Mrs.
Keeley told me a great deal of their ideas, habits, and ways, in which
low cunning is combined with extreme curiosity and naive simplicity.
Many of the fathers and sons in the neighbourhood had slunk off to fight
across the border, sending meanwhile their wives and daughters to call
on Mrs. Keeley and condole with her in what they termed "her trouble,"
and to ascertain at the same time all the circumstances of the farm and
domestic circle. A curious thing happened one day. Directly after
breakfast an old shandrydan drove up with a typical Dutch family as
occupants. Mrs. Keeley, busy with household matters, pulled a long face,
knowing what was before her. No questions as to being at home,
disengaged, or follies of that sort, were asked; the horses were
solemnly outspanned and allowed to roam; the family party had come to
spend the day. Seated gravely in the dining-room, they were refreshed by
coffee and cold meat. Mrs. Keeley remarked to me privately that the best
thing to do was to put quantities of food before them and then leave
them; and, beyond a few passing words as she went in and out of the
room, I did not make out that they went in for entertaining each other.
So they sat for hours, saying nothing, doing nothing. When Mrs. Keeley
wanted me to have lunch, she asked them to remove to the stoep, and in
this request they seemed to find nothing strange.
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