in, the
original import of which is in all probability a profound mystery to her.
There is a quaint story of a Yorkshire Gipsy, a prosperous horse-dealer,
who, becoming wealthy, came up to town, and, amongst other sights, was
shown a goldsmith's window. His sole remark was that the man must be a
big thief indeed to have so many spoons and watches all at once. The
expression of opinion was as naive and artless as that of Blucher, when
observing that London was a magnificent city 'for to sack.' Mr. Smith's
benevolent intentions speak for themselves. But if he hopes to make the
Gipsy ever other than a Gipsy, to transform the Romany into a Gorgio, of
to alter habits of life and mind which have remained unchanged for
centuries, he must be singularly sanguine, and must be somewhat too
disposed to overlook the marvellously persistent influences of race and
tongue."

Rather than the cause of the children should suffer by presenting garbled
or one-sided statements, I purpose quoting the letters and articles upon
the subject as they have appeared. To do otherwise would not be fair to
the authors or just to the cause I have in hand. The flattering
allusions and compliments relating to my humble self I am not worthy of,
and I beg of those who take an interest in the cause of the little ones,
and deem this book worthy of their notice, to pass over them as though
such compliments were not there. The following are some of the letters
that have appeared in the _Standard_ in reply to mine of the 14th
instant. "B. B." writes on August 16th:--"Would you allow an Irish Gipsy
to express his views touching George Smith's letter of this date in your
paper? Without in the least desiring to warp his efforts to improve any
of his fellow-creatures, it seems to me that the poor Gipsy calls for
much less sympathy, as regards his moral and social life, than more
favoured classes of the community. Living under the body of an old cart,
'within the sound of church bells,' in the midst of grass, sticks, and
stones, by no means argues moral degradation; and if your correspondent
looks up our criminal statistics he will not find one Gipsy registered
for every five hundred criminals who have not only been within hearing of
the church bells but also listening to the preacher's voice. It should
be remembered that the poor Gipsy fulfils a work which is a very great
convenience to dwellers in out-of-the-way places--brushes, baskets, tubs,
clothes-st