The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-10-20
OUR GOOSEQUlLL LETTERS.

p. Il. Church Conyention-Distfng
:, , Visitors-A Hindoe Lady Studying Med
eine-A Chinese Funeral-An Ovation t
the Champion Athletics-TerribleR Raj
road Accident, Etc.
r PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 8. 1883.
EDITOR CHIEF:
} The General Convention of the Protest
ant Episcopal Church held its opening SCI
vice in old Christ Church on Wednesday
Christ Church was built 40 years ago an
5 is far down town, near the Delaware
Promptly at 10 o clock the old bells chimed
calling all to come and celebrate tn
centennial of the church organization il
America. 1t is just ninety nine years sine
the Church in this country asserted its in
dependence of the Mother Church in Eng
land, and just ninety eight since the frs
convention was held in this same edifce
A body which meets only trienially can no
obscrveethe exact one -hundredth anniver
sary and that is why the Church is celebra
ting this as her centennial. Every thing
was conducted in the most quiet and dig
nifed manner. Christ Church would onl,
seat in the most crowded fashion abou
ll00 people. There were 500 delegates, ant
by the time they and their families were
accommodated, there was not much room
for outsiders. Tickets were issued to pre-
vent too great crowd, and | was one OF
the comparatively few who gained admit
f1r | n jtrhf n
church filled almost entirely with God fear
ing, God loving men; and it was soul cheer
ing to hear SO many bass voices singing
cold Hundred" and "The Church's one
sure foundation is Jesus Christ" The Rt
Rev. Anthony w. Thorald, D. D., Lord
Bishop of Rochester, representing the
English Church, sat in the chancel by the
side Of the presiding Bishop. He, like
Bishop Medley, the Metropolitan of Can
ada, and several of the American Bishops,
wore beautiful red and purple academic
hood over his robes. The sermon was fine
preached by Bishop Clark of New Jersey
and altogether the service was very grand
and impressive.
| The Convention organized for business
in Holy Trinity. The Bishops sit in the
Chapel near by. They always sit with closed
doors. The House Of Clerical and Lay
Deputies is filled with somo of tho bright
ost minds of the country. Beside the
learned clergy, there are Senator Edmunds,
Ex-Governor Stevenson, Chief Justice
Waite, Maj. Gen. G. G. Augur, ez-Secre-
tary of State Hamilton Fish, Jasper w.
Gilbert, one of the most acute jurists of
New York, ex- Governor Hendricks, Rcverdy
johnson, S. Corning Judd, Chancellor of
Illinois, Judge Shetfey of Virginia, C. Nc
Murtric, one of Philadelphia'5 ablest law
yers, George L. ConstocA, leader of the
DR.. Atlee, Erastus Corning, ex-Secretary
of Internal Revenue Columbus Delano,
Stephen p. Nash and many others of al
most equal brilliancy. On Thursday the
Lord Bishop of Rochester was presented to
the Convention, which greeted him by
arising to its feet. He is quite slender i'll
build, has distinguished air and very
courtly manner. He wears leggings and
silk stockings-black, of course-and
long coat, which gives him picturesque
look. He bore letter of congratulation
and good wishes from the English Church,
which he read. Then he gave fine address
on missions.
It seems to me that the city was never SO
full of celebrities. The majority of them
were of the Willard excursion party. Thore
are English Earls, Countesses, Lords, NJ.
P.'s, Lord Justice, German Barons,
Turkish and Spanish Grandee5. The Earl
and Countess Of Carnalvon are guests of
Mr.. Childs ct Wootten, his country seat.
The Earl is q relative of good George Her
bert, to whose memory Mr. Childs placed a
window in Westminster Abbey.
What will you say if I add to this list
real Hindoo lady of the Bramincial caste,
which is the highest in Hindostan? Her
name is Mrs. Anandibai Joshec. You
know in Hindostan there are four castes--
the Brahmins, the Kshatrigas, the Vais-
yars and the Sudras. The Sudras are moth
ing more than servants to serve the other
ca6tc5, particularly the Brnhmins, who
have absolute religious power over tho
loO, 100000 Hindoos in India. Mrs. Joshee's
husband is also of the highest caste and is
postmaster in Serampore. She is the first
Brahnin female who ever left India and as
it Is against the principles of her religion
for Brahmin to cross the ocean, she met |
with much opposition. Her purpose was SO
good, hoWever-that of learning to be q |
phy5ician-that the priests prom /
l5ed to ab5olve her if she remained true to ',
her religion. She therefore keeps caste, |
as nearly as possible to rules, !
lives apart from every one and cooks her |
own food. She has come to take a four i
years course in the Woman's Medical Col
lege of Pennsylvania. She says there is !
great need III her country for women physi-
clans, for the reason that no man is allowed |
to attend lady of high caste, unless she is
i'll, and the only educated |
physicians they have ever had have been
The English and American lady physicians. !
lhe people became SO impressed with the
of these ladies that they conclu-
led it would be q good plan to educate
holr own women for that purpose, and |
we're reconciied to see Mrs. Joshee take the t
bold initial step. l called to see Mrs.
Joshee at the College. She is short, rather
stout, about the color of an Indian, wears
l great deal of jewelry, and her Jet black,
silky hair. plastered close to her head and
lone up very simply. She wears no hat,
)niy a scarf laid across her head and