The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-22

! (ninisteT)- preaelles and prays- from
morn until night with Salvation army
vigor. The services usually begin at
daylight ana last, with slight intervals,
| until or 8 p. m.
On one occasion l passed a night in
Dutch village during nachtmaal,
every room, barn and loft was being
utilized for sleeping purposes and it
was with difficulty that I eventually
succeeded in getting accommodation at
the only apology for a hotel there was
| in the place. The room assigned to me
had two beds in it, one double and
one single. The single one fell to my
share and on going to my room at
about 10 o. m, l found two young
dressed in their best nachtmaal
clothes. On my enquiring if they were
going to a party, | was informed by
them that they were dressing for
church service next morning. and they
accordingly turned iIr as they were, to
be on time.
Peculiar Religious Services.
The average Boer seems to imbibe
sufficient religion during these three
days TO last him for the subsequent
three months. The services held by
them during nachtmaal is certainly
curious TO an outsider In the first
pAdNG Tie ultiQiilS anu tightly VI lHe
'predikant' is as absolutely undis-
puted as-well, as that of any other
man whose hearers believe him to be
in direct touch with the Great Archi-
tect of the universe.
He thunders, declaims, denounces
threatens, imprecates, mathematics,
more vigorously perhaps when the con-
tributions have not realized his ex-
pectations. but, anyway. his sermons
a rear eli hn
never goes into commissions over his
minister's denunciations. In fact, the
Boer nachtmaal in all it's salient fea-
lures strongly reminds one of Burn 8
Holy Fair
How monte hearts this day converts
o sinners and o laSseS.
Their hearts o stane. gin night. are game
As Saft as any flesh is,
There's some are fou O. love divine,
There's some are fou O. brandy"
Notwithstanding the vehement ex-
hortations of the predikaHt, religious
revivals are practically unknown
among the Boers. On one occasion,
however, the, only one within my
knowledge, something of the sort broke
out in a small district of the Orange
Free State. It was in 1881 and an
American professor" had predicted the
utter destruction of the world on the
porting his arguments by a reference
to Mother Symptoms prophecy.
This prediction had found its way
among the Beers living in the district
/ refer to, and they had unhesitatingly
accepted it as true. For several weeks
prior to the date so kindly given, by
the professor. the Beers had neglected
land and stock and had been unceas-
ingly praying, meeting at each others
houses for the purpose. On the 18th
of September of the same year, [ en-
tered this district on horse back, and
towards noon | rode UP to house on
the yeranda, of which sat the host sur
rounded by several friends. They all
looked gloomy and forlorn to the last
degree. I had heard. before entering
the district, of the religious craze af
fecting the people living there, but had
hardly credited the report.
A Disguised Household.
On my saluting the owner of the
house. he asked me where l was jour
neying on this day, the last the world
would ever see and counseled me to
spend by remaining hours in prayer.
l said that / understood that the world
would collapse on the 18th. He said it
would and that this was the 18TH. T