Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-25
A TALE OF LIFE IN THE
BOER REPUBLIC.

black stations were lame.''
Il suppose they want to keep out Of
the dust" said EN-. "See; they stand
still as soon as we do"
Perceiving this to be the case, Greg
ory rode on.
ITS all that horse of yours. She
kicks up such confounded dust I
can't stand it myself" he said.
Meanwhile the cart came on slowly
enough.
"Take theSreins." said Lyndall. "and
make them walk. want to rest and
watch their hoofs today-not to be ex-
hilarated. am SO tired"
She leaned back in her corner, and
Waldo drove on slowly in the gray
dawn light along the level road. They
passed the very milk bush behind
which so many years before the old
German had found the Kaffir woman.
But their thoughts We're not with him
that morning. They were the thoughts
Of the young, that run out to meet the
future and labor in the present. At
last he touched her arm.
What is it2"
II feared you had gone to sleep and
might be jolted out" he said. "You
sat SO quietly"
No; do not talk to me. am not
asleep" But after time she said sud-
denly, sit must be terrible thing to
bring human being into the world
Waldo looked round; she sat drawn
into the corner, her blue cloud wound
tightly about her, and she still watch
ed the horses feet. Having no COM
ment to offer on her somewhat unex-
pected remark, he merely touched up
his horses.
II have no conscience, none." she
added. "But l would not like to bring
a soul into this world. When it sipned
and when it suffered. something like a
dead hand would fall on me: YOU did
it, you; for your own pleasure you Gre
ated this thing! See your work.. lit
lived to be so, it would always hang
like a milestone round my neck. have
the right to demand good from me and
curse me for it's sorrow A parent is
only like to God-if his work turns out
bad, so much the worse for him; he
dare not wash his hands of it. Time
and years can never bring the day
when you can say to your child, Soul,
what have to do with your"
Waldo said dreamily:
ut Is marvellous thing that one soul
should have power to cause another"
She heard the words as she heard the
beating Of the horses hoofs; her
thoughts ran on in their own line.
'"They say, God sends the little ba-
bies.' OF all the dastardly revolving
lies men tell to suit themselves, hate
that most. suppose my father said
so when he knew he was dying of con-
sumption, and my mother when she
knew she had nothing to support me
on. and they created me to feed like a
dog from stranger hands. Men do not
say God sends the books or the news
paper articles or the machines they
make, and then sigh and shrug their
shoulders and say they can't help it.
Why do they say SO about other
things? Liars! God sends the little
babies!" She struck her foot fret
fully against the splash board
''The small children say SO earnestly
They touch the little stranger rever-
emily who has just come from Gods
far country. and they peep about the
room to see IL not one white feather
has dropped from the wing of the an
gel that brought him. On their lips
the phras2 means much; on all others
it Is q deliberate lie. Noticeable, too"
she said, dropping in an instant from
the passionate into low, mocking
tone. "wllen people are married, though
they should have 60 children. they
throw the whole onus on God. When
they are not, we bear nothing about
Gods having sent them. When there
has been no legal contract between the
parents who sends the little children
then? The devil. Perhaps" She laugh
ed her little silvery, hooking laugh.
"Odd that some men should come from
hell and some from heaven and yet all
look so much alike when they get
here"
Waldo wondered at her. He had not
the key to her thoughts and did not see
the string on which they We're strung.
She drew her cloud tighter about her.
1T must be very nice to believe in
the devil" she said. 81 wish did. If
it would be Of any use, would pray
three hours night and morning on my
bare knees, God, let me believe in
satan He is so useful to those peo-
pie who do. They may be as selfish
and as sensual as they please and, be-
tween Gods will and the devils ac-
ton, always have some one to throw
their sin on. But we, wretched unbe-
levers, we bear our own burdens. We
must say: i myself did it, I. Not God,
not satan; I myselfv That is the sting
that strikes deep. Waldo" she said
gently, with sudden and complete
change Of manner, II like you SO much
. I love you." She rested her cheek soft
Nv against his shoulder Uyyyhar d n,