The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-11-01
MISSIONARY MoRK DISCUSSED
BY MRS. L. LANDERS.

BY MRS. L. LANDERS.
At the recent meeting of mission.
airy women a paper was read by Mrs.
l. Danders that met the hearty appro-
val of every one present. Mrs. Ian.
ders discussed this all-important sub
Ject in a practical and common-sense
way as follows:
Members of the Ladies' Aid Society:
"AB soon as we hear of missionary
work, we think Of home and foreign
missions, both fields of which the 'har-
vest truly is ripe, but the laborers are
few Let us talk on home missions.
In the heart of every Christian
woman ideals have always found a
welcome and a home. The character
of her ideals has depended largely
upon the time and place in which she
was living. In the earlier days their
scope never extended beyond the
bounds of her own individuality and
her own home, but as years passed.
and women began to take wider views
of their duty, they Oegan to include
within the reach of their responsible
ity their neighbor and their neigh
boris children. They came TO the con-
clusion that ignorance is the fruitful
mother Of degradation, and that no
nation whose God is not the Lord can
long survive or serve the highest
needs of the world. So the host of
Christian women in this new land
have united to declare, Our land
shall become the home of intelligence
and righteousness" From such union
Sunday-schools and every day schools
were organized; the first pant played
by the women in the home missionary
work.
AT the close Of the war, what did we
as a race know about home-making,
about economizing, about nursing the
sick properly, about training our chill
dren to become thrifty wives and
housekeepers? Practically nothing. By
a united effort a handful of missionary
women, with God as their leader, un-
dertook the task of teaching home
making, among our mothers. They
were taught to sew, to cook properly,
to economize, to nurse and train their
children to become thrifty wives and
housekeepers. How well they have
succeeded a best be told by the hun
dreds Of thousands of homes they
keep.
If,they in those dark days taught
that much, what ought We now be do
ing in the way of missionary work?
We have a large field here at home,
not mentioning Africa and the Islands
of the sea. Carlyle says: DO the
duty that lies nearest to thee. Thy
second duty will already become
clearer" So it is with us.
The schools have been rganized and
built; are we helping to fill them?
| Poorly clad and equally poorly fed
children are running in our streets
daily who ought to be in school. Some
parents are not able to send them,
others care not. Are we giving any
thing to get these children in school
and to keep them in school? Can we
not as a missionary society, in name,
be a missionary society in deeds?
Christ once said, HE who giveth to
the poor lendeth to the Lord" and
how much we all would delight to be
in His debt.
There are invalids in Il commu-
mites. Do we visit them? Do we
cheer them either by word or deeds?
Do we make an effort to impress upon
them the Importance of living right?
All! my missionary sisters, there is
lots of work for us to do, and home
missionary work at that. The Catho-
lies say, "Give me your child from in
fancy until he is seven years OF age
and we have them" Why can't we
say the same? The trouble is with us
we don't get the child at all, and then
of course it is hard work to get the
grown.ups. The little ragged urchin
on the streets would gladly cone to
us if we show a willingness TO have
him come.
Missionary work, ito my mind, is
not giving to those who do not neet
it, but it is giving to and working
for those who stand in need OF it.
The effort of u society lately t
donate to n or two of our schools Il
a most noble undertaking, and we fee
that the angels of bright glory smiled
upon us for it. Would God that WI
would do more of just such woEk ant
do it often. We need not be afrait
to venture upon such deeds, for on
writer has t|ruthfully said, IF we ac
knowledge God in all our ways, he ha
promised safely to direct our steps
and in our experience We shall fin
( the promise fulfilled"
Y Let us then be up and doing,
, With a heart for any fate,
d, C4ut oobiaving cti11 nursuinP.