30 MODE OF SPENDING THE DAY. Chap. II. 



being thus dependent on our own ingenuity, and married life 

 is all the sweeter when so many comforts emanate directly 

 from the thrifty housewife's hands. 



We rose early, because, however hot the day, the evening, 

 night, and morning at Kolobeng were delicious ly refreshing. 

 You can sit out till midnight with no fear of coughs or 

 rheumatism. After family worship and breakfast between six 

 and seven, we kept school, men, women, and children being all 

 invited. This lasted till eleven o'clock. The missionary's 

 wife then betook herself to her domestic affairs, and the 

 missionary engaged in some manual labour, as that of a smith, 

 carpenter, or gardener. If he did jobs for the people, they 

 worked for him in turn and exchanged their unskilled labour 

 for his skilled. Dinner and an hour's rest succeeded, when 

 the wife attended her infant-school, which the young liked 

 amazingly, and generally mustered a hundred strong ; or she 

 varied it with sewing-classes for the girls, which was equally 

 well relished. After sunset the husband went into the town 

 to converse, either on general subjects or on religion. We 

 had a public service on three nights of the week, and on 

 another instruction on secular subjects aided by pictures and 

 specimens. In addition to these duties we prescribed for the 

 sick and furnished food to the poor. The smallest acts of 

 friendship, even an obliging word and civil look, are, as St. 

 Xavier thought, no despicable part of the missionary armour. 

 Xor ought the good opinion of the most abject to be neglected 

 when politeness may secure it. Their good word in the 

 aggregate forms a reputation which procures favour for 

 the Gospel. Show kindness to the reckless opponents of 

 Christianity on the bed of sickness, and they never can 

 become your personal enemies. Here, if anywhere, love 

 begets love. 



When at Kolobeng, during the droughts we were entirely 

 dependent on Kuraman for supplies of corn. Once we were 

 reduced to living on bran, which we had to grind three times 

 over to reduce it to fine meal. We were mnch in want of 

 animal food, which here seems essential to health. We craved 

 as large a quantity as in England, and no bilious effects 

 follow the free use of flesh as in other hot climates. A 

 vegetable diet causes acidity and heartburn. Sechele had by 



