davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-03-04
BY LOUISE RICE.
0Skirt and Knife" Member of ROmany
Race.


OW many times have you seen
/" the familiar. yet forever
mysterious. red wagons come
numbering past your door
big. cayernous wagons with pecular
little windows. from which were
peering out unfathomable eyes ana
strange. dark faces" More often,
proba ably. than YOU can remember. On
the other hand. what have you come
10 know of the people who live In
those quaint wagons. of their beliefs
and their manners. their customs ana
their language:
You may be able TO read ancien'
Sanskrit, and YOU may know the
prayer that the Thibetan llamas use
at mealtime, but this stranger Wlthin
our gateS-infinitely stranger than
any oriental of the geographies-re-
mains all but a myth to US. Ana this'
notwithstanding the fact that MS
wagons may have been passing along
we'll defined routes in our country
for more than two hundred years.
II was as a child in Missouri that I
noscd into my first gypsy wagon
ii
lows it stood, near small creek. AL
though outlying portions of ST. Louis
were within ten minutes walk of IT,
7 don't believe another soul found 1t,
except myself-and a couple OF num-
ery cats. These were solicitously fed
as cats always are fed by the peo-
ole who steadfastly assert that they
are the descendants of the ancient
Egyptians and that their veneration
for the cat family is part of the mys-
terious religion which many of them
still practice. This however, they VIII
bv no means admit to you until you
are skirt and knife" member OF
the gypsy tribe.
When YOU are TO be made skirt
and knife" member all the gypsies at
the scene of the rite who know you
advance and take your hand, without
a word, but in their own hands there
will be either long, thin knife or
fold of the skirt, according to the
sex After that. YOU are reckoned
brother or sister by adoption I am
skirt and knife member of the
Romany race. Romany, and not gyp-
BY, is the UaHle VI PSopAS 80
yariably use for themselves, unless
they take occasion to pronounce the
full and formal word: 'Egyptions.
X :: ): x
STHOSE wagons near st. Louis con-
l. ceaIed themselves well, and this
was decidedly characteristics. Nhen
YOU see gypsies camping near an
open place you may be sure that
they are there fer the purpose OF
being seen. This is because the
women uropose to 'dukker,' or sell
fortunes. while the men probably
have some horse trade under way A
good part Of the time, however, the
wagons pass before your country or
suburban door while you are asleep
and are parked in a bit Of woodland
nearby with such consummate skill
as to be entirely hidden, while at the
same time being sheltered from the
wind and near to water. l once dis
covered a gypsy band Of ten wagons
in small wood within one mile of
Boonton, y. J.. when not a person
Evening star., 1923-03-04

= ?IDERS are the worlds oldest
aviators. Lacking wings, they
had learned the principles of
aerial navigation before man
dreamed of the balloon. Every nor
NAL young spider leaves home on a
silken blimp. Only the one voyage
is made, for the insect mariner in
variably settles down In the country
where his destiny ship comes to anchor.
With the first warm days of spring,
baby spiders-hundreds of them in a
single nest-turn their attention to
airship building. Each climbs to the
highest point attainable on weed
brush or tree branch. Infant looms
are put to work for the first time.
There is feverish activity. Soon tiny
threads are dangling from the various
vantage points. These are the
gossamer dirigibles that will carry
the intrepid pilots away.
At the end OF his slender rope the
spider swings at last. in lazy antici-
patton Of breeze that will release
his mooring. There is a sudden gust,
and the threadship is free. Over hill
and dale it floats, sometimes hum
dreds and thousands of yards. When
1t comes to earth, the spider alights
and looks for a home, never again to
take to the air.
Originally aviators, most spiders
become surgeons and profit hand
somely from their practice. That is
because they eat their patients. But
they operate scientifically. No vivi-
sectionist knows the anatomy of his
subject better. The spider has equip
ped himself with a mental map of the
nervous systems Of the insects he
preys upon, and always he strikes
at vital nerve point.
With such accuracy does he thrust
his poisonous fang that he may
cause the instant death of the victim
or induce state of paralysis which
will keep the meat fresh for future
meal.
Evening star., 1923-03-04

modern Of symbolism this talk of his
is "a gesture" 1t is his traditional
right to get off this tall talk. because
exactly the opposite is the truth.
!: * x ):
TIE has no money except what his
/ i wife gives him: he has no au-
thority over the children; he never
has any of the marvellous jewelry
which is the property of the gypsy
and perhaps every cent that he saves
goes into it, so that he is personally
a pauper, usually. even when there
are thousands and thousands of dol
lars worth of gems in the unpreten-
tious wagon he lives in. He can talk
and that is about all.
On the other hand, he has some
thing that few gorgio men possess In
the same degree-he has, in love, the
utmost fidelity, tenderness, passion
and devotion from his mate. For
gypsy woman to be false to her mar
riage vows is all but unheard or In
return for this, she Is fiercely jealous.
Her man, it must be remembered, Is
always more or less under her eye.
He and the household life are one.
You don't hear much in the news
papers of what happens sometimes in
the gypsy camps. I shall now tell a
story that I dare to, after ten years.
as all the parties to it are out of this
country. 1t is related. as here set
down, by one with gypsy blood in the
veins, who claims to have been an
eyewitness:
Picture to yourself a gypsy camp,
three wagons, about ten horses, two
children, fire in the middle, with the
| sharp-pointed piece of iron over it,
and the kettle hanging from the long
hook at the top: moon shining, a man
with a red sash, a velvet coat with
gold buttons and a large blue silk
scarf wound about his black curls,
lying on a big, braided rug before the
fire. He is playing a guitar and sing
ing a Romany song. At the fire., with
a red, pleated skirt and a yellow silk
waist, priceless corals around her
waist and on her neck, a beautiful
woman bends, putting corn, unhusk-
ed, in the ashes of the fire to roast.
stroll on tho scene.
"'Sholem, Rawni,' they say, re-
ceiving me. ] ask after the missing
four wagons. They have gone up the
other road 1 am told. Something is
in the air. I don't know what, but /
don't like the feel of it. That little,
little drop of the 'kaulli rattr (the
black blood) that have tells me that
all is not well despite the peace OF
the scene.
I'VE eat. The children are put to
bed. The horses are hobbled for the
night. My bed is made for me in one
of tho wagons. Lovely, fragrant
| sheets, all tidy in the wardo, the sing
ing still going on outside. Why am l
SO nervous?
"The song ceases. After a few
| minutes there is a strange, gurgling
cry. start up and rush out. There
lies the singer, by the fire, and the
woman Ii shaking and shivering be-
| side him. The knife that gypsy
Evening star., 1923-03-04

and out among the shadows, singing
as they go. Their voices float back,
weird and Elusive. (-) continues
to play.
Some of the children from the
wagons are awake. singing in their
night clothes. at the doors. The old
dog, who is the mascot. comes and
sticks his nose into my hand. He is
shivering and afraid. So am I.
The moon is going down. The wild
children of the road are wandering in
there far in among the trees. know
that they are making vows OF love that
even old, old couples are pledging fealty
ION the long way" the road after death,
until, as they believe, they shall meet
again in reincarnated bodies. MERIDA,
who wears the ring of Her" comes
back first, with young Sylvester Lane.
They are silent and deeply moved. 1t
is not often that a time Of Mul-cerus
comes.
This time O has brought it. He
is didikai a posh and -posh, a half
and-half gypsy, who usually comes to
see this particular band Of wagons
every third year, when he is en- tour in
America But Mul-cerus may come any
time. 1t is something about which no
gypsy will willingly talk.
1t is Riding the Snake: it is "the
Night Of Those; it is 1.-The Love Fest
val'; il is Heavens Night and there
is no set time for it, 1t is Of the spirit
and comes from nowhere, out Of the
sweet breezes Casually OF June even
ing). 1t is the old Egyptian madness
still pulsing in the blood Of these mys-
terious members Of that most myste-
rious race, dead, as to history. but alive
today in the midst of the most prosaic
of the ages.
Copyright 1927
Evening star., 1923-03-04
A Lamp of Science.

A n important use is made OK the
mercury vapor lamp In scientific
investigation. In optical experiments
In the laboratory 1t Is often import
ant 70 have at command \ monochro-
matte light Formerly the mercssry
arc-Iight was employed for this pur-
pose. but after being used a short
time, the efficiency Of this source Of
light seriously falls of. It has been
found, however, that the lamp gives
the same monochromatic light with
very fine rays, so that it Is admirably
suited for the study of interference
phenomena and 1t possesses the great
advantage of being steady and trust
worthy In its out put Moreover,
being \ commercial apparatus, it is
easily obtained. and can be used At .
oomparativslx small expensA .
Evening star., 1923-03-04

NOW that so many of the gypsies
IN have grown to know me l can
gain the entree to many a Romany
camp simply by mentioning names in
other camps that I know. Prince
Kala," half-English, half-Hunga-
rian gypsy of wealth and social
standing in England. who every five
years or so travels around the United
States visiting gypsies in all parts of
the country, is an excellent friend of
mine I often find, on sauntering
into a new camp, that he has men,
toned me 1.-The kosko gorgio"-the
good stranger-and that I am at once
among friends.
Then I have some very special
friends in the English Boswells. the
aristocracy OF the English gypsies.
who for the last ten years have made
their home in Canada. The very least
of the didikai whistle respectfully at
the mention of this name. They are,
in a way, highly intellectual, but the
old, fierce blood runs in them. under
meath all their "gorgio" education.
Eden Boswell, for instance, as hand
some as any stage gypsy ever dared
to be, with great shoulders. a small
waist, dark. smouldering eyes. teeth.
even as pearls and white as milk.
with a laugh that will draw women
and men to him as II with silken
cord. A moody fellow. given to sill
ences, to fierce temper, to sudden
gayety.
To hear him sing the old "Romany
lils-the puro Romany Ills the
old, old songs of gypsydom. in the
gypsy language. the songs that all
have secret meanings-that is some
thing to stir the blood! Once, on an
island where we were camping. in a
little-known Canadian river. I sat all
night by a handful of fire. listening
to the strange husky, and yet divine,
voice, as he walked up and down, out
side the circle of light. The moon
wants to sing in the night unless "the
light" Is lit.
The gypsy man is a gorgeous liar.
He loves a good lie and will tell 1t
with the greatest conviction. It is
his pastime-his hobby. and no one
who knew anything about the real
Romany would ever believe what a
man Of the race told him unless there
were women present.
However, for any gorgio to get an
opportunity really to talk with the
men Of q gypsy camp is not easy.
They are swaggerers in manner. bold
Of eye and defiant In speech. yet the
real and undisputed boss IL the wom-
an who sits in the tan or drives
the wardo-who in tent or wagon
has her hand literally and ngurative-
ly. on the whip.
When you do get to him, usually by
the process of talking horse to the
woman until she sends you out to
where tho men and tho horses are,
you will find something that has CIV
on us the traditional gypsy-a fellow
with n red sAsh-and 0srals in his
Evening star., 1923-03-04

ued affairs. Therefore, his wife had
killed him. He had sung his last
song and then barred his breast to the
knife that is kept for the purpose.
but seldom SO used.
Together. we placed him in his
wagon, and drove twenty miles into
the hills, where the rest. of the
wagons were and there we built a
funeral pyre. We tended it for twen-
ty-four hours until there was nothing
left but a blackened skull. This the
woman put in a velvet bag and took
away with her, leaving behind only
some gray ashes and the marks of
where some wagons had stood"
Another. scene which witnessed
Evening star., 1923-03-04

and Merida, the prettiest little girls
of the tribe, is (-) the great
violinist, whom l last saw on the
platform of a New York concert hall
bowling D the applause of thousands
of sophisticated Manhattanites
$50 you are the kosko gorgio?' he
says. without stopping the move
ment of his bow, You are the first
to see this. think"
Il think / am say. as I sit down
by old Adam Lane. In the back
ground, twisting his hands and very
nervous. is the manager of o,
who appeals to me in whisper to
know, "whainelrs' all this about? He
is frightened stiff. / assure him that
he can take his pet home by morn
ing.
Some of the fiery home brew that
"the queen" makes is on tap. Every
body has big cupful. The violinist
continues to play. and gradually he
swings into something that know
for an old Romany giliie-an ancient
gypsy song. How we mangs the
DdlOT DelnS one OF .tne secret
songs" meaning something quite
otherwise than the words would
imply. How we steal the pig
X ): X 4
COON we are singing, the girls
y carrying the tune and the men
making a bum, bum, bum, bum" ac-
compartment. which is like good
guitars stunning. (-) is play
ing like one inspired, head turned to
the side. listening. following, weav
ing marvellous strain OF melody to
other tones. Husbands and wives
and lovers. kissing each other deli
cately, sway with the melody. Soon.
in couples, they begin to wander in
Evening star., 1923-03-04

the circle of dark faces. with fear
in them. When he sees me, taking
me for a gorgio among them, he NUT
tered: .-
SAY don't like the way these
folks are acting. What do they
mean"
know, but I won't tell They
mean something serious. This farm
er, once handsome perhaps. has been
secretly following the caravan about
this section, and today. in a., little
wood. somewhat against her will
but not wholly-he kissed a gypsy
woman. Her husband saw 1t. So did
i. We were both in that wood, look
fng for her. knowing her to have .
Evening star., 1923-03-04
Insect Cunning.
THE gardens in Hamburg

THE gardens in Hamburg were
some years ago decorated with
white-leaf NAPLES, and since the in
PRODUCTION Of these shrubs the com
mon white butterfly has chosen them
for its settling place. Concealed in
the white leaves, the butterfly is safe
from enemies. An instance, more sug
gestive Of insect cunning, is told OF
q spider. 1t spun its web in a saw
mill in q place where the passing of
lumber frequently broke the long
stay threads that hold the web. The
situation was too favorable for flies
to be abandoned, and finally tho spider
got around the difficulty by discard
ing the use OF stays and substituting
for them, to keep the web stretched,
q nail which it wove into the lower
edge Of the fabric
Evening star., 1923-03-04
.Ai-ai-he was false.

.Ai-ai-he was false
HE owned to it?'
He said that he-feared-that he
would be false again. 1t was stain.
He wanted to go. So
X *
SGT LOOKED down at the man whose
i beauey was. indeed, fatal. !
have never seen such man-creature
since. All women, many gorgois.
even, simply threw themselves at his
feet He had had a sweetheart among
the farmers daughters in a state not
far from New York-and his wife had
come to know of it. He had con-
fessed. not only to that lapse, but
his fear that he could not save him
self from the degradation of contin-
Evening star., 1923-03-04
Fruit Acids From BenzOl
To Lower Living Cost

DY a most ingenious method coal
- tar can be made to yield tartaric
acid and other important substances
that will help to lower the cost Of
living. The basis of the process is
a method of building up various sub
stances from malic acid obtained
from benzol, one OF the derivatives of
dark and viscid coaltar.
Malio acid has been separated
from the juices Of certain plants and
fruits, but at q cost SO high that
1t could not be put on the market and
has been considered merely as a
laboratory curiosity. BY the pro-
cess mentioned, benzol is mixed with
air and the vapor is passed over a
catalyzer. a material which alters
the speed of chemical reactions with
out being in itself affected. On ac-
count Of their mysterious power to
join other substances in chemical
wedlock. catalyzers are known as
chemical parsons"
With malic acid as base, it Is
possible to prepare other valuable
|
to the housekeeper and the trade is
tartaric, which hitherto has been
made from cream Of tartar, a solid
found in the bottom of wine casks
and employed principally in the
making OF baking powder By the
now process citric acid can also be
derived from the malio acid base
Citric acid causes the sour taste OF
lemons and other citrus fruits, and
is used in lemonade and orange drink
compounds 1t Is much employed in
the arts
Lactic acid can also be manuf1c-
tured inexpensively by tho new
method It was originally derived by
fermenting milk, as its name implies.
although there are now several other
processes for preparing 1t synthetic
ally. OF 1ate years, farmers have
been giving laotic acid as q tonic and
appetizer to pigA for although the
poroine breed is supposed always to
be hungry, It is found that its crav-
ing for food and powers Of assimi1-
alton, and therefore It's weight
could be greatly increased By such =
prssog1ptisn.
Evening star., 1923-03-04

myself: A farm yard Tin an Atlantic
coast state), barns in the back, the
low house before it. fire where the
iron hook holds big kettle of wild
duck. about ten wagons backed up
along the road outside; gypsies, to
the number Of thirty, sitting about
table made of planks laid on saw
bucks. Dinner is served, and the ta-
BILE is cleared away. Then the man
of the house, a farmer of Dutch de-
scent. is called out by the head of
the string of wagons. He comes re-
luctantly and his eyes travel around
Evening star., 1923-03-04

little wilder blood than most OF the
others, for she is part Hungarian,
part Arab and part gypsy. The COM
bination. while it has given her
amazing beauty, seemed to have put
fire in her veins instead of blood.
Despite that. there was nothing in
her conduct that had not been mere
ly flirtatious, yet. according to the
gypsy code, she has merited death.
Nevertheless, she is to be punished in
another way and this gorgio is to be
made to see it done.
Her husband stands up, as all the
rest are seated. and tells what has
happened. She Is very pale, and her
black eyes burn, but she is brave,
that wild woman Not sound comes
from her lips as he demands that she
which the woman and the man touch
tongues-the ."lubbeny kiss"
She knows, she knows! Like me,
she has heard Of this thing. I run
over and take her cold and trembling
hand in mine. Yet better this than
death! The man is trembling, too.
He takes my other hand. I hold
them, hard. He bites off the tip Of
her tongue.
1.-The farmer starts up and runs in
side the house, with a yell of fright,
while the man, sobbing. holds her in
his arms and lavishes upon her all the
endearing names in which the Ro-
many. jib is SO replete. She smiles,
although she is faint. and .rubs her
head up into the comfortable crook of
his arm. She will never be able to
speak distinctly again and she is
branded for life with the fact that
she has kissed a man not her hus-
band. Yet that wild blood of hers is
satisfied and soothed: she knows that
she is loved with the fierce passion
that matches her own.
X X X.
4 MOTHER scene: 1 am asleep in
n the New Jersey house that I
own, where the Romanys have often
stopped (thereby scandalizing the
neighborsD, when am awakened
by something which hits me softly
rambler outside my window and the
thrower is sitting there on the sill,
an impish figure, with rumpled hair
and another rose between his lips.
After a moment I identify him as
Jansi. Chan's boy. .....
There is time of Mul-cerus," he
tells me, and slides down the water
pipe, which had given him access to
the window. i hurry to dress. This
is something that I have never seen
and that / have heard mentioned in
whispers, once in a while. The
musical drunkenness" "the magic
night" "the love of her"-the last
spoken with the sign of the secret
religion.
When / hasten along the canal
bank I hear, family, the sound OF
music and I stop. of a second. as
tonished. This is not the twangins
Of Chan or the old guitar; it is a
violin, played with a masters hand.
Surely, surely I have heard that
delirious "fantasie" played before!
1 have. When I come into the
camp there is good fire going and
the lanterns are all lit, while, best of
all, the moon IL shining full, and
there, with wild flowers hastily pulled
from the fields and from the canal
banks piled around his feet ana held
behind hin h. great .bunshe4 b. Aada
.
Evening star., 1923-03-04

thereabouts had the slightest idea
was In all that part of the country.
Most Of those possessing real
gypsy blood in America. are dfdikai
meaning half-breed. They are part
English, part-Hungarian, part-Span-
ish, part-Russian or part-Rumanian,
but they all adhere to the ideas and
the secret religion. the domestic Gus
toms and the superstitious beliefs
tas gorgios call them) which mark
the real gypsy. Of the latter there
are few, indeed, anywhere in the
world. but of the didikaf there are
multitudes. And these are all the
more picturesque for the infusion OF
other bloods.
The secret religion of these people,
whether pure gypsies or didikai, may
be traced, as 1 have said. to that OF
the ancient Egyptians. Many Of
them know nothing Of ancient his
tory, nothing of the wonderful rec
ords left by the Egyptian race, but
they often possess a ring, worked in
gold, descending from daughter to
daughter, on which there is the fig-
ure of Isis. This they invariably call
Her" and invoke on many occasions.
have heard a gypsy woman,
kcplding her husband for gambling,
say: ''Her 10 displeased with you for
this. aud you know 1t we'll. Her will
punish you. One Of the children will
be sick"
Tho girl of the family, the oldest,
wears this ring, and she is regarded
6Y her brothers and all the male
@embers Of the fanaly with secret
Henogation, The rin3 il not to be
apoicsn OF, and It you. q gorgio tnot
b eypsy) happen to notice and COM
azssnt upon it. 1t Ia tho sign that q
xaiEfaMtnnaswiil-.h -.hAfail-aha-1WA9e
Evening star., 1923-03-04

ears, who, on finding you congenial
soul, will relate his victories In hsti-
cuffs, his travels in known and un-
known parts of the world and his
triumphs in love: also he may tell
YOU that he beats his wife if She
doesn't behave. If the wife happens
to come out while this is underway
he will grin and abruptly fall silent
with a sidewink at you.
Well may he fall silent. His wife
knows what he is saying. but so long
as she does not hear him she viii let
him have his little joke. In the mos.
Evening star., 1923-03-04

This acid is consumed in largo
quantities in the dyeing of wool. and
Is of much worth in various in
dustriea
Succinic acid, which is useful in
making many laboratory tests, can
also be derived at low figure by the
new method. AS 1t is now obtained
by the distillation Of amber ordin-
arily this substance Is costly.
Evening star., 1923-03-04

Told the Which Penalties Are Inflicted for Breaches of
Marriage VowsCa Themselves Romany Except When Full Name of
Egyptian Those in This Cot! Are Part English Part Hun
Spanish Part Traced Ancient Egypt
Great Violini Came
Evening star., 1923-03-04

women carry under their skirts is
sticking from the breast of the still
Il have heard of this thing. but /
have never seen 1t and 7 turn Ill.
After time / go over to the woman
She is moaning and kissing the dark.
handsome face.
$50 he was false? ! say, in the
Romany jib.
Evening star., 1923-03-04

modern Of symbolism this talk of his
is "a gesture" 1t is his traditional
right to get off this tall talk, because
exactly the opposite is the truth.