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WOMAN'S WORK
Conducted by MIm Carrie Lee Campbell.
PRAYER.
The alarming weakness about us
is that we are producing activities
faster than we are producing the
prayer-life.
A CHAIiLENT.K TO CIRCLES OR
CHILDKEN.
Who will send some of these
things? Write to Miss Campbell, of
this department, and tell her which
you will send.
This message comes from China:
"About the Christmas presents ? pen
oils, crayons, handkerchiefs, small
boxes containing needles, thread and
thimble; safety-pins, etc. It would
be lovely to have several dolls to
keep in school as very special play
things. Picture-books, scrap-books
are very much appreciated too. I
thought you might get some Chris
tian Endeavorers to undertake this;
all you can send out will be very
gratefully received. We have about
200 children in the different schools."
If the leaders of Young People will
get them interested in this move
ment at once, I will be very glad to
forward their gifts. Please act at
once, as these things ought to start
about November first.
THE BRIDES OF OTHER NATIONS.
A pageant that can be used to sup
plement an evening's entertainment,
or if elaborately gotten up, will be
sufficient in itself with the social
hour.
The scene is laid for a church wed
ding.
Have a good reader read the bridal
customs of the country just before
the bride, dressed in native costume
enters the church to appropriate mu
sic and takes tire place assigned her.
Choose the prettiest or handsom
est girl for the American bride and
have her dressed for a church wed
ding. If desired, a bridal chorus can
be sung, or simply use the wedding
march. America should be the first
to enter and introduce the otlrers as
they come in.
This is only an outline. Each cir
cle must work it up to suit itself.
Tf desired, costumes can be rented
from the Baptist Board of Education,
276 Fifth Avenue, New York.
For story of Chinese, Korean, Mex
ican and Brazilian weddings, write to
our Educational Department, Box
330, Nashville, Tenn.
Brazilian Bride.
The Brazilian bride goes to confes
sion just before taking the marriag-a
vows.
Marriages are made early, some
times at twelve yearp, frequently at
fourteen or fifteen. The girls are
pretty, bright creatures, sparkling
eyes, abundant glossy hair. There nre
no distinctively native customs for
brides in Brazil, as we have seen
them in some of the old countries or
Europe. Thre brides dress as they do
here in America, as the Brazilians
obtain their fashions from New York
and Paris, as we do.
Our North Brazil Mission is short
of workers. We feel an especial in
terest In this field since Rev. and
Mrs. Edward E. Lane nre there.
A ChlnoMP Wedding of 1020 Among
Wealthy, Official Families.
The trousseau, gift of the groom,
Is made entirely of red fabrics. In
the court ia stretched red cloth, riv
ing a rosy glow to the house, and
the band plays as one enters and
leaves. For the ceremony the men
on one side of the hall, women on
the other. There is a program, each
number announced in the sonorous
voice of a friend. All participants
wear gorgeous red robes. The bride,
wearing blue glasses, to prevent her
seeing too much, comes with two at
tendants. She and the groom stand
about three feet apart, meeting for
the first time. There is music, a
speech, a poem, singing of the bridal
hymn, stamping of seals on the mar
riage contracts, done by several gen
tlemen, and the bowing of the bride
and groom to each other and to the
guests.
Japanese.
There is no such thing as marriage
for love in Japan, and in no other
country is it so well arranged and
managed by the parents, who devote
a large part of their lives to tlris,
Riving no thought to the daughter's
future happiness or prosperity. Most
?Tap women cannot support them
selves by their own hands or heads
so have to put up with a husband's
treatment. However, a bride is re
quired to take with her dresses to
last many years, as well as furniture,
and a certain amount of money. The
women have no voice in tire selection
of a husband. He has absolute right
to rule his wife. Very few women
seek divorce, as the courts discourage
such action in women.
(A great many cherry blossoms.)
Mexican Bride.
Consent of parents must be se
cured; the groom furnishes the trous
seau; the marriage must be an
nounced in a public place at least
eighteen days beforehand. The an
cient costumes, gorgeous and pic
turesque, are fast disappearing in fa
vor of American costumes. However,
the average Mexican woman wears a
short, full skirt, full blouse, all tire
jewelry possible, and a long white
veil. Most courting is done secretly.
T>ie youth paces the street and talks
through a barred window. When ac
cepted. he is admitted to the house
as an "official beau" and permitted
to see his sweetheart in the presence
of a chaperon. After being present
? as candidate for marriage, they
are allowed to go out alone, but often
are so embarrassed by the novelty
tlrat they can't enjoy it.
Mountaineers.
Especially deplorable is the condi
tion of the women in the mountains;
they cut wood, hoe corn and do the
milking, while the men loaf at the
blacksmith's shop or the country
store. The women rarely ever leave
home. The majority are married
when sixteen, though often at thir
teen. A big dinner is served the
day of the wedding, which Is called
an infare." The bride must have
a first and second day dress. A moun
tain preacher, not being able to read
or write, but feeling the call to
preach. "Jines" the bride to the
Kroom, and after a "break-down," in
which the moonshine flows freely,
they go to their home, which may
have no window, a one-room house
with no Cooking stove, and so her
MTe is spent.
I'fit us do what we can for our
mountain missions and give these peo
ple the Joy of knowing Christ and
living as we Hv#,
Korea or Chosen, the Ijaml of (Tic
Morning Calm.
The marriage of the Korean girl
is arranged for by her mother. She
does not see her hrushand until at
the feast three days after the cere
mony. Any one who wishes may
come to the feast. On the wedding
day her eyes are sealed shut. The
groom's chest of gifts is brought and
laid at her feet. Friends open it and
exclaim at the beauty and quality of
the garments he Iras sent. If the
bride is at all modest, she stands by
and never moves a muscle. She can't
bat an eye.' When the bridegroom
arrives the bride's brothers rush at
his attendants and attempt to drive
them away, saying, "You can't have
our lovely sister." Of course, the
proom's attendants always win. Dur
ing the ceremony the groom stands
alone at one side of a table, the bride
at the other. He bows three times
to a wooden goose, she bows nine
times to show that she is three time*
as constant as he. They have five
prayers during the ceremony, which
lasts sixty to ninety minutes. When
the bride is too modest to respond,
an elder answers for her.
No man can ever give but one
woman marriage papers, and a Ko
rean woman cherishes these as her
life. There are two big times in a
Korean's life, the wedding and fu
neral feast.
Africa.
A woman of Africa receives no love
or praise from her husband. She is
sold by her father usually for cloth,
crosses of copper, two goats, a gun
and a dog. The custom of buying
wives with clothr, goats and other
things is universal in the Congo. If
the husband gets in debt, his in-laws
threaten to take his wife away from
him.
We wish they could all be given a
Christian education and serve and
obey Christ.
We have attempted this evening to
give here the customs of the marriage
ceremony of the different nations,
showing the brides in their costumes
to the best of our ability.
This demonstration was very suc
cessfully given by young people in
Christiansburg, Va., and is kindlv
sent us by Mrs. Harless and Miss Al
len.
Many readers have asked for
something of this kind, and we glad
ly give it here. ? C. L. C., Editor.
FOR THE CHILDREN.
Their Gifts.
Do the children really understand
where their money goes? This exer
cise, adapted from elsewhere, will
cause them never to forget.
Place three boxes in the center
where the children are sitting: these
are ordinary pasteboard boxes with a
ellt in each*.
One has on the cover the picture
of a church, and into this goes some
of the money fer the support of the
home church.
One has the picture of a very poor
family, either children, or only the
old people: and into this goes th^
money for city missions.
On another there is the picture of
foreign children of the country they
are studying at the time, and they
are told a story of these children who
do not know about Jesus, and they
will remember that this money goes
to help carry the good news of Jesus
and His love to these faraway chil
dren.
Before the gifts are taken those
things ore talked over Sunday after
Sunday, bo that as they go forward
to Geposit their gifts, which soon
grow to more than one penny, they
do so in an intelligent manner, which
must count for much in the coming
years.
And do the older people always
know where tteir gifts go? We have
found some one who did not know,
and the giving is not very interest
ing. Would it be to you?
A MODERN MADONNA AND A
MIRACLE.
A Light From Darkest Africa to
Darker America.
By Rov. Ci. Gui in.
One very hot day, in the summer
of 1920, there walked into the West
minster Presbyterian church, of St.
Louis, Mo., a tall stranger. That is,
he was strange, until he told us his
name ? "McKinnon." When he said
that, we linked him up with the
Congo. We realized we were wel
coming one of our fighters from the
"front line." We shook hands/ with
him again; here was a real live mis
sionary.
Only a few days before he and Mrs.
McKinnon had reached New York.
The doctor in Africa had told them
something which filled their hearts
with concern, and they hurried to St.
Louis to consult a specialist. That
very day they had seen the specialist,
and now Mr. McKinnon stood before
me, knowing the physician's vSrdlct.
Tlieir worst fears were realized. And
yet this tall young man seemed cheer
ful. It seemed unbelievable.
St. Luke's Hospital was only a
short distance, and we went thero to
meet Mrs. McKinnon. We almost
dreaded to see this lady ? we won
dered what she would look like. Who
is it that is responsible for the old
idea, which lurks in many minds from
childhood, even when we grow up and
know! better, that missioiv&ries are
"different" from other folks? We
met her ? what a surprise! This mis
sionary lady was young, with beau
tiful dark brown eyes, and such a
smile ? and yet she, too, knew the ver
dict of the doctor, and still she also
smiled and seemed cheerful, as aid
her husband. More mystery!
That was in the summer of 1920,
What followed in the next few months
only the Father and the Angels of
heaven know. There were days when
it seemed that the famous radium
treatment, for this grave t troTTble,
would finally take life in the very ef
fort to save it. Long and anxious
days wore into weeks and months.
It seemed to these two faithful sol
diers that never again would they be
able to go back to their Congo. And
almost every one shared their belief.
Before them was a solid wall ? a wall
of fire, radium fire. But another fire
burned, it was the fire in their two
hearts.
Their two groat hearts were per
forming during these days, a minis
try of which they little dreamed. God
certainly works in wondrous ways
His wonders to perform. These young
missionaries wero bringing light from
"darkest Africa." And all with whom
they came in contact during those
days were beginning to feel the glow
of their lives.
I remember my mother telling of
a good woman in our town, who suf
fered from this same infirmity. Her
physician in a nearby city sent her
back to her home. She brought with
her a small glass tube, and in It was
an infinitely small bit of the stuff call
ed v'radium." This lady took a num
ber of her friends, one by one, into the
cloadt, where she kept this substance
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