The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-20

In a little more than two weeks
(Wedneednv, April ~ the twenty
nth anniversary OF one OF the most
remarkable organizations OF women
In the world will 10 celebrated fnPhila-
delphia. In 1869 eight women in tho
city of Boston met and organized a
missionary eociety. One lady, Miss
IIhoburn. was anxious to go as O mis-
sionary TO India, but there were no
uenLs of sending her. These eight
women pledged themselves to raise
the 81, soc required. ard organized a
society Tor that purpose. and this was
tile beginning OF the Woman's For.
leign Missionary Society of The Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. 1t was a new
idea; but 1t was received With so much
favor and the society grow 30 rapidly
that at the end OF the first year-about
which time the philadelphia Branch
was organi2ed-it had rait ell moro
than tinee times tho amount iirst pro-
posed and WAS supporting two mis-
eioDariee, one Bib,e reader, an orphan
iage, a day school and dispeneary.
| Naturally, the twenty-tii'h annlver-
isary OF such an organization suggests
comparisons, reviews and considera-
ition of plans ard results. Its mar
lvellous growth during the period Ia
lehown by the impressive statistics OF
the present. The society now NUN.
bers l5ls75 memtars; collected in
1888, &277. 3O3.T9, and supports one
hundred and forty.iive missionaries.
six hundred and twenty.four Bible
READERS and teachers. four hundred
land thirty-iive schools and orphanages
Exclusively for girls, and nine hospi-
'tals tbs last open only to women. of
whom more thsn $4,000 nre treated an.
lnually. Its work extends into India.
4 hina, Japan, Core6, Burmah, Italy,
bulgaria. Mexico and South America.
From q secular point OF view this
great and apidly.Rrowing movement
is OF interest chiefly because il Is a
work org anized and carried on entire
'ly by women for women. Its consti.
tuition, laws and reRulaaionP. which
pre- eminently wise, were drawn up by
women. lite meetings arc presided
over ami participated In by women
lOLly. Men are not excluded, but they
lRre seldom seen there, except that
now and then a minister comes In and
10 invited to make n few remarks II
there ia time to spare from tho consid-
eration OF i'm portant matters.
| Women collect the funds of the so.
ctety. women ulsburse them, women
keep the accounts ond women direct
ltae lahors of the army OF missionaries
clerical and medical--Blble readers
teachers ard nurses: all OF whom, oil
course. are women. This army, In
turn, lsbors only among women, and
those who know how jealously women
in some foreign countries are hidden
from masculine eyes will understand
that the vast amount Of work the SO.
luiety is doing would remain forever
4,
with 1t.
Here. then. we have a signal instance
Iof woman's ability to organize AND
carry OH a great enterprise. The
movement begun by those eight
women twenty five years ago now ex
! tends over the whole Northern United
States. There ID similar society IL
the Methodist Episcopal ChmchSouth
lint It's stutistlcs are not at hand, and
are NJ OF included In those given Ia this
article. The society under considera.
lion has eleven branches" each with
Il definite territory. and these are gu b.
divided into nearly q 00o au1iliaries.
II supports thee papers at home and
lone. when Is printed In four different
languages. in India.
With all it's work, however, and all
! The money 1t handles. the society has
: no ga larled officers, and docs not own
! u dollars worth Of real estate at home,
Z though 1t has nearly $500. 600 worth al
4 lis various missionary centres abroad
points which speak volumes fol
. womans economlcHl management,
: As a further proof I this. II any ere
needed, II may DO added that the light
Expense OF running the society Is oil
taken from tine fund collected for mis-.
slonary work. but from separate col
Lection known as the contingent
fund. to which each member is ex'
lpeoted to contribute five cents year.
II any society exclusively masculine
can chow a letter record than this
fter twenty-five years, ezlRtenoe, il
Will be in order for 1t to resent ,ts
statistics oefore joining in the com
mon assertion that women have nc
mead for business"