The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-30
VERMONT w. Is. NJ.

The States Great Work in Foreign Mis-
sIons-2Oth Animal Convention at Benz
nIngton Tuesday and Wednesday-HOs-
pitalIty of the Second Congregational
Church-RepOrts ofthe Addresses, etc.
The Vermont Branch of the Woman's
Board OF Missions connected with the
Congregational churches began its Goth
annual convention with the Second Con
gregational church of this village Tues
day afternoon. The number of delegates
in attendance was somewhat less than
usual but comprised a representative
body of women. Among those present
may be mentioned Mrs. Granville G..
Benedict, president of the Branch, Mrs.
Henry Fairbanks and Mrs. @. M. Stone,
of st. Johnsbury, Mrs. Kingsley and Mrs.
Harris of Rutland, Mrs. Babbitt of Brat
tleboro, Mrs. A. w. Wilde, formerly
president of the organization but now of
Elizabethtown, n. Y, Mrs. Joseph Cook
of Boston, and Mrs. Gutterson of India.
The opening session was devoted to a
meeting of delegates and was entirely OF
a business character. Plans for the year. S
work we're adopted at this meeting. In
the evening the ladies of the Second Con
gregational church gave reception in
the church parlors. This social reunion
was greatly enjoyed. A pleasant feature
was an informal talk by Miss Emma
Cummings, medical missionary in India.
Miss Cummings, who is well known in
Bennington, was unable to remain
through the convention so that this was
the only opportunity to hear an account
of her work.
A 8 o'clock prayer meeting in the
chapel began the second day of the con-
vention. At $50 an address OF welcome
was made by Miss Anna c. Park. Mrs.
Joseph Cook brought greetings from the
Woman's Board of Boston.
Mrs. Theron NJ. Howard, treasurer, re-
ported that the receipts from auxiliarles,
for the year ending September 10th, had
been S4,555.58; from mission circles,
Sunday schools and societies of Christian
Endeavor, $771.43; and from other
sources, 1925, making a total OF 80, 4o2.Ol
Of this sum there had been sent to the
treasurer of the Womans Board OF Mis-
sions at Boston, So, 302.76.
Mrs. G. NJ. Stone, secretary, reviews
the work of two decades, and summar-
ICES her correspondence with the auxil-
iaries and mission circles, from which we
quote: Contributions increased" from
a large number; ''results not less en-
COuIdRllR blldh plN'AONp
others: ga new impetus to our work this
year" from others still, etc, etc. Spe-
cial meetings were held in the several
counties in March, in response to the call
from the WOman's Board of Missions in
Boston, for united meetings throughout
the Branches, and also the stimulating
circular from our president, both ac-
complished much in arousing tagging
interest and in bringing to mind the work
in hand. Other helps were mentioned.
She speaks of an important matter:
Through the merging of several mis-
sion circles into the Christian Endeavor
societies their contributions have been
sent to the American Board. 1t seems
very desirable that the young people
should be held to the pledged work of
our Board which is so dependent upon
their aid. Covering as it does the build
ing and the school work, and especially
the salaries of five missionaries from our
own State, it would seem that it would
be esteemed duty and pleasure to give
through this treasury" The report
gives as contributed from junior circles
Washington county, S44; Bennington
county, S37 .12; Caledonia county, SlOO;
Orleans county, Sl30. The summary OF
meetings held in various counties Is IN
terestinr but too long for our space to-
day. The Vermont Branch has l26 aux
iliaries and 40 mission circles
175 societies in all. Among the bequests
we note: Miss Julia Williams OF Dorset,
$50; Mrs. Hannah w. Hill OF Johnson,
house and lot, and 500 in cash; other
ladies are named who have kept this So
ciety in loving remembrance, ana whose
departure from labor to rest is worthy
place in the obituary of the records. one
of these. Miss Julette Kent of Benson,
annually gave $25, for the treasury. We
should not forget the long lime and de-
voted secretary of the Cornwall auxiliary,
Miss Abbie Matthews, who left legacy
of $50. "And so our goth year closes"
says the conclusion, land we face the
future with renewed hopefulness.
The corresponding secretary, Miss
Mary c. Torrey, in opening her report
alluded in a touching manner to the
twenty years history of this Branch
of missions. She then gave a report OF
the schools embraced in the work of the
Board, all of which will appear in full in
the pamphlet proceedings. Referring
to a girls school at Kumamoto, Japan,
where Miss Martha Clark is stationed,
and who is soon to be married, the sec
retary quotes letter from Miss Clark
who saws: "You will be disappointed that
| am not to have the use of the house you
so kindly built" etc. Miss Torrey con-
tinues: 81 must stop here to say what
may not be known to all of you, that THIS
house, long sorely needed, was built by
the legacy left to us by member OF the
Second Congregational church OF Ben
nington, the church by which we are be-
ing so Hospitality entertained The health
of our young missionaries at Kumamoto
was suffering so much from the ex 2osure
incurred in Japanese house that it was
feared that one of them might have to
return home. The Woman's Board had
sent word that it was impossible to fur
nish them one more suited to their needs,
when, Just before their final reply, we
wrote to ask if the legacy OF Miss Il.
Maria Hubbard could not be thus appro-
priated &? The vote was in the athrna-
tive, the house was built and is READY 10
occupy since June. 1t is thought that
tablet, indicating that it is the gift OF
Vermont, might be very suitably placed
in some part of it"
Miss Clark adds: "Ihope it the house
will be no less useful to my former com
panions and present successor" Miss
Torreys review of the work in education
in Turkey, India and Japan is very en-,
couraging and one is greatly astonlshed
bv it to know of the increasing impor-
lance of woman's work in the foreign
field.
The pledged work to which allusion
-. - L. l., Mice Torravis address in