relished. During the day every
operation must be superintended, and both husband and wife must labor
till the sun declines. After sunset the husband went into the town to
converse with any one willing to do so, sometimes on general subjects,
at other times on religion. On three nights of the week, as soon as the
milking of the cows was over and it had become dark, we had a public
religious service, and one of instruction on secular subjects, aided
by pictures and specimens. These services were diversified by attending
upon the sick and prescribing for them, giving food, and otherwise
assisting the poor and wretched. We tried to gain their affections by
attending to the wants of the body. The smallest acts of friendship, an
obliging word and civil look, are, as St. Xavier thought, no despicable
part of the missionary armor. Nor ought the good opinion of the most
abject to be uncared for, when politeness may secure it. Their good
word in the aggregate forms a reputation which may be well employed
in procuring favor for the Gospel. Show kind attention to the reckless
opponents of Christianity on the bed of sickness and pain, and they
never can become your personal enemies. Here, if any where, love begets
love.

When at Kolobeng, during the droughts we were entirely dependent on
Kuruman for supplies of corn. Once we were reduced to living on bran,
to convert which into fine meal we had to grind it three times over. We
were much in want of animal food, which seems to be a greater necessary
of life there than vegetarians would imagine. Being alone, we could
not divide the butcher-meat of a slaughtered animal with a prospect
of getting a return with regularity. Sechele had, by right of
chieftainship, the breast of every animal slaughtered either at home or
abroad, and he most obligingly sent us a liberal share during the whole
period of our sojourn. But these supplies were necessarily so irregular
that we were sometimes fain to accept a dish of locusts. These are quite
a blessing in the country, so much so that the RAIN-DOCTORS sometimes
promised to bring them by their incantations. The locusts are strongly
vegetable in taste, the flavor varying with the plants on which they
feed. There is a physiological reason why locusts and honey should be
eaten together. Some are roasted and pounded into meal, which, eaten
with a little salt, is palatable. It will keep thus for months. Boiled,
they are disagreeable; but when they are roas