FIVE YEARS' SLUM WORK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 18

FIVE YEARS' SLUM WORK.

LECTURE BY SISTER ISABEL SINCLAIR. There was a fair attendance in TrinityChurch on Wednesday night, when a lecture was given by Sister Isabel Sinclair on "Five Years' Slum Work in London, Manchester, and Leeds." The Rev. C. "H. Xaws- presided, and in the oourse of a few introductory remarks emphasised^ the good work now being don© bywomen for Jesus Christ. • Sister Isabel was well known to those in Trinity Church, and he was sure- her career, in the Old Country had been followed with some degree of closeness and interest. "Mr ■ Laws read an apology for non-attendance J from Mr Duncan 'Wright, .Dunedin City missionary,' who testified to Sister Isabel's devotion and zeal, and congratulated the' -Methodist Church on possessing such a worker. Sister Isabel's lecture proved exceedingly interesting throughout. Avoiding statistics and harrowing details, she gave some particulars of her work in the Old Country and of the magnificent efforts there being made to improve the social condition of the worker. As a speaker she proved easy in delivery, while throughout she struck the note of deep sincerity. Having expressed her thankfulness to God for His goodness to her all the time she had been away from Dunedin, she narrated some of her experiences in getting to Dr Stephenson's Deaconess Home, >and the -searching examination she had to undergo before being accepted as a candidate. The examination was passed, and she commenced work at once in the north-east -end of London .amongst its teeming, squalid masses. .Here was Bryant and May's great match factory, and with many of the workers of this factory and other factories she came in direct contact. , Instances were given of the miserable poverty which prevailed, and some information was furnished regarding the conditions prevailing in connection with the workhouses, almshouses, and infirmaries. Some of the igirls she had worked amongst were dreadfully wild, and did not care what fchsy did. Once

when two of them were ejected from a meeting for misconduct they stoned the building, but they afterwards came and apologised. Undoubtedly the curse of England was drink. She had witnessed some most saddening spectacles. The habit which prevailed in England of paying servants so much a. week for beer money had a lot to do with creating drunkards. Sister Isabel gave some interesting particulars of -Dr Stephenson's Children's Home, and also of her work in Blackheath, and then described some of the. magnificent efforts being made for sccial betterment in Manchester, and also what she had seen and experienced there and in Leeds, where the poverty was '' truly awful." She concluded with an .appeal to those present to fulfil the mission in life God had intended them to fulfil, and formally took leave of them, expressing, however, the hope that she would be able to come down from Wellington at no distant date and see them and the church, where her heart was and always would be. A hearty vote of thanks was .afterwards passed to Sister Isabel for her .address.