The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-20
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
Annual Meeting of the NOmen's
Branch Yesterday.

Election of Officers for the Year
Beautiful Memorial to Mrs. w. S. Dana
Reports of the Officers.
The Maine Branch of the Women IS
Board of Missions held special meetings
at State Street chapel and church yester-
day, and there was large attendance.
The morning session began in the chap
ell with devotional service at 9 O'Clock
led by Mrs. d. M. Pratt, which was fol-
lowed by the regular session at 10 O'Clock.
Mrs. J. L. Jenkins, the wife Of the pas
tor of the church, gracefully welcomed
the delegates and Mrs W. 81. Fem, wife
ofLthe pastor of High Street church, and
president of the Woman's Branch, as
gracefully responded in behalf of the as
ISOLATION.
Miss Ella H. Hayes, the home secre-
tary, then read a list of officers for the
ensuing year Mrs Fem stated that at
this meeting the names could only be
presented. The annual meeting of the
state conference will be held at the time
of the state conference.
The meeting can be legally held only
with the state conference, but if the
Branch can show that this is the best
time for the annual meeting then the
time of the meetings will be changed. AT
the state conference these
nominations will be acted on. This is
the list:
President-Mrs. W H. Fem, Port
land. Vice Presidenrs-Mrs Geo. B.
Page, Houlton; Mrs. Geo L. Peasle,
Mrs A. B. Cole, Portland, South Cum
berland Conference; Miss Katherine M
Titcomb of Pennington, Franklin Con-
ference; Miss Hannah p. Buck, Orland,
Hancock Conference; Mrs. Oscar Holway,
Augusta, Kennebec Conference; Miss NJ.
NJ Fisk, Bath, Lincoln Conference; Mrs
David Garland Bethel Oxford Confer
ence; Miss Mary e. burlington, Bangor,
Penobscot Conference; Mrs. A. L. Chase,
Foxcroft, Piscataquis Conference; Mrs.
/. Weston, Skowhegan, Somerset Con-
ference; Mrs. Geo. B. Barrows Frye
burg, Union Conference; Mrs. L. S..
Libby, Blast, Waldo Conference; Mrs.
6. H. McCulley, Calais, Washington Con-
ference; Mrs. J. H. Burleigh, South Ber-
wick, York Conference.
Corresponding Secretaries-Mrs. j. d.
Carter, Portland; Honorary Miss Sophie
Spofford, Rockland.
Home Secretary-Miss Ella H. Hayes,
Portland.
Treasurer-Mrs Cullen G. Chapman,
Portland
Assistant Treasurer-Miss Jennie l..
Or lie, Portland
Auditor-Mr. E. P. Oxnard, PORT
land
The reports of the vice presidents of
the conference were called for and several
of them responded. The general tensr of
these reports indicated much life and a
progressive condition of things in the
various counties that was very gratifying.
Mrs. Peaslee of the North Cumberland
conference forwarded her report as she
was detained at home by illness, and
Miss Phipps of Lincoln was unable to be
present from the same cause. Mrs. Fem
spoke of her report in most fattering
terms.
Mrs. Studley then read a paper on How
to Emphasize the value of Life and
Light. % Life and Light is the mission
paper, and Mrs Studley's address was a
strong appeal to the ladies of the Branch
This subject together with those of the
values of foreign missions, in it's various
forms, was discussed by many of the
ladies present. Among the speakers Mrs
Woodbury. spoke of her having heard a
lady say that the Life and Light came
into their family and that for long time
she never looked at it. She thought it was
an attempt to force her to become inter-
ested in missionary work. When she dis
covered that her husband was life mem
Der, and that was why the paper came to
the house, she decided to read it and she
became much interested.
Mrs. Fem thought if ladies would have
some such matter to be interested in at
their "teas" that those generally stupid
affairs would become full of interest.
Mrs. Barrows of Boston, thought the
Christian spirit was the real secret of
success in foreign mission work Inter
esting literary papers are well enough
but one must feel impressed with the
importance of the work She spoke of
the degradation of women in India, and
what the work of Christian women in
the foreign mission movement had done
and was doing to elevate them to high
er plane in that country
Mrs. J. W. D. Carter said that
Miss Isabella Bird and Darwin never
had been interested in missionary work
until they travelled into these foreign
countries and saw what the possibilities
of the work were.
Mrs Fem thought the day was coming
when it would be fashionable, when it
would be the thing to engage in mission
airy work. But let us work and not wait
for that time to come Why, people say,
should we do this work? Its because we
are working for those we love the best.
Philanthropic work at home can be done
with little money. That has been done
in Portland and the Associated charities
have proved it. People can take money
and expend it for the poor and it goes a
long way. But this foreign missionary
work is for souls. Christ said little for
the poor, but he did say go and spread
my gospel.
Mrs Carter thought women suffered
under all religions hI1t the Christian