water than
SO many ducks. A striking popularity
about these little waits is their wonderful
power of sustaining arduous exertion and
yet their utter collapse under genuine
ailment. A child of five to eight will
trudge beside cart or wagon from
twenty to thirty miles day, and cover
as many more miles in juvenile freaks
upon the way. But let one become