WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 7831, 12 February 1889, Page 4

WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

The hall of tho Dunedin Young Women's Christian Association was crowded to excess last night, when Miss Faulkner, a delegate from the English Young Women's Christian Association, at present visiting Dunedin, delivered an address on the work of the organisation she is connected with. The chair was taken by Mrs Paul, and after praise and prayer Miss Faulkner began by saying thatsho had, in the advertisement of the meeting, promised to give " an account of the working of tho Young Women's Christian Association throughout the world," and that therefore it was a very large commission she had in hand. Of course she could not be expected to give more than a very sketchy outline of the work throughout tho world ; but she had used that expression because she wanted at the outset that they all should clearly understand that this was a world-wide association. There was but one Young Women's Christian Association, and this was a branch of it, as all the other similar organisations in the colonies and in other countries were branches of the parent society. First of all, it was well tc understand precisely what this Association was. It was a Young Women's Christian Association. Some people would persist in calling it a Christian Young Women's Association ; but it waß not that. This was not a distinction without a difference, for the difference was a very material one. It was an Association for young women, of young women—of any young women ; but it was an Association for young women conducted on Christian principles. If it were a Christian Young Women's Association it would be what she was sorry to say in many places it had become—just a little narrow clique, a little society of a few, who, all having one purpose and aim in life, only cared to meet together to, so to speak, hug their own privileges, and to think about their own blessings, leaving all the rest of theirßistersoutpidethemuntouched. Against that mistake she wished to guard them. The society should be made a home for Christian young women who desired it, and for young women generally; they wanted all. A confession of Christianity was not the test for associate membership; and they wanted not only the careless but even the godless to ioin them, bo that they might see something in Christianity they had never thought of before, and should learn how blessed a thing it was to come in contact with real working Christians. The motto of the Association was very short: " By love serve one

I another,' : And that described the nature of the work of the Association, and indicated how it was to be carried on—the motive power of all service. They wanted everybody to feci that however they might find in the world outside crossness and misunderstanding, when they got within the walls of the Association they would find only kindness and love, only understanding and patience. Then, as tho motto showed, it was a co-operativo Association-, dud its work was among all ehrstfea. Regarding the history oC tft'o Association, Miss Faulkner quid 'that it had its origin in a prayer -.Suion connected with a ladies' Bible olass in England some thirty-five ] years ago. When the prayer union started it consisted of some half-dozen young (ih-h, but it wont on spreading, aa everything having vitality must spread, until now there wore nearly 40,000 members of the Yonnz Women's Christian Association Prayer Union. V/hbn a girl becomes a member of tho Grayer Union she pledges herself to unit? with her sisters in prayer every Saturday evening, wherever she may be, at a stated hour ; or, if that sometimes is impossible, then on the Sunday morning. It was thus possible to be an active and useful member of the Association by joining this prayer union, though they might never attend the Association or work for it. But it was a rumavkablo fact, borne out by the history o£ the Christian Church, that the best pray era wvro tho best workers, »ud so it had come about that tlvc Association which begin with «, prayer union had gone on to ho an orjjftnSafttion for every kind of benevolent :*.]>:". 'Christian work. There was no hvanr!'! of work that touched the interests of women that was not represented by the Young Women's Christian Association. There were not accurate statistics of what the Association was doint*, but l* London alone it had 139 branches-; with 100 to 500 members in each; numerous branches in Edinburgh, O-l&Mpw, and Dublin : branches spreading throughout other cities, towns, and country villages, and in all parts of the world. There was, for instance, a branch on tho West Coast of Africa, composed entirely of pure negres'ivs; but people must not run away with the idea that these negresses spoke a savage tonflue, and had just thrown away their idolfj, for they were the third generation of a Christian com-munity—highly-educated young wonien, and very true and earnest workers. T'»e Association, therefore, was able not merely to ignore distinction? of class and money—the most miserable and artificial distinction — but also all distinctions of race and color. In Singapore there was also a branch comI posed entirely of Chinese youne; ladies—i highly educated and very Christian young women, who prated Tor their sisters throughout the wcrt'u every Saturday evening. It Vis the fashion to despise the Chinese, but it was very ridiculous, when thny thought of the millions of China whom God had made and had redeemed with the same price paid for all, that any of the race should be looked down upon. In India j there were also a great many branches ; j and, as was known, there were branches j throughout Australasia. The speaker, then told hnr audience how the branches of the society were worked in London so as to | make them attractive and useful to those j whom they were specially designed to benefit, and HWmcd that tho Association | was unique in one thing namely, that j tho working of the society was always i left to the workers in tho particular place where the branch was started, so that it might be adapted to local needs. Aa to membership Mips Faulkner explained that a member of tho Young Women's Chriati.ui Association was one who desired | to bo distinctly und avowedly on the side jof Christ; such became members of the i Prayer Union. But some hesitated to make that profession or any profession, and such were invited to become associates of the organisation. In conclusion Miss Faulkner stated that having given at the first of her series of addresses special prominence to the Young Women's Christian Association, she should not say anything on this subject at the other meetings, but would lay before them as clearly as she could the love of God in Christ, the froeuess and fullness of the Gospel message, and the blessedness of being on the L'lrd'a aide.