New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-18
THE ROER'S RELIGION.
IT'S INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH The
CONCERNS OF HIS DAILY LIFE.

Orange River a week or two ago, to drop III at
the local Dutch Reformed Church l0r eNen .na7
service Judge of my surprise when 1ouhu tIid'
only one-haIf of the book of devotional exercises
handed to me by the obliging verger was aVdil-
able for use The leaves of the remaining poi-
ton were firmly stitched up by means Vi 1t
reimptje-a thin lace made of raw oN-hiue'
had stumbled quite accidentally upon DIP
per church, the sect to which freSluenl f1IuSJI
belongs, the most austere brancn Oh Inc ~ tba
Reformed community. The sect hourishes In the
Transvaal and President Kruger may now anu
again be seen of a SUNDAY holding 1orth III IN, ,iIc
pulpit in Pretoria; in the Cape Colony the DoP-
pers are represented by very Few congIeSd-
ticns | discovered that the half or the pook
sewn down in this rude way was the pSitio'i
containing the hymns. Now, the DopPeIs, Jus u
brOuS folk that they are never SING ny ili.S' -
they remove temptation from the pain OF the
young by flashing up the forbidden part
The Dopper never allows himself anything
Of the Psalms attuned to a melancholy key. In
doctrine and dogma the Dopper very Closely APP
prOximates to the Calvinist. He takes ms re-
iigion sadly and refrains from the pursuit OF an an
evangelistic propaganda He regards the native
as beyond the pale of his Christianity.
CHURCH-GOING.
But in a general way the two sects OF the
Dutch Reformed community have much IN com
mon They observe the church festivals IN iiiuch
the same fashion, and their methods OF chulcn
government are to all intents ana purposes
identical Religion. so far as it includes church-
going strict adherence to the orthodox 1altn,
implicit trust in and reverential respect TOT ms
minister forms a real factor in the lie OF the
rural Dutch Afrikander. To him going to church
every alternate Sunday. or. If his farm be Some
distance from the village. once month means
much. 1t means meeting friends, discuss.hs tne
prospects of the harvest or the price OF WOOL
and lastly an extra wash and DOMINIC OF the
Sunday best. A Dutchmans church attire Is not,
as a rule brought from the farm III Is KEPT
neatly hacked and well strewn with campnor III
a box in the village thuis-huis, or Sunday-house'
which many of tie better TODD maintain in the
village More often than not this house CON
ssts of a single room. in which the farmer gain
ers his large family from Saturday night until
Monday morning. These thuis-huse stand
EMMY the rest of the week. and are in some in
stances inhabited but four times year-viz.' at
Nachtmaal. "
Nachtmaal is the Afrikander-D Dutch for Lord
Supper. Celebrated quarterly, 1t forms an event
looked forward to with the deepest longing ny
the truly pious a longing az intense as that
which characterized the lSraellteS or olu SolhS
UP to Jerusalem for their sacred feasts TO an IL
is a red-letter day; the minister prepares three
or four sermons and half dozen stirring ad-
dresses: the farmer lasseS don their prettlest
frocks and look their bonniest; the farmers
wives have a long list Of articles to procure from
the boren -winkle-farmers' store: the FARMER
himself has to receive his money from the village
merchant who bought his wool clip or more ike
~ to pay his account and renew his Dill the VII
lage law agent who. by-the-wa usually com
bines the occupations Of auctioneer. convey
ANGER and money lender. has his clients To fleece
and lastly, the storekeeper has his wares TO sell
Let us enter such a store on such an occasion
The goods are displayed as for a bazaar Tne
storekeeper is all smiles. He inquiries sympa-
thetcaIly after the health Of Tanta. asks
whether the last bottle Of patent medicine re-
lieved Ooms Indigestion, and generally COMFORTS
himself as an intimate friend of the family.
When making up the parcel the storekeeper VIII
ostentatiously add parcel of lekkers, present
TO the children from the GU Daas Told MASTERY.
But his great forte is religion.
81 far Tanta: for Dom. who, for some pre-
text has kept out of the way during the CONVEX
sation No sooner has Tanta departed than Dom
finds himself in anteroom along with his
friend the s,orekceper "Oom does not drink
zoopie drop of brandy every day, so what says
Dom to d real bolandsche, insinuates the man
of commerce.
the half hating reply. and then the Boer gulps
down half coifec-cup full of dop brandy neat,
and strong enough to knock over trooper.
Woe to the minister who has not his sermons
and addresses ready before the Friday evening.
when his congregation flock to the village. Early
on Saturday morning the elders ana deacons
troop in to pay the predikant their respects
their wives t. see his wife and bring her bilt-
ong (sun- dried mead. lump Of butter. a trussed
fowl some honey, bar or homemade soap, Il
loaf Of bread some biscuit. or more substantial
nresent If meneer Chat Is, the minister hap
mems to favor the fragrant weed. his study is
filled with a cloud of the most reeking tobacco
smoke throughout the dav. To smoke in the
minister's study is a privilege accorded only 10
elders and deacOns. Should an ordinary layman
enter the minister lays down his pipe and
hrazen-faced. disrespectful must he be who then
dares take a puff.
Tho service which these good people have
come to attend invariably commences with Voor-
berciding or preparatory service on the Satur-
dav afternoon. and a prayer meeting at night.
II is contrary to custom for the farmer To change
his clothes during Nachmaa remaining in the
cund,v clothes means remaining in the religious
mood proper to the occasion. The days services
over friends gather on stoep, smoke and drink
coffee discuss the sermon and the minister and
various religious topics