The herald., 1895-05-14
THE RAMABAI CIRCLE MEETS
Mrs. Harriet Tytier Tells OF India and
the Child Widows
Annual Reports Are Read From the Secretary
and Treasurer - Election Of
Officers

The Ramabai circle OF Los Angeles held
its sixth annual meeting yesterday after
noon, in Temperance temple. Mrs. NJ. E.
Garbutt. president. in the chair. The ex-
ercises opened with hymn, after which
Miss 6. T. Stickney read II chapter from
the scriptures and offered prayer. J..
III. Clark sang a solo.
Mrs. J. B. Dunlap. the treasurer, read.
with her own annual report. that of the
secretary, who was absent and the two
reports stood approved.
Mrs. Jacobus of East Los Angeles was
appointed secretary pro tenn, and the
speaker of the afternoon was introduced.
Mrs. Harriet Tytler, a lady born in India
from English parents the widow OF an
English general in the Sepoy mutiny, and
a personal friend of the Pundita Rama
bal IN India, gave a most int eresting in
formal talk. She encouraged the circle to
continue it good work. and explained
some of the horrors that the women. es-
pecially the high caste women in India.
suffered. Mrs. Tytler referred to two
talks Ramabai had given, one to men and
one to women. four or five years ago in
Chudda Ghaut.
She says it is grand work that the
Ramabai has undertaken but it is as
slow Christianity was in its beginning.
1t Is increasing. however in strength
and breadth. The speaker gave some
very vivid descriptions of some concrete
cases of the child widows. From the
shaven: they wear only white clothes
their jewels are taken from them. and
they are hated by the husbands family
and kicked and abused. The poor little
widow is accused of being the cause
of the sons death, and two-thi.ds
OF them commit suicide from despair.
The mothers-in-law in India, it seems,
for Mrs. Tytler told of one instance IN
which the little s-year-old girl of her
ayah had lost her wedding beads, where
upon her mother-in-law took a d-hot
iron scared her cheek. head and body,
which left scars that will last always.
The children are often married before
their birth by arrangements made be-
tween the mothers. When the child is
married she is made over to her hus-
bands home, and they never see their
own homes or families afterward. Espe-
cially ii this true among the high castles;
the poorer people are not so shut up and
in, for they have to earn their living.
Something was then told of the Rama
bais' work in establishing the school by
which these child-widows are educated to
be teachers and self-supporting. OF
course, she has to meet many obstacles
and much scorn from the Hndoo people.
but she is brave and fearless, and the re-
suits are gradually showing.
After little further business, the cleo
ton OF officers took place as follows:
President. Mrs. M. Il. Garbutt; secretary,
Mrs. s. f. Jacobus trea surer, Mrs. J. B.
Dunlap.
Besides the hundreds of mem bers
who contribute certain amount each
year to this most worthy cause. the fol-
lowing are life members: Miss May
Holmes, Miss Alice J. Davies, young
ladies Of the First Presbyterian church,
two me m berships; Mines. S. s. p. Yost
Lucy d. Moore, Emily Wilson. Elmira
Hall. j. s. Slauson, J. D. Hooker. DR.. F..
A. Seymour, Sarah Mckee. T. S. Fry, H.
l.. Howard. Misses M. A. Gibson, Minnie
Baxter. Vesta Olmstcad. Margaret Scott.