Have just returned hospital; father there; girl evidently dying; fever 105; quite unconscious; strong, strapping girl of nineteen; knelt by bed and prayed; nothing impossible with God; while there is life there is hope.

Will postpone description of house till another occasion; under this cloud one’s ink gets cloggy and one’s pen listless.

Spent morning in hospital, and after—­little visiting.

Funerals, five children; “Laat de kinderen” (Suffer the little children).  Mother fainted at grave; great consternation.

Large laager troops close by.

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Sunday, October 6.—­No diary yesterday; spent morning at river[62]; hour’s walk; small party, seven; persuaded Mr. Fourie to join; wife betterish.

Forgot for the while there was such a thing as a camp, and in the beauties, rugged and rude, of Nature able to enjoy life once more and banish thoughts of sickness, hospitals, deaths, funerals, etc.  The grand old river!

Returned early with Mr. F. and did few hours’ visiting.

To-day most busy and tiring day, as all Sundays are.

Service at ten and again at three.

Funerals at 5 p.m., four; after, prayer meeting.

Luckily (!) weather threatening, so announced there would be no meeting to-night; thankful in my soul.

And now the gentle drops making music on my roof; really it is too grand; one feels like living again to be in room where you can stand upright all over.

Miss Ferreira died last night; buried this afternoon; “Zalig zijn de dooden die in den Heere sterven” (Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord); large crowd at cemetery.

But to think that so young and so strong a person should so suddenly be called away; “Levende gaan zij de eeuwigheid binnen” (literally, Living they enter eternity).

Miss Van Tonder very, very low in hospital; cannot bear thought of her perhaps dying; it will be too, too sad; so young, so good, so patient.  God only knows!

Yesterday eight buried; mostly children.

Let me rather fill pipe; get into bed, and listen to soothing rain without.

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Tuesday, October 8.—­Getting lazy with diary; effects of comforts of house, no doubt.  Just copied Dr. M.’s list of patients; total 150; mostly in new camp; wonder how on earth am to find time to visit these tents; and this is but one of the three doctors’ lists!  So one’s time is just made up with visits to sick, and for other work there is no opportunity.  One gets “daarom” (literally, therefore) a bit hopeless with the amount of work.  O for a few more to help!

Hospital runs away with whole morning; and positively cannot neglect that work, and then come the funerals every other day.

Buried four children this afternoon; one girlie I often visited; “En zij brachten kinderkens tot Jezus” (And they brought children to Jesus).