GARDEN PARTY AT EAST TAIERI CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13468, 16 December 1905, Page 4

GARDEN PARTY AT EAST TAIERI CHURCH.

The wcathor yostorday was such that u»j fortunately tho gardon party at tho East Taiori Church, promoted by tho members of tho P.W.M.U., East Taiori, could not (]uito tako tho form originally intended, anil it had, therefore, to bo held in tho church itself, tho grounds being , altogether too wet for any outside function. Tho garden pjirty was really in lieu of tho usual sale of work, and had beon preceded by a sacred concert; and a lecture by Dr Nisbct, which, with tho garden party, woro designed as a means of raising funds for missionary work purposes, In tho church a most interesting collection of curios, generally, speaking of extreme antiquity, had boon laid out,'and the visitors, many of whom came from a distance, spent some little timo in examining those. It wns greatly owing to tho kindness of members of thp congregation and.friends that tho exhibition was so extensive, but a very largo number of tho curios were tho property ot the l?ov. A. W. Kinmont, tho pastor of tho church, who has in the course of his travels in various parts of tho world indulged >n the collection—apparently a passion with him—of a very largo, interesting, and valuable assortment of raro relics, and these have linon considerably supplemented by Mrs Kinmont, who seems to share Mr Kinmont's lovo for tho antique. ' The curios oomo from Italy, Greece. France, Palestine, India. China, tho South Sea Islands, tho Old Country, and other places, and among them may bo mentioned necklaces from the museum in Cairo (2400 and -2700 years old), bones taken from a Pict's grave at Binscarth. Orkney, Scotland, with photo? of tho gravo'beforo and after opening, a lottor that went to tho bottom of tho sna in the Oregon, and lay thorn for about 3J months in 1886, and which, after its lengthy submergence, was in a wonderful stato of preservation, another letter thrown overboard from a steamer noar Yarmouth, on tho 30th April, 1890, and delivered to Mr Kinmont in Burntisland, Scotland, in loss than 48 hours, a proving machine from Thibet of most curious construction, and some very ancient books. Among tho latter was n cony of tho Psalms of David, translated by King James, and published in 1824. this being an original cony; and a Bible published in London in 1576, which is probably tho oldest Bible in the possession of anyone in Now Zealand. It wns natural that among the visitors should bo seen some of those associated with the very parly days of tho Taiori, anil a prominent, ficiu'fl was that of tho Rev. Wm. Will, first minister of the East Taiori Church, over the congregation of which Mr Will presided for the lonir period of 45 years. Prayer having been offered by tho Rev. Mr Kinmont, Mrs Ilowifson declared tho exhibition open, and a further itispection was made of tho curios. Tho visitors then had afternoon tea and a social chat among themselves in the room, at the rear of the ehuroh, and on ro-entering the church were briefly addressed by Mrs ITowitsnn.

Mrs Hewitson said they had done so much for mission work durins-tlio past, few years, and, indood, all through tlioir lives, that she felt it a pleasure to give some littlo account nf what .she hii') soon in India. It was really a wonderful land, and in it. she hnd spent seven weeks, seeing a great deal of the mission work that was carried on—educational, medical, and zenana. Mrs Ilewitson then proceeded to refer to tho various places visited bv her in eomrany with the' Nov. Mr TTcwitson and the. Rev. Mr Cameron. Tho first impression tho Hindoo widows had made upon her sho would never forget. They woro spat upon, and shrank away for fear their verv shadow should corrupt.' When n husband'cliod tho widow's people heaped all tho degradation thev could upon her, and this enrsn ot widowhood oven fell upon children throe or four years of ape. Mrs Hewi'son then gave some particulars concerning Mndnis. where sho laid the foundation-stone of Miss Henderson's Industrial Home, and nresented prizes to the children. Mrs Kowitson also referred to her expediences in Calcutta and other places in India, among them being Luoknow and Cawnpore. fraught with historic interest. At Botnlmv she saw tho university settlement and the. work it was doinar. The amount of missionary work dono in India was very wonderful, but tho visitor realised at a glance tlii enormous amount that remained to be clone. Tho progress WHS very sure, though it was very gradual, end she felt that more must bo done for the women of India. Tier hearers had no idea of their overtroddon condition.

On the motion of the Rev. Wm. Will, a hearty vote of thanks was, by acclamation, iiccorde.-l to Mrs Ilewitson for her address and, after a further look at tho curios, those present, having spent a verv pleasant and agreeable afternoon, dispersed.