The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-23
woMEN,s MISSION WORK.
Annual Meeting of the State Society
DIR. Lasby's Address.

NoileH nave accomplished through Inc
Women's Home Missionary Society. Mrs.
Emil Wulschner, president of the society.
was in the chair. A hymn was sung and
prayer was offered by Rev. Mr.. Doddridge,
of Bloomington. The first business was the
report of the conference secretary, Mrs. A.
V. p. Adams. of Shelbyville. The report
was for five districts, in which there are
thirty-one auxiliaries. Last year ten bar
rels of supplies were sent to the home mis-
sion stations. More than half of the sum
pledged has been paid and by the close
of the year the entire sum of 81 0N will have
been paid into the conference fund. This
sum is raised Independent of the dues. Four
conventions have been held and much liter
ature has been distributed. Miss Robinson,
of Deputy, has been sent into the mission
field. There is a membership of one thou
sand in the Indiana society, out of a total
membership in the country of ninety thou
sand, twO-thirds of which are women. The
need of the time, she thought is for the
ministers to do more toward organizing the
w. H. M. S. in their own districts. Mrs.
Adams said in closing: ut is not Gods
purpose to make things easy. We must adj
vance from what is promised to what is
fulfilled" Mrs. c. S. Chaffee, of Green
castle, the conference treasurer gave her
report in a nutshell There has been con-
tributed in cash $1,22O.93, and in value of
supplies $1,03S04, making a total of s., 25S97
Mrs Wulschner then asked a number. of
ladies to take up collection and they went
about gathering up small contributions,
which were turned over to Mrs. Chaffee.
While the collection was being taken Mrs
Adams told of the need at the Home for
Girls in Asheville, which the society is sup
porting.
The address of the afternoon was given
by Rev. c. c. Lasby, pastor of the Central
avenue Church. who began by asking the
congregation to sing Come Thou Fount
of Every Blessing" Mr.. Lasby said:
Il count myself fortunate to speak of the
Women's Home Missionary Society the
first time L appear before the Indiana "a
Hayes was called to be the president of
the society, which was then a new organiza-
the mantle fell on Mrs. Davis, another noble
woman, and now no name more charms my
heart than that of the present president,
Mrs. Clinton b. Fiske. | Will speak few
words for the society of which she is the
honOred president. In the twelve years of
its life there has been $40 600 contributed
TO assist the needy and help the unfortu-
nate. If all the women of Methodism were
interested and each would contribute
penny day for one year 1t would equal
more than all that is given for all purposes
in the Methodist Church. If 100000 could
be aroused to do this there would be great
results and what missionary work could be
done. what missionaries could be sent out
and what deaconess&s homes could be
founded. There are only one thousand
members in this State; where the
others?
CONDITIONS IN CHICAGO
America is the greatest mission field in
the world, and the w. H. M. S. needs to
work in the bounds of the United States
and raise up a generation of Christians to
stem the tide of anarchism At the Con-
gress of Religions, held at the time of the
worlds fair, it was found there were sins
in America that were unknown in other
countries. Christianity needs to be Chris
TANNED. Read the morning papers and see
the list of murders and lynchngs by cow
ards who mask their faces 1t reads as if
1t came from the mouth OF hell and not
from ChriStion nation. To-day, under the
stars and stripes, women are more degraded
and held in greater bondage and crueller
thralldam than in any other place. In Chi
cago, New York and other cities there are
maeStromS of vice. Can it be corrected?
Women say it shall and go forth to purify.
The problem of city life is confronting us.
To-day one-third of the population live in
cities. Here flock the deceived and the
vicious, and the city is the storm center
of the land. Grand Chicago is not so great
as she thinks. Fifty years ago there was
one church to every one thousand in
habitants; to-day, one church to every six
thousand. There is a great foreign popula-
ton that God has put into our lap and
tells us to Christianize them. In one dis
fame and 243 saloons and one little mission.
Who is to save Chicago? The
Ghrstfan d9f9ple there rea are mot mot
and help. The hour has come when we
must have the gospel. 1t is better than the
Calling gun. The w. H. NJ. S. found
woman brave enough to go into alleys and
dens, and when she came to a house where
a bit of Grape was tied to the door, she
nd $l1s,
peoples confidence She started a Sunday
school over a saloon. In the time of the
riot in Chicago the rough men of the dis
trict told her that whatever might happen
they would protect her From Evanston
the Epworth League came down and is
Transforming by it's work.
Mr.. Lasby spoke Of the crowded condition
of certain districts of New York city,
where families. live in a single room. and
of one place where one can walk for hours
and not hear a word of English spoken.
He described the work of Mr.. and Mrs.
Matthews at Castle Garden in New York.
They rescued young girls from lives of
shame and cared for them.
THE DEACONESS WORK.
The beginning of the deaconess work was
described. A minister of Dusseldorf asked
to be allowed to go into the prison as a
convict in order to see how the convicts
lived. This was denied him. One night a
girl, who had been released applied to him
for shelter and he gave her the summer
house in his garden. Others came He
cared for them, Christianized them and sent
them out doing good works. From this the
Order of Deaconesses grew, and there are
homes in Cairo and Jerusalem. When DR..
Buckley'S son was sick in Cairo he was
cared for by the deconesses and restored
to health. The society has $50 deaconeSseS
at work and homes that are worth $4,000.
Mr.. LaSby told of the poor white trash in
the mountains of the South, of the negroes
and what has been done for the two classes
in the establishing of industrial schools.
Talk of Africa needing the gospel. there
is a cry from home" said he. Civilization
must be pushed by the organization of in
Der of statistics of the callings which the
pupils sent out from these homes follow
Most IF them teach. a large number of the
girls marry ministers and create homes.
The misery of New Mexico, the people of
the great West, the Indians and the Nor
mons of Utah were all touched upon and
their need of the gospel shown. When the
question of public schools in New Mexico
was voted on there were eight in favor and
home missionary there?' asked Mr.. Lasby
The w. H NJ S. is doing more for the peo-
pie of these countries than all of the MethO-
dist Church. In referring to the poverty of
the West, Mr.. Lasby said that he wished
that the missionary societies would send
thousand barrels of supplies this year in
stead of the usual number-three.
There is great need of work to save the
country" said he in closing. II would like
to see stately Meridian-street Church give
$500 my own church, Central-avenue give
the Home Missionary Society" In closing,
Mr. ocbv addrarzad hirnGnIf m he min