HELPING HAND MISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 248, 26 October 1897, Page 2

HELPING HAND MISSION.

The Mission's annual festival held in the Choral Hail last evening was in every way a great success. In the side rooms of "the Hall tea. supplied by Mrs Parkinson, was served to many hundreds of persons, from the hoars of 5.30 to 7. At the public meeting afterwards, a dense crowd packed the Hall from end to end. The choir of several hundreds of voices, together with the string and brass binds, were a special feature in the evening".-, enjoyment. The Chairman, Mr W. Shepherd Allen, in opening the meeting, congratulated the Mission upon the great and permanent work that was being done. He had much experience of similar enterprises in England, but these could not be said to be more efficiently carried out, or with more promising success, than the work of the Helping Hand Mission. There was much reason for gratitude and thankfulness on the marked progress of the past year, and he unred the workers to fresh consecration in the noble toil in which they were engaged.

Mr A. C. Brown recounted some phases of the work which had given marked results. The Tent Mission at Christmas and New Year holidays, erected at Queenstreet Wharf, had' proved a great blessing to sailors, miners, gum diggers and very many others who come to Auckland at that season of the year. These had been saved from the many pitfalls which abound around Auckland, and instead of drinking and debauchery many have returned to their homes and work changed men, with, a clean loaf turned over in their history.

Sister Kenneth, the Mission sister, was of course warmly welcomed. She had a most interesting .-tory of benevolence and rescue work to unfold. The many hundreds oi homes she had visited, the famished mothers and children she had been the means of feeding and clothing "luring the year, the wretched drunkards which had been awakened from their stupor, the many young girls just bordering upon a life of shame and sin stopped on the downward path, called for special thankfulness and gratitude. She was specially grateful to "many kind friends who so willingly and unasked volunteered cash, food and clothes for the poor with whom she came into daily contact. The benevolent work was not in the interest of any particular creed, ail received according to their need. She also was careful that nothing was uselessly bestowed. She inquired carefully into every application before giving assistance. She asked the people's prayers and continued sympathy. "Excellent addresses were also given by Pastor Clark, Dr. Wolfenden, Revs. W. J. Williams, W. Gittos, and W. A. Sinclair, and Mr Armistead. Every speech was fraught with suggestion and encouragement, and were certainly much above the average tea meeting addresses usually delivered upon sucli occasions. The singing under the guidance of Mr James Culpan was very good. It was very evident Mr Culpan had given much time and attention to this department of the work. The solos by Messrs Higgott and Musker were applauded. Mr Sinclair announced at the close that never before had the Mission such crowds at all their services as they had this year, for which they were grateful