Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-05-08
roRTuNE-TELLER AND Gypsy.


and we desire to express at the begin
ming Of the story, that we have no
confidence in Gypsy assertions, but
being asked who and what were gip-
sizes uecessitated the removal OF dust
from ancient as we'll as modern his
tory. and in the examination Of their
numerous pages, we find they arc
wandering folk scattered through
every European land, over the greater
part Of Asia aud North America, and
along the northern coast Of Africa.
They are also very numerous in Per
STA Armenia, Asiatic Turkey, and
Egypt. Spain, France, Germany, and
italy. as well as Russia. They have
no house nor country, everywhere
they are found alike They wander
over the country, abusing people
by their knaveries. They deceive
men and women, robbing no one open
". They have no literature worthy
Of name, nothing but some rude bal
lads. some love and dance songs, and
a considerable mass of fortune-telling
stories, which often catches the
Young, the troubled, and weary, who
| have confidence in the ability OF the
Gipsies to impart any amount OF
knowledge to them Of the future, such
as the inheritance Of fortune, when
they will marry even going so far as
to outline the appearance OF the male
or female you are to marry, color OF
the ewes, hair, ETC. Their principal
faults are childish vanity, profession
al cunning, Incidence, and hot, pas
sionate temper. They have so Won
derful gift of tongue that formerly
it was reckoned against them for a
proof of sorcery. Outwardly, as w.t.
in, Gipsies present strong contrasts,
some being strangely hideous, others
very beautiful They appear to be
insensible to cold or wet, capable OF
supporting great fatigue. They pride
themselves on their small hands and
feet. Corpulence rarely occurs, and
onlv with the older women. The
hair which is black or dark brown, IN
c1ines to coarseness somewhat re-
sembling the Indians Of North Amer
lea. But the most striking feature IS
the full dark eye, now lusterless, now
changing to an expression of myster-
ious childlike sorrow, presently blaz-
ing forth with sudden passion. They
usually succeed we'll with the credu-
lous who give credence and untlrlug
attention to every word uttered by
the Gypsy fortune. teller. Nictimized
of money, and brain filled with worth
less information they depart from
them often with increased depression
of spirits and decreased III finances,
In the United States they are not so
numerous, yet we are troubled with
surplus number of them, and could
afford to live happy and enjoy the
comforts of life if there were none OF
them to apply their nefarious schemes
of trickery and fortune-telling stories.
In our youth we learned from a very
intelligent German that in his young
er DAYS there was scarcely a town OF
any size that did not have at least
one person who was supposed to be
more or less skilled in the art and
mystery of lortune-telling. One OF
these gentry took up his residence IN
small town and for time gained
scanty subsistence by making and
including baskets. Nobody knew
where he came from and as long as he
behaved quietly and peaceably but
few cared. By aud by the basket
making began to weary him, and by
some mysterious proceedings he es-
tablished his fame as fortune-teller'
ready to divulge for a reasonable
compensation, not only what was
past, but what was to come. Poultry
began to disappear and many articles
of value were missed by one and an
other in the vicinity of his residence
but he had established fame for tor
telling, which prevented MIN
from being suspected of taking any
part in such terrestrial employments.
More, that to inform the losers where
the articles were to be found, this he
would do for a suitable fee, and with
wonderful eXactitude.
This old German said: l must tell
you the story of woman who went
to this man to learn whether she
would ever hear from her husband
who was supposed to have been lost