COSTUME RECITAL

Evening Star, Issue 16710, 17 April 1918, Page 8

COSTUME RECITAL

There was a large attendance at the Burns Hall last evening to witness a verr interesting and instructive costume- recital. The entertainment was given with the idea of illustrating the lives of girls in India. under the direction of Miss E. Lilly, the organising secretary for New Zealand of the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission. Tho development of Miss Lilly’s work for the mission in Dunedin has detained her considerably longer than was at first intended. The Rev. A. C. R-andersou {president of the Dunedin branch of the mission) presided. Miss Lilly mentioned that there were 40.000. girls and women secluded for Mfe within the narrow, cruel confines of the zenanas of India, that there were 26.000. widows in that cmmtrv, despised and outcasts, and ill-treated, Including 2,000,000 child widows under the age of 10 years. The Zenana Mission had 400 women workers in various parts of India, who_ were able to do much through missions, hospitals, and schools to relieve the sufferings of those women and permanently to brighten their lot and improve their whole status. i

An excellent series of lantern slides, illustrating the work of the mission and the life of women in India, was then shown. After the pictures had been screened, 34 girls from the High School and the Technical College, clad in the beautiful and picturesque garb of the East, took part in. a recital, and acquitted themselves very creditably. The leading part was ably filled at short notice by Miss Austin. The recital voiced the sufferings and needs of the Zenana women.