The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-11

ui@(IOrIiE dnu ttttHfW -. L.
and DIVES: and laughing and carollIng u
myriad sccmings and songs as had hefe
come to other Gypsy KEN ~.
With some swift instinct or recoghlu"'
she saw and smiled 10 the saucy squire
darting like fash OF flame from hmo .
limb above her head; the little "sround
hackIe' chatterlng a welcome as u Ieape'
across her path like a berfbnoned plsin,
knight: and the solemn-faced RABBIT WIZ
ing upon his launches in ludicrous oeOo
rum az she passed.
And bow her oId-young heart thrilled
nj All the birds she loved and knew; th'
sand-pIper the heron. the blackboard, th'
robin. the thrush, the peevee, the lark
the red-bird. the s~ong-sparrow. the TINS
tle-anch. the blue-bird, and the wood
pocker with his CHEEKY, drowsy tattoo
masters without an opus, oTchestFas WIN
out pipes, singers without WORDS ou'
gathered here this radiant morning III
This witchine Wissahlckon vale TO greet
paba syria as she went her way; and
touching her dim oh consciousness win
such ra ,ishlng numbers upon oboe ana
f,te. piccolo and pipe. Tyre ana iute'
tuned In low and loving key. mat inc
tender companionship she already leil
Vas told again In liquid cadences Dlenoeu
I'm note OF bird, IN whispering breeze ~
voice Of stream: all as never came u
-
mortal ears before. ,.oa
Like many a one not OF 'ipSS ".
before her time and since, she cou't
thus have ever wandered on. but AZ
last the highway WAS reached Nhere tH'
| r,rmbling OF the wagons roihhS co"""S
ward and cityWard and the tnunnellle'
| OF the FORCES along the SchuylKii' as
| PEELED the brief -enchantment III a HAPPY
Gypsy surprise.
" ts-oIoI -ha lfff1nt I1l0Ck from
the glen 10 the highway the imperative
whining and ~tail-wagging of Bcze drew
her ewes TO a huddled group Of Gipsies
al the wayside copse. They stood there
sheepishly grinning and beckoninS
10 her. and she went to them wonder
ingly. Zeph. the chief. taking her arm
scothingly in his own. as the women
with Bob and Ephe crowded about them
and they all moved slowly around the
wooded turn of the road. first spoke.
Illus thought as you might like a
little mukto-tan o yer own, Baba;' he
said cndearingly.
jess all by yourself wen We cooms
an goes;' assurlngly added che Of the
women.
"Spick an span. tidy an purity
heartily piped in another dame.
"Ye gifts tn sun by day an moon by
night, right in yer tent door-I mean.
yer front winder; jess tn same as wi
hus on tn road. mother" cheerily chirp-
ed another.
An a brave bit o. grass be T. tn
yard. an a siller poplar rustles an gills
(sings) agin t'other winder;'' Ephe radi-
antly remembered.
But It remained for Bob alone 10 bel
low the heart challenge rightly.
"Ay, ay, mother dear" he blurted with
- ILL., l.. - 80
''nits all Jess for you an'-an' GriselIa,
wen we finds the racklie lass"
Until this moment Baba syria had seem
ed dazed and troubled by the loving de-
monstration. Bob had flashed enough Of
its meaning TO her i'm an instant. They
were entering the little roadside cottage
now, tiny enough indeed for this one lone
life Of little needs, but fresh and clean
and bright as Gypsy hands could make
II; with the dear old kettle stick of the
camp set snugly beside the Fireplace.
its hanging pot already singing above n
CHEEKY blaze: a hooded tent. freshly
spread with straw and leaves. fixed oDen-
mouthed before it; a pile of Gypsy
wrought baskets tumbled in a corner;
a great rocking-chair between the ket-
tle-stick and the tent; and all about the
brick floor of the quaint little room scat
tered here and there were objects Of IA
miliarity and affection at least to Gipsy
life. and eyes. But the tenderest con-
juring Of all was those words of tinker
Bob, for they held the blessed promise
clear TO all these loving aids 10 Baba
Sy'ra's quest.
"My dearie Dubblesky, for the dear
Lords sake,") she e%xultantly quavered ct
last. Eyes. yes, yes. Jess Tor me ana
Griselda, Wen she comes"
rrl,o. .Io con 20 GfESinR all the band. !
and rocking herself to and fro I'm gentle
delirium of happiness; while these lncor-
rigib.e heather Of the road futtered about
her. much as men and women 81 tne
Christian race might do when moved TO
aughter and 10 tears.
A few davs later f~requenters OK one OK
P~hiladelphia's ancient ana plcturesqus
market-houses noticed an ood Iltlle oiu
woman with turbaned white head crouch
ing upon-the outer pavement "nn0ns II
sellers of flowers and herbs
she nodded. smiled and crooned 10 ai
who smoke to her, and to all OF kindly
tone and face who paused TO examine or
huv her dainty baskets Tor spice anu
thread. her tiny cages or her niue
lunches of wild herbs, she would quay
eringly ask. "Have ye seen SIlse'p@ 4"
morn" Or she would say Win a lou
az seeming confidence as though all We're
quite we'll understood between heIs.l
and the purchaser, Tell Grlselda I'm
waitin' ere
TO tbe ~strapping, red-faced. huge
framed, brawling market women ABOUT
her she was at first a subject for merry
tests. These not disturbing the piteous'
CHEEKY calm OF the strange old face,
they fell a wondering and querying VINO
she was and whence she came. Her
only answer was,
.rm Bahia syria, Griselda's mother.
Griselda's lost. tn deariel Az, ay, these
twenty year; but she'll COON. l know
she'll COON"
Then the hard harTidans would shout
laughter, and she would childishly
laugh with them; until the puzzled mar
women would whisper together and
knowingly tap their frowsy heads. In
time they became, in their rough way,
very gentle To her; called her Basket
Baba," Gypsy Green's" and "Griselda's
SYRIA" which name she loved best. not
in reproach or petulance, but because
must have n cant name for all
they knew, and with something now of
the meditation OF voma.ly friendliness
in their tones; white, bless the rough
hearts within these brawny frames, they
came TO making n snug place for the
lorn woman among them. and when the
dripping fogs Mapped gaostlily from the
Delaware. or the storms pelted them
under cover from the street-edge. they
often sat close about her and sheltered
her as best they could.
In the meantime BOze. NANCY. gaunt
grizzled Boze. Jared worse IN his earl
Ter contact with city life. Nothing could
persuade him 10 return from the cottage
To the Wissahickon camp. He followed
syria gingerly 20 the thick OF the
town and here for q time, true Gipsy that
was he lOifor9d and fO1rnf and