VALEDICTION ADDRESS TO MRS. HARDINGE BRITTEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5636, 9 December 1879, Page 5

VALEDICTION ADDRESS TO MRS. HARDINGE BRITTEN.

Mi.-. Emmi H.\::l'lNi;k Bkiitbk, who is \eavhu "' r America by the mdl steam-r todav. «'..- last night by a number of'fcvr .'Vi-nila aimirers. Tea was prori.it>.' -T i.';inning"'s Cafe, an 1 at half past seven ' :' persons sat clown and partook r.f-••■ good things provide!. A number i iad'.es anil gentlemen lml applied for ticket-, out owing to the limited aeeommodat; ;i their de-ire to be presentcould nt be gratiikd. Aft.-r tea many questions were asked of .Mrs. Britten, to -which she replied, and a general conversation took place on matters connected with spiritualism, morality, civilisation, and theolo.-y. On its bci- g suggested th-.t an invitation should have been sent to the Rev. A. W. Webb to be present, Mrs. Britten remarked that his presence would not baTe been desirable, for it would have disturbed the Larmony and good feeling that cha'acte.'ised the meeting, but she hoped that af'er her departure someone wo.;H attempt to Christianise him. His pr;=ent state of mind was, she thought, one that should excite tbe profo.ndest pity of all th u.'hti'ul and benevolent people. At the co: elusion of the questions, the Rev. S. Liiier, on bei.all" of a fe*v gentlemen who Lad subscribed toward the object, present-d Mrs. B/itten with a large and beautiiuily-bi.und volume of Xew Zeal»nl ferns, aceompacied i.y an address signsd by the donor*, c-xpreising their appreciation of t'ae 1-ctures which she has delivered in this city, and wishing h-r Gndspetil, and health, happ.ness, and long life. In makin ■• the presentation, Mr. Edger paid a hig.'i iri . :te to Mrs B.itteu's excellence as a lectur-r. -'.nd repeated the assertion made by him ac tbe Temperance Hall that, ii ■ ki.ew he difr=red from her in her views regarding the Bible, yet, in th- s ven lecture he had listened to, he had not beard one sentence from which, after careful thought, he coald diss-nt. Mr Britten responded in a ruo't eloquent address, and after giving a sketch of h-r Austr -Lilian mission, of which Auckland formrd th= starting point and termination, she closed by saying that she should ever cherish the most kindly feelings to-waruit-Oj-- who ha : , by their presence and sympathy, strengthened her hands in the great work to which she firmly believed she hid been called by the Divine will. Dr. Erittc--! endor3-d his wife's remarks, and expressed hi? cordial thanks for the manner in which the friends of progress and liberty in Auckland had received them. A very pleasant social meeting was terminated at a qtmt-r to 12 o'clock, by a mutual exchange 01 and gool wishes.