The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-24


than strong mans voice could reach
from the quaint old hamlet of llkley, was
band of Yorkshire gipsies who were
soon to break camp and set sail for
America, the gypsy haven beyond the
sea
Two hearts in this Wharfe-side camp
were well nigh broken.
One was Matthew's.
Matthew was gypsy lad, orphaned
poor: a poverty-stricken nswken or
tinker; poor tinker, too, and despised;
for he was a reader of Gorgio books and
dared to grope on blindly for learning
and light; had shown signs of rhymes be-
sides: and had therefore become an out
cast with this people.
How great an outcast, when an outcast
of outcasts!
1t all rested upon him as a curse, save
with a single soul in Yorkshire.
Loretta loved him; loved him for these
despised things in him, which, to Just this
one human being, defed him.
Loretta was the pet OF the Yorkshire
tribes. She was but a dainty mite of a
thing yet; but so full of jest and wit and
merriment. that her presence had come
into a thousand peasant lives and left
there an ideal dream.
How many had already come wooing
none knew. The sprite had sent them all
away, no longer her lovers simply her
valiant knights of honor; and each factory
or hamlet for a score of miles around held
a discarded lover, but always housed
friend.
Well was Loretta guarded by keen eyes
and strong arms; but she was gypsy
lass that could out-gipsy them all.
Loretta, oh, Loretta!'
In the unwonted excitement of the
morning the pride of the camp had disap-
peared.
Il oretta p, and 'Oh, Lorettal" rang
out shrilly from spae-wife to chauvie
(child), and was taken up and repeated
by youth and maiden everywhere.
IVY an we're an hever is tn racl1lie?
(dear little girl)" sang out old Lijah Bos-
well. grinder, buffoon and merry father
heart of every boy and girl in the band,
as he clustered and hurried here and
there, and clustered and hurried only.
Matthew was also missing.
Where was the daft nawken,
Matthews
And where was Loretta, rackliel
The throstles, building their nests in the
hedge which swept down from the high
way until it touched the river Wharfe
below, could have answered.
There, despite the calls from the camp,
the child-lovers were sobbing their
parting.
Nothing to give, my dearie; nothing
but this to give you!"
AN W at is hit Matthew"
"Only some lines I've made TOTO you -
''W'at! AN made 'em all by yourself
An for mel"
Then she kissed him impetuously, limo
Gently.
Read 'em Matthew. Oh, do, do I'll
allus keep 'em; allusl"
Loretta, her great eyes dancing with
greedy pleasure, nestled her bright,
warm face close, close to Matthew's, while
her long, glossy hair swept over his Shout
ders and breast, as the outcasU rhmy-
ster chokingly began
Long we've wandered, darling wandered;
Heath and moor and highway DER;
Now we part. here to linger;
Thou 10 seek far-o1 shore,
Out beyond the ocean roar.
Darling, by our troth-plight given,
Darling, by thy hope Of heaven,
Oh, be true as l to thee
Save the sweetest kiss for me-
"Days will pass with long hours weary,
Nights all sleepless, starless grow,
And thy Nawken lover. dearie,
All the pain Of waiting know;
Waiting longing, with their woe.
Darling, by our troth-plight given,
Darling, by thy hope of heaven,
Oh, be true as ! to thee
Save the sweetest kiss for me-"
Loretta, racklie2-Oh, Lorettal"
The whole camp was filled with alarm.
She snatched the verses from the lads
hand. She showered them with kisses.
She hid them as some priceless thing
within her bosom. Then she fairly
danced around her bewildered lover, tell
ing him how, when on shipboard, she
would look longinglY back, far back
across the dark waters which divided
them, and sing to him, for him, these
lines as the song and the cry of her heart
would sing them as the song of her lips
and life; and that they should be to them
both sacred tie until the years and the
tide should resistlessly sweep them again
together.
Then long embrace: and then:
U~Mi dearie Dubbleskyr (for the dear
Lords sakeD from the old grinder Liiah
Boswell, as the startled lovers saw his
ersb merry, but now angry, eyes peerlng
through the parted branches of the hedge
above them.
= Mi dearie Dubblesky!" grinder Lijah
repeated in horror and dismay. "Lor-
eta, child! Yen break a our hearts wi
this"
She sprang from Matthew toward the
good old grinder. She thrust her round .
little fist close into his kindly face. Then
she Kissed at him, while the clenched
hand trembled.
..Liiah Boswell !--Lijah l-hif We hever
tells on me, Hill kill ye! So Hi will Hi
'asn't forgot Him Romany-nor Romany
woman, neither! Go We back T. camp.
Hill be yon afore ye"
''Oh, an wat Loretta, racklie!" whis-
pered kind-hearted Lijah, as he passed
her few moments later and shook his
shaggy old head, as she demurely re-
ceived the anxious questionings and low
ing greetings of the querulous women of
the camp.
In an hour more the camp was disband-
ed and the last partings with gypsy kin
had been said. Up TO the highway; down
over the old stone bridge of nkley; up
beyond the ancient church of All Saints
among " hose near graves many a gypsy
chauvic (childl was resting and then
over the breezy Yorkshire hills, and on,
on, TO the seaport town, had sped the de-
parting tribe
Back in the deserted camp prone upon
the ground where Loretta's tent had
stood, his hands clutehing his battered
tinkers wheel, lay Matthew.
The throstles sang sweetly in the hedge ;
the Wharfe, as for aye. flowed softly on
ward 10 the sea; but the broken life left
utterly desOlate was as one dead to the
radiant sweetness of that fair May
morning, and could Jnly moan:
Loretta. rackliel oh, Loretta.'
Then the weary tramp began. Weary
load and dreary life!