The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-12-15
AMERICANS AND BOER WOMEN.

The Beers OF South Africa are a dis
tinct race by themselves. said Louise
V. Sheldon, who lived three years in
South Africa. They are and always will
remain primitive men and women, who
prefer to live on isolated farms, far
from any neighbors. The Beers an
cestor, probably some Dutch or French
| Huguenot exile, "trekked" 10 the COM
| mand or the uAtlander, who came and
took possession of his slaves and farm.
But he will not trek" again to please
any enemy.
The Beers have large families many
of them having from fifteen to twenty
three children. This is not an uncom-
mon fact and these children are ruled
by their mother with strong, but 81
lent, hand. The women of this race are
tall and massive. with giants for sons,
whom they bring up i'm bare-footed
freedom TO run over their native vedt.
Good features and a beautiful COM
pexion are common TO the Boer wom-
an, and although she may only live in
primitive house of cement and clay,
she IL most careful of her looks. When
In an OK wagon or cape cart she drives
with her face swathed i'm folded linen,
allowing only the eyes TO remain un-
covered. The hot winds that sweep over
the country from the Kalhari desert
blister and burn and play havoc with
the skin.
She is not as ignorant as one would
suppose, but she lacks that worldly
wise self-possession which the English
woman has cultivated. She is in way
shy and speechless before foreigner.
unless he or she is an American; then
metamorphosis takes place. Her eyes
sparkle, "A little added color flies to her
cheeks as she says: You come from
republic like our own"
She is energetic to such degree that
1t tires an American woman who is not
club woman To watch her Her relig-
ion is of the Dutch Reformed creed and
she and her family trek" into town ev-
cry three months to a beautiful church
built of stone, erected at a cost of $780,.
900 or $50, 900, in a village of not over
1000 inhabitants.
Her lazy. black native servants have
TO be told every day from the time they
arrive from their distant huts in the
morning until night just what they
must do. The Kaffir has no memory
for the white mans work. and. there
fore. a sharp stick we'll laid on mis- back |
is the only argument which the Boer
frau uses and which VIII make INN |
work.
She can always get servants. strange |
to say, while her English neighbor will |
be forced to do her own work through 4
ack of understanding how TO rule them
Until one lives in the country and
closely observes the customs of the
cape people in governing the natives.
ne servant question remains as diff
'ult to solve as here.
The Boer frau stays at home and
uns the farm Of several thousand
Icres while the men OF the family go
o war and her inherited and acquired
latred OF the English is so intense that
he glories In being able to send her
ons TO destroy them She is extreme i'm
Ter likes and dislikes, and the English
nan has no bitterer foe than the Boer
rau.
The English have no love for primi-
i've, uncultured people, and they have
n several occasions presumed upon
he outward appearance OF timidity in
he Boer, and i'm turn been soundly
hrashed.
No one but Americans could ever
malgamate with the Boe~g~a and that
Ill never be, because Americans have
nough TO do In developing natures
torehouses in their own country for
ne poorest mines in Cripple Greek,
OIL. which are not considered worth
orking, are richer than the richest
lines in the Johannesburg gold' field.