Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-18

SUNTHN' HAPPENS.
Another 10 years had come and gone.
The sweet sunshine was flooding into
Maple Valley, back there among the
now verdure-softened New England
hills. 1t was an early morning In May,
and but few sounds broke the stiffness
OF the grea. gypsy camp in the grove
alongside the highway on Maple Hill
farm. The birds above, and rollicking
| old tinker, Zeb Boswell, among the
handsome wagons and hooded tents
below, were having all to themselves
the glory OF the opening day.
Soon tinker Zeb beloved out 10
hearty song the refrain of an old York
shire gypsy ballad, when as IL by magic
every member OF the drowsy camp
seemed astir. Smothered voices in the
close-hooded tents took up the melody.
Grinning heads, musical MS the morning,
protruded from snug wagon covers.
Half dressed gypsies came into sight
everywhere. As If possessed by some
swift and unaccountable spirit of mirth-
full mischief, all seemed ready for frolic.
The thinkers repealed the refrain. More
and more voices joined. Zeb looked up
from his mending knowingly, conscious
of the ballads power upon his fellows,
and, after briskly patting some dogs
which had bounded to his side as II
they too knew the merriment in store,
began the roaring song of
ITS .ouEE cHEsl" WHEN THE Boobies COME.
On the drom (rradl there's much tina, is trying;
Make dickering do for thy buying;
| Be as wise as an owl, $3.50
But II hobbies should prowl,
! just give them q lesson In lyingi
fban In I'm ualr lava
Hit them plump in the max (nose),
| For It's SCheel chee I" when the bobbies come
Then lis "cheel cheep-when the boobies
come
Far better be lying than cryingi
On the drom there's much that u trying;
Listen sotti when tho grye [horse) is a-shying;
| When the dugai dog lies low;
| Get behind the hedge-row:
For then the sly hobbies are pryingl
Look them square in the yak,
For thy rahnlo twfe);
Hit them plump in the max
save thy caunie (hen, fowl
For its "uhee chee T. when tho hobbies come;
Then ts"Cheel cheel"-When the boobies come
Far better be lying than crying
Gradually moving to the center of the
camp from all directions, still singing,
came the gypsies; every face, from spae
wife to chauvle, aglow with the to them
irrepressible humor Of the song. Some
Of the men sang in wonderful baritone,
and powerful base voices were heard.
The women and children carried the
soprano, rich, hearty, eloquent; and
many an old and toothless woman lifting
her tones to thrilling falsetto sang
clear and true above all the rest.
How they sang, thought 1t was as if
one voice and spirit were bent on reveal
ing the whole strange, weird drama of
the tent and the road. The melody, too,
was almost lyric in its fitness to the
brave situations disclosed; tho whole
concluding with the marvelously rollick-
ing and vociferous refrain,
/ Far better be lying than cryingl-
Immediately upon which the entire
band INDUCED in q glorious frolic,
wherein many an old dame found her.
self being carried above stout gypsy
heads to the covered wagons to complete
her toilet, and tinker Zeb himself was
many a time sent merrily to grass,
finally being tossed over the fence into
young hazel copse for raising the ac-
ceptable Disturbance
Tinker Zeb, recovering his breath
while still laughing uproarously, had
just parted the hazel branches with his
hand preparatory to returning to camp
by way of the open farm-lot and road,
when his eyes met a pitiful sight. An
old woman lay PROSTATE among the
dew-wet graves a few rods distant, her
white face pressed closed to a narrow
mound of earth, and her thin arms
clasped tightly around the little weed
stained stone at its head.
A few bounds like those of some pom
derous animal brought Zeb beside her.
He peered sharply in her face, placed
his ear upon her breast, and then bel
lowed out, "Everlastin' hammers and
tongsl Wat heyer bes tn matter vii
Grandma 'UllW
He lifted her in his arms and carried
her into camp as lightly as though she
had been an infant; with q few quick
words In Romany to his companions he
left her tenderly nursed by the women
in chief Stanley's tent; and hurrying
away in few minutes had returned
with Mary Hull, who, ghostly white but
with something of the calm of her
mothers early days in her quiet eyes,
set straight about reviving the broken |
old life; while Jane and Josh, trembling |
in feeble helplessness and terror, soon |
crouched and moaned beside the hope.
less pair.
Then these strange gypsy folk, mar
Vicious in their cunning as in their |
boundless compassion, drew from Mary |
and Josh the whole sad tale: OF the |
soldier-lad who had suddenly stopped |
writing to his mother, and had never |
returned, though the ever and-neyer |
despairing mother-heart refused to
believe him dead; of debt growing to |
obligation, and it in turn to encum.
brauce, which had swallowed even the |
lifetime savings of loyal Jane and |
Josh, leaving them weakly staring at |
the poor house door as at an open grave,
and which was to take Maple Hill farm
forever from Grandma Hull this very day;
and, finally, of the one relentless hand
that had swept hope and peace from this
wrecked victim Of her own good deeds,
and ripened the ruin of defenceless
home; when poor old Josh in an agony
of helplessness piped out.
ats all the doin's-7cuss him l--of old
Silas--" WIZ ~,
"Slaterr -. |
The whole camp hissed the name with 4