The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-01-05
HER FIRST TALK
Miss Walsh Meets Mem.
bers of Aloha Branch.
A Short Address to the Assembled
tudentS-Progress of Theoso-
phy-Lectures to be Heard.

There was very pleasant little
gathering of Aloha Branch Theoso-
phists and friends at Harmony Hall
last evening. The occasion was the
informal introduction to Honolulu stud
ents Of H. P. B." and the adopts and
masters to Miss Mary A Walsh, the
noted Pacific Coast Theosophical lee
turer.
In a few felicitous remarks, Miss
Walsh was presented to the audience
by Prof. A. Marques, president of the
Aloha branch. He spoke Of the lady's
scholarly attachments, of her theoso-
phical career and work and of the
hopes entertained on account of her
mission TO the Islands,
Miss Walsh then took the floor and
spoke for about a quarter of an hour
Some charts she brought along had
been hung, but there was no reference
TO these in the course of her brief ad-
dress. In manner and appearance,
Miss Walsh is a most charming and
attractive lady whose presence is felt
at once. One sees directly that she is
woman of strength mentally and of
powerful earnestness. There is moth
ing of the air or assumption of mys-
ticism or occultism about her, but
rather the magnetism of the teacher
stepped in the thoughts and beliefs of
a. study. Miss Walsh was born in the
United States and educated in the
schools of that country. She has been
in Europe and on the continent For
many years she was a resident of San
Jose, Calf, where the father of Phil
lip Dodge of this city now has a school
she once taught. Miss Walsh has been
in Theosophicalw work for about Is years.
The movement as it is known today
began % years ago. All of the time
of the lady is now occupied with ,ec-
turing to branches and students and
nOvitiates. 1t is her lifeWOrk. She
appears extremely devoted to it. Miss
Walsh has Of course thought deeply,
read widely and studied industriously
in the field to which her mind in bent.
She has enjoyed the acquaintance
either personally or by correspondence
of the great Philosophical teachers and
ranks with the most famous of them.
For those who assembled last even
ing Miss Walsh spoke of TheOsophy
with it's motto of There is no Higher
Religion than TRUTH" as combination
of the best and surest conclusions of
religion, science and philosophy. The
Osophy had passed along the physical
and the intellectual planes and had
now reached the spiritual stage. Of
late its students and devotees had been
enlisted very rapidly and to the ranks
had come genuine men and women
from all classes. knowledge of theo-
sophy was becoming quite general and
its precise tenets frequently were given
utterance from pu, pits. 1t brought to
the world a message of unity, of justice,
Of peace, of universal brotherhood, of
love. 1t told not of emotional love, Of
Indifferent passive peace. 1t told of
the duty of thought, of the duties and
debts and obligations Of life, Of how
to live. The Theosophists did not
erect themselves as nodes but merely
pursued their studies as students and
endeavored by their lives and their
researches to lessen the burdens and
gladden. the lives Of fellow beings.
| TheosOphy now had consideration as a
rational belief. The old fear that there
was too great or too much eruditiOn
| in the study had passed away, till it
was talked off everywhere and very
generally understood.
| Miss Walsh asked those who were
present to assist her by wiling with
her that her work here should be sue
cessful, by being in intense earnestness
in their cooperation in the studies
| they would take up. She suggested
the formation or organization of par
lor centers where she might enlighten
those who cared to listen. The rain
had interfered with the first meeting
she said, but the rain was to be blessed
| because it made things grow and de-
velOp, and man, the connecting link
between God and the animals needed
to have his attention riveted to the
idea that part of the essential work
of thought was to be applied to growth
and development.
At the conclusion of the address
those in attendance had the pleasure
OF meeting Miss Walsh. 1t was an
nounced by Professor Marques that the
first pubic lecture would be Harmony
Hall on Saturday evening next and
that Miss Walsh's subject would be
Man and His Destiny