Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1890-08-21

rags. sinkets. aaa a. Kids q ornar
Henus. an6 freq ze1tly 2d7fa t2eSs-
selves IN the ness hs-s rogea~e-s M
ner
Their domestic Eteasils sre te@, Goa
sist.ag Usually q pan, d-sa ana
silver cap Every Gypsy camp a~s /.
donkey OF ; horse for the conseg NA1e q
their Effects They are t0nd q tsaI-as,
za6 both sexes are addicted 70 the use
q toh4ee0. Ehlea they regard - . great
l2xary.
The only mechanical pu~s1it Tor WnicA
tAey show AM aptitude IS tnar u
smith In this they sometimes excel
IA Persia they have been kaoNn -
skilled ssrEeFs Ia gold znt silver.
Usually they are horse-joekeys Or traders
or dealers ia livestock. and Ia rare
eases they have been known % till the
soil Ia some countries they have &C.
eumulated wealth. bat most Of them are
worthless. roYerty-stricken yagab0nds.
The old someB tell fortunes and the
young sing ioye-songs
They have no religion. and most
writers place them below the heather.
sseribiBg 10 them no principles, and
charging them With serving no god bat
the god Of gain and fraud. They have
no word II their language for God or
for immortality. But oatwardlY, and
for their own advantage. they are ready
20 adopt any religion, as circumstances
may rec gire.
Their music IS wild ard weird. and in
some countries it is proficient with
power and beauty. Some OF the great
est masters OF the violin known are
found among the gypsiss OF Hungary
and Bohemia
The gypsy language Is termed RO-
mani has no alphabet and no Literature.
except few miserable songs and some
folklore, which are passed from mouth
70 mouth. Altogether. the entire stock
Of Romani words does not exceed FIVE
thousand. though the number known 10
any individual is small
The Romani tribes consider IL curse
II one OF their race marries any one not
OF their own people. common feat
ure in the form OF marriage is the
breaking of flowercovered pitcher by
the chief. who from the fragments, DO
they many or few, argues the future Of
the bridal pair.
There are many curious gypsy prac-
tees, especially those relating TO death
and burial, such as waking the corpse.
burning the decedent's effects, the fast
ing of tho kinsfolk, and many others.
A most interesting form is the custom
complied with when a gypsy wife or
child forever renounces the favorite del
icacy OF dead husband or father. Like
motives prompt the dropping of the
dead ones name entirely out OF use,
and the survivors who happen to bear
the name change it TO another. Another
practice is the leaving at 4 cross road of
handful OF grass or leaves, or heap Of
stones, stick or some such mark TO
guide the strsgglers of the band.
Many attempts have bcen made 70
educate them, but they appear to have
failed They are content to live in tents
or in holes in the ground, and wander
in companies from place TO place as
fugitives or vagabonds, yet in Transyl-
vania they have form Of constitution,
being governed BY chiefs. To this dig
nifty overy one is eligible who is of a
family descended from 4 former chief;
but the preference is usually given to
those who have the most wealth, or who
are Of large stature and not past tho
meridian OF life.
Scott, in his introduction to Guy
Nannering" describes tho habits and
life OF the Scottish gypsies, and his
famous character of Meg Merrilies is
founded upon no less a parsonage than
the noted gypsy named Jean Gordon,
whose granddaughter, Madge Gordon,
became the queen of the gypsy clans.
In 1850 there were supposed to be
about five million gypsics in tie world,
though Of later years they have greatly
diminished. OF the seven or eight
hundred thousand now believed TO DO
scattered over Europe, more than half
are found in tho valleys OF the Danube.
ard here they arc most civilized, and
for four hundred years have been an i'm
portant element Of the population.
They have been condemned, and In
some countries tho laws were so strin-
gent that il they remained one month
they were executed without even form
Of trial. In tho roigns Of Henry VIII.
and Elizabeth the gypsy tribes were
marked out for general persecution in
England.
In 1929 four gypsies confessed. under
torture. TO having eaten a friar, pill
grim and n woman OF their tribe: and
in 1872 forty-Gve hungarian gypsies
were behcaded, cEcrtered or hanged on
n like monstrous charge. First racked
till they confessed the crime OF MUIR
de-. they were then brought 70 tho spot
wherc their victims were said 70 be
buried, but when no bodies appeared
they were racked again. I'VE ate
thom." was tho despairiag cry. But in
very rare instances has IL been known
that they havo eaton human flesh.
The destfnics OF this wonderful people
we know not, but can we not say with
Dean Milmen:
AS OF al mankind. they are in tho
hands OF The All-Wise Ruler Of the uni
verse. Ills dcc-ees viii be accomplished
Ills goodness and His wisdom vindi-
Gated. Joseph y. Willis, in y. Y.
Ledger.
Little Hattie. years old. had. for
some misdemeanor, been told bY her
mother not to 20 ont Of tie yard Hav.
F...-,---- - 49,