The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-26

and Poona. she now accommodates $50
widows and 125 children. These. are
largely supported by contributions from
the United States. and Worcester has
it's Ramabai circle to assist in the
work.
The Worcester circle was organized
last June by Mrs. Ramabai herself The
Hindu woman spent the whole sum-
mer in this country organizing circles
to assist in her work. When in Wor-
cester, she lectured in the Union
| church. and Immediately after formed
| a Ramabai circle, taking as a nucleus
a few Of the church members there
present. The original members of the
circle took in a few of their friends
from other churches to make the or
ganization fairly representative. The
present membership is not large, there
being only II members, all told. But
the work they do is out of proportion
| to their numbers, and an active re-
cruiting campaign is soon to be inau-
| gurated.
The first annual meeting will be held
next June. The present officers are:
President, Mrs. A. A. Bigelow, 81 Bene-
nit street; Mrs. S. o. Amidon, Ger
main street. treasurer; and Mrs H. H
Houghton, Marston way, secretary.
They have already sent to India a
large sum of money, and hope to dc
better in the future.
| 1t is well known that, as a class, the
most ill-treated persons in India are
| Hindu widows. Elderly widows with
sons receive some consideration, but
young and child widows are victims of
held responsible for her husband
death, although she may never have
seen him or may have been left widow
at the age of three OF under. She is
| forbidden more than one meal day.
| Her head is clean shaver once a fort
night, her clothing restricted to one
garment, and she is forbidden to take
any part in any festivity. 1t was in
this ill-used class that Pandita Rama
bal found herself in early womanhood,
with the care of baby daughter. Real
izing by experience the sorrows of her
class. she determined to do what she
could to ameliorate their condition.
The young Hindu widow betook her
self with her baby girl TO England,
and thence, after a time, to America.
| Her long journey was not In vain. Six
years later she returned with the dawn
of a new light in her heart and estab-
| lished a small home for high-caste Hin
du widows in Bombay. She had uphill
work at first but her heart tainted not
| Soon the Bombay home was replaced
| by larger one at Poona, where amid
| lovely natural surroundings, in 4
household numbering at the close of
last year between fifty and sixty, Pan
dita Ramabai had created under tine
| blessing of God, one of the most beau
tiful object lessons in the world, of the
possibilities of Womanhood, cultured
alike in mind and heart. That insti-
| tuition is the greatest blow which one
| of the basest customs of Hinduism has
received.
A few words more on this heorina Of
India. The sufferings and moral dan
gers of girl-widows among the famine
stricken were then heavy upon her
heart, for in her girlhood she had been
through similar experiences. In the fa-
mine of 1857 her father, mother and
elder sister died of starvation, and she
and an only brother (who soon after
wards died., barely escaped. AS she
thought upon similar suffering at pres
ent human reason and worldly
wisdom suggested that she had already
enough OIL her hands, and that famine
relief should therefore be left to the
government of India and to others.
But while these voices thus reasoned,
she says, louder and louder spoke the
voice of God from within my heart:
! Remember the days of Old "
! Obedient to the divine call, she went
out among the suffering; and while
| her narrative of her experiences has
| thrilled thousands Of hearts in this and
other lands, her famine journeys have
already added hundred and forty-five
young widows to her care.
| Since the start Mrs. Ramabais work
has increased in scope till now it is
stated on good authority that 10, 900 or
phan children have been gathered by
! te-c.fs otfnC st,AA l,,ns,, 4
taught useful lives. Rodney Dennis Of
Hartford. who is acting as treasurer
Of the Bombay Guardian Famine Relief
Fund, last year sent $4,10O from this
country.
| The work in central and western
Massachusetts, is in charge of Philip
Bacon of Springfield. to whom any as
slstance for the cause may be sent, at
| 1872 State street. The officers OF the
local organization are also authorized
to receive aid.
|
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