The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-22
THE MOTHERS CLUB AND THE
PAWTUCKETW WOMANSCLUB MEET

between the eyes, designated her as a
worshipper OF the god silva.
Telling her story In the first person, she
graphically gave IL TO her hearers, and
held the undivided attention OF all. But
a faint idea Of the vividness Of the por-
trayal can be given In brief report. The
had her freedom while a child. but at
twelve years old this was suppressed, as
at that age the girl becomes woman
From now on her time hung heavily on
her hands. 1t was spent IN learning 10
cook and i'm playing with the household
jewels. IL is a wonder the minds OF the
women do not entirely shriyal;
The first question I'm regard To little
girl Is, Whom shall she marry? The
horoscope is caste and correspondence
carried on 10 different places 10 find a
man having the right caste and the right
horoscope. Three or four years were
spent by Menarchee's father before the
right one was found. Her husband proved
TO be kind man, so she was more for
tunate than her sister or some OF her
playmates."
Just here the speaker described the
lives of some OF the latter. illustrating
the terrible suffering undergone by many
Among the child widows of India there
are 5000 under nine years OF age. they
archee, the speaker continued: "Her hus-
band she saw for the first time on her
wedding dav Menarchee was fortunate.
according to her own standard, in having
kind husband, and her mothsr-in-faw
was not cruel. The great sorrow was that
only girl children were born to her A
son is necessary, for only through son
life. She and friend OF hers often pray
ed TO the gods TO grant them sons. A
husband has a perfect right to divorce a
wife II a son is not born.
THE friends husband. becoming exas-
perated. took unto himself a second wife
and the outraged one came 10 Menarchee.
weeping and telling of all her clothes and
hQinU
get rid OF so many little girls mothers in
the name OF religion, give them TO the
temple for life OF immortality ostensibiy
90 wait on the gods.
"At last a boy Is born to Menarchee.
and joy was unbounded. A woman must
take any kind Of treatment from her boy
this child was sent To the English school
carried on by the English government
From there he went to Madras for a col
lege education. though much against his
many articles of English costume. and as
he made home visits came with more
books under his arms and more English
During one OF his visits home Men
archee noticed something strange in his
manner. She felt as III a chasm had come
between her and her boy. At last he re-
peated to her that verse of Scripture.
God so loved the world that he gave His
only hegotten son. that whosoever be-
lieveth in, Him should not perish. but
this avowal: Mother. tonight T am go-
ing to Join the Christians. for l am one
She prostrated herself before him, re-
minded him of all she and his father had
done for him, and said: You must never
do this. If you go out TO do this you
must walk over my body. lie did II.
Her screams brought the neigbbors, 20
whom she told the story. Her husband
came and they went through his funeral
service. AS IL he were really dead. and
burned his body in effigy. He had
broken his caste and could never live
with them again. He was lower now
than the caste which springs from the
feet OF Brahma."
Continuing the sneaker told of the con-
version of Menarchee and her husband
20 the Christian faith and the reuniting
OF the family.
At the close Of the above interesting re-
cital Mrs IT. y. Rowarth read some ex-
tracts from the report OF the Mukti
school. which gave n clever idea of the
daily life OF the hundreds OF girls under
Ramabai.
The beuedIction was then pronounced
and the meeting came to a close.