The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-06
THE DEACONESSES MEET
THEIR ASSEMBLY Is NOW IN sEs-
SION At ACTON PARK.
Bishop Joyce VIII Preach There To-
MOrrOw-A Debate on Suf-
frage-Af Bethany.

About thirty-ive young women. dressed
in plain black, with little black bonnets
trimmed with white bows, got off the in
coming train at Acton yesterday. They
constituted the first arrivals for the dea-
coness assembly which begins this morn
ing at the park and continues for three
days. The assembly is under the auspices
Of the Deaconess Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and is the second meet
ing of the kind that has yet been held in
this country. Deaconesses from various
States are, or will be, present, and the pro-
gramme is made up of themes for discus
sion relating to deaconess work.
The deaconess is a young woman who
gives up her home ties and worldly ideals
for life of self-denial and labor in behalf
Of humanity. She is not to be likened to
nun, however, as no vows are required of
her, and she is free to marry or to relin-
quish her position at any time. She must
be above twenty-five and not over forty-tive
years of age when consecrated, and must
have good education. A course of from
one to two years is taken in the Chicago
Training School, an institution conducted
by Mrs. Lucy Rider Meyer. This school
teaches medicine, nursing and similar SUBJ
jects, and develops the particular aptitudes
of the pupil. After leaving the training
school the young woman is ready to be as
signed to some field of labor where she may
minister to the poor and sick, and lead the
SHINING ones back to a righteous life. All
this she does without salary, her reward
being the knowledge that she has a noble
purpose in life, that of doing something
practical for the betterment of man. The
first deaconess in history is spoken of by
the Apostle Paul when he said: Il COM
mend unto you, Phoebe, our sister, dea-
coness of the church." Since that time
there have been various orders of deacon
esses at different times, but not until the
last ten or fifteen years has there been any
thing of the kind In the Protestant churches
of this country. 1t was in 1885 that the
Chicago Training School for Missions
opened, and the deaconess work in the
Methodist Church may be said to date from
that time. The Chicago Deaconess Home
was opened in 1887, and since that time
homes have been opened in various of the
larger Cities and one of the hopes enter
tanned by the Methodists at Acton is that
the assembly will lead to the establishment
of an institution of the kind in Indianapolis
Tomorrow Bishop Isaac w. Joyce will
preach in the morning, and Rev. Andrew j.
Coultas. of Providence, r. l., in the after
noon. The programme for this morning is
follows:
Theme, The Deaconess IDEAL" 81 Com
Meyer; 1.-The Sound Body Isabel Moffatt,
Bloomington, ILL.,; 1.-The Progressive Mind
Lou Passmore, Chicago, Ill; Growing in
Grace" Dora Adron, Milwaukee, Wis; solo.
G. Blanche Gould.
This Afternoon-Theme, 1.-The Deaconess
in Relation to the Church,; devotional
service, led by Josephine Maris, Freeport.
ILL.,; The Servant of the Church" Mary +.
Wolf, Jacksonville; discussion, led by En-
ma ]. Scott, Toronto, Canada; Assist Her
YOU, Minnie B. Sears, Kansas City, Kan;
| discussion, led by Mary Ball, Milwaukee,
Wis; Our Helper in Christ" Josephine
| Tingley, Toronto, Canada; discussion, led by
| Sarah Doebler, Cincinnati. o.; experience
| meeting. Mary c. Grant New York.
This Evening" Preparation, for Work.
| Mary Eva Gregg, Chicago, ILL.,; Behold
| Set Before Thee an Open Door," Rev. w.
E. McLennan, Berwyn, Ill.
The women of the w. c. T. u. closed their
| three days programme yesterday with sew
eral interesting meetings at the tabernacle,
winding up in the afternoon with a grand
| debate on woman suffrage. This debate was
| of North Dakota, and Mrs. NJ. A. Tompkns,
| Of Elkhart, who took the affirmative, and
! Mrs Balch of indianapolis, and Rev. Mr..
| Riley, of Greenfield, who took the negative.
| When the time limit was reached the audi
| ence was called upon to voice its opinion as
| to the merits of the debate and it is scarcely
unnecessary to say that the women suffra-
| gists won out The vote was the decisive
| one of 60 to is. The morning services con-
and its different departments. Those taking
part were Mrs. NJ. O. Cammack, Mrs. M. A.
Tompkins, Mrs. Adah New, Mrs. M. Z.
Bach Mrs McWhirter and Mrs. Trego.
The exercises of the entire day were made
particularly enjoyable by the excellent
music rendered. The Meridian Union cele-
brated the eighty-third birthday of Mrs.
zerelda Wallace in the W. G. T. u cot
| tage in the afternoon.