The Omaha morning bee., 1922-10-15
The Bee
Book Shelf


NIGHTS AND DAYS ON THE GYPSY
TRAIL Through AndaluslA and other
Mediterrsn.sn shores with an se-
count Of the Ronsny race and an IN.
PRODUCTION by George ". woodbury.. BY
fishers.
Mr.. Brown presents In q fascinat'
Ing manner the Joys and adventures
OF the gypsy trail along which he
Travelled to collect Spanish gypsy folk
songs and to study the singers. The
reader Ia taken to Barcelona. Cadlz.
Jerez. Seville, Granada and other cen.
tcrs where the Gitanos may be seen
IN their simple dwellings. pursuing .
free. wandering life and caring
neither for trade nor empire.
The author, a student Of the Uni.
versity Of Wisconsin, got TO the very
heart Of gypsy life. He believes there
Is a strain OF gypsy blod In his veins.
He learned their language, acquired
n Romani brown complexion and ad.
mits that he had the "Romani fever"
meaning the wanderlust. He was re.
ceived by the gypsles In Spain as one
OF their own, an advantage manlfestly
valuable for his cause. The observa.
NloDS anu tADtIlflieN VI NiTs IcTONIl
are graphically related. He offers n
series Of word pictures which TEEN
with the charm and fascination OF
Romani lie.
"The race that has never grown
up" he writes. THE true Romantics
love the wide. world all nature liz
their fatherlond. Since the earliest
times men have dreamed Of golden
age, where mankind lived In utter
simplicity, beneath the stars, untrou
bled by Ideas Of good and evil"
He describes the gypsy dancers.
dreamy and passionate and proud ;"
He writes OF the Joy Of life that Is
theirs; the song, the dance and the
wine, along the gypsy trail In Spain,
Relating the wild and gay festivities
in the Cafe Villa Rosa in Barcelona.
he refers to Call. I'm her seni-orlen.
tai costume, showing her white teeth,
smiled at by her victims, who We're
applauding her frantically." Aristo.
cratic Barcelonese gazed on this whlrl
wind OF passion. spurred on to wilder
steps and flercer mirth by the finest
wine in the world.
"Chaste, as a rule In their marital
relations, the gypses find expression
for all their deepest passions IN their
songs and dances The dancers are
full Of subtle grace to the tips OF their
fingers"
He adds: Nowhere, save In Rus
sa or Hungary. do the Rypsies fas.
climate the wilder memb rs OF the
aristocracy to the same degree, max.
ing them forget everything, ready to
throw away their fortunes, their
names. and their very lives merely to
please these children OF nature. The
very fact that these bewitching girls
never even grant n kiss. drives these
wealthy Spaniards to desperation
Again: "Romani existence is life
in It's barest essence, free from the
unessentlals, vivid and intense, with.
out nerve-racking tension; 1t is an
eternal holiday! The gypsies are like
the negro NANNY who explained her
happiness and freedom from worry,
saying: Honey, It's cause ! weahs de
worl like a loose garment. "
Mr., Brown unwittingly tantallzes
his western reader with detaged de-
scription OF visit to one OF the
largest wine cellars in the world, at
Jerez. Read: I'VE sat in comforta.
BILE wicker chairs while an attendant
brought us glasses of characteristic
VINES. First pale Amontillado, dry
and light as sunshine. The
next was Pedro Limenez Venerable,
the embodiment OF a Horatian ode.
1t was followed by a Muscatel, in the
making OF which sufficient grapes
were used TO produce score OF or.
dinary Muscatels. 1t was a sweet
wine. caressng the palate, and giving
one the sensation Of absorbing the
very soul OF the grape. Some Ma
poleon was brought In. For l50 years
II had lain maturing In the cask. a
contemporary OF Voltaire and Wash.
ington. Finally bottle of sparkling
sherry was opened
The book is dedicated to Vincente
Blasco lbanez. who has given us
such varied and vivid pictures Of tns
Spanish gypsy" There are 1855 illus
trations from photographs Of gypsy
life taken by Austin A Breed OF Gin.
oinnati. r. B