Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-05-06
RELIGIOUS RITES.
rho Church Observancoo OF tho
Beers of South Africa
they Are Very simple and unostenta-
tious and Are Conducted with Deep
Oevoutness-Ths Minister Is
Greatly Rsvered.

ship the Beers are exemplary, and in
heir home life they know very little
If social diversion but what is of this
nature. They pray in stentorian tones
md sing with solemn heartiness that
onveys the idea of dead carnestness.
Their susceptibilities are easily moved
~ little emotional oratory. 1t fills
them with a sense of unctuous salts
action, but the sense of Journalism
would shock their sense of dceorum.
they would hardly approve of such
manners in church. The critics who
scout their piety and call il by the name
IF hypocrisy are guilty OF thought
icss derision that bellies reflection. Out
IF church the Beers have certainly 4
title weakness for parading their re-
iigion> They indulge cons dcrably in
'criptural phraseoloPy. and nllude 10
he personality of God in q way that
ounds familiar and canting. but there
$ no idea of profanity in il. L Is with
hem an evidence of reverence and sin
Gritty, and, in justice to them, : mus
tate that in all my intercourse with
hese people have found them gteruly
rec from the slightest approach % lev
IS on the subject of things held sacred.
hey regard the services Of the Lag
ish Episcopal church at Pretoria as
otliing but theatrical show To
hem it appears travesty Of religion.
Like most people OF simple and pas
oral habits, the Beers retire soon after
he close of day and rise with the first
lawn of the morn, aud in the early
Wight they assemble and sing
'salms and hymns and offer u
rayers with n strength and earnest
lcss that constitutes quite laborion
fort. Their tunes are intensely
'reary and monotonous. They sing in
raenodic lengths with lorg rans2s in
evening, and the impression conveyed
that each one follows his or her owr
inc and tune; therefore, except for it,
heartiness, it does not inspire much ad-
lration, unless gratitude at being Al
= distance from it might bear that col
5truction. AS soon as darkness closes
n heavy supper is rartalSen of, and
,hen repetition of the mornings de
otional exercises takes place, and tn
family retire to rest. Strict in thci
IDEAS of chureh-Going, and il the Oh
servance of the rites it imposes, the
necessarily regard the minister with
he greatest reverence, and they are
willing subjects of his little autocracy
Ic is to them the direct emissary OF
God and the bulwark of their faith
lie performs all the spiritual Office
heir lives have need OF, and Is also the
~uardian of their morals, and derelin'
IONS in this respect restrict the culprt
n church privileges, than which moth
ing could be more terrible.
The ministers of churches among the
roers are mainly Hollanders, though
there is n growing desire for men Of the
'ountry to fill these Offices, and some
Of them are men who have studied AT
she Cape theological schools. These
men having the same origin as the
8oers, their sympathies are allied to
them, and thus their influence will
rave greater weight in advocating ed
ucation. Every town boasts the some
what odd-looking structure built in the
form of cross, which is known to he
he church. 1t has its place in the cen
Ter of square, from which point the
town takes it's growth. The minister
generally has his habitaton within the
shadow of the walls of the church, itiu
Grating periodically among his flock,
who are scattered throughout the dis
trict. living at great distances apart,
on their lonely farms. Every three
months naachtmaal, or celebration OF
the sacrament, takes place at the par
ish church, if | may call it so. and il
is made the occasion of the ingathering
Of the whole flock, who make this
point of most exemplary observance,
The majority of them having to perform
several days of travel to be present. At
these times the square round the
church is the camping ground in which
hundreds of wagons and tents are
packed, scene of life and hustle which
contrasts strangely with its usual quiet
appearance. Friends meet and re-
-ioice in social intercourse, thawing to
merriment and joviality in the atmos-
phcre of n camp fire under the quiet
stars of heaven, and so full of q certain
method and repose is the aspect of this
gypsy life among the Roers that the
casual onlooker would feel n difficulty
in dissociating them from it, so aptly
locs it seem to he their normal element.
Annie Russell, in To-Day.