Читать книгу I've been a Gipsying. Rambles among our Gipsies and their children in their tents and vans онлайн

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“I wonder not, when ’mong the fresh, glad leaves,

I hear the early spring-birds sing;

I wonder not that ’neath the sunny eaves

The swallow flits with glancing wing.”

When we reached the top of the hill, I took a sharp turn to the left, and bid him and his two interesting sons goodbye.

I had not wandered far before I came upon a group of gipsy children, ragged, dirty, and filthy in the extreme. One of them ran after me for some “coppers.” I took the opportunity of having a chat with the poor child, whose clothes seemed to be literally alive with vermin. I asked him what his name was, and his answer was, “I don’t know, I’ve got so many names; sometimes they call me Smith, sometimes Brown, and lots of other names.” “Have you ever been washed in your life?” “Not that I know on, sir.” The feet of the poor lad seemed to have festering holes in them, in which there were vermin getting fat out of the sores, and the colour of his body was that of a tortoise, except patches of a little lighter yellow were to be seen here and there. “Do you ever say your prayers?” “Yes, sir, sometimes.” “What do you say when you say your prayers? Who teaches you them?” “My sister,” said the boy. “Tell me the first line and I will give you a penny.” “I cannot, I’ve forgotten them; and so has my sister.” “Can you read?” “No.” “Were you ever in a school?” “No.” “Did you ever hear of Jesus?” “I never heard of such a man. He does not live upon this forest.” “Where does God live?” “I don’t know; I never heard of him neither. There used to be a chap live in the forest named like it, but he’s been gone away a long time. I think he went a ‘hoppin’ in Kent two or three years ago.” At this juncture a Sunday-school teacher connected with College Green Chapel, Stepney, whom I knew, came up, and we entered into conversation together. The poor lad said he had not had anything to eat “since Saturday.” My young friend gave him some sandwiches, and I gave him some “coppers,” and we separated.