The herald., 1897-01-16
WATCH AND PRAY.
A Day of Special Intercession Generally
Observed Yesterday

In response to an international call
of the United States and Canada for an
all-day fast and prayer meeting of the
women's missionary societies of all
protestant churches, union SER
vice was held yesterday in the
Broadway Methodist church, composed
of representatives from such organiza-
tions in the city.
The morning session opened at 10
o'clock. Mrs. DR.. Seymour presiding.
Mrs. Fergus of Peniel hall led in the de-
Votional exercises.
Letters were read from missionaries s
in Alaska, giving accounts of the work
accomplished among the Indians of that
land of snow and glaciers. This was fol-
lowed by prayer service lasting until
noon. At the noon hour Mrs. Chaplin,
who spent twenty years as missionary
in the land of the dragon flag, spoke
with her characterize earnestness on
the Holy Ghost in China, after whicn
Bible reading was conducted by Miss
Bassell
The first speaker at the afternoon
SESSION, which opened at 1:30 was Miss
Winifred Spaulding, head of the order
of deaconesseS of the Methodist
cnurch, recently established in the city.
Miss Spaulding gave an interesting
ocount of the work of the order of whicl
she is a member It's aims, she said,
were not to take upon itself any of the
duties of the pastor, but to supplement
his work in seeking out cases of distress
and suffering, which are not always
confined to the very poor When she
came to this city some months ago she
thought it so lovely, new and clean, and
the sun so bright and warm, it seemed to
fer there could not be any of the
1ictnA ~, o11 4
larger cities. She had found, however.
that while there is no crowded tene-
ment districts, with dark, dingy, tumble
down buildings. there is much poverty
and want existing among a more re-
spectacle class of people. Several pa
thetic instances were given where peo-
pie in dire want had been aided by the
deaconesses, who "go out with the gos-
pei of bread and butter, soap and water
and the Lord Jesus
The next speaker, Mrs. Fisher, wife of
Rev. c. w. Fisher, of the Grand View
church, gave some incidents of life in
Japan, where she and her husband had
spent many years in the work of
missions Little Miss Muriel Fisher, a
native of Japan, followed her mother
in a bright little paper describing the
last summer spent ON the mountains of
that country, among the curious old
temples and hideous idols, and her play
fellowship with boy Buddhist priest.
Miss Muriel has bright. winning face.
and long golden hair, that make her
the ideal of her musical name.
Miss Teale, secretary of the Young
Woman's Christian association, gave an
entertaining talk on the scope, aims and
purposes of what her society Is accom-
plishing for young woman, many of
whom are in this city alone, away from
all home influences.
Mrs. Day, wife of Rev. Mr.. Day. of the
First Congregational church, described
a visit to Alaska and British Columbia,
and gave a most interesting account of
the work done there among the Indians
by a layman, William Duncan, of the
Protestant Episcopal church, in the past
twenty or more years. Mrs. Days earn
est and simple recital of the material
benefit alone, to these Indians. accom-
plished by this one man might disarm
the most bitter prejudice against mis-
sionaries, held by many people.
Mrs. Seymour spoke of the vast valleys
along the rivers of India, given to the
culture Of the poppy and the opium trade
with China, which is an English mo-
nopoly. When that country came into
control of England there were one
million opium smokers In China; now
there are one hundred million nrSr~