l Population,"
is, to tell "A Dark Chapter in the Annals of the Poor," little wanderers,
houseless, homeless, and friendless in our midst. At the same time it
will be necessary to take a glimpse at some of the leading features of
the historical part of their lives in order to get, to some extent, a
knowledge of the "little ones" whose pitiable case I have ventured to
take in hand.

Paint the words "mystery" and "secrecy" upon any man's house, and you at
once make him a riddle for the cunning, envious, and crafty to try to
solve; and this has been the case with the Gipsies for generations, and
the consequence has been, they have trotted out kings, queens, princes,
bishops, nobles, ladies and gentlemen of all grades, wise men, fools, and
fanatics, to fill their coffers, while they have been standing by
laughing in their sleeves at the foolishness of the foolish.

In Spain they were banished by repeated edicts under the severest
penalties. In Italy they were forbidden to remain more than two nights
in the same place. In Germany they were shot down like wild beasts. In
England during the reign of Elizabeth, it was felony, without the
"benefit of the clergy," to be seen in their company. The State of
Orleans decreed that they should be put to death with fire and
sword--still they kept coming.

In the last century, however, a change has come over several of the
European Governments. Maria Theresa in 1768, and Charles III. of Spain
in 1783, took measures for the education of these poor outcasts in the
habits of a civilised life with very encouraging results. The experiment
is now being tried in Russia with signal success. The emancipation of
the Wallachian Gipsies is a fact accomplished, and the best results are
being achieved.

The Gipsies have various names assigned to them in different countries.
The name of Bohemians was given to them by the French, probably on
account of their coming to France from Bohemia. Some derive the word
Bohemians from the old French word "Boem," signifying a sorcerer. The
Germans gave them the name of "Ziegeuner," or wanderers. The Portuguese
named them "Siganos." The Dutch called them "Heiden," or heathens. The
Danes and Swedes, "Tartars." In Italy they are called "Zingari." In
Turkey and the Levant, "Tschingenes." In Spain they are called
"Gitanos." In Hungary and Transylvania, where they are very numerous,
they are called "Pharaoh Nepek," or "Pharaoh's People." The notion