ity between the Boers and the English deepens in
intensity. It will be to many minds a relief when the storm
bursts. The War Office may think meanly of the Africanised
Dutchman as a fighting force, but the opinion of every loyal
Briton in this country is that he is not a foe to be
despised, and that he will shed the last drop of his own
blood and his children's for the sake of his independence._

_"Above the petty interests of greedy capitalists looms the
wider question: Shall the Briton or the Dutchman rule in
South Africa? Here in this insignificant frontier town we
wait the sounding of the tocsin. The Orange Free State has
openly allied itself with the Transvaal Government. There
are said to be several commandos in laager on the Border. A
public meeting of citizens of this town has been held, at
which a vote of 'No confidence' in the Dutch Ministers has
been passed, and an appeal for help has been made to the
Government at Cape Town. It is not yet publicly known what
the response has been, if there is any. I think it ominous
that all of our Dutch pupils, save one, should have been
hurriedly sent for by their parents before the ending of the
term. Knowing my responsibility, I am sending all home,
except the few who happen to be resident in this town, and
the school will remain closed, at all events, until the
outlook assumes a less threatening aspect. It is a relief to
many that a Military Commandant has been appointed by the
authorities at Cape Town, and that he arrived here a week
ago. He is reported to be an officer of energy and decision,
and as he has already set the troops under his command to
work at putting the town into a condition of defence, and is
organising the civil male population into a regiment of
armed----"_

There was a light knock at the door. She responded with the permission to
enter, and a tall, slight girl, with red-brown hair, came in and closed
the door, dropping her little curtsy to the Mother-Superior. She wore the
plain black alpaca uniform of the Convent, with the ribbon of the Headship
of the Red Class, to be resigned when she should become a pupil-teacher
at the opening of the next term; and the rare and beautiful smile broke
over the face of the elder woman as the younger came to her side.

"Are you busy, Reverend Mother? Do you want me to go away?"

"I shall ha