VICTORIA LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 187, 9 August 1930, Page 14

VICTORIA LEAGUE.

Miss L. 0. Mitchell, missionary traveller for the C.M.S. in India, was ,the'guest of honour at an afternoon tea held by the members of the Victoria League in itheir rooms, Shortland Street, yesterday afternoon. Bowls of golden Iceland poppies added a bright splash of colour to the decorations in the room, and other spring flowers were also to be seen.- In ;i «hort. speech Miss Mowbray, president, introduced Mies Mitchell, and gave a brief description of work done by the Victoria League in Auckland. Miss Mitchell spoke very interestingly on the women of India and the conditions in which they lived. The Christian Missionary Society was a very big force, she said, and was making great

progress in encouraging Indian women to take their place in the community. At a recent conference there were 100 Indian women on the council and 208 European. The Indian women) said Miss Mitchell, looked vi:;v ::• •;.••.uliful in their silk saris and heirloom jewels, and read their reports in clear voices, speaking perfect English. She could not help thinking how very much better they did than some of the European women present. Great things, too, were being done for the "little widows" of India, and Miss Mitchell spoke feelingly of those little brides of 10, 11 and 12 years whose boy-husbands had died. A bill had been passed whereby girls under 14 and men j under 16 could not marry, and although, said Miss Mitchell, it would be difficult to absolutely' enforce this, it was a step in the right direction. The widows were being taught to weave and earn their own living, and the Girl Guide movement was a force in India* These and similar things cc ibined to help in the uplifting of -India's women. A .hearty vote of thanks was accorded Miss Mitchell, and tea concluded the afternoon. The hostesses were:—Mesdames T. W. Leys, Gulliver, R. A. Bodle, Somers, Coats, McArthur, Claude White, Misses Slator (2), Murray, Chalmers and^-Dineeni