Some Notable Women.

White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 12, 1 June 1896, Page 1

Some Notable Women.

By K. W. S.

(Continued from April tssiu.) MRS MASSINGBERD, President of the London Pioneer Ciab, is a woman of enterprise and organising ability. Portraits of her abound, so that it is probable her appearance is we.’l known to our New Zealand readers. The tsve**d tailormade costume, in which she is generally photographed, is ier usual mode of dress, and her short hair emphasises her smart, business-like appearance. I was introduced to her at an evening meeting of the Club, when she gave me a welcome as one of the en franchised sisterhood. The subject for the evening was “Moral versus Physical Force,’ which was opened by Madam Sarah Grand. 1 cannot remember now how the after-discussion strayed to the subject of Women’s Suffrage, unless it was that a member when speaking gave it as her opinion that Parliamentary Morals would be of a higher order when women had a voice in the nation's affairs. A visitor rose and remarked that tlte women of New Zealand had not given much evidence of morality since obtaining the franchise, as some of them had gone to a meeting, and •ud actually opposed a Bishop on the question of Moderation in drinking habits. Mrs Massingberd said that a lady from New Zealand was present,!

and asked if she could throw any light on this subject ? I responded, spying that, although the meeting in question was held since I had left the country, I had seen accounts of it in the newspapers, and gathered that the ladies referred to were abstainers, and voted for “ Abstinence ” rather than “ Moderation.” My explanation was well received, and this closed the question of the immorality of the New Zealand women. At all events, I heard nothing further of it. After the discussion was over, Mrs Massingberd gathered up the threads in an able way, and the meeting closed. In “ The story of the Pioneer Club, published in the January number of Shafts , the following paragraphs appeared : “ The President cf the Pioneer Club is a woman of broad, enlightened views of life, humble in her estimate of her own powers, but strong and proud in hei impulses, her hopeful, earnest desires, which fill her with a sense of power and speed her on her way. Through her mental atmosphere many lights stream, enabling her to see the innumerable wants of the world, and to all her sympathy is freely given. She is an earnest, unselfish worker; wherever work is to be done ; no good cause seeks her aid in vain; many have the benefit of her active per-! sonal labours and influence; of some she has been the initiative, propelling

force, notably so in the case of the Pioneer Club. In Temperance reform her work is well known, and has had both moral and practical results. At Bournemouth, Burgh, in Lincolnshire and other places, houses of refreshment and rest have been erected, all beaiing testimony to the fact that travellers wants can be attended to, and their needs supplied, without the aid of intoxicants.” As many of our readers are aware MRS CLARA C. HOFFMAN, of America, has been invited by our N.Z. Union to “come over and help us” with W.C.T.U. and Prohibition work in next July, and we are now awaiting her cable saying (we trust) that she will come. Mr i Hoffman is a widow with one son, who is, unfortunately, delicate in health, which makes it difficult for her always to arrange for long journeys from home. I saw and heard her first at a meeting of the “ World’s ” Biennial Convention held in London last year, and was much impressed by her. She is undoubtedly a clever woman, with a striking personality; and there is a quiet strength about her which one recognises unconsciously. She appears to be about fifty years of age; is tall and straight, with iron-grey hair, and e*,pressive black eyes, which, while they are keen and earnest, are ready to twinkle at a moment's notice.

Luckily fur her, she has that saving sense of humour without which no human being is complete When called on to speak at that meeting, she came forward and looked all round at her audience — which numbered many thousands of people—as if she would fain read in their faces how much sympathy she might expect ; and after a little began her address. She spoke quietly at first, but with power, and as she dwelt on the wrongs of little children caused by the odious drink-traffic, she grew eloquent and ini passionate, not with a surface eloquence of high-flown words but with a natural eloquence born of deep feeling. When at length she paused a moment, the audience burst into such sympathetic applause as

removed all doubt as to her having touched the hearts of her hearers. Nor has she power to touch hearts only. If her own is soft, her head is of a kind which well balances that (so-called) weakness. She is a woman who knows of what she is speaking. She has lectured for the W.C.T.U. in the • States for many years, and so has facts and figures . t her fingers’ ends. Her mind is well stored, her memory is good, and her deductions are logical, j Truly a gifted woman and a great platform speaker! I heard her speak afterwards at the Monster Meeting in the Albert Hall, where over 12,000 people had assembled, and there her words were equally effective and well received, while her voice carried to the farthest corner of the upper gallery of that immense building. Mr Leonard Isitt was quite as much impressed with Mrs Hoffman’s powers as I was, for, the first time we met after that occasion, we found, on comparing notes, that we had both been thinking how good it would be if we could induce New Zealand to invite her. Mr Leonard and I interviewed Miss Willard together on the subject the day on which the Convention Members and friends were

assembled at Reigate Priory, and she entered warmly into our plan, almost commanding “ Clara ” to go without any further consideration. Mrs Hoffman, however, thought she should wait forour invitation. She also felt she would like to see her son again before starting for the Antipodes, but she promised us that she would come, providing Australia as well as New Zealand invited her. Miss Willard said that if Australia joined in our invitation the World’s Treasury would be responsible for her passage from America (one way). Some time afterwards I called to see her at the pretty rooms she was at that time sharing with Miss Helen Hood, in Ashley Gardens, London, and she told me that Miss Willard had written her to say that she should go to New Zealand with me in the “ Gothic,” and begin work there “straightaway.” She, however, was fully occupied till November, and as the “ Gothic” sailed at the end of that month she would have had no time for preparation. “ I know Miss Willard,” she said to me, laughing ; “ she would start me or any one off to the other end of the world tomorrow, without either purse or scrip, like the disciples of old. Like all great organisers, she plans outlines of work only, and naturally she has no time for detail, iiut she is a grand woman,” she concluded, “ and if she stopped to think how many garments we should each need for our equipment she would never have accomplished the great w’ork of our life.” Mrs Hoffman is decidedly American in accent, and has many of the peculiar expressions used in her country, which, to my mind, gives an added charm and novelty to her utterances. I trust that New Zealand will soon be welcoming her, and that with her help we shall accomplish great things. MISS AGNES WESTON was one of the most interesting women at the above-mentioned Convention

meetings. She always appeared with a body-guard of at least two naval men, while at the monster meeting there were nine or ten in her train, these last having come for the purpose of receiving gold medals for having been true to their abstinence pledges for a great many years, and also working with Miss \\ eston in getting others to be. come abstainers. The two who formed her special escort were fine upstanding, manly-looking fellows, and my heart went out to then; at once. Indeed, to this day I cannot make up my mind whether these sailors or Miss Weston attracted me most. The manner in which they waited on her was most touching. They followed her as she came on the platform, never sitting down until she was seated first. When she stood to speak they rose, gave a naval salute, and stood immediately behind her, “ presenting arms.” They were always ready to put her cloak on when she had finished, and it was all done with military promptness, and yet with such tender respect. Miss \\ eston is evidently proud of her sailors, and they of her. She is a stout, motherly-looking woman of. I should say, between forty and fifty, with a kindly face and a pleasant, musical voice. She speaks simply and unaffectedly, telling with pride and pleasure how many noble fellows had kept their pledges through thick and thin, and despite many temptations to the contrary; and of how many had joined the total abstinence army during the year. She bestrews her addresses with nautical terms in a very amusing way, narrating how some brave sailor had “stuck to his guns” or “nailed his colours to the mast,” as the case might be. This habit of hers evidently appeals to her hearers, judging from their demonstrations of sympathy. Miss Weston has done, and is doing, a noble work among sailors—indeed, its value can hardly be estimated—and she is

loved by all, both on sea and ashore. Oueen Victoria frequently sends her acknowledgments and encouragements in her work, and also contributions in money for carrying it on. We will conclude this little picture on Miss Weston hy saying, as ali her sailorboys do when her name is mentioned, “ God bless her ! ” While in Paris last October, on my return from a six weeks’ Continental trip, I stayed at the Hotel Dominici in the Rue Castiaglioni, where I had the pleasure of meeting with MADAME HANNA K. KORANY, of Beyrout, Syria ; and a delightfully interesting woman she is. Although there were a large number of visitors of different nationalities staying at the hotel, she and I quickly found each other out, very soon exchanging ideas, and .experiences. She is the lady who represented the Syrian women at the World’s Fair, Chicago, and it was interesting to hear from her own lips the difficulties she met with in rousing her countrywoman to realise what a good thing it wou’d he for them to have an Exhibition at the Fair. Madame Korary had to bear almost all the expense connected with the Exhibition, as well as having most of the trouble. She told me how, ever since she was a little child, her heart had ached for the women of her country, her indignation being often aroused at the treatment they received, which, practically, was little better than that accorded to slaves. The most implicit obedience

was demanded of them hy their male relatives, and when they failed in this they had a hard time of it. Everything was arranged for them from the cradle to the tomb ; no voice whatever being accorded to them in the framing of theii own destinies. Ever since her marriage, 'Viich took place when she was too young to know what marriage meant, Madame Korany has devoted her life

to the emancipation of her countrywomen, and while she often feels despondent at results, she works on bravely. At the World’s Fair she gave several lectures and addresses, and evinced great interest among the Americans in the Syrian women. She is apparently about twenty-five years of age, quite a pretty woman, of an Oriental hue, with large, liquid, dark eyes, which can soften with sympathy, brighten up with enthusiasm, or flash with indignation hy turns. She has a soft face, beautiful dark hair, and is altogether very charming. Her English is perfect, but she lias the faintest suspicion of a foreign accent, which is uncommon and musical. She seemed delighted to hear about New Zealand, and congratulated us over anti over again on our political enfranchisement. Since her visit to the World’s Fair, which she said was like a beautiful dream, she has acted as correspondent to several of the American papers, and when she left Paris in October to go to Beyrout for the winter, it was her intention to return to London in the spring, then to lecture in response to invitations from several Women’s Societies. Before leaving she gave me a photograph of herself, which I value highly, and when the circulation of the White Ribbon is considerably increased, and funds are forthcoming, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have her picture reproduced in these pages.