Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22

are over ne drives Rome To bed by sundown
as usual. or course In the bigger towns
but there are no really big towns I'm all the
republic-things may be more animated.
Celebrating NachimaaI.
Three Of four times year he goes to
f. Nachtmaal. which IS equivalent to the
Scotch fast day" or communion. In the
little market square OF the nearest irtle
burg there will stand a modest white
washed building like barn. This is the
church for the district, and here at stated
periods the farmers gather from all about.
Iney Go not take their families To hotels.
though some stay with friends, but drive
the TWO or three days journey in the big
Whitc CanNased wagon. drawn by from
Twelve 10 sixteen fat. wide horned oxen.
They make camp near the town in a
meadow probably by the stream, and live
in and under the wagon during the Nacht-
maal, cooking for themselves the food they
have brought along. The congregation
gathers. during this time. day and evening
Their neghbors meet between whites and
gossip and perhaps transact a little bust
ness. They would not belong 10 the human
family. II. Of course. the lads and laSscs
did not walk and talk and court and ex-
chanSe VOWS. These are the great outings.
ihe plcnlcS, OF the year, and small trades
men and jew peIders are on hand with
knicknacks and trumpery to sell to the
young folks. so that. outside the services
the meeting is n kind of fair. Sometimes
also there may be wrestling match or
jumping match between young men. in
which all. Old and young. will take deep
His Simplicity.
Although the Boer has proved that he
can be long-headcd and shrewd in political
and other grave matters, in some Of the or
binary matters Of life he is remarkably
simple. There are many stories told Of his
unsophisticated ways. \ prospector for
gold found signs Of fl on a farmers land.
and, after great effort, succeeded in buy
ing the portion he desired A check on a
bank in Pretoria was offered in payment.
but the farmer had never been inside a
bank. and did nft know what "A check was
He would take nothing but gold and gold
considerable amount. was finally handed
over To him. The excitement of the trans
action over, and his bewilderment at pos
sessinE so much wealth past. the farmer
began to fear what he had never had to
trouble himself about hefore-robbers He
slept on his money and, as H.. colld MOI
take 1t out with him to his work he either
sat at home Watching U with a gun or else,
had ore of his stalwart sons do the same
" hen occasion demanded that he should
visit town he drove in with an armed son.
ana while one Of the two did business I'm
the market place the other sat on the .p,x
containing the treasure, warning Of all
corners. 1t was only after his pastor had
with great deal of doubt and nervous
cautious questions, that he was persuaded
TO put his fortune I'm the Standard Bank
Wanted an English Education
One good woman. with children she was
very proud of, though they were but rude
and awkward boys and girls had been in
Pretoria, and there, by some chance. was
taken TO lunch at the home Of an English
bishop. She could not speak English, but
her hosts had been at the pains to learn
something of Dutch. The farmers wife
was so much struck by the neat and polite
daughters Of the bishops wife that she
went home saddened. She felt that, after
all, her swans We're but ugly ducklings.
For long time she worried. until one day
along came a tramp-a wallaber with
whose appearance she was struck He was
English, and the old lady had happy
thought. He was a tenderfoot and knew
not word of ''taal." but an Interpreter
was found and the tramp was Hospitality
told he was to stay right there and teach
the youngsters English speech and English
manners. He protested that he could not
teach English If he did not know some
Dutch, but the old lady was obdurate, so
he accepted the post. His first appearance
at the table was the signal for the mother
to gather her flock and make them watch
how the amazed and unhappy Englishman
handled his knife and fork and so on. He
stayed at the farm long time, and he
really was a gentleman down on his luck
probably earned his board. At any rate
the simple old farmers wife felt her peace
OF mind restored when her children had
had IAN English education"
Communicating.
80 the Boer farmer ana hunter purSueS
his even way as his people have ever done,
and If (what he considers the aocursedD
gold had never been found in his land he
might so pursue it to the end of the chap
ter. 1t is to be feared, however, that for
eign capital and railroads, and telegraphs
and lightning rod agents, have broken up
his idyllic life forever. or, rather, will soOn
do so. 1t was, is not, however all peace.
AS the American backWcodsman was con-
tiaually on his guard against Indians, so
the BOer is ever ready take the field
against a Kaftr tribe or-the British.
Then the plough and the hoe are laid
aside ard the rifle is cleaned carefully. but
not Tow for a pleasant hunt after game.
The call to arms is simple; mobilization is
primitive. 1t amounts 10 little more than
the top of his voice, that the whole eoun-
actionr' At the war cry the patriots know
10 squabbling about volunteering or enlist
ing or drafting Except the women, the
very old and the very young, everybody re-
spends even boys of thirteen and fourteen
but the average Boer boy is a pretty stout
and healthy kid, and has been taught TO
shoot since he was ten or eleven. Each
man takes his horse and his rife and pro-
b. ceeds to the rendezvous of his district The
pastors are with them, and with prayer and
psalms the farmer-soldiers march out 10
defend their country.
With all his ignorance and unprogressive-
ness it is difficult to contemplate the scat
tering of such a people with mere phllo-
soDhic serenity. L. y. BLACK.