Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-09
THE BoER GIRL
SHE is CHARACTERIZED AS THE
DAUGHTER OF SOLITUDE.

There is a brief sketch in tho Janu-
Iary Ladies' Homo Journal Of Tho Boer
lGirl of South Africa" by Howard Z.
lHillegas, who describes the Boer girl
as a daughter OF solitude.
No civilized girl on earth, he says,
lives In such a lonely. drcary, uninter-
eselng country as that in which this
patriotic child OF the African plain Isl
content to live. Her nearest girl neigh
Dor lives ten OF twenty miles away. Mr..
lHfllegas calls her an ideal picture of
lwomanhood-tall muscular and rudy
checked. ready with rife in hand to aid
her father and brothers in their wars.
lie says:
THE Beers are a pastoral people,
content with the simple life which their
Occupation carries with 1t, Their coun-
try IS the veldt, a plain far less inter
esting and beautiful than the great
Western prairies Of America, and un-
relieved by natural growths OF trees or
shrubs except along the water courses.
In the midst OF this palling, brain-fag-
ging veldt the Boer girl has her home
and there she IS compelled to spend her
life In solitude. Her grandmother was
accustomed TO the finest Injuries and
Entertainments that Holland, France
and Germany afforded in those days
for the Beers come of high lineage.
"One-half Of the Boer girls life Is
lspent in following the fiocks and herds
Of her father At the beginning Of the
dry season the Boer farmer locks his
cotrage door and becomes a nomad- He
places some OF his household effects in
lseyeral large wagons not unlike the
lold-time prairie schooners.' and, ac-
lcompanied by his wife and children,
LEADS his sheep and cattle In pursuit of
water and pasture.
when the wet season begins and
Tho nomads have returned TO their
lhomes the Bocr girl is busily engaged
linlher studies, which, IL the father OF
1.-THE family has realized sufficient
money from the sale OF cattle and
lsheep, arc directed by a governess
drought from one of the towns. II a
governess is not provided, the mother
teaches tho daughter, and IL the finances
LOT the family are too low TO allow the
purchase OF the necessary supplies
then the Boor girl has the family Bible
as her only text book"
The Boer girl is taught to dance by
lher governess and gets to town a cou.
pie of times year to attend commun.
lion. She attains the matrimonial ag,
labout 16. and some Boer youth ther
begins his'long horseback rides to visi
her
The wedding is an important event
Firing OF guns, feasting. coifee-drink
ling and dancing take up the time unit
! daylight the morning after the cere
D lmony. Sometimes the wedding feas
M a "a
1.-THE wedding tour consists of a journe.
I to the cottage and farm which tn
I lyoung man has secured from his IA
thor. Il rs usually near the naterna
D Homestead.
+ "The Boer girl who lives in the cit,
S or town." continues Mr. Hillegas, cha
= moro opportunities than her countr.
T lcOusin and she differs little from tn
. American town girl, except that In
c stead OF English she uses the Dutcl
: dialect called 'Taal.' There are man
y wealthy Beers in the Transvaal, an
= the daughters Of these can speak sew
3 eral languages fuently They are sen
y to the ladies' seminaries in Cape Tow
y land Grahamstown, can speak French
y German and English and can play gol
y Tor tennis, as we'll as the piano or violiI
] They spend their vacations at the sea
. shore at Durham, on the indian ocear
Tor perhaps can be found touring In IN
a European capitals.
y 1.-THE Boer girls, whether city q
y country bred, find in Madame kruge
y the wife of the president, one OF thei
:. sex whom they adore Their love fo
! tho first lady OF the land is almo!
~ akin TO worship, and her picture Is
N be seen In a prominent position
~ every Boer homestead in the country
sel Madame Kruger is.a typical Boz
woman Of the older generation. HI
,ol ancestors were well-born Hollandel
az who went to South Africa 200 years az
- to 3escape religious prosecutions. A
~ though the president Is several times
- millionaire, Madame Kruger directs o
he the details Of the management Of q
ed executive mansion, in Pretoria, u
al capital city of the republic. She HI
ms several native servants to do her !
a. lborious part Of the household wor
he but she insists upon preparing al
n serving her husbands meals and bre'
"a ing his coffee without assistance fro
Ct ANYONE.
Ibt THE executive mansion is the re
.ty devious of every Boer who visits pr
toria. and Madame Kruger shar
equally with her husband the pleasa
task OF entertaining all who comedn
manner which is highly gratifying
ct, admirers of democratic institution
ior There are no social distinctions amo
err the Beers, and the country girl W
ON has never been outside the boundar
re; OF, hcr fathers farm Is on the same
lis cial plane at the executive mansion
lis the city girl who has just return
lis from a Partisan ladies' seminary; I
lis does the city girl pretend 10 be socia
ior. superior. Vanity is not a character
For tic of the Boer girl; on the contra
ell IL is her love of others that gives J
ny, IA high place in the opinions of tn
tic; who have seen her"