The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-18

cold weather, store their wagons and tents
and betake themselves to very humble and
inexpensive lodgings in some quarter
where they are likely to be free from OBJ
servation. The men of the family haunt
the horse markets and sales stables, trad
ing horses still, as in summer, or making
themselves of use in various ways. The
women either go from house to house tell
ing fortunes, or secure a position in some
dime museum, where they sit in very
conventional tent and tell very short for
tunes to the stupid people who come to
stare at them
Once feeling hungry for the sight of
dark face and for the sound of a word of
the R many tongue, I went into one of
these places in the hope of finding a gyp
sy. There true enough, was a little tent
and the crowd of galderly gorgios (green
Gentiles), and within a dark-skinned
young woman with black eyes l waited
until the crowd moved away to another
room, and then entered the little tent and
held out my hand. Pen mengy, if man
dy'n be bichaday pawdel for chorin'.
cry or nashkado for MORN a CAV mush?"
l asked the Gypsy, quoting Charles Le-
land. The flow of conventional words and
the conventional smile both ceased in an
instant, to be replaced by a gasp and
stare, for I had asked, Tell me if I'll be
transported for stealing a horse or hang
ed for killing a policeman"
We soon became very good friends as
it appeared that the young fortune-teller
was married to a nephew of one of my
best Gypsy friends.
Later I visited them at their city quar-
ters There was the young husband and
his old mother and father and number
of brothers and sisters. They were living
i'm two rooms at Weehawken street, in
New York There they had brought their
silver In some big wicker hampers, and
their clothing in boxes and trunks. 1t was
a strange medley of richness and squalor.
Once when l took a dinner with them l
had splendid silver before me, and pro-
fessional woman tramp from Scotland,
called Bessie, slipping her tea from costly
mug at my elbow. These Gypsies were very
fond of the theater, and l remember taxi
ing them all one night to the Star theater
to see a play in which some of their own
people figured as characters During the
first act they sat quiet and attentive but
when the curtain went up on the second
act. which was a very realistic Gypsy req
resentation of Gypsy encampment, with
hooded tents. camp fire and all, it was too
much. Slowly, one after the other, they
arose until four Gypsies stood in line look
ing down upon the scene from the first
balcony, utterly forgetful of the eyes upon
them.
in winter if the Gypsy has had pros
porous summer, he is fond of seeing his
wife array herself Gypsy fashion and 60
out TO visit among many of her own peo-
pie who may chance to be staying IN the
same town or city. This Gypsy finery is
sometimes very fine indeed In San Fran
cisco the wife of a Gypsy friend of mine
was wont to attend the theater clothed in
eealsl<in and black silk Rare old shawls
and gaudy dresses they are sure to have;
the oriental love Of color is stiH strong
among them. Rare jewels, too, are not in
frequently displayed. Coral and amber, sill
yer and gold, and diamonds and pearls. l
have seen a diamond ring on the brown
hand Of an old Gypsy Queen. the value OF
which was $500.