Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-07
ENGLISH "BR0ADS."
A Nook of England Hitherto
Unknown to the Traveller.
A FLOATING SUMMER HOUSE.
Gypsy Camp at Night; the One Great
Universal Home Meal of the Day. the
Gypsy Supper-The ..Gorgio Chal" of
the Rominary Race.
Special Correspondence Of the Gazette.


TIE BRoADs, ENGLAND, May 25 - It
was 4 pleasant reunion, that one given
me with Gypsy friends, from the accident OF
crossing Furuess Fells from RuSkin's home
at Brentwood, and stumbling upon their
picturesque camp at the fellside edge OF
Daleparh. where in the late afternoon
found only the old men and women, the
| sentineling Gypsy dogs, and the very
young Gypsy chauvies or children in pos
session Of the lovely glen which formed
| their temporary home.
BY and by as the shadows heightened the
| camp gradually began to awaken with re-
| turning life The fires which had smoul-
dered the day through, were renewed by the
now busting old Gypsy women, and the
| pots and kettles sung merrily of good things
| to come. Gypsy men and women began
| coming into camp from all directions, and
nearly all came singly or in groups 10 the
tent [ had been given, to emphasize my
| welcome as the ''Gorgio Chal' (the non
! Gypsy friend to the GipSy,( who was al
ready known for his wanderings with their
| brothers and sisters in the far-off Won
| derland, America.
| All, you who read these words viii never
| know the the thrill that gladstone welcom-
| ing term has brought to me in all lands for
| a quarter of a century past. .'Gorgio
| chai r'-sGorgio chalr' Those words of
! Gypsy 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 and activities roar
! They call from striving and winning, from
! race and place, almost as the sweetest of
| all homc-sOunds to me. They come across
| invisible hills and meadows when the brain
| is tired and the pen weary. Georgia chal, ~
/ Georgia chal.'' 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 Gypsy faint in my
| blood; or | am become Gypsy vagabond alto
| gether. l would not resist the spell if
| 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 world
| Nearly all brought trophies of the days
| outing. Women who had been among the
| Umbrian ''statesmens" farms, were laden
with poultry, butter, eggs, cheese, knots of
| homeSpun yarn, and many an article repre-
| sentiug hours of toll, which had been eX-
| changed for bit of gibbcrish and ''for-
| tune while those from the villages of
| Amblcside, BOwness or Windermere, and
| some who had even jourueycd TO far-of
| Kendall chartered gaily over trifiing pur
Chases and gewgawS of worthless tinsel
and color. Now and then Gypsy appeared
in the lively condition of spirits, indicating
that considerable liquor had entered
into the days iocileying among the
wise yokels of the remoter ham
lets; but while some general
sport was had with the fellow, it was not
difficult 10 see that his weakness was the
subject of general disapproval. Indeed
there is an universal unwrittsn law among
Gipsies that all men may profit from. The
adage runs in this wise: ''Only a Gypsy
fool letteth his wits fly away through drink,
when he hath aught to do And there is
world of wisdom in that little sentence, if
these rude people did make i.
But soon the camp was everywhere filed
with life and activity. Horses neighed;
conkeys brayed; dogs charged and tumbled
over children and between horses heels;
while old men and women seemed 10 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 was taken up and finished with a
flourish at the other. Here are single stan
zas from three of them, called respectively,
by Day and Night" THE Night ha'
Come, " and 'Chee -Cheew (Silence BE
stillD:
By davies day and rat (night
Be as sly cat,
Or the bling devil will pull out his harro
With wink, through the hedge,
Or from OF some near ledge,
He will spring out and chop of your sherro
head
The night ha come, the stars are out,
The campires twinkle i the hedge;
But SureS / m a Gypsy lout,
Ii hobbies" sneak this camp about.
The stones will rattle from the ledge
An heads VIII break my word pledge
My word pledge, my word pledge.
On the drom (roa0 there is much that is try.
ing:
lTaI-a Il do fnr ~
Be as wise as an owl,
But if boobies should prowl.
Just give them fine lesson in lying.
Look them square in the yak (eye),
Ii they warn ye;
Hit them plump in the max (nose),
II they Scorn ye;-
For it's "Chee, chez" when the hobbies
come:
Then it's s.Chee, Chez" when the hobbies
come:
For its better to be lying than crying!
Mingled with the lusty notes of these
English Gypsy songs were merry ''tally-
yo-hos ~ rung out on the evening air by re-
turning horsemen to the campside singers.
Now and then some daredevil OF a fellow
(and often Gypsy woman, who is as much
the horses master as her Rommany lord,)
would come pell-men, full gallop into camp,
with whoop and halloa, and, dashing
through the brush 10 tgether, make the
tree-limbs rattle and clatter in passage,
while approving shouts or half-serious yells
and objurgations followed with the laugh
ing children and ecstatic dogs. Soon came
the supper-the really one great universal
home-Ineal of the Gypsy day. They were
long time at it as they always are, and as
much fun as food was taken. Then with
the CHEEKY camp-fires brightly burning.
here and there lantern hung from elevated
cart-thiIi or swaying copsewood, and with |
blazing cressets in honor of the stranger, |
first came my own tales of all the wonder |
Gus sood fortune of their own kind in |
America; then childrcns' games and all |
manner campside iollity: followed by sing
ing and dancing after marvellous jigs and |
reels upon ''raal OF cremonys;" until at |
last sleep and silence settled upon the Park |
dale Gypsy camp and the one "Gorgio |
Chal' within it, with that amplitude of rest !
which so comes with loving touch 10 no |
other people on earth as to
THIS OUTCAST RONMANT RACE.
The outcome of my visit TO my gypsy !
friends was making the acquaintance of a /
curious and interesting corner of England.
of which had never before heard, and |
which must also be to most Americans /
quite an unknown region. It is yariously |
known in Great Britain as East Norfork
and Suffolk Fens,;' the ''Broads Of Anglia" i
and, provincially and by fuwlers and spaxsD
men. as ''the Broads.'; One of the famN
lies of this gypsy Parkdale community ~
nuaiIy visits the Breads, lives in q punt
boat as floating camp home, and while
the women dicker and QUICKER among the
lnyylv naaSant families the men offer, with |