Show A GYPSY WEDDING Strange Ceremonies Among the Denizens of the Woods Few things are more simple than a marriage ceremony among the gypsies and 1 description tE a wedding recently witnessed by the writer will not we believe prove uninteresting There were more than a score of tents at the encampment encamp-ment where we were temporary guests and at the opening of each a fire was burning crackling and blazing away a early as 6 oclock in the morning of the day which was to witness the marriage of one of the favorite young girls of the camp An hour afterward and an old gypsey man with silvery hair and bronzed wrinkled lace with but one eye stepped on a little mound and began playing the violin which had but two strings on it The players opening piece was the well known tune Haste to the Wedding to which the younger gypsies were soon dancing with great hilarity While some of the elder women were watching the dancers others were engaged in culinary preparations At the opening of one of the tents stood the swarthylook ing masculine gypsey chief with his hands in his pockets steadfastly gazing upon the dancers At a given signal from the chief the music gven dancing ceased Two rows of gypseis with about twelve or fifteen in each row were formed standing face to face being between be-tween four and six feet apart Half way down between these rows two gypsies held up a broomstick about eighteen inches above the ground All being thus far in readiness the chief called out the name of the bridegroom who was a very handsome gypsy man about 22 years of age His hair and eyes were very dark and the conformation of his face strongly indicated the race to which he belonged He wore an olivecolored velveteen coat red waistcoat and a glaring colored handkerchief round his neck In person per-son he was tall muscular and well made In obedience to the chiefs command com-mand he came from a tent at one side of the encampment walked between the rows of gypsies stepped over the broomstick turned round and then stood with his arms akimbo waiting the arrival of his intended wife The chief then called out the name of the bride who came from a tent at the opposite side of the encampment encamp-ment She was about 19 years of age rather short of stature apparently ot ar healthy and hardy constitution while the pearly lustre of her eyes and long dark glossy hair seemed to identify her with the purest remnant of the gypsy ace She also walked between the two rows of gypsies tripped very lightly over the broomstick which she had no sooner done than the young gypsy man in the most gentle and gallant manner imaginable imagin-able took her in his arms and completed the ceremony by giving his newmade wife some of the loudest kisses we I ever heard in our life Then the music and dancing were resumed the whole of the members of u the encampment had suspended business preparations for a good feast were goingon every face looked bright and every heart seemed joyous The eyer men smoked the women talked volumes I the children shouted and frolicked the old horses grazed by the side of the banks the donkeys nibbled their coarse food with a selfsatisfied air and looked as if conscious that they were to have that days respite from their weary toils j even the two or three dogs that were there wagged their tails a i in anticipation antici-pation of an extra feed or of better and a larger quantity of rations than usual even without the trouble of having to hunt before any dinner could be allowed them Brooklyn Magazine |