The Afro-American advance., 1899-09-16
FEMINIEE BLAcKsMITHs
ssush African Convent where the
sisters of ST DominIe Have
Learned TO shoe Horses

smiths shop and have adopted the role
Ct the new woman ia brand-new char
acier. The sisters of -, Dominic
eager to COW the seeds Of religion in
/ Africa. turned their backs on the time
houored converts Of Europe ard estab-
4 lishesi a settlement in Cape Colony,
/ where they purchased an extensive
I farm. Finding that farm laborers were
/ scarce in land where most Of the
! digging vas for gold and diamonds. a
! far more profitable use Of the spade
than digging for potatoes. the nuns
quietly put their hands TO the plow.
But accidents win happen even In a
/ convent. and in time the plowshaTe Vas
I broken.
There being no blaeksmiths In that
region. the nuns sent 10 Capt Town and
/ got the materials to build and the tools
and implements 20 supply sEniihy. A
blacksmith IS a tutor Was secured. and
now the nuns have learned how 20 do
their own smith work. They have thus
far proved not only their equality with
man. but their superiority 90 him. for
when the blacksmith. diSTegarding his
religious environments and the respect
due 20 the noble women who hired him.
went On q prolonged spree. they
bounced him out Of the settlement.
In the new country where the nuns
have set up their habitation the Boer
neighbors regard their work with sus-
pieion and resentment. the English
stand and wonder and the natives look
on with awe aud reverence. The visitor
who rides 20 the convent from King
Williams Town comes upon the nuns,
brown clad and busy hoeing. piowing,
pruning and grating OF perhaps driv-
ing strong-limbed oxen TO the water.
80 close range the most striking effect
In the appearance OF a sister OF 81,
Dominic a. seen In South Africa 10 her
rosy, tanned face. 80 different from the
blondless, white complexion of the nun
under ordinary conditions. This nat
ural bronze Is well earned. Day after
day, week after week, month after
month, the nuns toll at the forge and
In the field. exposed 10 the rays Of the
African sun and the fierce heat Of the
forge
The feminine blacksmiths Of the Do
minican convent are experts. The pre-
eision Of the hammer-swinging nuns
seems 10 exercise a sort OF fascination
over the rest Of the sisterhood. for they
will go out Of their way on their daily
tasks 20 gaze ht their hard-working Sis
ters-of the smithy.
A recent visitor 20 the sisters Of ST.
Dominic. who had the good fortune 10
possess n letter Of introduction from
a bishop To the mother superior. en-
tered the occasion in detail In his diary.
The abbess proved 20 be a woman en-
dowed with uncommonly good sense
She was practical. and her personal
spirituality was so aided and tenn
pered with "A knowledge OF human ma
ture and sense OF humor that she
capiiyated the visitor. After a tour OF
inspection OF vines, fruit trees and
growing crops the abbess drove him to
the blacksmith shop. The smithy was
long. narrow building. with a strong
frame. the sides clnpboarded and the
whole surmounted with n ret cupola.
with slated sides, through which the
smoke OF the forge drifted. Within
were a well-built brick forge, strong,
capacious bellows Of OK hide and all
the customary paraphernalia incident
al 20 the vocation Of yotaries Of Vulcan.
Tethercd 20 strong oaken rack in
the center Of the shop was draught
horse, whose big bones and shaggy fet.
locks proclaimed the Flemish animal.
With nail box beside her. a nun bent
over the nigh hind foot. with n foot
resting in her lap. and with a pair OF
tongs YVES fitting a red-hot shoe 20 the
scorching hooi. With the assistance
OF q sister. the nun nailed the shoe.
and, patting the side OF the horse. she
proceeded TO lift another hoof aud re-
peat the performance with n second
shoe
Once or twice the nun drove a nail in
a direction that did not satisfy her.
Such she withdrew. but at last the shoe
was firmly nailed. nails clinched and
sharp corners all neatly rasped down.
and the big horse was shod as neatly
and as well as the average blacksmith
could have done Il.
While the hOrseshoeing was In prog
ress another nun was busy making
hinges. hooks and staples. ringbolts
aud other articles of builders hard
ware out of small rod and bar iron.
She hammered away in rather an ex-
perimsntal fashion, and frequently cx-
hihited her work 10 the nun who hae
shod the horse. seeking her advice upon
knotty points Of the smiths art. An.
other nun was repairing farm ma
chincry. and seemed TO be an adept al
the work y. Y. Press
The SaIloY.s N,eIoux