THE DUTCHWOMEN OF THE TRANSVAAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 317, 2 October 1908, Page 3

THE DUTCHWOMEN OF THE TRANSVAAL.

" .TEe -ibutclisvoriiqn of the Transvaal are not, it must 'Be- remembered, descended from the . ; ' Dutch' of Ilolland only, says a writer,' in an {? English,'paper.:; Just■as.th'eEriglish.hare the, ''■blood, of many, other.' nations, in their.-veins, Dutchareuot absolutely a'; pure race. "While tho. most. famous Dutch have.a strain of German : blood . in them, a' touch of . Irish, .beauty; i.vivacity, and wit..is ; most "" welcom^';; especially in the. women. The wife of thei Ejemier of the .Transvaal, Mrs. Louis . Insh'ivbman, is descended from Robert Em'mett, the patriot,, and her daughter; Helen, now ..Mrs. De Waa.l, owes much-."of her charm/and fascination to her ... Irish; mother. .. .''■,' ■ ' the Transvaal are'tall ." and, splendidly , developed, and there are the .'.' . two (;Qistinct;. types, v.the', purely Dutch 'with '. . golden-brown hair,; grey, or-, hazel Veyes; and , creamy Xskin,. and the brunette of French , • des^t,j;witli• dark. syessmd> haijy : and rich. ... dark .'But..both , types 'are on a larger .' sc'alq'than- their■• European . anteces.'. -.dents.. .' .. .' '■v :: -!jTJ'e..PrG?.orii geriera.tion. can be divided into .- two 1 distinct classes,'. the inhabitants of- the ' | .;„ye]d and- those; of tho towns and • villages, i .'. and while .the fundamental characteristics are ,tho samp—grit, ;tenacity, - level-headedness, ■/ independences-still, thero is a. wide difference betiveen' the..ißoer .woman of the country and the educated -Dutchwoman of the .town. The. former -on,reaching the;: age of thirty , are. large,: fat,' and heavy. They, marry very :., young, and have, families, and : j ) oyer !husband-and children they, wield great • sway, an influence very., much greater than that ,of the Englishwoman. An Uitlander and stranger calling, at an outlying farm for a night's shelter is received with great hosv: pitality.i and with 'a. courtesy, veiled in cau- ■ tl( >n>--for,;;.the.j hospitality-, oftho ; Boers re- / coived be-: ~~, haviour .of many of, t])o : ,early adventurers "to the; diamond:;and gold =TiieldsT - : To a .stranger .; the, Boer vrouw appears ■ stupid ..and silent;" she shuts her . mouth . determinedly, and sits .stolidly through his visit; but in reality' she is taking ,a de-, tailed.memorandum of his appearance, ways, and manners, and nothing escapes" her notice. If she is: persuaded , of liis friendliness and -A B«pd;' intentions, -she-, may relax >a.-little; but the Dutch never, by any chance tell you anything mere than they wish you to know. ; They; are. capable of keeping ;an ironbourid ■ silence, or of. deliberately misleading■ you as they ; choose; To British neighbours they can be friendly and hospitable, but it depends largely on.tho neighbours; they like v... strong and .capable characters,- even if their • owners do not ■ always see eye to eye with . .themselves. ." • ' Of schooling tfie ; womah of the' back- veld: ;'.. has, .had 'littlebut the rising generation, ■ thanks to_the system instituted under Lord ••• Milner, :will enjoy Vas good an education as , , can be desired, for: scholarships from the ' smaller schools - carry tho winners of them to the towns. . '- Wide as : the' poles . asunder are the educated Dutchwomen-, of the . towns; or those, • indeed, of the country, who have been sent Kto Cape Colony- or to Europe to school. As . as -the.'■■'"American's,; with decided ' ability, unspoilt by, cramming, they l ;can hardly be called either well read or over- ! , educated; biit they are full of common sense, - of good-tempered gaiety, aiid an inherent '• sense of savoir vivre; A'girl who has been ito a; good school in South Africa and .after- ' wards iri Europe-has something most charming and fascinatihg about her. Handsome, -. ;'• ■ vivacious, capable;'with a clear idea of what she ' wants and ; how'to get it, she carves a ■'; pleasant and useful'way for herself through ... life, ller out-of-doors life has made her - strong and'h'ealthy'; '"and-she' sees the advantage of a certain' 1 amount of exercise., : Since the war, ;sf not, before, she has taken a great interest in politics,, as well as in the work of .hcr father, or. husliand, and in_philanthropical matters she displays strong organising ability. She has not yet 'do--, vcldpetl the "female bachelor" "ways of, independent English womanhood, for in South . Africa in' oVcry colony there is a large surplus of-'-tnen, and '• hp Dutch girl invariably ■ marries^young,' and rules husband and fam- ■ ily ever after. . She can hardly be called literary>or artistic' yet—there has- been no . timej for that ; but she is often decidedly musical,', for in most. new., countries" music ' comes''first- and then literature, and art, v -.' whether painting or sculpture, follows''a long way behiiid. The' day of the. South African ; girl-'has hardly arrived yet-; but when it coniis .let >thc Americans' see to their laurels, for,they will have.dangerous competitors in ■ the-'field; ■~ r