The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-14

Missions in the lecture room of
Central Union Church, Honolulu,
December Z, 1890.
And l entreat thee also, true yoke
fellow, help those women which labor
ed with me in the gospel, with Clement
also, and with other my fellow labor
ers, whose names are in the book of
life"
The exortations and the commands
of Scripture come down the ages just
as appropriate and binding as when
first given.
In looking over the records of our
missions am surprised at the number
of unmarried workers and their labors
are not in vain. Not long since the
wife of missionary who had been
long in China wrote to me, asking me
to unite with her in prayer that more
single ladies might be sent in place
of some who were so worn by the lab
ors as to be Obliged to leave, and also
to give thanks for the zeal and sue
cess of others. So with joy welcomed
recently three young ladies bound to
China, equipped with the knowledge
of medicine as well as other prepara-
ton.
And should we not also remember
the women on Hawaii who have done
and are doing so much for the gospel
of Christ? Let us remember them in
our prayers and in words of cheer. I
will not give names but we will not
forget the one who gives her life to
Hawaiian work. Then two stations
in lonely places are held by the daugh-
tiers of deceased parents who had lab
ored long in those places. Then there
is a great work done by teachers and
women throughout the Islands. A
Hawaiian pastor said to me "the teach
er at my place is very good woman,
she helps me all the thine" Then
quite a host of women are working in
Sunday Schools and caring for the
sick and poor ana strangers.
Others we will remember who have
passed on. 1t is pleasant to bring to
notice my very kind friend and asso-
ciate for eight years at Punahou-
Marcia Smith. We were workers when
Punahou was in poverty and board was
given at one dollar week. The fam
lily used to number Is or 80 with many
guests from the mission. We all sat
at one table in the long dining room.
The kitchen was not connected with
the house and the walk to it was un-
protected from the trade winds. With
in the kitchen was a fire place with its
old fashioned crane and many kettles
and the heavy bake-kettle. And at one
kitchen was fire place with it's old
fashioned crane and many kettles and
side of the fire place was large brick
oven which once heated thoroughly
would give three turns of food, first
bread and meat, then pies and ginger
bread, and then brown bread and beans
or pudding which were ready for the
next day. Miss Marcia Smith, having
great strength, especially of hand and
arm, and never thinking of herself,
endured the toll, working all day and
often spending her evenings d0ctoring
the hurt feet of the barefoot boys and
binding up their wounds. In those
days we talked of help not ga cook. I"
A servant who could get meal with
out the care of the home-maker was
very rare. Punahou was little farm
we raised vegetables in their season,
ho6 10 FIR ich nd
supply of butter, raised chickens, had
eggs and pigs. Miss Smith would
take the trouble of making sausages
though one of the boys who found her
thus employed said to her, "My mother
never makes saugages; she says she
cannot with six boys" but Miss Smith
| never spared herself to make the most
palatable food her scant resources
would permit. In letter to a mother
| of one of the boys she writes: IT am
quite discouraged about writing. There
are so many ways to turn, such null
tiplicity of cares, such an endless vari-
ETY. of Interruptions, such ceaseless
| causes Of anxiety and uneasiness that
| the effort is almost in vain to fix my
| mind on any train of thought long
enough to express clearly a single
idea,' but she was the only one to
teach singing and tried hard to have a
regular reading of history with the
boys on some evenings, and was an
earnest teacher in Bible principles
She was hasty Of speech and firmly
believed in discipline and obedience,
yet she was ceaseless in her efforts for
the good of others. Perhaps Punahou
| owes her existence to her self sacrifice
though she was Martha, not Mary,
but Jesus loved Martha. She left the
| work with reluctance, being called to
the care of a very infirm mother who
fingered many years. Her own life
also was prolonged in great weakness
to the age of 80 years.
I cannot give exact dates but in the
first of the fifties, while our home was
at Punahou, on our way to church on
Sabbath morning, friend came to us
with the sad intelligence that an &C
quaintance had died suddenly during
the night The deceased was mother,
leaving five children unprovided for.
The lady was here for health and the