National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-18
WOMEN AS MISSIONARIES.
Mrs. Bainbridge's Plea for Female
Evangelists in Foreign Lands.


Evangelists in Foreign Lands.
Mrs. J.. s. cambridge, the wife of Rev. DR..
Bainbridge of New York, gave an interesting
narration at Dr. J. 7. Kelly's church Friday
night of some of her personal experiences,
while travelling in the Oriental countries in
company with her husband, in studying the
the missionary work and the religious needs
of the millions whose principal prophets are
Confucius and Buddah,
In promoting religious training she consid-
cred that the grandmothers In Japan excel all
mothers in the world. To them is largely left
the religious training of the children, which
duty they perform faithfully. They teach the
little ones the observance ofthe rites belonging
to their religion and instill into their minds,
with an earnestness worthy of imitation by
Christians, reverence for their gods. The po-
sition of women in Japan formed an interest
ing part OF Mrs. Bainbridge's narration. Baby
girls are announced to unhappy fathers, II be-
ing considered a disgrace TO have one Of them
arrive in the house. In the interior of tho
country they are, hawked about, carried in
baskets, for about the price Of a spring chicken,
30 cents being the price asked for them. As
an illustration Ofthe value placed on wives who
arc bought by the Japanese, she repeated a
widower who had lust lost his better half
Yes" said the bereaved husband, "it Is
very sad indeed" and he shed silent tear.
MY wife cost me s27. Now the price OF wives
has risen and wages are lower"
In officiating at the death.bed OF a Japanese
woman the firm belief of the people in the
transmigration of souls was shown. The poor
woman had by selfinilicted chastisement en-
deayored to avoid some of the conditions which
would be her lot. The Japanese believe a soul
has TO appear on the earth after life In the
human form Just S,iO0,0OO times, the soul Of the
female one time more, the cOnsummatlon OF
her states being in the form of q man. She
usually commences her transmigralion travels
in the lower forms of life, beginning by inhablt.
ing the body of cat or dog, and these lower
forms can only be nyoided by the doing oil good
deeds and selfsacriiice.
In Japan as elsewhere the mother-iu.law
forms decidedly large part of the household.
There she Is supreme. She is the unquestioned
monarch, All the household regulations are
under her control, the purchases for the family,
ana comings and goings OF the members of the
family.
third Of the soul enters the, grave, one.third
goes to heaven, and the balance becomes in
corpOrated in the wooden tablet that Is erected
in the temple to their memory 1t Is quite fre-
luent that corpse will;ay several years in
It's coffin pending the decision by the priests
garding the resting place II will occupy, which
is determined by mystic calculations of the posi-
tion of the heavenly bodies. After death food
will be placed where they can getit, The food
has a spiritual rs well as material part, and the
former portion is that which Is consumed by
the decedents, while the priests come into pos
session of the material part, which they dispose
Mrs. Balnbridge visited a house where the
body of husband was lying aiter being dead
two years. The wife, who by custom serves
her husband three ycnrs after his death, was en-.
gagged In making spiritual money. This Is of
paper, aud after being made is burned, thus
entering into form to be used by her lord
who win need great deal of the same for toll
in crossing bridges, for courts of justice, SER
yaiis,thorses, &c, until he finally arrives at
| the supreme heaven.
In viewing all these conditions Of the ia.
pAnese the uppermOst idea in Mrs. Balm
| BRIDGES talk was, that only women mission.
| aries can reach the women In the Oriental
| countries, and II is the need Of reaching the
women there that she especially makes plea.
A woman missionary In Japan or india can go
| anywhere She visits the homes of the people,
| and ia thus given an influence that is foreign
| from the men. IL Is the women who are the
| most degraded, though they there, as in
| civilized countries, have an immense infu-
| ence for good. The men can be ChrlstianiZed,
| but, without the women being brought 20 re-
| ali2ation OF the Gospel, II is impossible TO
| make permanent advancement. Now, the hus-
| band Is u god to the wife, worshped with
| the household gods, but is considered greater
| than they As an instance OF their degrada-
| tion she cited custom that forces women to
wash the feet of their husbands and drink the
| water afterwards.
III all this review II Is shown the need OF
| women's work, Rnd as all cannot go as active
| missionaries, those who remain at home
| should not neglect the work that Is there for
| them IN encouraging the work in every posi-
! BILE way,