Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-04
.BABA SYRA'S QUEST.

Copyright, 1s9i-All Rights Reserved.
Just within the western boundaries OF |
the noble old city Of Philadelphia winds
the lovely Wlssahiekon, fairest and most
enhancing stream yet indebted by man.
Retaining It's Indian name Of Wis
auGksickan. or the ycilow.colored stream,
1t has its source miles away from the
fertile Dutch meadows and wiichiug
hills of Bucks and Montgomery counties
1t springs from region full of quaint I
superstidons, and every rlyulet feeding It
or homestead or hamlet It passes furnishes
an added fancy, legend or weird old talei
until, reaching the gorge through which
for twelve miles It winds In fantastic
abandon before emptylng into the schuyI'
kill, 1t becomes a very witch nest OF
phuntasm, hobgobln and myth.
For seven or eight miles above its
mouth the channel Is strangely torturous
between banks Of rocks of mica schlst
Using In every imaginable fantastic ioFn'
70 picturesque and noble heights. These
oanks are bcwillornrIy mulhfoFm
clothed In tho rarest aud most varied
foliage, while ascending ana eFoWnlhB
tnp liusss.H Iu tithnl 7me nlr ln,' Nol
VI American forest trees, ranging AhEu'
arly from the magnolia 10 the cedar
ma thl, oak ever set In umItallc hrAulN
within the same narrow confines
Scarcely more than riyulct ns II cutters
The gorge, the stream increases IN NOlhue
from upland to the last deep pool where
.he Schuylkiil gnlps Y down ~ eYniii,2w'
and stream and bank FhuduW ana shlue'
fnclt and forrest, water below ana SKY
above. blend la one mutchess aud perfect
dream of rest.
There ia not spot upon which you
may 6tund your feet, plncc Your
hand or rest your eye which docs not
,hrIb and pulse back 10 your own m
stnntly.Nccorlcd sympathy, The sense
III genial sOlitude1nd Of loving rcstiulnr4s
N almost startling. 1t IN as soothing
dream set In stiffness 50 calm ana
hushcd that II h pnlpaby felt AZ the
very spot where the entrance to THIS
wonderland shuddcriugly faco4 tho crowd
n avenues 10 the great city. and slrlnRA
ughnst at the thundcrufs OF the laminE
iorgcs along the SchuylNll Il few rods
only will bring you 10 such solitude th0i
he aound of your own voice seems n drs
,cuhon. Here reaches long, lnkc-likc
arm, ripplclcss, dnrl, ls thon, but shining
ike burshel silver, Beyond there IL
1 wall Of grccn and bloom This scems
al all but silence. Breaking the spell
Tou come to this wall of green aud bloom
% find an abrupt winding of the cham
lel; and here In - cleaning circle, like
he luttering wings Of myriad poisng
butterflies, the stream IS WhHperingy
breaking away from another tarn above,
Dut 70 softly that all IL silent still,
Then another deep pool on whose sur
iace The oycwrchiug trees rim dark
shadows like black onyx tringlng q bed
Of sapphire whore * mirrurel the blue
sky above, This vnccless spot, may
hap, Is fed by swiftly speeding wWH
lOyel and even for little, by thread
Of trembling hastings where all the
elhns' songs are sung, or by necoy
cascade white aud spumy as shower
n thlBtlcdpwn; but there Is never uulD
NOR turbulence here,
Again appears little lake, or o wide
swirl Of waters where the spirits OF Che
stream seem in wild harrhanalNn chnsc
a some cleaning cnuldron. but the mirth
or witchery, or oprtc-madnoss Is In n
wild turmoil revealed Gully In u Skinner
and CLINT and motion. Lake or tnrn
again aid agnin, open and white 10
tho eky, or folded IN gluaming.like slad
ows' conturyuld dam where the uinss
Is almost blended with the rocks and
tho outrcaphiug roots OF great tr,ae
rivuleh9 triGkling down from countless
springs, or shadowy creeks creeping IN.
90 the greater strcnn through logeld
haunted gorges; tiny waterfalls where
the sunshine Offering through the tree
branches darts aud quivcM over notified
splRshcS Of shade: whlrling eddy whetp
leaf Of tree or feather Of passing bird
u dancing lyoly mnuet to ceuseles,
rythm OF unhcard tune; murmHrous shall
lows in beOweous windings for glcaiu.
Ing distances, but heslbant and eolt as
n whispered lullaby rhyme, deep and
dark backwntcr, whore the rounded rocks
point straight 10 heaven; stealthy outlets
wheN the waters sinuously weave Ia and
out around the polished bases of great
powders, like throads OF silver cleaning
through some jnggcd nrinor; covert chan.
nels winding through stolen PASSAGES
beneath oyerhnnglng lodges. as II the
waten huddlcd together for se,litiou
fcathcry cascQdes where the mlsts of
The clouds are again resolved 20 mist aud
swirl into humid, sOundless ncccintss he.
low.each and all, in all places, forms.
moods, are TO this enchanted stream as
u the gentle spirit OF the place. which
shall forever sootho and solacc mnst ~
veal Itself 10 the human soui alone ia
endles and unccasing expression OF an.
obtrusiYo beauty aud surprising tender,
neSs
The gypslcs, horn naiure-lovcrs that
they are, are over towering nearg Ii h
tnVH AtrAuN or uNugnt. The cump-Nres
are seldom dim among the ltte plens
and hollows above the WissaMekon rorse
the long bright summer through M,
city and It's diclScring are nenr 1ha
farms and their dukkering nro close M
hand; aud beside them Is tho neloiin,,'
stream which for very love thev nav,
come 10 call, IN their secret Roman,
tongue, "sutturril,ie core" or thc dea,.
sweet sleepsong dell
uh . June morning not many venr,
nFn inc going OF Raha SYRIA from ont Al
WlssahlcNnn gypsy camp was "a IN 4
thlng TO these inwny foll, OF the tent and
and still. "usuV'
SABA Sy'ra was only feeble old gyps,
w"nani 20 Old that her own name o.
syrelfn Stanley had not been heard /,
camp Tor years; so old that INC .yps,
WORD Tor greatgreat amt, ana old, oil
mother bahia, had long since ohllte,aie '
her own; 80 old that Griseldn. nor AMI,
child that had lived. was born vrhe,
bRha syria was still an AGED won,an
US gypslcs meastfre ages. IA al De
twenty years had already rom sinN
Srlse,da. a full crown lass. had lef
tals very camnsnoi never 10 return an,
me old souls quest beam. and iii Ia,
called her "RahA SYRIA" ,ons bcf5fn
hut the olden mystic hres mad hnrne,
with deadly hatred then. Grisldn bal
forsworn her race. She had como NV
sons between the eamp-slde aud the grea