A Womans Part in a Revolution | Page 5

an American, who has that especial
department in charge. We found the dancing-hall of the Wanderers'
converted into a huge dormitory, the supper-room into a sick ward, and
the skating-rink reserved for women newly confined--fright and
excitement having brought on many premature births. There is a
matron in charge of the sick, and a medical inspector, who comes twice
a day to visit the different wards. I overheard him soundly berate a
mother who kept her children too much indoors. The food was good,

and there was plenty of it. Fresh cow's milk was supplied to the
children. I noticed a large vessel of galvanised iron marked 'Boiled
water for drinking purposes.' The little children were romping and
tumbling about with great energy. The women were wonderfully
patient, I thought, and firm in their adherence to the cause. This in
some cases was but vaguely understood, but there was a general belief
that there was 'goin' to be some fighten,' which was sure to make us all
better off. I heard but one complaint, and that from a hulking slouch of
a man who had sneaked in from duty to take a nap on the foot of his
sick wife's pallet. He complained of the food, showing me the remains
of dainties given out to the sick woman, and which he had helped her
to eat. The woman looked up at me with haggard eyes: 'It ain't the
vittles, but the pain that's worrying me, ma'am.'
A touching sight were the yelping dogs of every breed, family pets
tethered to the fence outside. All canteens are closed by order of the
Reform Committee as a precautionary measure, and where there was
doubt of these precautions being observed, the liquors were bought and
thrown away.
Hundreds of varying rumours are afloat, which rush and swirl along
until lost in distorting eddies.
This afternoon a horseman went through the town distributing a
Proclamation from the High Commissioner, Sir Hercules Robinson:--
PROCLAMATION BY
_His Excellency the Right Hon. Sir Hercules George Robinson, Bart.,
Member of Her Majesty's Most Hon. Privy Council, K.C.B., of the
Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Governor,
Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's Colony of the Cape of Good
Hope in South Africa, and of the Territories, Dependencies thereof,
Governor of the Territory of British Bechuanaland, and Her Majesty's
Commissioner, &c., &c_.
'Whereas it has come to my knowledge that certain British subjects,
said to be under the leadership of Dr. Jameson, have violated the
territory of the South African Republic, and have cut telegraph wires,
and done various other illegal acts; and
'Whereas the South African Republic is a friendly State in amity with
Her Majesty's Government; and whereas it is my desire to respect the
independence of the said State:

'Now therefore I hereby command the said Dr. Jameson and all persons
accompanying him, to immediately retire from the territory of the
South African Republic, on pain of the penalties attached to their illegal
proceedings; and I do further hereby call upon all British subjects in the
South African Republic to abstain from giving the said Dr. Jameson
any countenance or assistance in his armed violation of the territory of
a friendly State.
'GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
'Given under my hand and seal this 31st day of December, 1895.
'HERCULES ROBINSON, 'High Commissioner.
'By command of His Excellency the High Commissioner.'
Johannesburg is dumfounded!
The sixth edition of the 'Star' this evening says that Jameson is only
fifteen miles away, and that he has had a second encounter with the
Boers. The populace has recovered from the Proclamation, and their
wild enthusiasm can scarcely be restrained. They want to go out to
meet Jameson and bring him in with triumphal outcry. It is hard to be
only a 'she-thing' and stay in the house with a couple of limber-kneed
men, when such stirring happenings are abroad.
11 P.M.--Mr. Lionel Phillips has just addressed the crowd collected
around the 'Gold Fields' waiting for news. He told them that the Reform
Committee Delegation--of which he was one--had been received with
courtesy by the Government Commission, the Chief Justice of the
Republic acting as chairman.
They were assured that their proposals should be earnestly considered.
Mr. Phillips then explained what was wanted, and reiterated the Reform
Committee's determination to stand by the Manifesto. He also told the
Commission that the leaders of the Reform Committee had arranged
with Jameson to come to their assistance when necessary, but that
unfortunately he had come before required, probably through some
misunderstanding or false report. While the Reform Committee
regretted Jameson's precipitate action, they would stand by him. And as
they had no means of stopping him they offered to prove their good
faith by giving their own persons as hostages that Jameson should leave