The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-13

The Women's Home and Foreign
| Missionary society of the Wilkes-Barre
| conference of the Evangelical Luther
an Ministerium of Pennsylvania. held
| its first annual convention yesterday
| in Holy Trinity Lutheran church. Ad-
| ans avenue and Mulberry street. 1t
was called to order at 1890 by Mrs.
G. Fl. Trabert, of Wilkes Barre, who
! is the president. A business session
was held in the afternoon, at which
Trinity church. Lehighton, was fixed
| as the place for holding the next con-
ventiOn.
The following were in attendance:
Mrs. Trabert, Miss Eliza Meyer, Mrs.
Brownbridge. Mrs. A. c. Roth. Mrs.
George Heller. Mrs. Kemmerer, Mrs.
Hoats. Mrs. A. thinner, Mrs. l.. p.
Knilfen, and Mrs. Rhodes, of Wilkes
Barre: Miss Clara Schmaltz, Mrs. j.
| Brownbridge, Mrs. ]. Boyer, Mrs. w.
Grible and Mrs. c. Shotten, of Pitts
ton: Miss Hattie Zehner, of West Penn;
Miss Agnes Bauer, Mrs. Mary T.. Brau-
| nix. of Lehighton; Mrs. Fl. II. Brun-
ing. of White Haven; Mrs. f. l.. Mill
er, Mrs. w. j. Welsh, Mrs. w. l..
| Grass, Mrs. H. j. Schubert, Mrs. G..
Blickens, Mrs. f. Stock and Mrs. l..
Stratton, of Scranton; Mrs. a. l.. Ram
er, Mrs. NJ. S. Hinkle, and Mrs. Eli
Houser, of Hyde Park.
Rev. T.. l.. Miller, pastor of Trinity
church, opened the morning session
with devotional exercises, after which
the president gave her address. She
said that they We're gathered in the
interest of mission work. which Is a
very laudable work; and it should be
entered upon with becoming zeal be-
cause it concerns the bringing of the
gospel to those who are destitute. ON
every side are calls for help and the
| treasures of the various boards are
empty. She urged upon them to make
special efforts that there may be some
| thing substantial sent out each year
| to the various missionary fields.
The reports of the secretary, Mrs.
BrauniX and of the treasurer, Mrs
Welsh, were read and the morning ses-
sion closed with henediction by Rev.
Mr.. Miller The delegates dined to-
gether ut Xeidler's on Franklin ave-
| nue.. "
IN THE AFTERNOON.
The afternoon session opened with
| devotional exercises, and after the
transaction of routine business pa
per by Miss Clara Schmaltz, of Pitts
| ton. on "Our Mission in India and
| our India Cox" was read. The ar
| tcIes needed for mission work are
| clothing, toys, dolls, pictures. buttons
| thread, pictures. states, calicos, bright
ribbons and table cloths. 1t was de-
cided that a box be sent from the con-
| ference and Wilkes Barre is to be the
place for shipping it from.
Mrs. Calvin +. kuder, who, with
her husband. is missionary in Rajah-
mundry, India, was present and she
spoke on Some Phases of Life Among
Hindoo Women" She is a pleasing
speaker, and her talk was very inter-
estinG. She is an American. but has
spent several years among the heath
ems of India. She intends to return
and resume her work in few months,
some time after Christmas.
The women of the higher class In
India live very secluded lives, she said,
and socially there Is no companiOnShip
between the two sexes. Male mission
aries cannot see the women at all.
The women missionaries. Miss Sadtler
and Miss Schodt, teach the women to
sew and make fancy work. 1t is nee
| essary for the missionaries to teach the
women this art, because 1t is the only
way in which to reach the people. 1t is
| a great pleasure to the native women
| to be instructed The caste system is
very strong. The women cling tena-
| ciously to their religious principles.
| The women of the higher caste are
| taught that they are better in every
| way than their less fortunate sisters.
The high caste women go to the river
to draw water. and if they approach
an Outcast on their return, they empty
their pitchers and are obliged to go
back to the river again, and so on as
| often as they meet an outcast, as the
lower caste are called.
MARRY EARLY IN LIFE.
Girls are married at the age of from
and s years, but they do not live with
their husbands until they become Il
years old at least. IF mans wife dies
he is not permitted to marry a widow,
but must take to himself a little girl.
At a wedding the bride and groom ride
| through the streets. A widow was not
allowed to marry a second time, but
| recently there was a change and now
| they are permitted to marry, but they
are after that despised and distrusted
and are the slaves of their parents-in-
law. and their jewels are taken from
them and they are condemned to a
period of drudgery.
Little girls have rings on fingers.
| toes, ankles, neck. and nose; and they
are sometimes abducted for the sake
| of their jewelry. The people are fond
| Of bright colors, red and yellow, and
with them they paint their eyebrows,
| nose. cheeks. arms and lips.
The low caste women are not seclud-
ed. They work in the streets. and
| carry great loads and burdens on their
heads They help to build houses and
| row boats, and their pay is about 6
| cents day. The Christian women live
nicer and more cheerful and make q
remarkable contrast to their heather
sisters. The converts are as a rule
| from the poorer class.
The worship of the HindOO is princip-
ally worshiping household gods. I'm
ages are set up in the homes and hOm-
age il paid to them. They have tenn
pies too but as a rule they seldom meet
in congregation to adore their false
idols. A stranger is never permitted to
enter their temples.
Bcnediction by Rev. f.. l.. Miller clos
ed the sermon and the delegates ad-
| journed for supper at Zeidlers.
THE EVENING SESSION.
At the evening session the church
| was filled. Three interesting addresses
were delivered. Mrs. Kuder spoke on
, the subject Native European and Mis-
| sion Life in India" and her talk was
along nearly the same lines as that
| given in the afternoon before the dele
gates.
Mrs. Emma Schuler. of this city, gave
an address on the subject THE Mis-
sion of Women in the WOmen's Home
| and Foreign Missionary Society" She
| holds the opinion that women are an
| important factor in religious life, and
| their talents in different directions
make success possible, where failure
would otherwise be inevitable.
Rev. ]. L. Whitteker. superintendent
| of Home Missions in the Wilkes Barre
| conference delivered an eloquent ad-
| dress on Our Home Mission Work"
| in which he drew beautiful pictures of
| the vast amount of good accomplished
| for the cause of Christianity.
After the service the delegates from
nearby towns took the train for home
| I'm tbnco whn cn,la nof p,,t nf tlo