The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-02-08
n BOER
Plain Enough, but Kissed From the Cradle
to the Grave.

Iiain Enough, but Kissed From the Cradle
to the Grave.
The Boer woman is unlovable in
appearance. Graces and modern &C.
complisbments are unknown to her.
Handsome she is not, nor is her
temper angelic. Her cooking would
often kill an ostrich, and her voice
is not attuned to harmony. All
that Notwithstanding, the most
kissed being on earth is the Boer
woman.
From the cradle to the grave she
is kissed-by great-grandfather and
great-grandmother, by her grand
father and grandmother; of course
she is kissed by her parents. She is
kissed by her grand uncles and
aunts, by cousins male and female
to the last degree of kinship. She
is kissed by the relatives of the
above and by their relatives. Her
brothers and brothers-in-law, her Sis
tiers and sisters-in law and all their
children kiss her. So does her sweet
heart and all her female friends and
acquaintance. Her husband and
children and all her relatives and fe-
male friends, residing long IT short
under her roof, kiss her repeatedly
every day.
Whether she and her husband are
in good circumstances or not, he
buys Or sells nothing without ask
ing her advice and abiding by it. ILe
undertakes no work without her
sanction. She commands her mar
ried sol Of so in the same way that
she did when he was 5. He obeys
snd kisses her just as childlike. She
calls her husband by his Christian
name to her friends. To others she
speaks Of him MS 1.-THE baas." Ask
her if he is her "baas." Mo- he
is her imam" "What white wom-
an" she asks you, lever had a mas
ter? Do you take me for a Kaffir
voman?"
The Boer woman could not con-
ceive the idea of having a master.
In poverty most dire she has had
from infancy at least one black serv-
ant. Like her mother before her,
she would see her daughters perish
with hunger before she would allow
them to go rs domestic servants.
They are in her eyes the equals of
the most high born DANES in any
land, and servants they shall never
be. She detests the thought of her
sons working for an employer, but
often has to give way on that point.
The Boer woman has often been
held up IS lazY dull, stupid and
dirty. A greater calumny has new
er been uttered against any woman.
Her intense pride and love of indie
pendence make her appear so to tine
European lady II gentleman who
knows nothing of the conditions of
life that have formed her customs
and made her what she is at present.
The Boer woman. with her chill
dren, would retire to the most arid
desert of Africa and live on air soon
er than dwell at ease and in luxury
where she contrasted un%favorably
with her neighbors. She scorns the
slightest patronage extended to her,
no matter from whom.
She has inherited al innate love
of bright colors and beautiful things.
When she cannot obtain these things,
she is content to wear the saddest
colored garments and not be trou-
bled by the most Gordid and dreary
surroundings.
She rules her ''man" kind with a
rod of iron. They do not know it,
however, nor does she suspect it.
All Of them would take oath that
the exact reverse was the'case. Ask
her to speak in church Or on a plat
form anywhere, and she would i'm
agine you to be crazy. "Tlat is q
mans business she would say.
Nevertheless Mrs. Boer would see
to it that her IMAM or son would
say in church or on a platform just
exactly what she wished said.
Woman's rights as understood by
the American woman would be ut
terly incomprehensible to the Boer
woman were they ever SO clearly
---1.z D~4~- Hro ,1