The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-02-09
SOLD AS SLAVES.
MANY MISSION GIRLS AHn THUS
TRmATER ny TnRIe. pAg q
An African Teacher Says ths Old
Custom Condemns Many wo.
men to Bondage.
men to Bondage.

Marriage customs In Africa have
little consideration for the native
girls, who are in effect as much the
objects of barter and sale as ever they
were in the days when she slave trad
ers were prevalent on the West Coast,
A letter just received from the Pres.
byterian mission station at Lolodorf
shows how the marriage ~''palaver"
i~nterferes with the education of the
girls in the schools established for
them by the Presbyterian Board Of
Foreign Missions.
Miss Jane X. Mackenzie writes the
letter and, after telling Of the forma
tiOn Of the girls boarding kchool and
some details Of tho days work of the
scholars whom she DISORDERS as intel
ligent, clean little girls willing and
eager to learn, she writes:
"Veryahappy were the little girls
and free for several weeks. Then we
fell urd r the curse Of the marriage
palaver. Oae girl, a house servant,
was sold to a man owning several
wives. When 1t came to delivery of
the goods the goods became animated
In dissent-not indeed. that consent
had been asked Of the goods. The
station backed the girl. News of
this do1ano, Of good Ngunba custom
penetrated to the ends of the earth
and woke q thousand anxieties. The
social fabric was imperilled. Two of
the little girls were led away weep
Ing by DANNY male relatives: this was
sad to see MY own little servant,
Makako, was ordered to her town by
her uncle. her father being Of In Bull,
where he is ounting goods with which
to buy a new wife upon whose pur
chase he means to give Makako rs
part payment. There you see the
exit of three little InjunsAT The school
Is depleted and illrepute.
Putting up I'VE night III Ipose
where n OF the ohildron olives. 1
heard from her that the townspeople
say of the school, No little girl may
marry who enters there. You are
reminded, doubtless, Of the legent ov.
er the gate to Dante's hell. My sin.
Rle state Ia a matter of common mar
vel-it does not help us in our pre-
sent difficulty aud may b, takan as
eviderce of a cult from which young
Ngumba maidenhood must be protect
ed.
Mum, the little girl In question
bad her slate as q token Of her hav.
Ing drunk at the wells of learning. T.
hung In her hut as q diploma hangs
III a doctors cflce-w witnessing to her
poor little achievements. She slept
in my hut and did me some service. l
paid my debt with q needle and some
thread. When next l 60 l shall take
her some patches. Patches are dear
to little Afr!cln girls. Poor Amana,
when she was taken away went down
the path wiping her eyes on her bits
Of patchwork,
We were sad when these children
were taken away. Amy work Tor girls
In q polygam n"ntr oG. Other
girls viii come. Some whose parents
are Christian or other Wise enlighten
ed we shall be able to keep: and some
will go. Yet not without benefit
Something they will have learned Of
reading and writing, OF sewing and
washing, Of truth and the love Of
God.
The night before Mum left when
[ asked the children for what they
wish me to pray, she said: Tell Him
[ am afraid Of getting married. 1t Is
a comfort to know that our high
priest was touched by the feeling of
that piteous little infirmity.