The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-25
CHAPTER VII. The Message of the King.

So it chanced that Noie became z
 member of the Dove household. Fol obvious reasons she changed her name
 and thenceforward was called Nonha
 Also it happened that MT. Dove aband.
 oned his idea of settling as a mission
 ary in Zululand. and instead. took uI
 his residence at this beautiful spot. He
 called it Ramah because it was place
 of weeping. for there all the family
 and dependants of Seyapi had been de
 stroyed by the spear. Mrs. Dove thought it an i1l-omened name enough
 but after her manner gave way to hel 1 husband in the matter.
 1 'I think there will be more weeping here before everything is done.' she
 said.
 Rachel answered. however. that ii was as good as any other. since names
 could alter nothing. Here. then. al
 Ranah. MT. Dove built him a house on that knoll where first he had pitch ed his camp. It was a very good house after it's fashion. for. as has been said he did not lack for means, and was, moreover. clever in such matters. He hired a mason who had drifted to Natal. to cut stone of which plenty | lay at hand. and twO-half breed car penters to execute the woodwork, | whilst the Kaffirs thatched 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 ar rival. Like the house. it was excellent of it's sort. and when at length 1t was finished after more than a year of labour. MT. Dove felt a a 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 4n the way of realisation. Very soon a con- siderable native village sprang up around him. peopled almost entirely by remnants of the Natal tribes whom Chaka had destroyed and who were but too glad to settle under the aegis of the white man. especially Wher they discovered how good he was. Of the doctrines which he preached to them day and night. most of them. 1t Is true, did not understand much. Still they accepted them as the price of being allowed 'to live in his shadow" but in the vast majority of cases they sturdi- ly refused to put away all wives but one, as he earnestly exhOrted them to do.
 At first he wished to eject then. from the settlement in punishment or this sin. but when it came to the point they absolutely refused to go. demonstrat- ing to him that they had as much right to live there as he had. an argu- ment that he was unable to contr3vert. 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. O shout er," they said. "and 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 con- tented himself with baptising the chil- dren and very old people who took no more wives. Except on this one point, however. they got on excellently to- gether Indeed. never since Chaka broke upon them like a destroying demon had these poor folk been so happy The missionary imported ploughs and taught them to improve their agriculture. so that ere long this rich virgin soil brought forth abund- antly. Their few cattle multiplied also in an amazing fashion, as did their families, and soon they were as pros porous as they had been in the good old days before they knew the Zulu assegai especially as. to their amaze ment. the Shouter never took from Chem even calf or a bundle of corn hv way of tax. Only the shadow of