The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-15

| AIee our OWH WeITO, every one or us, | short one; all save Rachel, who wa
 born to live her life. Man, I tell vol 1 that the Spirit drives you on to con
 vert the heather just for one thing l that the heather may make a marty i of you.'
 ''So let them" her father answere l proudly. T seek no better end.'' Ave- she moaned. sinking back up l on the cartel. "so let them; but m
 babe, my poor babe! Why should m 1 babe die because too much religion ha l made you mad to win a martyr crown? Martyrs should not marry an have children. John.''
 Then, unable to bear any more of j Rachel had fled from the tent and sa herself down at distance to watcl
 the oily sea.
 It has been said that Rachel wa
 only fifteen, but in Southern Afric; girls grow quickly to womanhood; als her experiences had been of a natur
 to riDen her intelligence. Thus sh
 was quite able to form a judgmen of her parents, their virtues and thei
 weaknesses. Rachel was English born
 but had no recollection of Englant
 since she came to South Africa wher
 she was four year old. It was short
 ly after her birth that this missionary.
 fury seized upon her father as a re-
 suit of some meetings which he hat
 attended in London. He was then (
 clergyman with a. good living in .
 quiet Hertfordshire parish, and pos
 sessed of some private means, but
 nothing would suit him short of aban-
 doning all his prospects and sailing
 for South Africa, in obedience to his
 ''call." Rachel knew all this because
 her mother had often told her, adding
 that she and her people, who were of
 Q, good Scotch family, had struggled against this South African scheme even
 to the verge of open quarrel.
 At length, indeed, it came to a choice between submission and separation. for her sake would he be guilty of "sin against the Spirit which had chosen him to bring light to those who sat in arlzness-that is, the Kaffirs, and es- pecially to that section of them who were in bondage to the Boers. For at this time an agitation was in pro- gress in England which led ultimately to the freeing of the slaves of the Cape Dutch, and afterwards to the exodus of the latter into the wilderness and most of those wars with which our generation is familiar. So, as she was devoted to her husband, who, apart from his religious enthusiasm, or rather possession, was in truth a very lovable man, she gave way and came. Before they sailed, however, the gen. era1 gloom was darkened by Mrs. Dove that something in her heart told her that neither of them would ever see home again, as they were doomed to die at the hands of 
 Now whatever the reason or explan- ation, scientifically impossible as the fact might be, it remained a fact that Janey Dove, like her mother and sev-
 s-1. or at least so her kith and to them her conviction as though it were piece of everyday they never doubted it's ac- curacy for a minute, but only redou- oled their efforts to prevent her from going to Africa. Even her husband lid not doubt it, but remarked irritab- " that it seemed a pity she could not sometimes be foresighted as to agree able future events, since for his part he was quite willing to wait for dis agreeable ones until they happened. Not that he quailed personally from the prospect of martyrdom; this he could contemplate with complacency and even enthusiasm. but, Zealot ,hough he was, he did shrink from the thought that his beautiful and delicate wife might he called upon to share the glory of that crown. Indeed, as his ,wn purpose was unaltegable, he now himself suggested that he should go 'orth to seelz it alone.
 Then it was that his wife showed an strength of character. She said that she had married him for better or for worse against the wishes If her family; that she loved and re- ipected him, and that she would rath- r be murdered by Kaffirs in due sea- on than endure a separation which l night be lifelong. So in the end the ,air of them with their little daughter, | Rachel, departed in a sailing ship, and heir friends and relations knew them 10 more.
 Their subsequent history up to the | late of the opening of this story may | 'e told in very few words. As a mis- ionary the Reverend John Dove was lot a, success. The Boers in the east l Tn part of Cape Colony where he la ,ored, did not appreciate his efforts | O Christianize their slaves The laves did not appreciate them either, nasmuch as saint though he might be- | e quite lacked, the sympathetic insight | which would enable him to understand | hat a native with thousands of gen. rations of savagery behind him is ifferent being from a highly educated | Christian, and one who should be udged by another law Their sins, mongst which he included all their lost cherished inherited customs, ap- alled him, as he continually pro laimed from the housetops. More yer, when occasionally he did snatch
 brand from the burning, and the aid brand subsequently, proved that it 7as still alight. or worse still, replaced Is original failings by those of the 7hite man, such as drink, theft and 1ing, whereof before it had been in ocent, he would openly condemn it ) eternal punishment. Further, he yas too insubordinate, or as he called , too honest, to submit to the author y of his local superiors in the hurch, and therefore would only work Dr his own hand. Finally he caused is "cup to overflow" as he described :, or, in plain English, made the coun- " too hot to hold him. by becoming lvolved in a bitter quarrel with the oers. Of these, on the whole. worthy )lk, he formed the worst. and in the lain a very unjust opinion, which pinion he sent to England to be re- rinted in Church papers, or to the one Government to be published in e-books. In due course these docu- tents reached South Africa again, here they were translated into Dutch nd became, incidentally, one of the luses of the Great Trek
 r