Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-07

dent Samuel Watson presiding. There were
present, besides large assemblage of ladies
and gentlemen, members OF the church, Rev.
DR.. John B. NJ 'FerrIn; of Nashville; Rev.
| DIR. Heard, presiding elder of the Memphis
district, and the pastors of the various Meth
odist churches of the city. The church was
attractively decorated with flowers and ever
greens, the fragrance and beauty of which
| lent charm to the interesting occasion.
THE EXERCISES
were begun with the selection, Guide Ne, o
| Thou Greet deborah. 10y the cholr, Mrs.
James Poston presiding at the organ; and
lesson from the Bible, read by Rev. j. B.
| Stewart.
Mrs. President Samuel Watson then an
| nounced
THE OBJECT OF THE PRESENT MEETING
in few brief but pointed extemporaneous
remarks. She said that in order TO enlighten
| some present perhaps not informed
as to the objects of the society.
She would say that the women's mis-
sionary auxiliary societies, which are sub
| ordinate to the conference society, met
here to- night, holds regular monthly meet
| ings, the third or quarterly meetings being of
! delegates from all the auxiliary societies, at
| which reports Of the labors accomplished
| during the quarter are presented. The OBJ
| jects of this organization are to concentrate
| our efforts as Christian women, to send the
| gospel to our own sex In foreign lands
where they are by the laws OF the
countries deprived from any religious
| training and instruction, because the
missionaries of the opposite sex are prohibited
| from approaching them. Mre. Watson called
attention TO the presence OF the venerable
! Rev DIR. j. b M'Ferrin, OF Nashville, who
| is fully competent to enlighten those present
| on the important work IL view, and she hoped
his eloquence would arouse a jealous enthu-
siasm on the subject
Mrs. Watson remarks were followed By a
| prayer by Presiding Elder Heard and the
selection, From Greenland's ley Mountains,
by the choir.
REV. J. L. VI 'FERRIN.
then addressed the audience extemporane-
| ously. He pleaded no preparation on the
| subject OF the present meeting on account
| of arduous labors of the past several days.
| He had been politely Invited to participate
| IN this meeting, and, without any c0ncentTa-
| ton OF mind whatever, he was compelled to
| draw on his previous experience IN the mis-
| slonary service in which he had made so
| many addresses. He was at Milan yestsr-
day; pretty little village. He there saw
| Mrs. Rankin, lady who impressed him very
| forcibly from the fact that out OF four chill
dren ste had given three to the missionary
| service, some OF whom had made brilliant
| records IN foreign service. On looking on
her quiet calm face ne was impressed
| deeply with self.rebuke, and thought
it should be a rebuke to the so-cailed chris
| tians of the whole world, who gave so little
| attention 10 foreign missionary work. DR..
| M'Ferrn related, very interestingly, his ex-
| perlence IN early life as missionary among
the Indians He had been alluded 10 mere
Tonight rs venerable" He was young
man yet-old In years but young and active
in the work of the Master. He mad lived to
| witness a great advance in the missionary
| / r. IL, Tr,N.-
of the Methodist Episcopal church
was but one year older than his own
| connection with tae ministry of the
church. In 1919, when the church OF
the United Safes and Canada were In one
general organization, the frat annual con-
tributiQns received Tor missionary work was
but little more than one thousand dollars.
Now he was proud to say that he had lived
to see the annual missionary collections
sweiied to a million and half dollars, and
this amount from the church in the United
| States alone, the Canada church now being Z
separate organization. He was proud,
also; t. to .oa know 3Tat I'll that tbo he s,,d had
| schools of this land were interesting
themselves in behalf OF the missionary
| labors of the church. The children every
Sunday contributed their nickles coGsecrated
to this holy purpose. He also expressed AIS
! pride, and with emphasis, that he had been
I permitted to live to see missionary societies
] organized by the women-he used the term
women" as lar more preferable and digni-
fed than ''ladies, or any other term applied
; to the sex. He thought 1t very appropriate
that the women should take the lead IN the
warfare with sin. II was woman that first
brought sin into the world. 1t was a woman
that first begu;lsd man into dIsobedIence OF
his Maker. She gave han the apple from tie
| forbidden tree, and by her influence over
him induced him 10 eat thereof, and woman
has been begUiling man ever since Sue
should be the first to combat sin. He did
not blame Adam, however, for eating the
| apple; if he had been Adm he would have
done as Adam did. He placed very higt
estimate upon tle proves OF women II
christian works, auG saw in them the mean;
| of saving the world From the be-
ginning of the church, from the time
| of Christ, through all the viciss!tude'
OF the christian faith, and even down to the
| present day, women had been and are fore
| most in spreading the gospel throughout thC
| world. He said he wanted all TO Rad the
| new testament scriptures and see the impor-
tant work women had accomplished in the
building up Of the church Of Christ and the
promotion OF christianity. In modern times
women have made rapid advancement anC
elevated their sex to prominence In chris
tian labors and christian literature. Women Z;
prayers, and eloquence Of tongue and per
have. acc nplished wonders IN the cause U1
christianity. He was glad that the
| conference of the Methodist church had IN
corporated women 3 missionary societies
! He had a high opinion OF the ability Of
women to work in the cause they so enthusi-
astlcally espoused. Southern women are
| inferior to no race OF women on earth. Then
| exempli6cation of patience, endurance anC
fortitude through the trying adyersltles OF the
past several years has elevated them IN the
| eyes of the civilized world. DIR. NJ FERN
soundly deprecated the women's rights
| movement. and set the audience In :
| most pleasant humOr IN his illusions tC
women dabbling In politics. He could net
too much condemn the idea OF women stump
ing the country, making political speeches
and advocating women's rights. Southern
women, said the speaker with marked en-
phasis, shrink from such employment Of then
| talents 1t is not like them; it Is foreign to
their nature. He drew a ludlCrous picture oil
women wrestling and wranging, during
| election times, at the polls, casting their bal
lots and urging the claims of their tavorite
candidates for constable, sheriff, etc. God
forbid that southern women should
| ever prostitute their energies IN
| such manner, or associate themselves
with the womens rights movement. be
never wants to see southern woman on the
political hustings, engaged IN political dis
cussion, or scrambling for office, either for
themselves or their friends. In missionary
work they could find d broad field for the
employment of their talents and labors, and
more effectively than IN any other cause out
side of their home responsibilities. They can
accomplish more good results IL the cause
ofchristianity. HIS structures upon the
penurIous class of christians were quite
severe. When you approached them Tor aid
| in any work you were SO often met
with the admonition that charity begins at
home. +" that nearly half the world had be-
come educated to the belief that it was a
quotatioh from the scriptures. He traced the
expression to old John Randolph, who, being
solicited for and for the foreign missions OF
the church, replied: "You have Greeks at
your own door," and the penurious have
been shielding themselves behind that senti-
| mat nunr sinca Tho sneaker rP.ated an