St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-02-23
SURFACE CIVILIZATION.
Young Sulu Girl Who Couldn't Resist
Her Native Instincts.

Young Sulu Girl Who Couldn't Resist
Her Native Instincts.
[ think quite the most curious In
stance Of the thinness of surface civ
ilization among the Zulu people came
to me in the case Of q young Zulu girl
who had been early left an orphan
and had been carefully trained IN a
clergy yman's family, says Lady
Broome, in the Cornhill Magazine.
She was about 16 years old when she
came as my nursemaid, and was very
plump and comely, with beaming
eountenance and the sweetest voice
and prettiest manners possible. She
had a great love of music, and per-
formed harmoniously enough on an
accordion, as well as On several queer
little pipes and reeds. She could
|sspeak, read and write Dutch perfect
y, as well as Zulu, and was nearly as
proficient in English. She carried
a little Bible always in her pocket,
and often tried my gravity BY drop
ping on one knee by my side when
ever she caught. me sitting down and
alone, and beginning to read aloud
from it. It was quite q new posses
sion, 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 chill
dren were devoted to her, especially
the baby, who learned to speak Zulu
before English, and to throw reed
assegal as soon as he could stand
firmly on his littlefat legs. brought
her to England after she had been.
about a year with me, and she adapt
ed herself maryelously and unhesi-
tatingly to the conditions Of a civil.
ization far beyond what she had ever.
dreamed Of. A friend ofmine
schanced to be returning to Natal,
and proposed that 7 should spare my
Zulu nurse to her. Her husbands
magistraey being close to where
Maria's tribe dwelt, it seemed good
opportunity for Maria to return
to her own country; so Of course 7 let
her go, begging my friend to tell me
how the girl got on. The parting.
from the little boys was heart
breaking scene, nor was Maria at all
colnforted by the fine clothes all my.
friends insisted on giving her. Not
even a huge Gainsborough hat gar
nished with giant poppies could con-
sole her for leaving her little chief
tain;o but it was at all events some
thing to send her off SO comfortably
provided for, and with two large
boxes Of good clothes.
In the course Of a few months { re-
ceiEed a letter from my friend, who
was then settled IN her country
home, but her story of Maria doing
seemed Well-nigh incredible, though
perfectly true. All had gone well on
the voyage, and So long as they rel
manned at Durham and Maritzburg;;
but as soon as the distant settlement
was reached, Marias kinslnen came
around her and began tosclai1n some
share IN her prosperity. Free fights
were Of constant occurrence, and in
one Of them Maria, using the skull
Of an OK as a weapon, broke her sis
ter's leg. Soon after that she re-
turned to the savage life she had not
known since her infancy, and took
to It with delight. Idon't know what
became Of her clothes, but she had
presented herself before my friend
clad IN an old sack and with neck
laees, Of wild animals teeth, and
proudly announced she had just been
married with cows thus showing
how completely her Christianity had
fallen away from her, and she had
practically returned, on the first OPP
portunity, to the depth Of that saw
agery from which she had been taken
before she could even remember it.
Isoon lost all trace of her, but Maria's
story has always remained in my
mind as an amazing instance Of the
strength of race instinct.
Oregon.
Oregon has been known as the
Vebfoot State During the rainy
season the precipitation is SO con-