The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1900-01-27
BoER coURrsHIp.


In her recent book, 1.-THE South Al
rican Question" Olive 'Schreiner de-
picts with forceful crayon this picture
of Boer courtship. The lover who il
to be the third husband of ''Tant San
ME" is a widower and dressed in
funereal tones. He introduces him
self. sEf
II am little Piet Wander Walt, and
my father is big Piet Wander Walt"
Tant Sannie said solemnly: Yes"
"Aunt," said the young man, start
ing up spasmodically, "can off-ssd-
dle?"
| YES"
He seized his hat and disappeared
with a rush through the door.
Il told you so! knew it," said
Tant Sannie, 1.-THE Dear Lord doesn't
send dreams for nothing. Didn't tell
you this morning that 1 dreamed of q
great beast like a sheep with red eyes
| and killed it? Wasn't the white wool
his hair, and the red eyes his weak
eyes, and my killing him meant mar
riage? Get supper ready quickly; the
sleeps inside and rooster cakes. We
shall sit up tonight"
The young man is depressed over the
"upsitting," it being explained in the.
story that this courtship of the Boer
woman is really his first, his late wife
having courted him. The Boer woman
was formidable undertaking, for she
weighed in the neighborhood of 300
pounds. His little trick of wearing
three rings on his little finger, with the
intention of sticking it out stiffly when
he raised a coffee cup, failed to attract
notice, and the decorated little finger
is described as ''curled miserably
among it's fellows" Tant Sannie went
into the next room for candles. and as
she held them up winked triumphantly.
docs he want them for his horses
rubbed back?" asked Gregory, new to
upcountry life.
NO." said Tant Sannie, Indignantly;
"we're going to sit up" i
Nevertheless, when all the rest of the
house had retired. when the long candle
was lighted, when the coffee kettle was
filed, when she sat in the elbow chair,
with her lover on a chair close beside
her, and when the vigil of the night was
fairly begun she began to find it weari-
some. The young man looked chilly
and said nothing.
wont you put your feet on my
stove?" asked Tant Sannie.
mo, thank you, aunt" said the young |
man, and both relapsed into silence. At |
last Tant Sannie, afraid of going to |
sleep, tapped strong cup of coffee for |
herself, and handed another to her low
er. This visibly revived them both.
ITS very hard when we must give |
our husbands and wives to the Lord"
said Tant Sannie.
"very." said the young man, "but it's
the Lords will"
"Yes," said Tant Sannie, and sighed.
"She was such good wife. aunt. I've
known her to break churn stick
on maids head"
Tant Sannie felt twinge of jealousy.
She had never broken churn stick on
maids head.
when do you want to get married ?"
the Boer woman asked at last.
Next month, aunt" said the young
man, in tone of hopeless resignation
Next morning at dawn, as En- passed /
through Tant Sannie's bedroom she
found the Boer woman climbing into
bed.
"Where is Piet Wander Waltz"
"Just gone" said Tant Sannie, and
I'm going to marry him this day four
weeks. / am dead sleepy" she added.
1.-THE stupid thing doesn't know how to
talk love talk at ALL" and she climbed
into the four-poster, clothes and all,
and drew the quilt up to her chin.
The 'upsitting" of the Beers ard the
'bundling" of northern Pennsylvania
are relics of the primitive customs Of
the Dutch, as harmless and more pic
turesque than the modern parlor court
ship with a wakeful parent upstairs
keeping ward and watch, but the one Is
put of joint with the times, the other
the flower and product of modern civ
Ilization. So very much depends on the
point of view.-M. L. Rayne, in Chicago
VtcariOus Weddings.
r.