The morning call., 1890-06-29

| is the gypSy has happy heart. radiant
| face, a laughing eye, waggish tongue and
| many lightSOme ways, merry, care-free and
| jubiant as the birds. Nor would 1 be just
| to these strange people did l not bring this
| truth about them in the strongest light and
| best relief. To know gypsies-,they are so
| rapidly increasing In numbers through Won
| derful fecundity, care of their children, with
| constant vast additions from Europe, tnat
| by the close of the present century they
will comprise from 2 to 3 per cent Of the
! entire population-and they must ere long
| be well and wisely known, we must be
large and generous enough to perceive and
! appreciate their own hearthsidp, heartful
! life. We must see that they love and
| treasure and hope. not Just in our way,
| but in way which, to their kind, is full
of the simple trutnfulness, the patient
and true affection and the devoted
| set as types for the world to love
! by eloquent tongues and inspired pens. since
| true sentiment thrilled the heart of M an.
| Hence. whatever gypsies are to you and the
world at large, while you may judge them
never so harshly for what you may call vag
ab0ndsm, there is behind what you con-
clude in your superior intelligence to- be
wholly bad, condition you know nothing
| about, which must enter into any honest
estimate of the race. This condition is one
| which all gypsy instinct reSentS your par
| ticipation in or your knowledge of. But it
W
| recognized. would UNNECESSARILY redeem
| the race from cOntumely and reprOach.
| And because the wOrd-mind is narrowed
| and fixed upon Il determined notion that
| gypSies are utterly worthless to society at
| large, the task of conveying any adequate
and true revelation OF the slightest good in
! them is a woe full one indeed.
Here is a likeness tn that which wish |
could convey fully. Take the average men
of the world, the business men, weighed
do, htrit III 6nfi
bilities, which none bat themselves realize.
OF these how few are there who have not
gained reputation, among the most who
lock horns in business affairs with them,
for cruelty. niggardliness, hardheartedness,
and may be downright meanneSS? And
yet these mems true natures are not that at
all. Within the circle of their chosen
friends and in their homes
THESE MEMS TRUE NATURES
Are in the main of generosity, fidelity,
goodness. And it is in some way like this
the gypsy should be made known. Crafty,
stupid, wary, hard, unworthy vagabond
though you deem him, as he faces you and
mankind in his battle for life and those lie
loves, he has another side-a CHEEKY, good
and manly one, tO0-whlch, without one
iOta of the prompting all modern society
possesses, glows with kindness, generosity,
helpfulness, good cheer and spirit of pos
tive loneliness.
al ugly NOlu 10 HthcI utdIu III Il gypsy
camp. A selfish act is never seen in a gypsy
camp. The eternal gOadng of mean
woman, the brutal obscenity of a bad man,
the hateful jealousies of neigh6Ors, the con-
temptible rivalries of pretended friends,
each and all are as unknown as poison in
the pure air OF heaven they breathe. There
is a quality of tenderness and sincerity in
their Qoings with each other that is ever
simple, childlike and beautiful. Their
mirth, merriment and jollity are all
considerable. Raillery is tolerant; wit
never a murderous weapon. With
them good cheer is not license; mer-
ry making leaves no sting: liberty
never knows lewdness. Ignorant as
they may be OF your books, Obstinately as
they refuse the civilization of which we
boast, secretly proud as they are of the os-
tracism which brands them as an outlaw
race, heathenish as you will continue to
call them because they hold your creeds Ill
contempt, they are yet more than the peers
of any living people in everything tender
and true and loyal growing into and out of
the domestic relation, and in all that which
yields, without law or force, aud as if uu-
consciously, the helpful goodness which
ever prompts and ever exceeds exact JUS
tice to ones fellows.
Probably at meals and in the long even
iDgS, bright with camp-tres and melodious
with merriment, is the gypsy man or
woman most truly this gouQ-natured and
genial animal that never reveals meanness
and ever acts with genuine, unstudied
goodness. The breakfast, though always a
meal of CHEEKY brightness, is taken with
little jollity, for the duties and dolngs OF the
day are ahead of them all. The
dinner is seldom regular meal, for
there are but few in camp, and the old
men, old women, children and dogs,
have everything their own way. But tue
supper is overlooking with good things and
good spirits, and all sorts Of FRANKS are al
lowable. The camp has suddenly flied up
with three-fourths of its members who
have been away during the day on divers
expeditions, and the breezness aud activ-
Ity consequent upon the return have
brought the camp a wonderful life ami
vigor. The substantials for the meal have
been sizzling and smmering from the
kettle-sticks for hours. These are all ac-
counted for; but there is an element of
PLEASURE AND SURPRISE
In many little garnishmentS which find
their way into camp with the incoming
troop OF gypSies. The enthusiastically rub
Der blankets with linen spreads upon
them-are laid upon the clean grass plats
Everybody helps at bringing the dishes and
food. Laughter and badnage 20 hand in
hand with preparation, and the repasi
itself, be ii sumptuuus. as it often
is, or meager,. as it is not often. is
washed down with more genuine mirth and
hearty merriment-and, | must confess.
with something thought stronger, some
tlmes-than falls to the lot OF but lew IL
this world, however much good fortune
enters into their condition. Ii stragglers
from town come and stare at them WIN
eXasperatlDg calmness, as IL the gypSieS
we're animals in Some geological garden, a
sudden hush falls upon the feast until the
intruders retire, or the merriment goes on
in their own tongue and under faces
of ridiculous solemnity. From the
return, however, until the long, slowly
taken meal is ended, there are such rally
lngS OF friends, such greetings of husbands
and wives, brothers and sisters, parents ana
children, such kindly notice of the old, OLD
folks, such revelrles with the babies, aud
such proud, glad heart-word for everybody,
that no earnest eyes can look upon it all,
and not molsten; because all this is true uf
an Outcast race, and SO barren and mragel
in the homes of our own people, where TOO
often inSincerity, ambition and heartle>s-
ness have taken the lace of those tender
things which are the salvation of a lane
through its homes.
Then the eventime grows and glows agaiL
with this good nature. There is not an
other care or thOught-weight on tile gypsy's
mind. All give themselves up to unre-
strained enjoyment. The great fires are
piled high, and seem to crackle and sing al
added accompaniment Of happiness. HigA
up among the tree-trunks are hung cressels
filled with faring Knots. The fires below
shut out even the light of the blazing STAR
above, and draw the night and the dark, low
ingly interlaced with century-old tree
arms. over the bright place like
protecting canopy. By this campfire
is crowd merrilv playing at cards,
which the gypses love. BY another
and another are groups telling old tales OF
singing old songs. In between and all about
are happy children playing at hide-and-
seek in the flash and shadow Of the camp
Over there Is score of tawny forms
dancisg with the freedom aud gayety .
lads and lasseS to the music of some tinker
violinlSt who sways and weaves an.
stamps and shouts, enraptured by hjs OWL
voclferous melodies Everywhere are sin
ple-hearted peace and content wGile in tie
harder world of your cities and town
hearts are breaking from thei
dads of ambition, rivalry, greed, injustice
enyenomed malice, as tn
stars and the God above them look dnw
upon these, the unciviliZed. and upon tho.
of the proudest civiliZatiOn-loying whleh
most? EDGAR L. WAKEMAN
*(OpyriOhted.