224 
anything but happy. The bride is clad in a 
trailing robe of red velvet, but the groom’s 
only concession to this ceremony is a more 
than usually gaudy neckerchief, a new gray 
felt hat and a clean shirt. 
Presently the headsman of the tribe— 
whose office is now obsolete—tosses a sharp- 
bited axe out into the crowd and himself 
emerges from the tent with a headless 
chicken, its blood dripping on the ground. 
This is the final ceremony. The young 
people are now married and the bride leaves 
her parents and her own tribe forever. Per- 
chance in after years she may pass her 
people on the road—but from their tents she 
goes forever. 
There is no joy in marriage and courtship 
for the Romany girl. She weds at her par- 
ents’ command and is not allowed to speak 
to the man who will make or mar her future 
on any topic pertaining to their life together 
until after marriage. A Romany girl who 
marries outside her caste is thrust out of the 
tribe forever. She cannot marry a house 
dweller and remain in the tents of Romany. 
The Romany people are full of quaint 
A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE OF THE STANLEY 
RECREATION 
superstitions. They hold a physician in 
abhorrence. One Gypsy woman of unusual 
intelligence said that her little daughter died, 
after having been burned almost to a crisp, 
because a gringo physician attended it. 
Woman is the worker—the producer— 
and man the lord and overseer among the 
Gypsies. Fathers buy wives for their sons, 
but no cash return is required when a man 
marries. He has found some one to 
support him. Married women among the 
Gypsies are known by their headdress; only 
girls go uncovered. 
Half of the traditions and customs that 
have descended to the Gypsies of to-day are 
meaningless to them. They go through 
elaborate ceremonies to celebrate death, 
birth or marriage, but none know why. 
Much of the pomp and circumstance of a 
Gypsy camp is skilful stage managing. 
The leaders know the public likes them to 
be picturesque—it means more fortunes to 
tell, greater crowds of sightseers, who drop a 
gracious shower of nickles and dimes among 
the countless children that make up the 
population of every Gypsy camp. 

TRIBE—WILL THEY ALL REMAIN GYPSIES? 
