The Portland daily press., 1897-01-09
WOMEN'S THANK OFFERING.
Meeting of Maine Congregational
Wemen Yesterday.

Miss Child Speaks of Missionary Work In
India and Ch ina-Offering in Memory
of Mrs. w. S. Dana-Immense Atten-
dan ce and Interesting Meeting.
The annual thank offering meeting of
Congregational Women was held at High
st. church yesterday afternoon. The
vestry WAS flied to oyer1owing, not
seat being unoccupied.
Mrs. W. n. Fem presided and after
brief devotional exercises introduced as
the speaker Of the afternoon Miss Anna
Child, Secretary of the Womans' Board
of Foreign Missions.
Miss Child is lady of pleasing ad-
dress, a ready speaker and an entertain
ing one as well.
Her subject was Missionary work in
India and China and the address was
mainly recital of interesting anecdote
and description of scenes and incidents
experienced in trip though the mission
ary fields of these two historic and inter-
esting countries.
After pleasant introductory remarks
Miss Child took her hearers first, i'll
imagination to the great City OF Bonn
bay in India.
The address was quite long and was in
the nature of an informal chat rather
than a set speech. Among many other
things, Miss Child said in effect:
Our first landing place was in Bombay
whers caught my first glimpse of heath
enism. Bonn bay presents motley
picture. Over 70 languages are spoken
there. There is intense poverty. We oont
know what poverty is in this country.
Ihe streets ofBombay are used for bed
for countless thousands each night. A
tremendous mass of people live in object
poverty and want.
The speaker paid high compliment
to the British government. 1t is great
thing to bs subject and have the pro-
lection of great Christian nation said
she.
Great Britain does wonders for it's sub
jects in Indih. This mornings paper tells
US that England will provide for the
famine sufferers in India. I know the
Madeira school is your special charge. 1t
is sweet to know it is memoriam OF
one of your own noble Christian workers.
You would be charmed with the school
and its Hindoo scholars could you see
them.
They are lovable and they are beauti-
full. The quality of their work Is sur
prisingIy good. I attended one OF their
prayer meetings. The congregation sits
upon the floor. The subject was ser
vice.. They read the monition to Joshua
to be strong and Of good courage. They
talked of how they could get strong in
faith and works. They expressed their
simple beliefs In most touching way.
had been told the Hindoo girls never
laughed. There is sort Of atmosphere
of sadness which seems to surround
them. When 1 saw the gi1ls Of this school
at picnic changed my mind. They do
know how to laugh. They too know
how to cry. They are sensitive and they
are our sisters.
Miss Child described at considerable
length the heather customs and so called
religious rites of the Mohammedan faith.
She also spoke Of the excellent morals
of these people in temporal matters. They
actually believe their heather religion
and are true and faithful to it.
| OF the Chinese field Miss Child spoke
at considerable length. The Chinese were
very different people from those she
had just left in India. They had none
of the poetry or romance nor oriental
charm of the beautiful Bindoo, but for
| all that the work there WAS equally ill.,
spring.
The Chinese she described as nation
of ieerers and scoffers. 1t costs something
to be Christian in China. Therefore
when once converted having paid the
costly price the native convert becomes
tile most jealous and consecrated of
Christian WORKERS. She was especially
impressed with the exteut of what can
be done in China with q little money.
She had been informed it cost the city
of Boston $145 year to support each In
mate of the city's poor house. This sum
will support three native Bible readers
in China for year.
Miss Child spoke at length of the work
in China of the two Portland women
Miss Gould and Miss Morrill,, whom she
described as noble Christian women, con-
secrated to their Masters service an6
successful practical missionaries. The
audience listened with great interest to
her description Of the school of which
thess fearless women have charge. She
believed their success was due to the
earnest prayers Of the Portland women
who took such interest in their work
'sby works as well as by faith.
T. he speaker related many amusing
stories. One illustrated the estimation
| in which women are held by the Chinese
and how they are looked down upon;
told of the rescue of q family party from
drowning by Cinnamon. The head OF
the family was presented with bill fol
the service rendered.
Two items Of it read:
To saving umbrella, 80 cents. To saw
ing wifi, % cents.