Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-21
RIVALS OF AMERICAN GIRLS.
Growing Up in TransvaaI and Will Be
Dangerous.

The day of the South African CIR
has hardly arrived yet, but when ii
comes let the Americans see to theii
laurels, for they will have dangerous
COMPETITORS in the field.
The Dutch women of the Transvaal
are tall and splendidly developed, anc
there are the two distinct types, the
purely Dutch with golden brown hair
gray or hazel eyes and creamy skin
and the brunette of French descent
with dark eyes and hair and rich dark
coloring But both types are on
larger scale than their European
antecedents The sun of South Africa
is a great vitalizer, and the children OF
that land of vast spaces have more
room to grow and develop in. and they
lead from their infancy such an ou'
of doors life that they are bound to b
an improvement physically on thel
sisters of the northern hemisphere.
Dutch woman of South Africa al
ways accompanied their husbands ii
their largehooded, slow movin;
wagons Their nomadic existenc'
tended to carelessness of habits and o
dress, but it developed in them an in.
finite capacity for persevering effort
a strength of character, stubborn
ness, as well as great vitality, al OF
which excellent qualities go to the
making of a strong nation.
The present generation can %
divided into two distinct classes, the
inhabitants of the weld and those OF
the towns and villages, and While the
fundamental characteristics are the
same-grit, tenacity, observation-disclosures
independence-still, there is wide
difference between the Boer woman 81
the country and the educated Dutch
woman of the towns.
The former. on reaching the age Of
thirty, are large, fat and heavy. They
marry very young and have
patriarchal families, and over husban'
and children they WELD a great SWAY
an influence very much greater thai
that of the English woman.
To a stranger the Boer vrouw ap
pears stupid and silent; she shuts h
mouth determinedly and sits stolidly
through his visit; but in reality sh
is taking a detailed memorandum
his appearance, ways and manners
and nothing escapes her notice. If sh
is persuaded of his friendliness an
good intentions she may relax little
but the Dutch never by any chanc'
tell You anything more than they wisl
you to know.
The Boer women have always beef
accustomed to good supply OF kan
servants on their farms and they ar
not quite the energetic housewives Oh,
in1agines, but they generally prevai
on their servants to get the work done
to their satisfaction and there is on
branch of housewifery in which the.
eXcel-the making of 'konfyt' Q
preserves, whether jam making of th'
ordinary kind or more elaborate
method of preserving the deliciou
fruit of the land.
Wide as the poles asunder are TIL
educated Dutch women of the town
or those indeed of the country VIII
have been sent to Cape Colony or tc
Europe to school. AS adaptable a
the Americans, with decided menta
ability, they are full of common sense
of good tempered gayety and an in
herent sense of savoir vivre.
A girl who has been to a good
school in South Africa and afterwart
in Europe has something most charm
ing and fascinating about her. Hand
some, vivacious, capable, with clea'
idea Of what she wants and how to gei
it, she carves a pleasant and useful
way for herself through life.
Her out of doors life has made her
strong and healthy and she sees the
advantage of certain amount o.
exercise. Since the war, if not before
she has taken a great interest in
politics as well as in the work Of her
father or husband and in philan-
thropical matters she displays strong
ability. She has not yet
developed the female bachelor" ways
of Independent English womanhood,
for in South Africa in every colony
there is a large surplus of men and
the Dutch girl invariably marries
young and rules husband and family
ever after.-London Queen.