MRS W. H. REYNOLDS AND HER WORK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13516, 13 February 1906, Page 2

MRS W. H. REYNOLDS AND HER WORK.

A PRESENTATION

Yesterday afternoon a large body of oitizens of both sexce met ill the Victoria Hall to do honour to Mrs W. H. Reynolds, who is shortly leaving for Europe. The Mayor of Dunedin (Mr M. Braithwaitc) presided. The Chairman having briefly expressed iib sense of the affection and eKfoem in which Mrs Reynolds is held by all o'assoc, of the community,

Mr James Allen, M.H.R., said that Mrs Reynolds was known to all of them, and her work in many good causes in this city had been mater of general knowledge for very many yearn. She founded the Sixpenny Clothing Club, mid had worked for it and with It for 23 years. lir.i!mhcs lir.d lwn formed ninec—ho did not know how many,—and Mrs Reynolds bad been Beerotary of her own branch during the who'/? ?.3 years of it?, existence, lie wan not sufficiently well acquainted with the detp.ils of Iho work done by the Sixpenny Clothing Club to testify to'all Ihe k-uofita if had conferred upon those who bad hud assistance from if. It was. in uny ease a notably good institution, and Mrs Reynolds merited all honour as its foundress.— (Applause.) Not many vcar-; afler this club was founded Mrs Reynolds, who had gained much experience during Iter cssoeialion with it, and who felt, that she was not yet doing enough for the sick and poor, started. what, be thought, wore called "mothers' meetings"—afternoon at which mothers were helped and cheered. Ho did not know very much about that work, but that it was a good work many of "those present could vouch. —(Anp'eir.c.) Then, about 17 years Mrs R'.ynolds was approached by the Rev. Mr Wnddcll and Mr Coh.on with regard to a Kindergarten Association. Mrs Reynolds at Ihat time did not know very much about the kindergarten system: hut she was prepared with sympnthv for it if slm could be convinced thnt it was a good thing. Not. long afterwards Bishop Surer came io Dunedin, and his services v:m secured for the purpose of convincing Mrs IWnolds that free kindergartens were a. pood thing. A public meeting was called. An address was'given by Bishop Suter, and Mrs Reynolds came nwny from the meeting convinced. Now. onco gel. Mrs Reynolds convinced, and they could rely noon it 'i<x°<] work would follow.—(Applause.) Seventeen years ago she established a free kindergarten school. Ho was able to sneak with confidence of this institution because he hud been in close touch and sympathy with it for maiiy years. There was'no greater thing that could be done than Io look after the sick and Urn poor. What appealed In him in Ihe work of the free kindergarten was that it wlls a work done for 'the good of Ihe community, Manv of them would recollect the Devil's Half-aero, which was now no more. It was no more because Mrs Reynolds ami her friends had made it impossible for a Devil's Half-acre to exist any longer in Dunedin. Herself and her friends had been at work, and Walker street to-day wa? a reformed street because of ,the conerons self-sacrificing work done by Mrs Reynolds and (how associated with her. 'Hie association was truly doing a great work in their midst. There were lives that bad been actually saved through the Freo Kindergarten Association and the work it had done. Many others had been rescued from lives of peril—lives horrible to contemplate—by the work done by this association, and he thought the community owed a deep debt of gratitude to Mrs Reynolds for starling the work and remaining in charge of it for; all these years. He would like to come back into history a little. Now and then oven Mrs Reynolds had been to some extent discouraged, and bad appealed to her Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee was formed of majra, liccanse Mrs Reynolds wanted the stronger sympathy of men in her work. On such occasions as he had mentioned this committee had always recommended her to go on and take courage. The work had gone o'i until if had now reached the height of ils success, and tho Government itself was now helping it with funds. M'rs Reynolds was not. going away without leaving alb these different departments .of her work in good charge. It was quite evident that the spirit which hod influenced her and borne her safely through so many trials and difficulties would lie needed by those who were taking up the work in her absence. In any ease.they would all be glad to see her back again.—(Applause.) It wotilll lie impossible, for Ihem to let this opportunity slip. It wafi their hounden duty to recognise lie good example set by Mrs Rcvuolds and to encourage others Io keep this good work going. Therefore they des'red that day to acknowledge the . work Mrs Reynolds had done. This movement of recognition was not a public movement. It had l)een spontaneous. It grew of itself. Speaking personally, he could say he never went, round seeking for sympathy for any object and, got so much sympathy as he had done upon Ibis occasion. They could not let Mm Reynolds go a.way without giving her somethin?; she would always have with her to remind i.er of one of the last meetings she would have in Dunedin for some time to come. He therefore had pleasure in pre(•entinsr Io her a diamond ring as a gift from lliose who took delight in her work and were tssoeialed with this movement. In addition to that there was a framed letter, in an appropriate case, as follows: —

Dear Mrs R»ynolds.—As you are about to leave New Zealand for a little time, a number of your fellow-citizens desire to mark their high appreciation of the energetic and self-sacrificing public spirit which has been exhibited by you during the many years of your residence in our midst. To your snecial "efforts the success which has attended the kindergarten movement in Dtwe'din is very largely due; as also that of the Sixpenny Clothing institution which proved a blessing to many, while your thoroughness in investigating cas«s reported to you has enabled the club to render aid to such as might have shrunk from applying for it, and has prevented imposition in simo instances. It is unnecessary for us, howeveT, to recapitulate your very meritorious actions, as you have, ever been ready to aid in any jiood work. As n small evidence of . the esteem in which you are held, we brg to request your acceptance of (ho accompanying diamond ring. Trusting that your sojourn in Europe may be pleasant, and that before vert loug we shall have the pleasure of welcoming your return.—On hehnlf of the subscribers:

; ~T. Bp.aithymite. .lajies Allen. , P. &TLKINSON. It ives understood that,he (Mr All«n) was not to say anything about the committee of this movement, but this he would say, that if ke were to be associated with any body- again to do any work of the kind, let. him have a similar committee,—(Applause.) ' Mrs Reynolds, who was deeply moved, said that she did not. know how she, could thank thorn for what they hsd done for her, especially' us all that she had been j able to do for... others, in her life had been always so. great a pleasure to her.—(ApI plause.) It had been the very, life of her

soul to work lor those, in need. She could r|ot do other than that. The work that had fallen to tier was such u reward in iteeif that she could not have asked for more. To fake a word o[ cheer to pooi' folk in their homes of darkness and despair was woman's work and work she loved.— (ApplaUsc.) That work had grown from day to day in her experience. Her only grief now was that her health and strength were going from her. She could not do the work she once did. (hough her heart was as strong- and willing as ever. Her only hope now was that she had heen able io infuso a little of the. needful spirit into the others (hat were to come after her. She was sorry to say that her branch of the Sixpenny Clothing Club was about to close. Under existing conditions it was difficult to get the money required. In the past tremendous good had been accomplished, but conditions changed. As (o work among the poor generally, her advice was always: Carry on any and every good work yon possibly can. But while work among Hie elderly poor was good and necessary, it was not possible ahvajs to control and direct fliem as tl.o very young could be. controlled. Prevention was always belter than enre. The kindergarten had proved :<. menus for the prevention of evil and of misery. Every time she entered the kindergarten her heart bounded as she looked on Ihe innocents there. She was more convinced every day that the secret of .success lay in training the c'hildrcn. Instead; of lost children it meant beautiful and well-developed children. Mr Allen had given her too much praise. She feared sometini"' I hat she was (oo much like a flowering; poppy in the field of busy workri". P.ni while she was away she should try to gather all sue!: information as would help on the work, and she hoped to start kindergarten*! in some corners of poor, sick London.—(Applause.) Of (he workers who bad helped her here none had been more constant atid reliable than Mr Allen himself. She nearly gave up onoe—a-bout Iho time of the Queen's Jubilee. Funds wore very low. and all (hings looked discouraging. But Mr Allen bade her have courage, and offered his help. As a result he and olhers got to work ;/«] cleared £800.—(Applause.) She felt that Ihe diamond ring was far 100 beautiful for Ihat brown bud of hers,. All her life she had worked hard—first in South Australia and then in New Zealand. She thanked them very heartily for her own and for Ihe work's sake.

The meeting closed with a /010 of thanks to the chairman. Mr .fames Allen apologised for the absence of Messrs David R. AlHiite (principal of the Training College) and Alexander Wilson (rector of Ihe Boys' High School).