The record-union., 1894-02-03

da had come TO Baba Syria. Bible in
hand. and besought her to forsake the
tent and the road; to lead the gOrgiO mon
gypsy merripen or lite; to come with her
into the peace of Christian paths and
ways. The old woman heard her to the
end with painting breast and glittering
eyes.
$50! Ye are no chauvie o. mine,
The curse o. all Romany folk go wT
yew
So answered Baba Syria, and Griselda
went away. They burned her little
clothing gewgaws, as gypsies at burlais
do, mOurned her loss tenderly for Baba
Sy'ra's sake. as for one dead, and, for a
time, her name was said no more.
The gypsy mother-heart throbs like
them all, and soon old Baba Syria ling
scanning their members faces with al
most savage eagerness; listened furtively
TO gossip of the road with never sated
hunger; piled all arts of spae-wlte craft
and cunning on those who idly came,
until her lost child's name was ever on
her trembling tongue.
''Tell her, if ye come up VII her," the
deSolate soul would say with husky voice
and averted head, ''as hus doan't claim
her in law nor in force, but as hus do
yearn after her by night an by day, by
near an by far, an how hus jess wants
her homewise an kindly WI hus as is
her own, jess - jess W'ensohever she
likes w
For nearly twenty years this piteous
plant had Quavered from the old gypSy's
withered lips. But now that the band
were again at the WissahickOn camp, a
sudden and great strength Of purpose had
come to Baba Syria. Bob, the grinder,
had bellowingly argued against it. Zeph,
the chief, had kindly and firmly dissuaded
All the raunies and racklies had crowded
about her tent, and, womanlike, had
urged, in garrulous and fearful tender
ness, the dangers of her quest. Even
shock-headed Ephe, Grselda's gypsy
lover of old, and true to his younger day
dream through all these years, mad said
it must not be,
But nothing could dissuade or dis
hearten her. Her>tottering limbs seemed
to have regained the strength of youth.
and strange light had come into her
pinched old face that flied the gypsies
about her with something akin to awe.
Long into the previous night the men
sat smoking their pipes by the campfire
consulting hopelessly.
''She has na long TO live. Hus might
tell her what hus knows" suggested
Ephe despairingly.
''She'd jaw the drom take the road
then, sartin,' said the chief slowly shak-
ing his head.
''Or ne'er speak to hus agin. 'Twould
be th' killin' O. her behkes,' responded
Ephe.
lv, "th' baba morris a bit range i her
'ead the grandmother is a bit wild in her
head. 'Owsumdever all believes, Hi
says gr th' poor body her own foolish
ment."
''She be a rawnikie decking gueri "a
lady-like looking woman, an she'd
COON to no harm peerdiein' (roaming)
'round OF Philadelphy fur Griselda a
Bit" suggested the chief thoughtfully.
'An' hus'll bide about ere till wen win
teri. Hus might git th' little mukto-tan
literally box tent; cottage) by th' bridge
fur she?"
"Paracrow tute! paracrow tute" Il
thank you gratefully exclaimed Ephe
grasping the chiefs hand very warmly.
s9Hrll go now IAN dicker Tor it against th'
morn."
With this Ephe hurried away over the
hillroad to Manayunk, the pretty village
hard by the Wissahickon Bridge, where
the highway from the great Dutch farms
of Central Pennsylvania winds broad and
white to Philadelphia's olden market
houses and squares, and, after little
whispering and holdings of approval and
delight between the chief, Bob and a few
of the older women of the band, the fires
were banked, and the gypsies, taking one
by one a parting peep at Baba SYRIA S
face, as peaceful now as a child's in slum-
ber, crept softly to the hooded tents for
the night.
So when the morning came old Baba
Syria rose sprightly as girl, placed some
coin and Griselda's picture in her bosom,
parted tenderly with all her gypsy kin
and stepped lightly down the path lead
ing from the camp to the sun-splatched
river road below.
She had hardly disappeared within the
glen when half a score of gypsy men and
women, carrying all manner OF camp be-
longings, and with loyal Ephe at their
head. set out in the same direction along
the road above. Only a few old Spae-
wives, the romping chauvies and horde
of those strange sentinels OF the gypsy
camp, the griZZled, gaunt and voiceless
gypsy dogs, remained.
One of the latter, "Old Boze,' battle
SCARED and grim, seemed soreIy worried
and perplexed. lie ran a little way to-
ward the departing gypsies, halted and
| looked long and wiSttuIly after them, and
| trotted back to the camp. Smiling about
! the vacant tent of Baba SYRIA, Boze
/ whirled his head around and around
with open mouth and whining gurglings
of grief and dolor. Then circling the
! camp with furtive looks, as Ii about tC
! commit unwarranted treachery or saw
! age toray, he suddenly shot along the
/ river path, halted, raised his head and
peered trembling toward the registering
| gypsy children sporting at the camp edge
! above, and then, with dropping tail
| and lowered nose, glided swiftly with
weaving, searching motion to Baba Sy'
| ras side.
Boze looked into the older pilgrim'c
upturned ,lightfui face, licked her withereG
| hand. tugged at her futterlng gown,
! stopped her, retired a few spaces, sal
upon his launches beating tattoo witt
| his tail upon the ground. and plainly said
with lolllng tongue. halt-closed eyes ano
wagglng head:
Now Baba SYRIA, We'll go back tc
camp together"
! The old woman understood the brute's
| affectionate pantomlne instantly, bui
| seemed as il hesitating a moment ir
! thought. Then she sternly ordered the
dog TO camp. Boze would not go. He
! sidled about her, sprang away as she
/ shook her stick at him, always returning
/ in an instant as Baba syria resumed hel
way. Finally the old woman turned
and looked at him with smile. Boze
wagged his tail 1urlousIy. linen she salo
! kindly:
'.Coom long, COON long, Boze. We'll
find Griselda together"
| With q bound the faithful animal was
at her side, crowding his head against
her feeble limbs as if Loyalty offering hel
that promise of support, and thus, old
Baba Sy'ra's hand resting upon the dogs
stoutly poised head, the two battered old
| lives, each firm in a determination thai
held them close to the end, passed down
the enchanting valley path beside the