laurence and berkley went to apply to him the next morning at the mission , already much altered since the last visit which laurence had made : the plot of land was now a handsome vegetable-garden , full of tomato and pepper plants ; a few khoi girls in modest black shifts were tending the rows , tying up the tomato plants to stakes , and another group beneath a broad mimosa tree were sewing diligently , while mrs. erasmus and another missionary lady , a white woman , took it in turn to read to them out of a bible translated into their tongue .