The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-19
THE W. c. 7. ..
The Meeting Of the General Officers
Here Yesterday.
STROUDWATER HOMES DECORA-
TED in THEIR HONOR.

| Arrangements for the National Conven-
ton at Buffalo-Miss Frances e.
Willard One of Mrs. Stevens Guests.
The meeting of the officers of the Wom-
ans Christian Temperancesu union was
held at Stroudwater yesterday at the
residence of Mrs. l.. M. N. Stevens, the
national .president-at-large for the
consideration of the important matters
mentioned in the PRESS of yesterday. 1t
was somewhat unique occasion as not
only were there present three of the gen.
same number from the Worlds Union,
Miss Willard, Miss Agnes Slack and Miss
Anna Gordon, representing the latter;
Miss Willard, Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs.
Katharine Lente Stevenson, the former
The meeting yesterday was exclusively
Worlds will be held later.
| Both the home of Mrs. Stevens, and
that of her daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Stew
ems Leavitt, were decorated with flags,
those of the United States, Great Britain
and Norway being in evidence. The
meeting was held on the lawn, under the
shade trees with which Mrs. Stevens's
place abounds. Miss Willard quoted at
the beginning the beautiful saying of
Marcus Aurelius: ooh universe, that
which thou desirest I DESIRE and said
| that we today say the same thing when
we say, Heavenly Father, thy will be
DONE" and to say that form the heart is
to be always in the attitude of worship.
The most important matter under con-
sideration was the programme of the oath
annual convention of the National W. G.
| T. u, to be held in Buffalo, October goth
to November Sd. Mrs. Stevenson has
| just come from Buffalo, where she has
been attending to some business pertain
| ing to theIconvention. Prior to that she
had been in Chatauqua for ten days con-
Quoting temperance conferences.
1t is confidently expected that the COM
| ing convention will be one Of the largest
and most interesting ever held in the
country The annual sermon on Sunday,
October 31st will be preached by Lady
Henry Somerset, who will sail for this
country on the steamship st. Louis, Oc-
tober 3D. Some of the other distinguished
guests of the Worlds convention who, it
is hoped will remain over to the National,
are Lady Windeyer of New South Wales,
Mrs Kirk of Victoria, Mrs. France Griffin
of Cairo, Egypt,s Misses Vincent and
C,,r,,,,ipc of Auctrali Miss Marion MiJkS
of Chilli, Miss Johnnsdotur, president
of the Iceland W. G. T. u, Miss Agnes
Slack and Mrs. Shaen of Great Britain.
The people of Buffalo are preparing in
right royal fashion to meet these guests
from abroad as well as the hundreds who
1t is confidently expected that no state
or territory will be without representa-
ton. Even PARKWAY Alaska is hoping to
be represented by it's territorial president,
who is the wife of the newly appointed
governor, Mrs. John G. Brady of Sitka
Four new unions have, only this summer,
been organized in Alaska.
The first evening of the convention will
be given up to addresses of welcome and
responses. 1t is presumed that, accord
ing to time-honored custom the mayor of
the city will welcome the convention.
There will also be addresses from the
local and state W. G. T. u, from the
local press and clergymen. Rev. o. P.
Clifford, D. D., will represent the clergy,
while his aunt, Mrs. Sarah Perkins 0
Cleveland, Ohio, veteran crusader, will
make one Of the responses. Saturday
night will be young peoples evening;
Monday will be given to scientific TEN
perance; Tuesday probably to the Loyal
Temperance Legion, and Wednesday vii
be grand demonstration night.
The conference adjourned until today,
after partaking of delightful O'Clock
tea, served from an English tea basket
sent by Lady Henry Somerset, as a gift to
Miss Willard.
At the Worlds convention in Toronto
one of the objects of greatest interest
which the delegates will see is the world
banner. This was brought to this country
by Miss Slack. 1t is very large and is
made of blue and white silk with some
ornamentation in gold. On the banner
is large representation of the globe and
the words, "For Christ and the World. !"
This banner is taken to all parts of the
world Wherever the worlds convention
is held, there the banner is displayed.
Miss Slack had an experience on the
steamer coming over which is amusing
now that it is over, but was somewhat
terrifying at the time. She was informed
by one of the ships officers that under
the new tariff law duty and heavy duty
would be levied on the banner. Even.
said the officer, should the customs offic
ials pass the banner, they would insist on
tearing open the covering and thus ex-
pose the costly banner to injury. Miss
Slack found, however, that the, customs
men were perfectly willing to accept her
statement as to the nature and purpose of
the banner and it went on its way to
Toronto without examination.
Miss Willard has been spending some
time at Ogunquit. Last evening she was
naturally tired after the exertions of the