Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-03-21
Missionary Conference.


Whme the Baptist Churches OF the Coun-
~ Have Been Doing In Foreign Mis-
sfOns-Omeers Chosen-Miss ENields' ADJ
dress.
At the First Baptist church in Wooster
Place yesterday was held the eleventh an
| nuaI meeting of the New Haven Baptist
Woman's Foreign missionary conference.
The conference is composed of representa-
tives of all the Baptist churches in New Ha-
ven county. AT the meeting yesterday morn
ing at 10 o'clock the Calvary, First and East
Grand street churches of New Haven and
the churches in Ansonia, Cromwell, Monte
wese, Wallingford, PIantsviIle, Essex, South
| inRton, Deep River, Waterbury, YalesvilIe,
Middletown and Bridgeport were represent.
ed. The first vice president. Mrs. E NJ.
Jerome, called the meeting to order Sub
| sequently the president Mrs. S. NJ Whiting.
who has been i'll, came in and took the chair,
The first two hours were occupied chiefly in
devotional exercises conducted by Mrs. DIR,
| Walker, of New Haven. The business mart
| of the meeting was prefaced by a beautiful
vocal duet sung by Mrs. E. L. Armstrong
and Mrs Fred. AIling. entitled clark.
Hank, My Soul" The various church
|
done. and the reports we're much enioyed nv
| the ladies because of their ENCOURAGING ma.
| ture and the many pleasant little incidents
they contained.
Miss Hattie L. Jerome, the recording SEGA
rotary, read her annual report, a well-written
and well spoken document. 1t exhorted the
/ members of the conference in yerv eIooueftt
language to remember the millions of their
sisters who are now cropping in the night of
4 paganlsm. The corresponding secretary,
| MISS TwIss, reported that she
| had received letters from some of
the foreign missionaries, and in particular
| one from Mrs. Waterbury, formerly of Mid
| dletown, now of Yokohama, Japan, in which
the writer said she and her hus>
band were happy and successful in their
evangelical work and had no desire to come
home. Mrs. Hume of the Congregational
missionary society, and Mrs. Thompson of
| the Methodist Missionary society, were in
vited to address the conference. They COM
piled briefly, but to the encouragement of the
conference Mrs. Samson of this CITY. and
Mrs. Fannie i. Twiss of Meriden, were ap-
pointed delegates to the National Baptist
conference to be held in Buffalo next month.
Dinner was served to the conference in the
parlors OF the church by the members of the
local society,"
In the afternoon the meeting was called to
order about o'clock and half hour was
spent in devotional exercises led by Mrs. II
s. samson. The report of the treasurer,
Mrs. s. r. Smith of this city, showed that
the receipts during the year from churches
and other sources amounted to between
81 800 and 81 800. This has all been sent
to the general distributing treasurer in
Boston. The nominating committee appoint
ed in the forenoon reported the follow
ing list of officers who were duly
elected, it being Mrs. Writings eleventh
annual election to the presidency:
President, Mrs. s. NJ Whiting: vice presi-
dents, Mrs, E. NJ. Jerome, Mrs. 81. Stowe,
Mrs. f. Il. Bliss; treasurer, Mrs. R. Smith;
corresponding secretary, Miss Hattie L.
Jerome; executive committee, Mrs. Fl. M
WEIGH, Mrs. ]. Fairman, Mrs J. McGreeor,
Mrs. George Aling, Mrs. 81. Mansfield, Mrs
Wallace Buttricks, Mrs. Lyman CLARK, Mrs.
t. s. Samson, Mrs. M Reynolds.
In the evening Miss A. M. Fields of China
addressed large congregation. She spoke
of the prevalence of infanticide among the
Chinese, and described the system of feet
binding. She said further: The girls do ali
the drudgery of the Chinese household. They
wash, scrub and do all the household work.
The life of the Chinese wife is not a happy
one. Many of them are blind and they saw
that the cause of their blindness is their
weeping SO much after marriage One of
the most beautiful girls ever saw there
came to me and besought me to steal her
She said she would be my slave and do any
thing for me. When little child she was
betrothed to boy who sfterWard became a
victim to horrible disease that
made him losthesome 1 did not
dare to take her away. l sent an agent to
see if money would release the girl, In
vain, she had to fulfill the contract She
died some time after, whether by disease or
suicide know not. Suicide is terribly com
mon. It is the custom of brides to pay a
visit to their parents four months after mar
rage. Three sisters got together thus and
compared notes. One married an opium
eater, another gambler, and tho third had
cruel mother in-law. -Four other girls heard
their stories and the seven decided to COM
NIT suicide together. Six carried out the
compact, the seventh being prevented.
Christianity helps the Chinese wonderfully.
We have quarterly meetings in which they
meet. Parents consult with each other about
themselves are consulted. After marriage
Christianity blesses the women. Among the
heathens the nan and wife do not eat to-
gether. The wife prepares the meal and then
takes what is left after the husband and sons
get through. In Christian families they sit
down at the same table. Among the heathens
the man and wife do not 90 out together.
among the Christians they do. Among the
he athens there are few husbands who do not
beat their wives Many Chinese widows
have said to me: "My husband WIS a good
man. was sorry when he died
He only beat me few
times !" An old Chinese woman has
but little to look forward to and her lot is
very miserable. The means of carrying to |
these Chinese women the gospel they need |
are slack. There are about one million of |
pupils to every missionary teacher I heard |
great lamentat1on among the people last fall |
because there were SO few missionaries |
There is about one missionary to as many |
people as there are on our whole Pacific |
10A9E m q t0 he |
the men, because they go but little abroad |
and cannot be brought together in large as |
3emblles. Their bound feet prevent them
from walking very far. They must
go for any great distance either in the expen-
'ive Sedan chairs or by boat They are |
us elso very much more Ignorant than the men.
While one man in a hundred can read, only
'ne wome in thousand can read They
'annot be reached therefore by books Then
he women have deeper religious supersti
ions. They worship many strange gods
hat the men have nothing to do with. They |
III up their leisure hours by religious devo-
iops they consult soothsaye rs, blind for
une tellers and interpreters for the gods
twenty women to one man go to the temples |
o eonsult the Interpreters
The Christian women in this country need |
Q go to them. Christianity will bring them
d the comfort it does u.s. On the other side
y the world the lot of woman is hard There is
: ~ oHo,.aoo ~ tne foek ana SUBJECT
the fortunes Of the vultures of cruelty and
uperstftton. In this case the brave knight
'erseus that must go to her rescue is a Chris
ian woman. The swift steed Pegasus is the | 1
trength and the prayers and the purses of
be brethren
At the conclusion of Miss Fields address.
INCH was delivered In a slow, impressive !
tanner and with clear, ringing voice, a
election was taken to defray the expenses I
the meeting. 9