New-York tribune., 1911-02-19

About one hundred years ago, here IN
New York City. a little six-year-old Girl
heard her mother and her mothers friends
talking one day about the plight OF he
heather peoples in foreign lands ana
about how missionaries were needed.
II wish could he a missionary when !
COW up." she said. and from that day the
feeling born then stayed with her. She
never went as a missionary to foreign
lands. but her life after she became
woman was spent in working for foreign
missions and in doing things for men and
women who were going away as mission
aries or who had come home TO rest after
long service in China, India, Greece or the
islands Of the sea. For tho little girl of SIX
who wanted 20 be a missionary became
Mrs Thomas c. Doremus and the founoer
Of tho Woman's Union Missionary society
the first womans organization IN MS
sionary work. The first. but not the last
for various women's boards are represented
I'm the jubilee Of womens organized mis-
sionary work which began last October in
Oakland. Cal. and which will put the
climax TO a series of meetings held all over
the country. with an active week in New
York
1T is hard to understand now tho diff
ouItics my aunt had in starting tho So
ciCfy." Mrs Samuel BroodWali. Of No. -
East 9th street, who is president of the
organization, having. as tho niece OF Mrs.
poremus. grown ny in the work. said
last night. 1T was really the first womens
club-v vomens clubs had not been heard of
in 1850. And the platform of the new
society vas built on a proposition un-
heard Of before-that unmarried women
should go as missionaries, as well as wives
With their husbands. 1t wasn't considered
proper for a woman 10 go as missionary
unless she had a husband 20 lead tho way.
and in one case a mems board offered a
missionary husband 10 young woman who
was anxious To- 30. She declined what they
offered and went alone. Nv aunt know
how women were needed TO work among
the poor women in China and in the Indian
zonanas who could not he reached by men.
Back in 1884 she had been stirred by the
pleadings of tho Rev. David Nbcel for
women in those far lands but it wasn't
until 1860 that she was able to do what she
wished In that year Mrs Francis B. Mason
a missionary home from Burmah. made
plea for women workers. and my aunt
resolved that there should be a woman's
organization. She talked to her friends,
held drawing room meetings 10 awaken in
terest in The plan. and in spite Of the
fact that il was war time and money very
scarce she managed 10 raise enough TO
launch the new society. and she conquered
the feeling against it,"
Mrs. Doremus was elected the first prcsi-
dent. The first missionary sent out was
Miss 8. H. Marston, who sailed for Bur-
nah in November, 1861. Two other women,
both unmarried, sailed little later. and in
that opening year OF the society's existence
four native Christian women were en-
ployed in the work in Burmah, China and
Japan. From that beginning the UNDER
taking grew with surprising quickneSs.
The original pan-smply 10 send single
women missionaries to dcnominational
holds-was abandoned. or, rather. enlarged
upon. \ mission home was opened in Cal
cutta. and became the centre Of all sorts