HALCYON DAYS.

bright black eyes of the gipsies glared fearfully, as the
little girls thought, on them, and one of the women
rose and, advancing, begged them to have their for-
tunes told. Miss Forster shook her head smilingly,
and at the same time gave her donkey a hint to go
faster. Until the encampment was lost to sight,
neither Minnie nor Louisa could speak; at last Minnie
uttered an exclamation of relief, as if she had escaped
some great peril; and Louisa ejaculated heartily,
"those horrid people "
 "They are not nice people, certainly," said Miss
Forster, laughing, but that is rather a strong expres-
sion of yours."
 Oh II was so frightened," cried Louisa, "those
women were so tall, and looked so strong and fierce;
and their eyes! how frightful they are "
 "Their eyes are really frightful, so different from
ours, are they not ?" said Minnie.
 They are very singular, certainly, and unlike the
eyes of all other people I know," replied Miss Forster.
 Why are they called gipsies, I wonder?" said
Louisa, after a short pause.
 "Because they came from Egypt, I've read," re-
plied her sister.
 So it used to be thought," said Miss Forster;
"but now it is believed that their original country
was India or Tartary, and their language has lately
been found to be a corruption of the Hindoostanee."
 "1And when did they first come to England ?"
asked Minnie, did they always steal and ramble about
as they do now ? "
 They were first known in Europe about four hun-
dred years ago, and in the reign of Henry the Eighth
made their first appearance in England.. I believe
they have always lived by stealing, and pretending to