The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-01-07
Le1and's Gypsies.

Fart Of the glory Of knowing Romany
LES in the fact that it is not in books
and must be learned from the gypsies
themselves, and the gypsies the world
over make it a kind of secret and will
speak it or teach it only when they are
very good friends with you. They like
to have it as 4 mystery just as chill
dren like to make up gibberish that
they talk with their chums and out
siders don't understand.
Charles G. Leland the author Of the
Hans Breitman ballads, knows more
OF these people and their language
than any other American; and there
are very few people in the world that
know SO much, and gypsies in America
and England and Austria and RUSSIA
know him and love him and call him
the Romany Rye, that is, gypsy gen
tleman, because they think no one can
understand them so well who is not
partly u gypsy himself. e.
Mr.. Leland loves to meet strange
q gypsies and speak to them in Romany
lust to see their aStonishment and de-
light, and he has had a great many
funny experiences in that way.
NIoTI of the Roads
One time he was making a walking
/ tour in Wales with Prof. Palmer OF
Cambridge university, and as they
l,1nched by the roadside there came by
the decentest and poorest Of old
women; she acted as it she were going
to pass them. but they spoke to her
and asked her about herself ;she said
she was walking to 4 town, twenty
miles away, to see her daughter who
was diving in the hospital there; she
seemed very sad but quiet and resign
ed. for she was very religious; she was
Il Methodist, she said, and had letter
from her pastor in her pocket; she SAID
she had been a washerWoman for forty
Years. The gentlemen asked her if she
had any money, and she said no, but
she did rot beg: of course their hands
started for their pockets, but just then
Mr.. Leland, looking up suddenly,
caught very gypsy-like CLEAN in her
eyes, and he paused with daWnlng
wonder in his mind. He said suddenly:
Can tute rakker Romanes, miri
dye?" which, being interpreted, means
Can you speak Romany, my mother?'
q and she answered Overwhelmingly:
.The Lord forbid, sir, that l should
speak any of them wicked languag es."
Prof. Palmer is great Romany
scholar himself, and he now drew his
hand out of his pocket and waited
. with frightening eyes. MI. Leland now
said in Romany:
"You needn't be afraid; I've been
upon the road myself"
La, sir, you be upon the road now,'
exclaimed the old woman in confusion,
whereupon> Prof. Palmer cried out:
at seems to me, old lady that you
understand >Romany remarkably we'll
II for such a devout Methodist"
THE simple old Christian looked from
one to the other, speechless, and then
Mr.. Leland took out one penny and
said: There, I'll give you this because
you are such a very poor person, but
I'll give you pocketfull if you'll rak-
kerr that is, talk Romany.
When the gypsy saw she was not
going to get into trouble but that the
gentlemen were ready to enjoy the
whole trick, her face frightened with
witch-like fun, and she put a hand on
her hip and said.in Romany:
Gentlemen, Ill have you know thai
"a when you talk to me you talk to a reg
ular shrewd old trickster,' and the1
she turned to MI. Leland and CRIED
joyously, Il know who you are now
you're the baro Romany Rye Ohe tai
e gypsy gentleman) I've heard about.
have wanted to see you, and now you
can go your way and brag about 1T II
your house that Old Moll of the Road
couldn't take you in, that you fount
her out; and well you may brag, 70
never another rye will say as much
Never" And after she had played a
telling their fortunes, because she di'
not try to make gentlemen who knew
so much believe in such doings, sh
q danced away backward in the sui
shine, rafting her money in her hands
j as agile and happy as deer in tn
forest.
A Little Gypsy Thief. .--
But though gypsies never believe i
y their own fortune telling, and wi
never try to palm off their prophecie
on those who know their tongue an
their ways, they always think there
such thing as true fortune tellin.
and sometimes when they find thu