Evening star., 1909-02-17
CHAPTER VII.
The Message of the King.

The Message of the King.
So it CHANGED that Mole became MEM
Der of the Dove household. For obvious
reasons she changed her name. and
thenceforward was called Nonha. Also
1t happened that Mr. Dove abandoned his
idea OF settling as a missionary in Zulu
land. and instead took up his residence
at this beautiful spot. He called it Ra-
nah. because it was a place OF weeping,
for here all the family. and dependents of
Seyapi had been destroyed by the spear.
Mrs. Dove thought it an ill-omened name
| enough. but. after her manner, gave way
to her husband in the matter.
Il think there will be more weeping
here before everything is DONE she said.
Rachel answered. however that il was
as good as any other. since names could
alter nothing. Here. then, at Ramah. MI.
Dove built him house on that knoll
where first he had pitched his camp. 1t
was very good house after its fashion.
for. as has been said, he did not lack for
means and was, moreover. clever in such
matters. He hired a mason VINO had
drifted to Natal to Gut stone, Of Whlcn
plenty lay at hand, and two haif-breed
carpenters to execute the woodwork,
while the Kaffirs matched the whole as
only they can do. Then he set to work
upon a church. which was placed on
the crest of the opposite knoll. where
the white man. Ishmael. had appeared
on the evening Of their arrival Like the
house. it was excellent Of It's sort. and
when at length it was finished, after
more than year of labor, Mr.. Dove felt
proud man.
Indeed. at Ramah he was happier than
he had ever been since he landed upon
the shores Of Africa. for now at length
his dream seemed to be in the way Of
realization. Very soon a considerable ma
tive village spranS up around him, peo-
pied almost entirely by remnants or the
Natal tribes whom Chaka had destroyed
and who were but too glad to settle under
the egis of the white man. especially
when they discovered how good he was
OF the doctrines which he preached to
them day and night most of them, it is
true, did not understand much. Stiil. they
accepted them as the price of being al
lowed Ito live in his shadow but in
the vast majority of cases they sturdily
refused to put away all wives but one,
as he earnestly exhorted them to do.
Al first he wished to eject them from
the settlement in punishment of this sin,
but when it came to the point they abso-
lutely refused to go, demonstrating 10
him that they had as much right to live
there as he had-an argument that he
was unable to controvert So he was
obliged to submit to the presence of this
abomination, which he did in the hope
that in time their hard hearts would be
Softened.
Continue to preach to us Shouter.'
they said land We will listen. Mayhap
in years to come we shall learn to think
as YOU do Meanwhile give us space to
consider the point
So he continued TO preach and contented
himself with baptising the children and
the very old people who took no more
wives Except on this one point. how
ever they got ON eXcellently together.
Indeed never since Chaka broke upon
them like a destroying demon had these
poor folk been so happy. The missionary
imported plows and taught them to I'M
prove their agriculture, so that ere long
this rich virgin soil brought forth abun-
dainty Their few cattle multiplied also
i'm an amazing fashion. as did their faml-
lies. and soon they were as prosperous as
they had been in the good old days be-
fore they knew the Zulu assesai, especial
ly as, TO their amaZement, the Shouter
never took from them calf or bundle
of corn by way of tax. Only the shado"
OF that Zulu assegai still lay upon them
for II Chaka was dead Dingaan ruled
few miles away across the Tugela. More
over. hearing of the rise Of this new
town and of certain strange matters con.
nected with it. he sent spies TO inspect
and inquire. Ihe spies re,uintu anu ,,ita
ported that there dwelt in 1t only white
medicine man with his wife and num-
ber Of Natal Kafirs. Also they reported
in great detail many wonderful stories
concerning the beautiful maiden WIN
high name who passed as the white
teachers daughter, and who had already
become the subject Of so much native
talk and rumor. On learning all these
things Dinsaan dispatched an embassy
who delivered this message:
"I. Dingaan. king of the Zulus, have
heard that you, o White Shouter. have
built town upon my borders. and
peopled it with the puppies of the
jackals whom Chaka hunted. l send to
ny,1
iackals shall have peace from me so
long as you harbor none of my run
aways, but if l find but one of them
there then an impi shall wipe you out
I hear also that there dwells with Jou
a beautiful white maiden said to be
your daughter. who is known through
out the land as 1nkoSazana-y-Zoola
Now that is the name of our Spirit,
who, the doctors. say, is also white, and
it is strange to us that this maiden
should bear that great name. Some OF
the Isanusis the prophetesses. declare
that she is our Spirit in the flesh, but
that meat sticks in my throat can
not swallow it. Still. l invite this
maiden to visit me that l may see ne-
and judge of her. and l swear to you
and to her. by the ghosts of my apces
tors. that no harm shall come to her
then or at any time He who so mucii
as lays finger upon her shall die. he
and all his house. Because of her
from a child. all the territories of the
Zulus are her kraal and all the thou
sands of the Zulus are her servants
Yea. because of her high name l give
wherever men obey my word. and for
an offering / send to her twelve OF my
royal white cattle and bull. also an
OK trained TO riding. When she visits
me let her ride upon this white on,
that she may be known. but let no maj
DeODlA