The San Francisco call., 1896-04-02
FAR EAST AND FAR WEST
Twenty.Third Annual Meeting of
the Woman'S Occidental
Board.
Chinese Girls Entertain the Visitors.
Miss Hamlin Tells of the
Sarabjis.

There was the usual picturesque ming
ling of the Far West and the Far East at
the twenty third annual meeting of the
Woman's Occidental Board, which took
place yesterday at the Chinese Mission
Home. The three days session opened
with an informal reception to Miss Wam-
bold, the boards outgoing missionary to
Korea, and to the delegates from the vari-
Gus cities of California. The majority of
the visitors were Americans, but the Chi
nese and japanese girls were quite fea-
ture in the OrientaI-looking rooms, and
the consul-general and his suite were pres
ent in gorgeous colors which solomon in
all his glory might have courted.
The reception was distinctly informal.
There were enough visitors and delegates
to comfortably fill the large board
rooms and leave enough people to spare to
circulate about the house and admire the
quarters where the little rescued Chinese
girls live. Miss Wambod, who is going to
labor among the Koreans was shaken
hands with and wished godspeeu by
genial young woman, who does not seem
10 feel any trepidation at the prospect of
devoting the next few years of her life to
laboring in the Hermit Kingdom.
The real heroine of the occasion was
Miss Maria Culbertson, who for so MANY
years has made record as the jealous
matron of the home. For nearly wear
Miss Culbertson has been away on sick
leave, and at one time it was feared that
she would never be able to take up her
work again. Yesterday, however, she was
back at her post and congratulations were
showered upon the matron at her recov-
cry. Very early in the reception the Chi
CHI t1.yt hot.
ment that some scheme was on foot. At
last one small maiden in blue, who speaks
especially good English, darted out of the
room and returned laden with huge
basket OF pink and red roses, which she
presented to the matron with the follow
ing carefully conned speech:
MY Dear Miss Culbertson, our mother:
We bring to you these few flowers, only to
show how we love you and how glad we
are to have you back once more. The
flowers will wither, but our love will never
die. Your CHINESE GIRLS"
After the informal reception the exer-
c1ses were opened with kindergarten songs
cleverly given by the Chinese children OF
the home. Miss Sarah Hamlin then told
informally of the Sorabji family of India
and most OF her hearers listened with sur
prise and interest to what seemed like a
fairy tale OF all that had been achieved by
poor and low-caste woman. The central
idea OF Miss Hamlin's lecture was the mar
velous intellectual possibilities of the
women of India. Mrs. Sorabii when a
child was picked almost out of the streets
and educated in the family of an English
missionary. Arrived at woman's estate
she was married to a high-caste Parsee
named Sorabji, who for embracing Chris
tianity had become an outcast from his
family.
The Sorabjis had eleven children. seven
OF them daughters and not having the
means to educate them. set to work to
educate themselves in order to instruct
their offspring. So marvellous was their
success that Mrs. Sorabji is now principal
of the largest school in Poonah, where
white people come to learn from her, and
the fourth daughter Cornelia, after being
the first woman to go through the law
course at the University of Oxford, is now
one OF the most successful LAWYERS in
India and is generally considered to be
the most learned woman in the world.
The exercises ended with the close of
Miss Hamlin's lecture. To-day there will
be an all-day session of the Occidental
Board: Miss P. D. Brown. the president
will again direct the exercises. The follow
ing ladies are the vice. presidents: Mrs.
George Barstow, Mrs. ]. G.. Chown. Mrs.
=. V. Robbins, Mrs. E. Y. Garrette, Mrs
J. Q. Adams, Mrs. S. Minor, Mrs. w. S.
Bartlett.