The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-05

artillery filled US with hope that we might
celebrate this festival with our deliverers.
But the fateful message from General Bull
Ter. Il have made my effort and failed, put
ar end to a pleasant dream and brought us
face to face with the stern necessities of
our position.
1T was a bright Christmas morning The
midsummer sun beat down upon the gasp
ing plain and made one pant for a breath
OF chill northern air. Nothing in nature or
the aspect of the town recalled the gayety
or the solemnity of the day. There was
neither carols nor church bells to awaken
tender and sacred memories. Our messages
of peace on earth and good will 10 man
came shrieking through the heavens on
wings of melnite and bursting murderous
fragments where they fell. As soon as this
deadly greeting was over men betook them
selves whittier duty inclination led.
Some went TO church and heard Arch
deacon Barker deliver a message of hope,
others to church parade. where Chaplain
Tuckey moved Tommy Atkins almost to
tears by pathetic references TO home and
family connections. which are supposed to
be strongest at this time of the year.
Others sought the cooler heights near the
town
THE CHILDRENS, CHRISTMAS.
Crossing the muddy creek at the ford
close to the Gordons' camp, 1 rode through
the bush that clothes the slope leading to
Caesars camp. Two herds of lean cattle
were grazing among the stones, needless of
the shrapnel that burst harmlessly among
them Caesars camp is lofty plateau on
the border of the plain Looking south /
could see the rugged mountainous country
through which General Butler must fight
his way-range after range of hills and
kopjes in which the enemy will find abun-
dant cover. In gulch southwest of Bula-
wana is great laager of tents and wagons
i'm semi-circle with spruit along the
chord, and they are arranged to resist at
tack from the west. Not a man is visible
though light clouds of dust, rising high,
show that cavalry are moving toward the
laager. Along the broal, green summit of
Bulawana ride Boer horsemen, each stall
wart figure outlined against the blue sky.
Returning to the town, / found nothing
to recall the festival The street was al
most deserted, and the camps gave few
signs of life. Heat-not dependency or
shells-has driven every one to shelter, for
the thermometer under the veranda regis
tered 102 degrees. 1t was not until the cool
of the evening that We threw off this leth-
argy and strove by many devices to imag
inc that we were having a merry Christ
mas. If table did not represent a pic
ture of abundance, 1t was not devoid of
good cheer, and we were in excellent spir-
it's, and far into the night the Beers may
have heard the laughter and song of town
and camp.
''Only in one room, however. was the il
no fewer than two hundred children of Eu
ropean parentage. Why they were per-
mitted to run the risk of bombardment /;
a question that may some day be answered.
Here they are, however, and 1t was de-
termined that they. at any cost, must have
something to remind them of a siege
Christmas. Colonel Darnell. of the Nation
al Mounted Police. veteran whose serv-
ices date to the mutiny, Colonel Frank
Rhodes and Major Karri Davis the Jo-
hannesburg reformer who underwent i'm
prisonment rather than pay the fine i'm
posed after DR.. Jameson's raid, organized
a Christmas tree. Stores were despoiled of
toys and books, and the branches of cedal
trees were heavy with the delights of
childhood. Four of these green Santa
Claus trees were ranged along the center
of the hall. Great Britain and South Africa
in the middle, with Canada and Australia
on each side. Upon the walls were such
notices as Advance, Natal and May the
New Year Bring Happiness Cotton wool,
artfully disposed among green leaves, wa.
suggestive of snow, and the happy faces
of the children carried ones thoughts over
many leagues Of land and sea to our En-.
glish homes