Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-06
NEXT Friday and Saturday, the 18th
1 y and 18th, are designated for the re-
ception of exhibits in the circular re-

proachfully with her blue eyes, and an.
swered in her soft Scotch accent:
You said that to me before. John. when
the other one went down at Grahams.
town, and am tired of hearing it. Don't
ask me to bless the Lord when He takes
my babies, no, nor any mother, He who
could spare them If He chose. Why
should the Lord give me fever 80 that !
could not nurse it, and make a snake bite
the COW SO that it died? II the Lord =
ways are such. then those OF the saw
ages are more merciful."
Janey. Janey. do not blaspheme." her
father had exclaimed. You should re-
joce that the child is in heaven
Then do you rejoice and leave me to
grieve. From today I only make one
prayer, that I may never have another.
john" she added. with q sudden out
burst. lit is your fault. You know well
I told you how it would be. I told you
that If you would come this mad journey
the babe would die, aye. and 1 tell
you here her voice sank to a kind of
wailing whisper-"before the tale is end
ed others will die. too. all Of us, except
Rachel there, who was born to live her
life. Well, for my part the sooner the
better, for I wish to go to sleep with my
children"
This is evil" broke in her husband;
"evil and rebelious-"
Then evil and rebellious let It be, John.
But why am l evil If have the second
sight, like my mother before me? Oh.
she warned me what must come If
married you. and 1 would not listen: now
l warn you, and you will not listen.
Well SO be it: we must dree our own
weird. every one of us. short one: all
save Rachel, who was born to live her
life. Man, l tell you that the Spirit drives
you on to convert the heather just for
one thing-that the heather may make a
martyr Of you"
so let Them" her father answered,
proudly. Il seek no better end
Aye she moaned sinking back upon
the cartel: 80 let them: but my babe,
my poor babe! Why should my babe die
because too much religion has made you
mad to win a martyrs crown? Martyrs
should not marry and have children,
John"
Then. unable to bear any more of it,
Rachel had fed from the tent and sat
herself down at distance to watch the
only sea.
1t has been said that Rachel was only
fifteen. but in southern Africa girls grow
quickly to womanhood: also her expert
ences had been of a nature to ripen her
intelligence. Thus she was quite able to
form Judgment of her parents. their
virtues and their weaknesses. Rachel
was English born, but had no recollection
Of England. since she came to South
Africa when she was four years old. 1t
was shortly after her birth that this mis-
sionary fury seized upon her father as
result Of some meetings which he had at
tended in London. He was then a cler-
gyman with a good living in a quiet Hert-
fordshire parish, and possessed of some
private means, but nothing would suit
him short of abandoning all his prospects
and sailing for South Africa, in obedience
to his call" Rachel knew all this, be-
cause her mother had often told her, add
ing that she and her people, who were
of a good Scotch family, had struggled
against this South African scheme even
to the verge of open quarrel
At length, indeed. 1t came to choice
between submission and separation. Mr.
Dove had declared that not even for her
sake would he be guilty of 'sin against
the Spirit which had chosen him 10
bring light to those who sat in darkness
that is. the Kafirs. and especially to that
section of them who were in bondage to
the Beers. For at this time an agitation
was in progress in England which led ul-
timately to the freeing of the slaves of
the Cape Dutch and afterward to the ex-
odus 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 possess
sion, was In truth very lovable man.
she gave way and came. Before they
sailed however, the general gloom was
darkened by Mrs. Dove announcing that
something in her heart told her that mel
Their of them would ever see home again,
as they were doomed to die at the HANDS
of savages.
Now, whatever the reason or explana-
ton. scientifically impossible as the fact
might be, 1t remained a fact that Janey
Dove. like her mother and several OF her
Scottish ancestors. was foresighted, or
at least so her kith and kin believed
Therefore, when she communicated to
them her conviction as though 1t were a
piece of everyday intelligence they never
doubted it's accuracy for minute. but
only redoubled their efforts to prevent
her from going to Africa. Even her hus-
band did not doubt it. but remarked irri-
tably that it seemed pity she could not
sometimes be foresighted as to agreeable
future events, since for his part he was
quite willing to wait for disagreeeable
ones until they happened. Not that he
quatled personally from the prospect Of
martyrdom: this he could contemplate
with complacency and even enthusiasm,
but, zealot though he was, he did shrink