SOUTHERN RHODESIA BREAKING THE RULES SHE WAS PICKING CORN . HE WAS 
WATCHING . " IT WAS NOT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, " 
RECALLS STUART FULLER-SANDYS, 50, OF HIS FIRST GLIMPSE OF MARGARET DUBE, 
22 . " LOVE CAME LATER LIKE A DELUGE . " 
THERE WAS ONLY ONE SERIOUS COMPLICATION : SHE WAS BLACK, AND 
HE WAS WHITE . ON THE FRONT PAGES OF EVERY SOUTHERN 
RHODESIA PAPER LAST WEEK WAS THE FAIRYTALE ROMANCE OF THE RICH, 
WIDOWED WHITE RANCHER TO THE PENNILESS DARKY DAUGHTER OF ONE OF 
HIS SQUATTER TENANTS . IT BEGAN IN 1961, AND HAD PYGMALION 
OVERTONES . IN HIS IRON-ROOFED BIG HOUSE, FULLER-SANDYS, LIKE HENRY HIGGINS, 
DAILY GAVE MARGARET LESSONS IN THE SOCIAL GRACES OF THE REGION 
. MARGARET LEARNED TO SPEAK AND READ, SLOWLY MASTERED THE ASSEMBLY 
OF CUTLERY FOR A FOUR-COURSE DINNER . FOR HOURS, TEACHER AND 
PUPIL PORED OVER ARITHMETIC PRIMERS, ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND FASHION MAGAZINES . ONE 
EVENING FULLER-SANDYS GAZED AT HER IN A SPECIAL WAY ; SHE 
SAID YES AND IN ENGLISH . PROMPTLY FULLERSANDYS CALLED ON HER 
GNARLED FATHER, AN AGED AND RESPECTED LABORER ON THE PLACE . 
NATURALLY, FULLER-SANDYS HANDED OVER A BRIDE PRICE ($100) ; THEN FULLER-SANDYS 
SLIPPED A DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING ON MARGARET'S FINGER . IT WAS 
A BRAVE STEP IN WHITE-RULED SOUTHERN RHODESIA . IMMEDIATELY THE GOVERNMENT 
FIRED FULLER-SANDYS AS AN ADVISER IN THE NATIVE AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, CURTLY 
EXPLAINING : " YOU CANNOT ADMINISTER AFRICANS AND SLEEP WITH THEM 
. " OF 48 WHITE FRIENDS FULLER-SANDYS INVITED TO THE WEDDING 
LAST WEEK, 34 SENT THEIR REGRETS . THE BEAMING BRIDE, CARRYING 
A BOUQUET OF WHITE DAHLIAS AND WEARING A WHITE SATIN GOWN, 
HAD THREE AFRICAN BRIDESMAIDS FOR THE CEREMONY ON FULLER-SANDYS'S VERANDA, PERFORMED 
BY THE REV . RICHARD HUGHES, RECTOR OF AN ANGLICAN CHURCH 
AT QUE QUE 64 MILES AWAY . THAT NIGHT, UNDER A 
FULL MOON, THE WEDDED COUPLE ATTENDED AN AFRICAN CELEBRATION IN THEIR 
HONOR . THERE WAS MUCH LEAP-DANCING AND YELLING AROUND A CAMPFIRE 
. DURING THE EVENING FULLER-SANDYS HAD A CHANCE TO OPEN A 
LETTER DELIVERED TO HIM EARLIER IN THE DAY . BEARING NEITHER 
RETURN ADDRESS NOR SIGNATURE, IT SAID, " YOU BLOODY WHITE KAFFIR, 
WHAT A DISGRACE TO THE COUNTRY YOU ARE . . . 
YOUR BELOVED BLACK BASTARD ISN'T EVEN GOOD LOOKING . " HE 
READ THE NOTE, THEN HANDED IT TO HIS BRIDE . AFTER 
A MOMENT, SHE REPLIED QUIETLY : " IT DOESN'T MATTER, DEAR 
. / 