Womans Endurance | Page 2

it necessary to add a number of notes, and to translate all
the Dutch.

DIARY.

CHAP. I.
Bethulie Concentration Camp, August, 1901.
Wednesday, August 21.--Arrived station 8.30 a.m. (from
Bloemfontein); tedious delay; no pass to village obtainable, official in
village for breakfast; number of refugees in same train, among them a
sick girl, with fever: "Pappie, Pappie, ach mij ou Pappie!" ("Daddy,
daddy! O my dear daddy!" Thus she cried whenever she was touched,
as they carried her out of the train, and lifted her on to the wagon. She
was fever-stricken and terribly emaciated. (Reference is made later to
this same girl.) Alas! Arrival village; visit parsonage (Becker's); dinner;

things forwarded per wagon; arrival camp (mile out); meet
superintendent; given a tent; dust; misery; the Van As's offer me a
home; kind; bitter cold night; leakage; bad draught; bad cold; feel
lonesome; orphanish; pipe to rescue; great consolation.
* * * * *
Thursday, August 22.--My tent untenable position; in the thoroughfare;
speak Superintendent; obtain new site; private; buy 150 bricks 1s. 6d.,
hire three boys, barrow 1s. 3d.; with miershoop (antheap, excellent for
making floor) make brick kraal; hard work; Mr. Van As[1] and Fourie
grand; fine floor.
First visits: Young girl, orphan, bad; Weinanda, little girl, "Ja Oom, ik
is nou bij mij Mamie" ("Yes, Uncle, now I am with my mother"); mind
wanders. Third tent: Two babies wrestling with death; mothers
raadeloos (in despair); 486[2], wife, babe at breast, measles; daughter,
14, convalescent; behind screen three children sick, measles; condition
pitiable; husband prisoner Ladismith; great dirt; unbearable; the pity of
it!
Pitch tent; wet floor; inside dire confusion.
Meeting Church-square thirty-nine elders[3]; each a block; prayer;
introduction Rev. Becker; kind words and cheer.
Early bed; restless night; hospital close by; commotion; groans; fifteen
buried to-day; service for Mr. Van As.
* * * * *
Friday, August 23.--Early bird; wash spruit[4]; first shave (tears); Van
As coffee; pathetic sight; old man leading old wife back to tent from
hospital; Hugo; son just died.
Visit Hugo's; dinner Van As; outspan (rest); cigar grand.
Unpack; three Red Cross boxes (gift of the chemist); order out of chaos;

spirits revive; visits 2.5 p.m.
Dying child; mother broken-hearted.
Dying mother; clear doorway; deathbed grim attraction for our people;
prayer; understands.
Widow; husband found dead outside in night; heart disease.
Sick child (since dead); sick child; sweet face; Louw.
Visit sick child of yesterday, also Weinanda.
Stray; hear cough; enter; father invalid (wife dead); three sick children;
youngest very bad.
Comfort mother of dead child.
Funerals (seven), Mr. Becker: "I was dumb and opened not my mouth."
Burial ground; about 120 graves; weeping mothers; visit dying child;
fool of myself, broke down in prayer; the helplessness in presence of
Death!
Throat hoarse; dead off; return tent; meditate; convinced this work the
very hardest in whole world.
Avoid taking guide next time (handicapped).
Neglected to visit 486 and mothers of yesterday's dying children.
Stienie[5]; down measles; jelly.
Mr. Otto's dear loving daughter[6] died hospital.
Fourteen corpses (in morgue tents).
Very many old friends all about of Papa's and Oom Jacob's[7].

One man disappointed; had expected Oom Jacob.
Night: Strains of Psalm-singing; calm and fresh after shower of rain;
follow ear; Snyman; short conversation.
* * * * *
Saturday, August 24.--Evening: Coughing; wailing; crying; groaning.
Exhausting day; pure, clear air after refreshing rain.
The misery in our Camp heart-rending; hopeless to cope with work.
Up early; coffee in hospital kitchen; work.
235a; six orphans; baby; dirt; sad!
241; mother died to-day suddenly.
239; boy 12, Ignatius; malignant growth shoulder; hopeless; pining
away.
249; child; measles.
468; Venter; motherless infants; all sick; food scarce; despair; powerful
grandmother (arms!); daughter; all measles; "Ziet, minheer, die dochter
is nog'n lady: sij is nie getrouwd nie" ('This daughter, sir, is still a lady;
she is not yet married'); Bengers; beef tea.[8]
485; Van Heerde; mother and tentful of sick children; pitiable; camphor;
brandy.
487; Engelbrecht; Mrs. P. de Lint[9]; wonderful discovery; yet withal
sad; father India; children ill; wife broken-hearted; great rejoicing;
thanksgiving for change.
321; Old Mr. De Villiers, grand old man; great cheer to myself.
268; Mrs. De Villiers; five children sick.

383; mother died last week; daughter this morning; "Minheer, dit was
de prachtigste sterfbed wat ik ooit gezien het" ('Sir, it was the most
beautiful deathbed I have ever seen'); "Dag, tante, ik gaat naar die
Heere Jesus toe" ('Good-bye, Aunt, I am going to the Lord Jesus');
remaining daughter very, very bad; "Minheer, moet assemblief bid dat
ik kan gezond word" ('Sir, you must pray, please, that I may recover');
little hope; inflammation.
292; Van der Berg; wife died last night.
81; casual visit; Mrs. Van Staden; Mrs. Otto; sick children.
80; Mrs. Van der Merwe died to-day; old lady, Mrs. Pienaar, ill