sod falls with
its horrible thud; it unstrings the chords of one's being, and the
best thing is to depart.

Spent afternoon in; at five, went to few tents.

Old Tante yonder; the great collapse; very sorrowful; faithful unto
death. Weeks of toil; untiring efforts with sick daughter and her
three sick children; poor; helpless; no one to assist save little
Billy, who herself is sick. And now--now the daughter is better, the
three children on the way to recovery, and the faithful old
grandmother? Nunc demittis. She has lain there like a log since
yesterday without nourishment; took beef tea; kind neighbour brought
broth; made her sit up, and she gulped down the food; will try and
get her removed to hospital to-morrow.

Visited Mrs. Naude of yesterday; anguish; the last child died this
morning; husband gone; three children gone; alone. Made fool of
myself. O, the pity of it all!

Long visit from Doctor; desperate; at wit's end; and with a sermon
hanging upon my mind.

* * * * *

Sunday, September 8.--Most awful day of wind and dust. May I never
see such another.

Church (!); open air; clouds of dust; people just simply buried in
dust; could scarcely read; whole service forty-five minutes.

During sermon compelled to turn round and shut eyes; saw on opening
them that my black hat had changed to my brown one.

Met wailing women on return; Mrs. Lubbe; news of husband's death;
shot in war; frantic; visited this evening; hopeless. What could I
do? frantic despair; cruel anguish unconsolable. Grief makes one
unreasonable. I think one should fight against grief and not collapse
so readily; and yet--and yet!

Funerals five; old Mr. Petersen; large crowd; availed myself of
opportunity; "Alleen wiens namen opgeschreven zijn in het Boek des
Levens des Lams" (But they which are written in the Lamb's Book of
Life).

May God not let His word return to Him void; read also Psalm 25,
which I read to old Mr. Petersen just before he died.

Accompanied Mrs. Mentz to see husband in hospital; youngest child
dead; father knows not; in fear and trembling lest she should tell.
He gave her half an orange to give the little girl (buried already);
I must tell him of child's death to-morrow; bitter task.

Disappointed about hospital; could not go through thoroughly; some
there who won't pull through, I'm afraid.

On way home from funerals called in to pray for dying children; found
I was too late at t