The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-02-06

A LTHOUGH the Dutch in South Az
~ rica cannot DE regarded as types
of the most advanced civilization,
the Roer woman is by no means the
nonentity that her sex usually is among
unprogressivc people She is not a help
less creature In crisis like the pres
ent. Her brothers have shown the Brit
ish that they are up TO date in warfare,
and I'm her own way she will demon
strate that the right 20 be called new
woman is only a matter OF oppor-
tunity
When the Dutch fought the Kadrs,
IL was a repetition OF the old expe-
ricnce of "trekkng" into savage lands
The Kaiirs took 60 the warpath and
raided the isolated farmsteads. with
his rifle by his side the Boer tended his
floclcs, and when the enemy appeared
hurried inside the stockade which encir-
cled his homo and, with women to load
his weapons. kept up a steady fire upon
the black raiders.
The present war Is a popular uprising
and i'm the excitement Of the hour the
Boer woman has burst from her do
nestle restraint and not alone prepared
husband. son and lover for the field.
but has urged them TO action. They are
brave, strong and determined In the fight
for their beloved independence, their
homes and their country They know
every inch OF ground and have a thou
sand advantages over the enemy. They
know, too, that when their first supply
OF men is cut down there will not be
Others TO replace them. as is the case
with England. and yet the women spur
on their male relatives.
The Boer women shoot like the pi-
oneer women OF our own western coun-
try. At the outbreak OF the war the
large city hospitals OF the Boer state
were taken in charge by the govern
ment. When IL was found that the
trained nurses were i'm favor OF the
British. they were ordered TO leave. and
their places were filed by women from
the most cultivated families in the
Transvaal. who had prepared them
selves by a course of training under
military instruction. over at Colesberg
the educated Dutch girls We're strewing
rose leaves i'm front OF the Boer war
riors' horses and eXclaiming: Shoot the
Englsh See that you shoot 20 eacb."
The Mife-nf- General -JetbertE cent
mander general of the Boer forces, has
always campaigned with her husband.
and not only looked after his mess ar
rangements, even cooking his meals,
but she is said 60 have inspired some
OF his military maneuvers. 1t is not
generally known that II was 20 her that
the defeat Of the English at Majuba
was largely due. The general consid-
cred the position unassailable, but Mrs.
Joubert with all the fire of her wo-
mans patriotism, urged the attack.
eventually crnquering the scrupes OF
her husband and the other command
ants.
In the present war. which the Beers
look upon as n struggle for freedom,
just as il was in 1881, the women assert
themselves after the manner Of the wo-
men OF cd Sparta. They viii listen to
no suggestion of surrender, or even Of
compromise. 1t is a warfare for their
homes, therefore a holy war. The wo-
men are very religious and sincerely
believe that they are i'm the right and
that God is with their people.
The Boer woman has not struck for
her rights" for the simple reason that
her social influence is so sweeping that
she has no,excuse for rivalry with the
men of her country. The Boer home
centers about the Boer woman. She is