* *
Sunday, September 22.--Grand day; ideal weather; longish.
Up six o'clock; sermon; sweat; veld; "Om te doen gedenken" (To bring
to remembrance).
Inauguration of church; huge crowd; packed; hundreds outside.
Impossible to use even the tiniest bit of notes; "broekscheur." Made
rather mull of first half; "Ik gedenk heden aan mijne zonden" (I do
remember my faults this day). Introduction and second point more
satisfactory; luckily (?) girl fainted; seized opportunity to give
out hymn; grasped notes to refresh memory; "Ik gedenk heden aan de
weldaden des Heeren--God's liefde" (I remember this day the mercies
of the Lord--God's love).
Feel the utter insignificance of my best efforts; sore point; no time
at all to prepare; I tremble when I think of what I venture in
coldbloodedness.
After service went to 207; saw bedding outside, and knew the worst.
"Gister aand, minheer, is zij gestorven. Ach, minheer, zij kon tog
die minuut nie afwag nie, zoo haastig was zij om wegtegaan"
("Yestereen, sir, she died. O sir, she scarcely had patience to wait,
so eager she was to depart").
Great tribulation and bitterness on account of doctor, who insisted
on forcing hot coffee down her throat, and for whom Mrs. Venter was
desperately afraid; also on account of his violent conduct and
harshness in the presence of Death. She could not even die in peace.
Mrs. Steyn's girlie very bad; fever; so restless, and so much pain.
There again in evening; still so restless; no sleep last two nights;
advised Mrs. Steyn to send her to hospital; environment disastrous;
too much to remind her of her two brothers and sister, who died last
week.
Rounds in hospital; girlie No. 1 very bad.
In No. 4, girlie of Mrs. Van der Berg very low; did not know me
to-day; too beautiful a child, really; got mother permission to stay
with her to-night.
Mrs. Bonig's child still alive this afternoon; died towards evening.
Thank God!
Another little chap passed away quite suddenly in same tent this
morning.
Autoharp in convalescent tent.
Hurried to funerals; four; large crowd; several hundreds; Rev. 7,
chapter Mrs. Venter gave as comfort to her people, "Deze zijn het die
uit groote verdrukking komen" (These are they which come out of great
tribulation).
Hurried from there straight to church to lead girls' prayer meeting;
some sixty turned up; off the point, though, in their prayers.
And now for the cream of the day's work. Announce
|