The Green Forest tribune., 1896-03-12
European Lettor.
(From our Special Correspondent,)

The one great charm of travel in
Spain is the absence of fellow tourists.
lhe "Nectar of Romance and Adven-
ture" has not all been drained by curl
Gus Americans and disconnected Eng
lish and one finds the people as musical,
picturesque. and unclean as could be
wished. The local color and life have
withstood the comparatively little inva-
sion of travel, and though Granada
with its Incompatible Alhambra has
been the goal of more curiosity and
sightseeing than other Spanish cities,
it retains many of its purely character
istic and delightful features. One of
these is the gypsy camp in the outskirts
Of the city. We drove there late one
afternoon and saw the gipsy in h ma
tive lair. Ceryantes alone describes
these people as, Gust as God made
them and oftentimes worse" Educa-
zion has never laid her rule or ferule on
them. honesty and morality have
passed them in despair, and if the
proverb affirming the proximity of
cleanliness and godliness is true the
gipsies are way off" It has been
enough for them that they live and
they have never asked those enigmat-
ical questions whence, why, and With
er. Their houses are caves and we were
allowed to go through one. The first
l,o IL Ias y
choicest one the abode of the pigs.
There We're many Of these compart-
ments about the size Of a steamer state
room, and as one groped his way by the
aid Of small candle into the depths
Of the bill, the smell became painfully
prominent. The pigs, though. like the
gipsies, were contented and tie fact of
being kept in the parlor, or square
room, added no arrogance to their am
liable manners. Evidences of certain
luxurious tastes were to be seen in the
cave such as piece of carpet before
each bed on the earthen floor, and
stovepipe running up from the kitchen
fire place. Indeed. artistic taste was
also manifest, for hanging over the bed
in one Of the rooms was a highly color
ed advertisement of German beer.
When we left the cave we were told
that We could see the real genuine gypsy
dance for the modest sum of seven dol
lars, but we declined. Our interpre ters
after a consul tation with the gipsies
told us our economy would be respected |
and the dance given for five dollars.
AS we drove regretfully away we were
again informed that though it was
great sacrifice and altogether unpara-
lelled in the annals of history we might
see it for three dollars. We accepted
this proposition though it developed
that we really paid four dollars, the last
one being in redemption of a counter
felt dollar that had been substituted
for the good one We had given. The
coin was probably the product Of gipsy
Ingenuity and so far as | know, the
transaction may be one of their estab-
lished ways.of making an honest dollar,
SO to speak. The dance, however, was
q ute worth the experience. Accom-
panied by our two guides and two |
policemen who, it was explained, were
necessary for our safety and who only /
added to our general feeling OF lnsecur-
ity, we went up II dark alley, darker /
flight Of steps and into a tiny room
where the orchestra and dancers were
assembled. The orchestra consisted /
of hree men who played the gull tar,
mandoline, and tambourine. The /
dancers were four ugly women aud d
pretty one all gorgeously afrayed IN
ers in her coarse dark hair. The sell
vices opened with frightful song that
nearly deafened the audience, which on
account OF the size OF the room was
within two feet of the singers. Then
the women danced together-an active, /
SD ri ed dance such as kiralfry la0ors /
to get, This Was followed by a sort Of
"danse du ventre." There We're sever
al graceful. figures danced by the wo-
man, and then one, LA Hata,' W the I
tambourine player and the pretty girl I
which was quite the preItiest of all, !
and would compare favorably with the
best dances on the American stage. +
During the performance | wondered T
that some enterprising American had {
not imported them all to AmericaAR
made his fortune by putting them on
the stage. One docs not find such
abandon, animation, ano natural grace
i l. al .