the story of an african farm-第69章

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conscious　without　looking　of　that　broad　green　earth；　it　made　his　work

pleasant　to　him。　　Near　the　shadow　at　the　gable　the　mother　of　the　little

nigger　stood　churning。　　Slowly　she　raised　and　let　fall　the　stick　in　her

hands；　murmuring　to　herself　a　sleepy　chant　such　as　her　people　love；　it

sounded　like　the　humming　of　far…off　bees。



A　different　life　showed　itself　in　the　front　of　the　house；　where　Tant

Sannie's　cart　stood　ready　inspanned　and　the　Boer…woman　herself　sat　in　the

front　room　drinking　coffee。



She　had　come　to　visit　her　stepdaughter；　probably　for　the　last　time；　as　she

now　weighed　two　hundred　and　sixty　pounds；　and　was　not　easily　able　to　move。

On　a　chair　sat　her　mild　young　husband　nursing　the　babya　pudding…faced；

weak…eyed　child。



〃You　take　it　and　get　into　the　cart　with　it；〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　〃What　do

you　want　here；　listening　to　our　woman's　talk？〃



The　young　man　arose；　and　meekly　went　out　with　the　baby。



〃I'm　very　glad　you　are　going　to　be　married；　my　child；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　as

she　drained　the　last　drop　from　her　coffee　cup。　　〃I　wouldn't　say　so　while

that　boy　was　here；　it　would　make　him　too　conceited；　but　marriage　is　the

finest　thing　in　the　world。　　I've　been　at　it　three　times；　and　if　it　pleased

God　to　take　this　husband　from　me　I　should　have　another。　　There's　nothing

like　it；　my　child；　nothing。〃



〃Perhaps　it　might　not　suit　all　people；　at　all　times；　as　well　as　it　suits

you；　Tant　Sannie；〃　said　Em。　　There　was　a　little　shade　of　weariness　in　the

voice。



〃Not　suit　every　one！〃　said　Tant　Sannie。　　〃If　the　beloved　Redeemer　didn't

mean　men　to　have　wives　what　did　He　make　women　for？　　That's　what　I　say。　　If

a　woman's　old　enough　to　marry；　and　doesn't；　she's　sinning　against　the　Lord…

…it's　a　wanting　to　know　better　than　Him。　　What；　does　she　think　the　Lord

took　all　that　trouble　in　making　her　for　nothing？　　It's　evident　He　wants

babies；　otherwise　why　does　He　send　them？　　Not　that　I've　done　much　in　that

way　myself；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　sorrowfully；　〃but　I've　done　my　best。〃



She　rose　with　some　difficulty　from　her　chair；　and　began　moving　slowly

toward　the　door。



〃It's　a　strange　thing；〃　she　said；　〃but　you　can't　love　a　man　till　you've　had

a　baby　by　him。　　Now　there's　that　boy　there；　when　we　were　first　married　if

he　only　sneezed　in　the　night　I　boxed　his　ears；　now　if　he　lets　his　pipe…ash

come　on　my　milk…cloths　I　don't　think　of　laying　a　finger　on　him。　　There's

nothing　like　being　married；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　as　she　puffed　toward　the

door。　　〃If　a　woman's　got　a　baby　and　a　husband　she's　got　the　best　things　the

Lord　can　give　her；　if　only　the　baby　doesn't　have　convulsions。　　As　for　a

husband；　it's　very　much　the　same　who　one　has。　　Some　men　are　fat；　and　some

men　are　thin；　some　men　drink　brandy；　and　some　men　drink　gin；　but　it　all

comes　to　the　same　thing　in　the　end；　it's　all　one。　　A　man's　a　man；　you

know。〃



Here　they　came　upon　Gregory；　who　was　sitting　in　the　shade　before　the　house。

Tant　Sannie　shook　hands　with　him。



〃I'm　glad　you're　going　to　get　married；〃　she　said。　　〃I　hope　you'll　have　as

many　children　in　five　years　as　a　cow　has　calves；　and　more　too。　　I　think

I'll　just　go　and　have　a　look　at　your　soap…pot　before　I　start；〃　she　said；

turning　to　Em。　　〃Not　that　I　believe　in　this　new　plan　of　putting　soda　in　the

pot。　　If　the　dear　Father　had　meant　soda　to　be　put　into　soap　what　would　He

have　made　milk…bushes　for；　and　stuck　them　all　over　the　veld　as　thick　as

lambs　in　the　lambing　season？〃



She　waddled　off　after　Em　in　the　direction　of　the　built…in　soap…pot；　leaving

Gregory　as　they　found　him；　with　his　dead　pipe　lying　on　the　bench　beside

him；　and　his　blue　eyes　gazing　out　far　across　the　flat；　like　one　who　sits　on

the　seashore　watching　that　which　is　fading；　fading　from　him。



Against　his　breast　was　a　letter　found　in　the　desk　addressed　to　himself；　but

never　posted。　　It　held　only　four　words：　　〃You　must　marry　Em。〃　　He　wore　it

in　a　black　bag　round　his　neck。　　It　was　the　only　letter　she　had　ever　written

to　him。



〃You　see　if　the　sheep　don't　have　the　scab　this　year！〃　said　Tant　Sannie　as

she　waddled　after　Em。　　〃It's　with　all　these　new　inventions　that　the　wrath

of　God　must　fall　on　us。　　What　were　the　children　of　Israel　punished　for；　if

it　wasn't　for　making　a　golden　calf？　　I　may　have　my　sins；　but　I　do　remember

the　tenth　commandment：　　'Honour　thy　father　and　mother　that　it　may　be　well

with　thee；　and　that　thou　mayest　live　long　in　the　land　which　the　Lord　thy

God　giveth　thee！'　　It's　all　very　well　to　say　we　honour　them；　and　then　to　be

finding　out　things　that　they　never　knew；　and　doing　things　in　a　way　that

they　never　did　them！　　My　mother　boiled　soap　with　bushes；　and　I　will　boil

soap　with　bushes。　　If　the　wrath　of　God　is　to　fall　upon　this　land；〃　said

Tant　Sannie；　with　the　serenity　of　conscious　virtue；　〃it　shall　not　be

through　me。〃



〃Let　them　make　their　steam…wagons　and　their　fire…carriages；　let　them　go　on

as　though　the　dear　Lord　didn't　know　what　he　was　about　when　He　gave　horses

and　oxen　legsthe　destruction　of　the　Lord　will　follow　them。　　I　don't　know

how　such　people　read　their　Bibles。　　When　do　we　hear　of　Moses　or　Noah　riding

in　a　railway？　　The　Lord　sent　fire…carriages　out　of　heaven　in　those　days：　

there's　no　chance　of　His　sending　them　for　us　if　we　go　on　in　this　way；〃　said

Tant　Sannie　sorrowfully；　thinking　of　the　splendid　chance　which　this

generation　had　lost。



Arrived　at　the　soap…pot　she　looked　over　into　it　thoughtfully。



〃Depend　upon　it　you'll　get　the　itch；　or　some　other　disease；　the　blessing　of

the　Lord'll　never　rest　upon　it；〃　said　the　Boer…woman。　　Then　suddenly　she

broke　forth。　　〃And　she　eighty…two；　and　goats；　and　rams；　and　eight　thousand

morgen；　and　the　rams　real　angora；　and　two　thousand　sheep；　and　a　short…horn

bull；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　standing　upright　and　planting　a　hand　on　each　hip。



Em　looked　at　her　in　silent　wonder。　　Had　connubial　bliss　and　the　joys　of

motherhood　really　turned　the　old　Boer…woman's　head？



〃Yes；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　〃I　had　almost　forgotten　to　tell　you。　　By　the　Lord

if　I　had　him　here！　　We　were　walking　to　church　last　Sacrament　Sunday；　Piet

and　I。　　Close　in　front　of　us　with　old　Tant　Trana；　with　dropsy　and　cancer；

and　can't　live　eight　months。　　Walking　by　her　was　something　with　its　hands

under　its　coat…tails；　flap；　flap；　flap；　and　its　chin　in　the　air；　and　a

stick…up　collar；　and　the　black　hat　on　the　very　back　of　the　head。　　I　knew

him！　　'Who's　that？'　I　asked。　　'The　rich　Englishman　that　Tant　Trana　married

last　week。'　　'Rich　Englishman！　　I'll　rich　Englishman　him；'　I　said；　'I'll

tell　Tant　Trana　a　thing　or　two。　　My　fingers　were　just　in　his　little　white

curls。　　If　it　hadn't　been　the　blessed　Sacrament；　he　wouldn't　have　walked　so

sourka；　sourka；　sourka；　any　more。　　But　I　thought。　　Wait　till　I've　had　it；

and　then。　　But　he；　sly　fox；　son　of　Satan；　seed　of　the　Amalekite；　he　saw

me　looking　at　him　in　the　church。



〃The　blessed　Sacrament　wasn't　half　over　when　he　takes　Tant　Trana　by　the

arm；　and　out　they　go。　　I　clap　my　baby　down　to　its　father；　and　I　go　after

them。　　But；〃　said　Tant　Sannie；　regretfully；　〃I　couldn't　get　up　to　them；　I

am　too　fat。　　When　I　got　to　the　corner　he　was　pulling　Tant　Trana　up　into　the

cart。　　'Tant　Trana；'　I　said；　'you've　married　a　Kaffer's　dog；　a　Hottentot's

brakje。'　　I　hadn't　any　more　breath。　　He　winked　at　me；　he　winked　at　ME；〃

said　Tant　Sannie；　her　sides　shaking　with　indignation；　〃first　with　one　eye；

and　then　with　the　other；　and　then　drove　away。　　Child　of　the　Amalekite！〃

said　Tant　Sannie；　〃if　it　hadn't　been　the　blessed　Sacrament。　　Lord；　Lord；

Lord！〃



Here　the　little　Bush…girl　came　running　to　say　that　the　horses　would　stand

no　longer；　and　still　breathing　out　vengeance　against　her　old　adversary　she

laboured　toward　the　cart。　　Shaking　hands　and　affectionately　kissing　Em；　she

was　with　some　difficulty　drawn　up。　　Then　slowly　the　cart　rolled　away；　the

good　Boer…woman　putting　her　head　out　between　the　sails　to　smile　and　nod。



Em　stood　watching　it　for　a　time；　then　as　the　sun　dazzled　her　eyes　she