The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-03

rich enough to live in such a paradise.
T would have prolonged my STAY with
this worthy family had it not been that
one Of the girls volunteered to give me
a specimen OF her boarding school pol
ish. She accompanied herself On the
piano and sang-did I say sang? Well,
we'll let it pass then-..Far Away"
That reminded me that 1 had other du-
ties to perform and despite my good
old uncle's cordial invitation TO spend
the night at his house | was soon sfar
away myself
Experience With Doppers.
AS contrast to the foregoing. allow
me to relate my experience one night in
a ''Dopper' house. The Doppers are
the lowest class of South African
Dutchmen, and as a rule they seem en-
tirely free from any intuition. They
have money-saving instinct. but it can
hardly be dignified by calling it ambi-
ton. since when they do acquire money
it appears to make no difference to
their habits. To my tale. however.
1t was near shutdown and masses of
ominous clouds. as black as a tinker's
pot, were gathering in the west. Every
now and then a clap of thunder would
make my horse snort with fright An
African thunderstorm is something
which would make even King Lear seek
the nearest shelter, and I looked for
one. A mile or SO from the road l
was on | saw small house. and l
dashed my steed at it. reaching the
door just as the rain came pelting
down in sheets. 1t proved to be a Dop-
per's house. who. seeing me approach,
had opened the door for me. Giving
my horse to a scantily attired Hoten-
tot boy / lost no time in accepting the
Beers invitation to enter. The first
thing I noticed was that my hosts
''onderbaatjie' (vesD had a thick cob
web spun across the opening above the
top button l observed it in a casual
way, without trying to conjecture how
it came there, but l subsequently came
to the conclusion that it happened on
account of the Dopper's never taking
his clothes off. There were three
young men and two full grown young
women in the .zit kramer" Sitting
room), besides DOM and "tante,' and
three or four young children. The boys
had just returned with the old man
from ploughing and were then about to
enjoy the luxury OF Dutch bath. There
were only two rooms in the house. the
sitting Leaf ting drawing szloking-work-
ing-courting room. in which we all
were. and the kitchen. The three boys
and pa had removed their ''veldtsch-
oens'-they wore no socks-and exhibit
tate on their ankles A Hottentot girl
came in with a dish of hot water and
a rag, and beginning with the old man,
she went the round of the plpughmen.
washing the four pairs of substantial
feet in the same bowl of water. Dom
then took the ''vaadook," or dish CLOTH
which the servant girl had used. and
after wringing it partially dry, wiped
his face with it and then passed it tc
the nearest son, who having COM
pleted his additions passed the rag to
his brothers. The last Beers face left
you in considerable doubt as to wheth-
er he had cleaned one-half or dirtied the
other. Somehow. / didn't feel as hun
cry as / did when l first entered the
house. NJ uncle, after this refresh
ment. piled me with questions as to my
occupation. destination. nationality and
habits. and having apparently satisfied
himself handed me his tobacco pouch.
l felt that 1 was getting along pretty
well, under the circumstances, until
made a break for which / don't think
''tante" ever forgave me. The floor
was made OF earth and antheaD beat
en- down hard and polished until it re-
sembled. ebony. Ordinarily, it required
/ a we'll balanced skater to move over it
with ease. and to make matters worse.
my host was eXpectorating freely and
puImonically over the surface On rising
after drinking the stuff they called cof-
| fee. TO place the empty cup on the
table. l didn't exercise sufficient care
I in putting my foot down. with the re-
1 suit that ] sat on the floor in italics,
and ''tante's'' best visitors cup was
! but her face evidently hurt her. The