The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-08

Weary and desolate is the life on the
great karroos: no wonder the faces of
the women take or that vacant, i'm
passive expression. The life of the Boer
housewife of the better class is almost
colorless. She rises with the rest OF
the family at daylight. and. after a
chapter from the Bible read by the
male head of the house. a basin and
towel are PASSED around 10 the men,
bers of the family by one of the Kaffir
maldservants. Each one dips a corner of
the towel into the water and earelessly
brushes it over his or her face Then
the hands are dipped in the water and
dried and the basin and towel are pass
ed on 10 the next one. In the Trans
Vaal cleanlinsss is not regarded as next
to godliness. After this breakfast is serv-
ed. 1t is often eaten in the kitchen and
, is prepared by the Kaffir servants out
doors while the family was at its de-
votions, for the Beers believe that the
black people are descended from apes
and do not need salvation"
| When the family is gathered about
| the table, on which there is always a
large dish of meat. long grace is said.
! Only the men are served at this first
table; the women eat alone. During
the grace all eyes are fixed on the meat
dish and every man firmly grasps his
fork as he makes mental choice OF the
piece he wants. The moment the
amen" is said every one makes a jab
at the portion he has selected and in
| case two have fixed upon the same
piece it is the most dexterous that bears
off the prize. For breakfast there is
n hllf
butter served with coffee, the staple
beverage of the Beers.
When the meal is over, the housewife
enscOnces herself beside a little table
in the window of the living room. A
shining coffee urn stands on the table
and from this the vrouw now and then
fortifies herself with deep drafts OF
strong coffee drunk from queer, handle
less cups. Should guest drop in dur
ing the day he will be served with
coffee and sweet cakes, and between
meals coffee will be given to any mem
Der of the family who may want il.
The children play about the vrouw and
the servants come in and out TO receive
orders, but the housewife does not stir.
At noon, when the sun shines down hot
and bright on kopje and karroo, doors
and windows are closed and the entire
family retires for monday siesta. The
beds are huge wooden affairs topped
with feather beds. with sheepskins
underneath as a foundation. Except in
the best houses, fieas abound, and the
nap would be a very disturbed one for
Europeans. When the sun has gone
down, every one goes 10 work again.
although there is not much labor done
by any of the white people. the negro
servants, Kaffirs, Hottentots and Zulus
toiling while the Boer or his wife or
daughter directs them. The story that
President Krugers wife does her own
cooking is therefore a fiction. Like
all people who live in southern lati-
tudes. the Beers are lovers of their ease
and consider it beneath their dignity TO
do anything that one Of the black serv-
ants can do for them.
Only two meals a day are served.
Dinner. which is put upon the table in
the evening, is the principal one. In
their gardens there are plenty of vege-
tables, such as cabbages. caulifiowers.
Indian corn, cueumbers, potatoes and
carrots. In the orchards are all sorts
Of fruits and the vineyards are heavy
with great punches of luscious grapes.
When the evening meal is over, the
cattle are driven home to the kraals
and for awhile the family may sit out
on the "stoep" or around the door
watching the night come on, the south
ern cross and the stars shining with
wonderful brilliancy in the dark blue
of the tropical sky. The Kaffirs and
the Hottentot servants squat before the
doors of their huts a few rods from the
house and sing their weird chants or
tell in a singsong tone their quaint folk
tales in which one may nOw and then
hear stories that have been handed
down from generation To generation.
Hundreds of years ago in the African
deserts were foreshadowed the stories
Of Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit and