Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-07

place. That IS virtue-worship.
Because the Gipsy father and mother ar,
themselves types OF good health and spirits
healthy and spirited children are born tc
them. Because every Gipsy woman OF
earth is loyal to her mate, many children
are born to them. Because the instinct O.
fatherhood, motherhood and partnerhood i,
inviolable with husband and wife, Gipsie
love this to be so; and the care of and affec
ton for, children are extraordinary indeed
FOND OF CHRISTENING.
From the moment the child is born until
it is upon its own legs for good, it is con
stantly rubbed, stretched and kneaded, thai
every muscle may have proper action anc
development. The same wise practice,
| have found by long observation, exist.
among the sensible Pennsylvania Dutch
1t began with the ancestors of the latter be.
| hind the Swiss mountains centuries ago
and it would be an interesting research for
the student Of men to ascertain if this pre-
cisely identical Gipsy and Pennsylvania
Dutch custom had not, at some remote
time, a common oriental origin behind the
Himalayas. Gipsy women attend each
other in child birth; and that one who
should venture to suggest the presence of a
physician would be mercilessly ridiculed
out OF Romany life and society. There are
no marvellous layettes, miracles in flmy
laces and stuffs awaiting the arrival Of the
Gipsy. A clean, warm rag of any handy
texture is quite sufficient.
Indeed cleanliness, warmth and plenty of
sleep in the pure open air, are all the Gipsy
mother: wish; but she will have these at any
sacrifice. There are no cradles, cribs, lace
parachutes. nurse girls with frills and fellows.
Gipsv ynotharo ha1iauo 4 nc a what Cir;
zen Train regards fat to be-death. '"They
teeter and wobble the chauvies' brains,
they say; and everybody as is rocked, zig
zags about what they allus does" Consid-
erable registering occurs over the Gipsy baby
by the time it can hold up its head. Clip
sIes of English and Scotch descent with us
are fond Of "christenings," although they
attach no ethical or spiritual value to the
Office whatever. But they like the signifi-
cance ana importance attaching to the cere-
mony. The higher the dignitary. the more
interesting the occasion. Rt. Rev. Bishop
Coleman, of Wilmington, Del, was last
June called from his carriage by some
Gipsy friends of mine. as he was passing
their camp between Wilmington and Stan
ton, to baptize 2-days-old Gipsy baby.
The Gipsies overwhelmed the good Bishop
with blessings for his kindness, but had
much fun at his expense after his departure.
PRoFITING BY EXPERIENCE.
All other Gipsles do their own christen-
ing in any sort of fashion which provides
the most frolic and merriment. Occasion
ally this is carried to such excess, as with
Gipsy 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 the festivities, to which the subject is
an unconscious participant, may be re-
garded as the one occasion in the Gipsy
child's life, where it attracts general 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 ails,
and there is always all herb tea for any
particular ailment. If it is spunky and
cries, it cries until it tires of an occupation
which Yields a no more gratifying return
than thorough spanking. 1t is not per-
mitted in any particular to occupy
the entire attention of the universe,
and gradually grows into a con-
sciousness that there are other af-
fairs in the world besides its own. When it
begins to crawl, 1t has already precautionary
1t is allowed to crawl into the
FIRE and burn its fingers, if it wishes. No
body has Mysteries over this. and it seldom
does any of these things the second time.
Indeed the entire practice OF child training
among Gipsies, if any may be said to exist,
is that the child shall itself learn by its own
experience. And one of its most rugged
experiences of learning is that it is about
worth its life to disobey an elder, q superior
Or parent. The vigor and directness with
which Gipsy Furnishes a disobedient child |
is as startling as that child's humble sub
mission to the same is ever dumb and re-
'entless, and often, to a most ridiculous de-
gree, matter for apparent relish and graft
ude on the part of the suffering subject. |
enough this applies to child of
80 as well as of 8; for many time have seen |
Teazened old Gipsy men and women OF so |
,r go, deliberately, though feebly, fog son |
'r daughter of so or 60, who thanked the |
parent for such affectionate attention in the |
most respectful and grateful terms.
CAMP BESIDE LIVING WATERS.
The moment Gipsy children have got be- |
yond infancy, dogs, horses and the water |
lave their almost undivided attention. |
Che grave, wise, voiceless Gipsy dogs wal !
ow them about bravely, but with marvel |
,us caution and tenderness of fellowship. i
Che first real view of life is taken from the |
pack of horse, and the hereditary instinct |
# horse love and care is so wonderful and |
Icute in both boys and girls, that 1 will
iefy you to find on earth q drom raiah |
hauvie, that is a genuine road-lord (Gipsy)
hild Of 10 who is not q more competent
barring surgery, than any
lon-Gipsy veterinarian. Gipsy camps are
Universally beside living waters, always be-
ide running streams, if possible, and the
7oung Gipsies are more in the water than
o many young ducks. A striking pecu-
iarity about these little waits is their won
lerful power OF sustaining arduous exer-
ion, and yet their utter collapse under
'enuine ailment A child of to will
rudge beside cart or wagon from 20 to 80
niles day, and cover as many more miles
n juvenile freaks upon the way. But let
ne become really ill, and it seldom sur
ives. All Gipsies Immediately lose heart
nder sickness.
More civilized and less hardy races Dos
ess an ethical courage under bodily illness
Thich these wanderers never know. The
compensation comes in their almost unex-
optional healthfulness. But in the uni
ersal joy, elation and selfsufficiency of
Gipsy children are precisely like
our children. Mud pies, poplar whistles,
larbles, counting out rhymes, pumpkin
inc pipes, reed blowguns, rag dolls, thumb
all faces, crooked pins, men and women
laying visiting, snap-the-whip, and every
Iher magic device, pretense, hallucination,
,al and glorious unreality, of your youth
de is theirs. Knowing them as do gives
deep and solemn emphasis to the reflection
lat at least twice in the lifetime all hu-
anity is quite the same-in those sunny
ours before it is set rolling along in fixed
rooves of race, motive and environment,
nd at last in those shadowy hours when it
cps alone with God into the infinite mys-
wv EncApT. WAurM.r