The making of
a home is the beginning of human usefulness.
The Boers were a splendid type of the human animal. It took all the
power of the greatest empire on earth to crush a handful of them; and
even then Great Britain was able to subdue them only at astonishing
loss of men and money, and irreparable impairment of prestige. They
were glorious fighting men, these Boers. The blood that flowed in
their veins was unadulterated Dutch--the only unconquered blood in
history; for you will remember that even Caesar could not overcome
them, and, with the genius of the statesman-soldier that he was, he
made terms with them.
But these Boers were a good deal more than mere fighting animals; they
were perhaps the most religious people on earth. If they were mighty
creatures physically, they were also exalted beings spiritually. They
knew how to pray as well as to fight. They made their living, too, and
asked no favors. Also they builded them a state. It was a fine thing
in the English to acknowledge the high qualities of these African
Dutchmen, after the war with them was over.
It is said that there was not an unmarried man above twenty-one years
of age among them.
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