The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-03-30
SURFACE CIVILIZATION.
A Young Zulu Girl Who couIdr
Her Natural Tendancie.

| 1 tnlnk quite the most curt
stance Of the thinness Of surfae
lization among these Zulu people came
to me In the case Of a young Zulu
girl who had been early left an orphan
and had been carefully trained In 3
clergyman's family. She was about
sixteen years old when she came al
my nursemaid, and was very plumr
and comely, with a beaming cornten-
ance, and the sweetest voice and pref
test manners possible. She had q
great love of music, and performed
tremendously enough on an accordion
as well as on several queer little pipes
and reeds. She could speak, read and
write Dutch perfectly, as well as Zulu
and was nearly as proficient In Eng
fish. She carried a little Bible al
ways in her pocket, and often tried
my gravity by dropping on one knee
by my side whenever she caught me
sitting down and alone, and begin
ming to read aloud from it. 1t was
quite new possession, and she had
not got beyond the opening chapters
Of Genesis, and delighted in the story
Of Dam and Eva" as she called our
first parents.
She proved an excellent nurse and
thoroughly trustworthy; the children
were devoted to her, especially the
baby, who learned to speak Zulu be-
fore English, and to throw a reed as
segai as soon as he could stand firmly
on his little fat legs. 1 brought her
to England after she had been about
a year with me, and she adapted her
self marvelously and unhesitatingly
to the conditions Of civilization far be-
yond what she had ever dreamed Of
A friend of mine CHANGED
to be returning to Natal, and proposed
that l should spare my Zulu nurse to
her. Her husbands magistracy being
close to where Maria's tribe dwelt, II
seemed good opportunity for Maria"
to return to her own country; so of
course | let her go, begging my friend
to tell me how the girl got on. The
parting from the little boys was q
heart-breaking scene, nor was Maria
at all comforted by the fine clothes
all my friends insisted on giving her.
Not even huge Gainsborough hat,
garnished with giant peoples, could
console her for leaving her .1ittle
chieftain"; but it was at all events
something to send her off SO comfort
ably provided for, and with two large
boxes Of good clothes.
In the course of few months / re-
ceived a letter from my friend, who
was then settled in her up-country
home, but her story of Maria's doing
seemed well-night incredible, though
perfectly true. All had gone well on
the voyage, and 50 long as they re
NAMED at Durham and MarItzsurs-
but as soon as the distant set1:
was reached. Naria's kinsmen .-r-~
around her and began to claim some
share In her prosperity. Free fights
were OF constant occurrence, and In
one OF them Maria, using the skull of
IN OK as a weapon. broke her sisters
leg. Soon after that she returned to
the savage life she had not known
since her infancy, and took to 1t with
1elight. / don't know what became
'f her clothes, but she had presented
herself before my friend clad in an |
Did sack and with necklaces of wild |
teeth, and proudly announc-
ID she had just been married with |
,ows'-thus showing how completely
Ter Christianity had fallen away from
Ter, and she had practically returned, |
IN the first opportunity, to the depth |
II that savagery from which she had |
'een taken before she could even re-
member 1t. l soon lost all trace of |
Ter. but Maria's story has always re-
NAMED in my mind as an amazing |
Instance OF the strength of race in.
Broome In the Cornhill |
4ageaius.