Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-07
THE GIPSIES GUEST.
Wakeman Spends a Brief Period
With His Rommany Friends.
EVENING SCENES IN THE CAMP.
Out on the English Broads in Curious
Floating Gipsy Home.
PLEASURES WITH THE ROD AND GUN.

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPArcH.1
THE BRoADs, ENGLAND, May 29.-It was
pleasant reunion that one given me with
Gipsy friends, from the accident of crossing
Furness Fells from Ruskin's home at Brant-
wood, and stumbling upon their picturesque
camp at the fellside edge of Dalepark,
where, in the late afternoon I found only
the old men and women, the sentineling
Gipsy dogs, and the very young Gipsy
chauvies or children in possession of the
lovely glen which formed their temporary
home.
By and by, as the shadows heightened,
the camp gradually began to awaken with
returning life. The fires which had smoul-
now bustling old Gipsy woman, and the
pots and kettles sung merrily of good
things to come. Gipsy men and women
began coming into camp from all directions,
and nearly all came singly or in groups to
the tent had been given, to emphasize my
welcome as the "Gorgio Chap' (the nom
Gipsy friend to the Gipsy) who was al
ready known for his wanderings with their
"brothers and sisters" in the far-of wonder
land, America
A Title to Be Cherished.
Ah, you who read these words will never
know the thrill that gladstone welcoming
term has brought to me in all lands for
quarter of a century past. "Gorgio chal!'-
"Gorgio chalp' Those words of Gipsy trust
| and endearment follow me ever out into the
other world of labor, struggle, endeavor.
They pursue into the haunts of men where
life RACES andactivities roar. They call from
striving and winning, from race and place,
almost as the sweetest of all home-sounds to
me- They come across invisible hills and
meadows when the brain is tired and the
pen weary. 'Gorgio chalP' = "Gorgio
cha1p' They are as the sound Of summer
melodies, of singing birds, of falling waters,
when one all but faints in the whitening
city's ways. They call to me even in
dreams.
There Is surely the Gipsy taint in my
blood; or am become Gipsy vagabond alto
could. They are my own, these tawny folk,
who press around to thrill my heart and
| mist my eyes with the heartiest, truest,
sweetest welcomes ever knew or can know
in all the wide, wide worldl
Nearly all brought trophies of the days
outing. Women who had been among the
| Umbrian ssstatesmens" farms, were laden
| with poultry, butter, eggs, cheese, knots of
homespun yarn, and many an article repre-
senting hours Of toll, which had been ex-
changed for bit of gibberish and for-
tune" while those from the villages of Am
bleside, Bowness or Windermere, and some
who had even journeyed to far-off Kendall,
chartered gaily over trifing purchases and
| gewgaws of worthless tinsel and color.
Never Drink When Works on Hand.
Now and then a Gipsy appeared in the
| lively condition of spirits indicating that
considerable liquor had entered into the
| days jockeying among the wise yokels of the
| remoter hamlets; but while some general
| sport was had with the fellow, it was not
| difficult to see that his weakness was the
subject of general disapproval. Indeed
there is an universal unwritten law among
Gipsies that all men may profit from. The
adage runs in this wise: "Only Gipsy
fool letteth his wits fly away through drink,
when he hath aught to do" And there is a
| word of wisdom In the little sentence, II
these rude people did make it.
| But soon the camp was everywhere filled
with life and activity. Horses neighed;
donkeys brayed; Digs charged and tumbled
| over children and between horses heels;
| while old men and women seemed to renew
| their youth and smiled and gabbled upon
and with home-comers, with each other, and
as if with the empty air. Snatches of song
begun by Gipsies at one extremity of the
camp, were taken up and finished with q
| flourish at the other. Here are single
stanzas from three Of them, called respec.
lively, "By Day and Night" ''The Night
ha' Come" and "Cbee!-Cheep (silencel-
Be stillD:
By davies u, !day, a. and rat might,
Or the bing (devi) will pull out his harro
| With wink, through the hedge,
/ Or from off sOrnA near ledge.
He win spring out and chop of your sherrc
| thead)i
The night ha' come, the stars are out,
The camplres twinkle 4 the hedge;
| But sure as I'm Gipsy lout,
If "bobbies' sneak this camp about,
The stones will rattle from the ledge,
An heads viii break. my word pledge
My word pledge, my word l pledgel
On the drom (road) there is much that is
Make dickering do for thy buying.
Be as wise as an owl,
But If 'bobbies'' should prowl,
Look iooS the them s square Elm in the % yak teyeS
If they warn ye;
Hit them plump in the max (nose),
For it's "Chee! cheer when the "bobbiesr
| come;
Then it's "Cheel cheer' when the 'rboobies'
| come;
For it's better to be lying than crying.
Evening In the Gipsy Camp.
Mingled with the lusty notes of these En-.
glish Gipsy songs were merry "tally-yo
hosp' rung out on the evening air by return
ing horsemen to the campside singers. Now
and then some daredevil Of fellow (and
often Gipsy woman, who is as much the
horses master as her Rommany lord) would
oome pell-mell, full gallop into camp, with
Q whoop and halloa, and, dashing through
the brush to tether, make the tree limbs rat
lie and clstter in passage, while approving
shouts or half-serious ye1ls and objurgationi
followed with the laughing children and
ecstatic dogs. Soon came the supper-tht
really one great universal home meal of the
Gipsy day. They were long time at it. a!
they ALWAYS are, and as much fun as fooC
was taken.
Then with the CHEEKY camp-fres brightly
burning, here and there q lantern hung
from elevated cart-thill or swaying copse
l.wood, and with blazing cressets in honor o
the stranger, first came my own tales OF al
the wondrous good fortune of their Owl
kind in America; then children's games anc
all manner campside jollity; followed by
singing and dancing after marvellous Jlgl
and reels upon "raal Of Cremonys;" unit
at last sleep and silence settled upon thu
Parkdale Gipsy camp and the one "GorgiC
Chal" within it, with that amplitude OF res
which so comes with loving touch to M
other people on earth as to this outcasi
Rommany race.
A Country but Little Known.
The outcome Of my visit to my Gipsy
friends was making the acquaintance OF 9
curious and interesting corner of England
| Of which bod mover before heard. anC