The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-24

ways OF the American women, aud also
ia IN ltS lively curiosity regarding the wom-
en- themselves"
"AS 10 me- she went on after manv
questions and much urging. Il suppose
II is because we are such a new and
SmaH 1ar-aWay country that Americans
nave Such incorrect and haZy ideas about
US but the things people have said to me
since we landed makes me realize that
we ear, are Iust a little misjudged."
he Boer women prOper-thc word
means farmer you knoW-are not 50
much unlike other farmer folks, 1 fancy.
Ihey are great workers. and though the
f. aard. manual labor of the house is per-
formed by Kaffir servants, the 'iiausfrau'
never negIects her duty of personal su-
PerYls1on over all affairs pertaining to
ner domain. She reads her Bible, cftener
lhaE not the only book in the house
waits upon her husband, whose wishes
rank next to the family religion, and
whose word is the household law, and
raises her numerous progeny-smau fam
lies are the eXceptiOn-ali in her stOlid
Unconditional way
When sons marry. the father usually
gives them portions Of the parental es-
tate as a nucleus of the new homestead
ana the Junior family proceeds 10 live it's
me inside the narrow lines established
by the seniors.
''In the towns our women are broader.
more progressive although outside Of our
church societies we have no feminine
organizations. We have never felt the
need Of club work to secure civic reform,
social independence Or the ballot
We have an effective system Of COM
| puIScry education. the laws Tor which
were established by Or husbands TIE
Welfdre OF our poor IS looked after by
them also.
There has really been no need for us
10 take an active part in either civic or
state politics, and We have never essayed
10 DO so. / know of but one petition to
be circulated among our women, and that
! was one to influence votes for a more
prohbltory liquor law. 1t was passed
zoo, L remember. 6V n EWnpninpr fOTify
This state Of feminine affairs Is not
indicative. as you might think, of a
lack Of intelligent interest in politics on
the part OF our women. On the contra
ry, general knowledge and a deep inter-
est exists, and during The sessions of the
VolkSraad there are few vacant seats to
| be found in the Women's gallery"
Mrs. Fischer also talked Of the Trans
Vaal girls, recOunting a list of their char
acterlsticS fads, fanCies and fOibles with
the critical perception of mother Of
marriageable sons.
''The Transvaal girl learns, along with
her Dutch and English A p C's-both
languages are taught universally-to keep
mouse 1rreprOachably. This is for her
mothers sake. and for that of her fu-
! ture husband, whose appearance at an
early date Of her Womanho0d is as Ger
tain as her existence. for we have no Old
maids or bachelors in the Transvaal. Our
children invariably marry young.
She learns TO make everything done
by needlewOrk. from a gingham apron to
.
fies, or drawn-wOrk centerpiece a yard
square. Culinary art is a second nature
TO her. so is musical, and in this as well
as nearly everything she Undertakes, the
IransVaal girl is never guilty of medioc-
rlty. If she plays or sings at all she
does it well, and many a girl not yet in
! her sixteenth year can pass rigid con-
SerVatOry examination, both In the the
ory of music and the Interpretation Of its
classics
She is not too serious to care for
pretty clothes and ChiffOns, nor is she 50
frivolous as to waste the precious incense
of her time before their shrine
Her mind is carefully cultivated The
daughters Of well-tO-dO tOwnspeopla-and
these are the girls I am talking about
on the continent A resident governess
! is an fnvariable and important member
of a TransvaaI family.
For their amuSements our girls dance
and drive and picnic and wheel and
fiirt. just like other happy-hearted and
wholesome-minded girl members Of the
human family. The much discussed
chaperon with you is matter of course
with US, and her duties are not unpleas-
ant. One Of my happiest memories is of
an occasion when / chapeToned half a
dozen girls at one of our state functions
and had as good a time as any one of
them
I'VE have libraries. lectures and
churches. but no opera, and practically
no theaters. and so, though she reads
nous TransVaal girl ever troubles her
( head over transcendant theories, occult
thought waves or complex social prob
lens. AT any rate, she does not go into
| them as a branch of broadening culture
necessary to a stage In her evolution
life or a professional career, she has moi
as yet demanded a latchkey"