MEMORIAL SERVICES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6133, 21 March 1898, Page 2

MEMORIAL SERVICES.

MISS FRANCES WIL.LARD. There was a large attendance at the Opera House last night, when a service was held in memory of Miss Frances Willard, who died on Feb. 28. The service waß under the auapices of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. On the platform were Mesdames Cole (who presided), Guise, Robinßon, Widdowson, Day, Isitt, Smith, Munuings, Howard, Field, Hine, Spencer and Sheppard, Misses Caverhill, Gordon, Bishop, Roberts, M'Guinness and Sister Christian, Mr.G. J. Smith, M.H.R., and the Rovb F. W. Isitt, W. Tinsley and others. The Chairwoman's table was draped with blue cloth, over which was displayed the white ribbon of the Society, which the deceased lady had been instrumental in founding. Hymn 697 (Moodey and Sankey) having been sung, the Rev W. Tineley led in prayer. Mrs Cole said that the work done by Miss Willard had bound the women of the world together in the vast organisation of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The results of her work would never cease. She had closed up hundreds of hotels in America, and had sent out missionaries to all parts of the world to fight against drink, gambling, and impurity. They had hoped that in two years time Miss Willard would have visited them, but though death had taken her away, her work was still with them. Sister Christian had enjoyed the privilege of hearing both Miss Willard and Lady Henry Somerset, and had never met any one who could inspire women to the same extent as Miss Willard. The Bpeaker remembered Miss Willard as looking pale and tired, but she looked, as. some one had fitly described her, "one of the noblest gifts of God to the women of the nineteenth century.". Her heart was full of sympathy, full of tenderness, and as Miss Willard told the story of her life she unfolded to her hiarers the embodimentof all that was good, grand, noble, gentle and womanly. Frances Willard believed there was no better way of helping humanity than by driving the drink traffic out of the country. (Applause.) Sister Christian observed that men drank here as at Home, and that his Satanic Majesty was not idle in Christchurch, and she attributed most of the poverty and misery she had witnessed to drink. Mr G. J. Smith, M.H.R., said that they were not there unduly to. eulogise Miss Willard, but' rather to recognise the Christian life she had- led, and he hoped that from her life's record those present would draw inspiration which would impel them to further effort in the cause of suffering humanity. He claimed that the Prohibitionists, more than any other body, were the friends of the Christian nations of the world. So far as he could judge of the needs of the people, they could not do better than follow up Miss WiHard's work. If they did that, and swept the drink traffic out of the country, they would make New Zealand what it ought to be, "a very paradise of God " (Applause.) Miss ftrGuinness acknowledged the benefit she ill ad received from Miss Willard's example, and hoped' that some of the young people present would pursue similar work, and make for themselves names that would be honoured' not merely in New Zealand but throughout the whole civilised world. She .describe! the careful training Miss Willard had received from her mother, and exhorted all mothers present to cherish a due sense of their parental responsibilities. Though Miss Willard had passed away, the machinery she had set in motion would continue to work, and her voice would stjll.be ftfearditt the world. Miss M'Gumneas joined' with previousspeakers in counseUitig:tbeiaudience to drive the drink curse/ out of the 'country.' .■"'"/■'■■ ..,!" >,' „-.••■ ,;-... A -. ..-■;' ■ . Thfe Rev F; rW. Isijit said that fchpuso&ds of people > ;: Were that vday/nieeting for the purpose of honouring; a woman who bad not sought public applause, /Twenty-five years ago this would have been impossible. She had no church and no creed, but belonged to the world and to humanity. Her strength lay in the fact that she would clasp hands with anyone who would aid her in uplifting a brother or a. sister. But she was too clear-sighted a woman to confine herself to that. She knew, as those present did, that what they wanted was to get hold of those who could still help themselves, and prevent them from getting down. They wanted to stop, the making of the filth caused by the liquor traffio and not to wipe it up. (Applause.) It was the multitude of labourers, each doing a little, which constituted the real strength of a large party. Other hymns suitable to the occasion were sung, and the meeting closed with the Benediction.

THE LATE ME MOUNTFORT. The funeral of the late Mr B.W. Mountfort took place on Saturday, and was largely attended by leading citizens and others, including a number of old identities. Yesterday special memorial services were held at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Phiilipstown, of which the deceased had been a churchwarden for. many years. The principal, service was that . of the Holy Eucharist at noon, when the vicar, the Rev H. J. C. Gilbert, was both celebrant and preacher. On the faldstool in the choir lay Mr Mountfort's robes of office, together with his two books of devotion. As the procession entered the church the - ''-Dead > March in Saul " was- played by -the organist, and was followed by the chanting of .the 42nd psahn as an introit. . The service, . which was choral, was well rendered by a full choir of thirty voices. The vicar took for his text St John i., 47, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." In the course of his remarks the preacher paid a high tribute to the Christian life led by the deceased. The service concluded with the "Nunc Dimittis." , At the Cathedral there was a memorial service at 11 a.m., when the Rev Canon Harper preached a sermon on the life of Christ, and spoke of the life led by the late Mr Mountfort as a model, and exhorted his hearers to follow in his footsteps. The deceased, he said, was a man of high Christian character, and had steadily followed in the footsteps of the Master. He also referred to Mr Mountfort as having been the architect under whom the Cathedral was constructed on a modification of plans drawn by the eminent architect Sir Gilbert Scott. The preacher went on to speak of the great value of the architect, especially when, as in the present instance, he devoted his talents more particularly to the glory of God.