Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-12-07

the kraals and for awhile the family
may sit out on the "stoep" or around
the door watching the night come on,
the southern cross and the stars shin
ing with wonderful brilliancy in the
dark blue of the tropical sky. When
bedtime comes. the watch dogs are
turned loose and the far0ily retires to
its feather couches.
The houses are one-storied, built of
mud as rule, and painted white or
red. They are soon covered with
luxuriant vines, and are, therefore,
picturesque. They contain from four
W six rooms, the voorhuis or parlor
hing opened only on state days. The
walls of all the rooms are panied
green or blue or mauve. and the par
lor is hung with pictures representing
scenes from the Bible. In the parlors
of houses in the large towns one may
now and then hear piano or an organ.
played by the daughters who have
been away to school. The parlor is
not remarkable for its luxury even in
the best houses, wooden benches and
tables and a gorgeous family Bible
being about all it contains. Some
very modern folks have large photo
graph album, but photographers are,
as rule, but little patronized. A
folding door generally divides the
parlor from the dining room, which is
just behind it,
On Sunday every family goes to
church. If too far from town, worship
is held in the parlor. All the Beers
belong to the Dutch Reformed
Church, and the minister, or predi-
kant, as they call him, is a more inn
portant person even than the rector
in an English village. He settles
dogmatically all mooted questions of
morals, and when any of his parishion-
ers departs from the straight and mar
row pathway, as it is understood in
the Transvaal, he is hauled before the
predikant and his elders and roundly
lectured for his failing.
The great social events of the Boer
woman's life are the days when the
predikant comes to dine with her fam
lily at weddings, christenings, confir-
nations and the Nachtmeal. Those
who cannot go to church every San
day on account of the distance from
town hitch up the six spans of oxen to
the white covered wagon, and, laden
with presents from the farm to be pre-
sented to the predikant, go trundling
over the karroos and mountains to the
nearest town where they take COM
munion on Sunday in the church and
of tap I'd oil af -
town houses, for nearly all the well-to-
do Beers have town houses and farm
residences. The town houses are
closed except at such times as they
drive in to church. Sometimes they
have two country houses between
which they divide their time, accord
ing to the plentifulness OF grass in one
place or the other Women and chill
dren pile into the great OK wagons in
which they sletp and live until the
new home is reached. The food is
cooked over an open fire which is kept
lighted all night, for, while the days
are warm, the nights on the karroos
are very cold. Beside this there is
danger from the wild beasts
that roam over the lonely plains
and from wandering bands of black
banditti. To sleep thus under the
stars with the wall OF the
plover and the howl of the jackal in
ones ears and the danger of death al
ways at hand would try the nerves of
a man, but the Boer woman has no
nerves. Indeed, she sleeps as soundly
under the sky as in her feather bed
under the tin roof at home. She eau
shoot rs well as the men, and if there
were night attack would probably
shoulder her own gun and help drive
back the marauders. Not alone un-
erriug shots, but fine horsewomen as
well, in the old days when there was
strife between the blacks and the
whites, parties of Boer women have
often alone and unaided defended the
laager or fort, from the savages who
expected to lind them easy prey. In
tensely patriotic, they teach their
children to love freedom, fear God
aud hate the English This is about
their creed. Schooled in a rough
school and with Dutch obstinacy in
their blood, the Boer women will be
dangerous enemies to the all con-
quering Britains, for they will, like
the Spartans of old, send their hus-
bands and brothers and sons and
sweethearts out to repel the invaders
with the injunction. "With your
shield or on it. Trenton IN. ~
American.
Longest Flight of Cannon Shot.