The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-06-09
THEIR HONEYMOONS
IN MISSION FIELDS
Missionaries Banquet and
Talk of the Strange
Peoples Met.

New York, June 9.-Missionaries
who are just about to start for foreign
lands and some who have come back
home on leave were entertained at
dinner at the Hotel Plaza by the Pres
byterian Union of New York. In the
three hours of speechmaking many in
teresting stories were told of work
among the benighted peoples at the
far ends of the earth.
1t was an educational evening for
the missionary folk. especially for the
younger ones who will leave for their
new fields of endeavor in the next few
weeks. 1t was especially interesting
for the several young men and mis-
sionaries who will be married before
they sail for foreign lands. and there
were five of these engaged couples on
hand, each pair assigned to the same
mission field, the church authorities
having been apprised of the engage
ments before the assignments were
drawn up.
Over q Hundred Leaving.
One of these couples. the Rev. D.
Coe Love. OF Mccormick Seminary,
and Miss Mary Ferguson of Wooster
university. will go to Africa. Another,
the Rev. John G. Sutz and Miss Ada
s. Helmsing. will also start life to-
gether in the African field. To China
will 60 Kenneth X. Thompson and
Miss Bernice G. Archer. The Rev.
William H. Hezlup and Miss Sophia
the Rev. Charles r. Murray and Miss
Grace NJ. Smalley will go to Persia.
Besides these there were several bri-
dial couples at the dinner.
In addition to the outgoing and in
coming missionaries several guests oc-
cupied seats of honor at the dinner.
Theodore w. Morris. president of the
Presbyterian Union, presided and
made the address of welcome. The
Rev. DR.. Stanley White. secretary of
the Presbyterian board, told the din
ers that the church was seding out
this year the largest number of mis-
sionaries in the history of the Pres
byterian Union. One hundred and
two men and women are leaving for
foreign fields, he said.
Several of the missionaries, who are
on furlough. told of their experiences
at their last mission stations. One of
these, Mrs. w. c. johnson. who re-
turned recently from the interior of
Africa, where she served the fifteen
years. told of the white woman's trou.
bles among the natives.
Curiosity Of Natives.
Fifteen years ago, when went to
the heart of Africa" said Mrs. John
son, 1.-The conditions were rather re-
markable. The first white woman to
reach the country was greatly admired
by the natives.
"Open your mouth so We can see the
brass they would say, and Take
down your hair They did not seem to
mind the fact that it required quite
while to put up cne's hair again.
THE first white man was also q
subject of great curiosity. How much
did you pay for your wife?' some of
the native men would ask. And when
told nothing they would express
great surprise and exclaim What, not
even a fish-hook" or You must have
stolen her.
THE native men soon began to
think that the white woman was a bad
example for the black woman. owing
to the fact that the white woman did
not do the heavy labor that the black
woman did. and that he white woman
was always carried over streams and
other dangerous places by her hus-
band.
And the white man was greatly ad-
mired by the African women. Pro-
posals of marriage have been made
by the black women right in front of
the white mans wife. They could not
get used to the fact that the white
man could have only one wife. 1t was
la regular circus when. a white man
came along. The black women would
cry out, oh, am going to marry a
white man. and then the fun would
begin. One of the disappointed black
women once asked me if there were
any more white men in America.
Conditions have somewhat changed
there now, however"