MRS LEAVITT.

Evening Star, Issue 6867, 4 April 1885, Page 4

MRS LEAVITT.

Mrs Leavitt, the temperance reform lecturer (who makes her first appearance in Dunedin in the King street Congregational Church tomorrow), is a member of a very remarkable organisation in the United States, composed exclusively of women. The women of America have come into the temperance reform, not as an antagonistic clement, but rather as a reserve force when the contest hung in doubtful balance. Nowhere in that country have other organisations been weakened, but rather strengthened, by these Women’s Unions. During the ten years of their existence the results have proved so beneficent not only to society but to Christianity, that the leaders in the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union have conceived the idea of proposing the acceptance of the plans and methods they have found so productive of good to all English-speaking peoples around the world, thus belting the globe with these Unions of consecrated, praying women, who keep their noon-day trystingtiir.e with their Maker, and on the Thursday afternoon assemble for united prayer, consecration, furnishing, and planning for the work. The aspiration of these ladies is to establish a World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union Convention, at no very distant date, to which shall gather, as delegates on equal footing, ladies from Great Lritaiu, United Status, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan; and they are not without hope that some of the Continental European nations may be represented. In the United States the Society number over 5,500 local branches, with a working membership of ladies of over 200,000, exclusive of simply pledged people, and also exclusive of honorary members. Canada organised on the same plan and under the same name a few years since, and has a grand working force today, The people of the Sandwich Islands have joined the Convention; they cheerfully accepted service at the hands of Mrs Leavitt in November and December last. The object of this institution is. so elevated and philanthropic that it must command the good wishes, if not the hearty support, of all thinking people. And the promoters, what of them ? JStowhere in the world’s history is a parallel case

to be fount!. Here we have an organisation of women, influenced solely by a desire to benefit theirfellow-creatures, propoumlingaud maturing a really remarkable system of co-operation that would tax the energies and ability of as many men; and, what is more remarkable, one of their number, a quiet, gentle, self-contained lady of middle age, her leading characteristic resoluteness of purpose, has been found ready to leave boiuG and friends and country, and, unattended, walking absolutely alone, to enter upon a temperance pilgrimage round the world. "With scarcely anything in her purse) she trusts, with a faith and simple confidence, sublime in their way, to the temperance people of the countries elm visits to provide her with tire means of progression. And so far, as she remarked to us, “I have been sustained, but should it so happen that help is no longer forthcoming, wiry, thou I shall take it ns n hint from the Lord that lam to return home again.” We do most heartily commend Mrs Leavitt to thfe kind consideration of the ladies. ApS.rt altogether from the temperance principles she is championing, sire is worthy of respect and countenance for tire heroism, womanly fortitude, and great self-abnegation that she has displayed in the promotion of the cause she holds so dearly at heart. —Exchange.