Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-01-23

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so TOOK MY RIFLE AND ROSE TO GO.
my mind At last it came to an end,
/ and we reached Africa, which 1 was not
to leave again for many, many years.
! In those days civilization had not made
any great progress in Southern Africa.
Ny father went up the country and be-
came a missionary among the Kaf1rs,
near to where the town of Cradock now
stands, and here L grew to manhood.
I There were few Boer farmers in the
neighborhood, and gradually a little set
Element of whites gathered around our
mission station. A drunken Scotch
blacksmith and wheelwright was about
the most interesting character, who,
when he was sober, could quote the
Scottish poet Burns and the SIN
goldsby Legends" literally by the page.
1t was from him that l contracted a
fondness for the latter amusing writ
Ings which has never left me. Burns
never cared for so much, probably be-
cause of the Scottish dialect which re-
PEELED me. What little education got
was from my father, but never had
much leaning toward books, nor he
much time to teach them to me. On the
other hand, / was always a keen OBJ
server of the ways of men and nature.
By the time was twenty could speak
Dutch and three or four Kaf1r dialects
perfectly, and doubt if there was any
body in South Africa who understood
-
completely than 1 did. Also I was
really very good shot and horseman,
and think-as, indeed, my subsequent
career proves to have been the Casa
great deal tougher than the majority of
men. Though I was then, as now,
light, small man, nothing seemed to
tire me. 1 could bear any amount Of
exposure and privation, and never met
the native who was my master in feats
of endurance. Of course all that is diff
ferent now; am speaking of my sarly
manhood.
Itmay be wondered that did not run
absolutely wild in such surroundings,
but 1 was held back from this by my IA
TIERS society. lie was one of the
gentlest and most refined men that
ever met; even the most savage Kaff1r
loved him, and his influence was very
good one for me. He used to call him
self one of the worlds failures. Would
that there were more such failuresl
Every evening when his work was done
he would take his prayer-book, and, sit
ting on the little stoop of our station,
would read the evening psalms to him
self. Sometimes there was not light
enough for this, but it made no diff
ference; he knew them all by heart.
across the cultivated lands where the
mission Keffirs had their huts.
But knew IL YES not these he saw,
but rather the gray Eaglish church, and
the graves ranged side by side before the
yew near the wicket gate.
It was there on the stoop that he died.
He had not been well, and one evening
1 was talking to him and his mind went
back to OxfoFdshire and my mother.
he spoke of her good deal, saying that
she had never been out OF his fHiRd for
q single day during all these years. and
that he rejoiced to think he was draw
ing near that land whittier she had |
gone. Then he asked me if l remem-
benad that night when Squire Carson
eaRe fRts the study at the vicarage, and |
told hiss tass bis wife had run away.
and that he was gS4Rg % change his
name and bury himseifiR soRas femote
land.
/ said that l remembered it perfect
y,
II Be4deF where he went to-" said my
iatheF, ''aHd Il he and his daughter
Stella are still aiiss. Wish WE'LL I
shall never meet them agai4. But life
s strange thing, Allan, and you may.
4 you ever do, give them my kind
owe"
After that 1 left him. We had been
sufferiAs more than usual from the
iepredations ~ tke Kaf1r thieves, who
stole our sheep at night, snd, as 1 had
done before, and not without success,
had determined to watch the kraal and
zee If could catch them. Indeed, it was
lre1a this habit of mine of watching at
night that Arst got my native name Of
which may be roughly
as she who sleeps with one
BYE open" So took my rifle and rose to
70. But he called me TO him and kissed
ne on the forehead, saying; GOD
less you, Allan. hope that r-nu will
hAps s Of your old father sometimes an, !
hat you viii lead a good and bapnv
ife." happy
L remember that did not much Hike
is tone at the time, but set it down to
n attack of low spirits, to which he
rev very subject as the years went ON. !,
went down to the kraal and watched
It within an hour of sunrise; then, as
Q thieves appeared, returned to the
alton. as l came near was aston
ned to see a figure sitting in NV
'thers chair. At first 1 thought Il
qss be drunken Kafir, then that INV !.
ther had fallen asleep there. And 30
} had indeed. for hs was dead! = =
CHAPTER u Q
when I had buried my father and Al
en- his successor installed in his place o