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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1917-10-11, Page 6r eq. wr.caaWawae'wcaM Ft fj 'CtivasoAv, (let. 11 1917 THE SIGNAL - GODERICH,p'ONTARIO 1 DR. MARION OLIVER FOREIGN MISSIONARY • The tolk►w'iag sketch, from the pea of Emily C. Weaver. as one of a genes of articles at "Pioneer Canadian Women" whelp s• hong published in The Canadian hlaaganne. The late Or. Marion Oliver Ives well known in Godench, bring a aster of t.tis. (Rev./ James Hanulton. Petthaps cane reader may wonder why suisort y women should not be repre- tient.d m this series by one who has done seeable work in Canada itself. Who. in- deedcould have a licher claim to the title of pioneer missionaries than those heroines JeaanceMMe or Mane Mar- garet tlourgeeys? Or—as our subject has been woman pioneers sn modern Canada— wily the work of such have sotto w a woman' as Mrs. Ridley (wife of the Whop of Caledunta. litittsh Columba), type of hundreds of women who have Mill d to lay deep as well as broad the foundations of what is best in the life of the 1 len Uuon The enormous debt which Canada (in common n loth other Christian countries) ow, -s to missionaries would have furnished an exl.cli nt reason for taking as our sub- ject a woman whose work was done in in and dot Canada. 1 think, however, there h . an exceptionally strong reason for Chest and his cross, 1l did not happen. however. that Canada's earliest foreign missionaries were qualified in medicine. Canada's first foreign missionary wad John Geddie, who seventy years ago went from Nova Scotia to carry the Gospel to the South Sea Islanders. The brat ans. siotariesto be sent out from Ontario were -- so far as I can discover --two eomen. Miss Rodger and Mies Fairweather, who, in 1873, went to India. They were sup- ported ported by the Presbyterian church of their own country. but were so much of pioneers that they had to labor in one of the missions of the American Presbyter- ian church until in 1477 a Canadian mis- sion was established at Indore, in Cen- tral India. Seven years later the Indore mission added immense n immensely to the e fiective teas of its appeal to the puzzled people df its own neighborhood. by the opening of a medical mission for women, in charge of a "singularly sympathetic" Canadian woman, Ile. Elizabeth Beatty. Unfor- tunately her health was speedily under- mined by the strain of the demands upon her and she was never able to return to India after her first furlough in 1891. Five years before she was obliged to re- linquish her task. however. she was joined by another earnest and resourceful Cana- dian woman. Ile. Marion Oliver. and she attend Queen's University to fit herael( for medical work. She agreed to this and entered upon a (sur years' course of study in the autumn of 1882." For one sum- mer term of her course she worked with Ili. Emily Stowe. She graduated with honors and was chosen valedictorian for her year. in Septenwer, 1886. she was designated to her new work in her home church at Avonbank. She broke her outward journey with a brief mot to Scotland. and a few days before Chnatmas was cordially welcomed by Dr. Beatty at In- dore. She felt very glad to be "at hare" after her eight thousand Holes of travel- ling, but had hardly had time to settle to her work at the language when Dr. Beatty fell ill, and she was obliged to fill her place as far as she could. though her ef- forts to discover what disease her patients were suffering from must often have been an amusement to them" With her shrewd common sense she en- deavored not to overwork herself and no doubt her own many -sidedness went far from the early save breakdown which overtakes so many missionaries She found relaxation in books, in inter- course with (nerds. in "the beauties of nature and all the joys which God had placed before us," Dr. Oliver was alive to the advantages of a leisurely spint in her dealings with the Onental e. whose hatred of the hurrying bred ways of the West has become proverbial. "The more I know of the women of India," she wrote after hving nine years arnongst them, "the more do`rI realize DR. MARION OLIVER. - rime The Caatdian Mainelne. choosing a foreign missionar • y." The (the i and medical foreign missionary mis i narcampaign is one o great world movements and women (un- til recently almost everywhere debarred from sharing fully in the public affairs and national life of their own lands) have been tressed urgently into this service, which. though established • for religious purposes, ha, proved an informal but very taaclical method of estabtishing helpful and friendly relations between peoples of history and customs met' div - et M.. My thought is that the foreign mission- ary (though intensely occupied by the ex - ti erwtly personal process of the propaga- tion of Christianity) is sharing in an in- ternational work of immeasurable import - an -e, and though no sage is suf)iciently {reacient to declare absolutely what shall be the result of any sincere and excellent Mee of work, there as a Targe directness in the aim of foreign missions. which con- trasts with the limited character of much of the toil assigned especially to women. 11 genuine. Christianity is allying thing. which cannot fail to re -act on the society in which it is planted. The second of its two great commandments—"Thou shalt 1. e.. a thy neighbor as thyself" --bridges Ute whole distance from its indivaiva.- istic beginnings to the dissi?rtion of na- tional prejudices and the reg Citi in of the solidant y of the human race Foreignn missioo hand -,n -hand with many varieties tat "social service;" and these is Iso foam of miotionary activity which has proved more effective as a pioneer agency than that in which the re f sacrificing en- deavcN to heal the sick and to prevent disea,k is associated with the preaching of DANGER TO SYSTEM UNLESS ACTION IS TAKEN ignorance alone can excuse neglect of The health when all indications point So Kidney trouble. tiveryone should know that from the hour the Kidneys fait to remove the poisons from the • flood stream, these poisons are amiand u- latisg ready to cause sickness, pa e.Eering. How are you to know that the systetn V i• danger from poisoning? One or �s►e of tlietiollowing symptoms should i�sve so doubt in your mind. If you ..are the victim of backache, pains in the back or sides, or Lumbago. be sure na- ture is calling for better Kidney action. "Take Gin Pills. At the first twinges of Rhe tism, swollen ankles and joints, or any other manifestation of uric acid poisoning, bike Gia Pills. Dozens of Testimonials prove Gin Pills to be the sovereign remedy. • Take the warning given by conatast headaches, restless nights, dimness when you stoop, frequent chills, bladder urinary tmoble, or constipation, and meld to the remedy which is so sure Ake It is sold on the money -back gnar- .sarte—Gin Pills. Gfn rills are add by all dealets---R0C. a luoa or 6 horns for ftt.50. A free ample will he seat if you address your \ leyssest to the National fling a Chemical to. of C,aade. toms Co ronto; or to e tl. to. addr- rhess, fe tel OR Main St.. Beulah. ICY. was able to car 'most effective pion- •— eer work for Christianity a n science for a quarter of a century, whilst she so won the beads of liver for .whom she toiled that they ceased to think of herd as a foreigner. Lk. Oliver was of Scottish parentage. but her father, Adam Oliver, had crossed the Atlantic with his young wife immed- iately after their marriage in the early summer of 1842. They arrived at New York after a comparatively quick passage of thirty days, and made their way t0 Galt. where they stayed three months. .In the autunui they journeyed on by stage to Stratford. Thence they followed the course of the little River Avon to Avonton, where they spent a week in the rude but hospitable dwelling of John Murray. Finally they selected a home- stead five miles farther down the river, and on October 28th the walls of their shanty were built. When night fell its lacked both doge and roof, but the young couple settled themselves in it as best. they might, consecrating its log walls in tnc Loud old Scottish fashion, with "fami.y prayer." These two were the t t t iniing of the flourg ,shing Presbyterian tongregattoh of Avontfank and generously tt.ey e..e:cised hospitality to the ministers of that pioneer days. bar. ol.d Mrs. Oliver were blessed with ten cht.dren, of whom the future mission- ary tit,eir third daughter) was the seventh m order. She wad, born on May 4th, heal, to a life of strenuous demand on ao ne. powers and energies. Her si,r. ter. Mts. James Hamilton, to whom I sin gaeat.y ,noebted for many of the facts in this article, remembers as amongst her t.LLstar:cmg characteristics as a girl, de- terminatun and courage --qualities with- out which she could never have accom- plistted her work in India. She de- lighted. for the spice of danger. in walk- ing the rafters of the barn and the rail- ings of bridges. When driving the cattle to and from the pasture, she used often to m(a►nl an old white steer. She took her share of work both in the fields and the house. She could use a spinning -wheel as well as knit stockings and mittens face, the yarn so made. She loved reading, and sometimes tried to combine its toys with such monotonous tasks as that of scrubbing a floor. For. the most part she obtained her edu- cation at the rural school near her home. Fortunately it was a good school of the type, the teachers in "S. S. No. 8, t kw/Tee." doing splendid foundatioe work." When she was a girl in her teens a young marred woman from Hamilton. win had formerly been a teacher, came to lave in the neighborhood. and she gave Marion "her first peep into the outside world." The seeds of ambition were sown and she resolved to he a teacher, too. After attending high school at St. Marys for some short terms. she began to teach. She "did excellent work for a number of years as a public school teacher in rural sections in the county of Perth." gaining valuable experience. During this period a biography of That (annals Massachusetts teacher, Mary Lyon. who founded Mount 1iohlyoke Fe- male Seminary, (ell into her hands and inspired her with the determination that "her life also should count for truth and righteouwese " The result was that she offered herself and was accepted for service as a foreign missirwsary of the Presbyterian church in Canada. Atrigned to work in Central India, the newly -organized Woman's For - eign Missionary Society "invited her to that to get them to understand and love for and in- terest that 1 have real in them 1 must be ready to waste time over them." Until 188tt the two doctors worked under the great disadvantage of having no hospital for the treatment even of the worst cases brought to their dispensary, but in that summer they fitted up three moots, where they could accommodate six patients, unless they chanced to be of more than three different castes. The number of patients attending at Indore dispensary (and at another at a little distance) was now about 1,500 a month. Three years later, in 1891, Dr. Oliver joyously took possession of a real "Wo- man's Hospital"—a convenient and picturesque building erected on ground granted for the purp oee by the Maharan, of lndure. It was afterwards improved and enlarged. and when Dr. Oliver went home for the last time, in 1911, it con- tained forty-five beds, besides a private and an isolation ward. In her last official report the doctor recorded the treatment in 1910 of 387 in -patients and 6,11.1 out-patients, and the per- formance of no less than 315 operations. More than once during her long service plague and famine devastated Central India and brought a great strain upon the doctors. At Indore, temporary sheds' were erected in the grounds of The Wo- man's Hospital for the treatment of wo- men and children perishing from hunger and disease, and every day from fifty to three hupdred meals had to be provided. In early days it was difficult. to obtain young Christian women to train as nuesea, hut many of the girls taken in durijt�the time of famine were glad to receive training as nurses. Ili. Oliver lived long enough, in India to see many changes, and one who heard her speak in the autumn of 1912 thus sums up the situation, ' India, the sullen, the silent and indifferent—as she recalls it twenty-six years ago when her work be- gan—is today India the active, forward- rnoving. stirred by new forces, first amongst which is the movement of Christianity. The name of Christ is a power in India today and by many is' hetd in reverence, even outside the native Christian church .... India is being won fur Christ." Dr. Oliver loved her work and won the Erre both of her associates in her labors and eel those for whom she toiled, not only in healing and teaching. Something of the joy of harvest gladdened her lata years, but the strain of her long service was telling on her when her third furlough came due. Unfortunately the Asia, an which she had' taken passage for Van- couver. was wrecked on a ledge 01 rock soon after leaving Hong-kong. The pass- engers got ashore and were taken in a little coasting steamer to Hong- kong, whence they sailed again in. a fine, fast boat, "with a captain strictly temperate." Dr. Oliver reached home in July. 1911, but never fully recovered her strength. Still she hoped to return to her beloved India, but in the spring of 1913 a sudden illness ended fatally. She died at mid- night on May 22nd at "Burnside Farm," the old homestead near St. Marys. YINOL OMEN' The Csar,of Russia is married to a Ger- man woman, who is said to have wept a t every German defeat. He lost hislthrone The King of Greece was marned to a Ger- man woman, to whose influence is credit- ed the ignoble part of Greece in the early stages of the war which cost Constantine his throne. The King of Sweden is mar- ried to a German woman, to whom is cred- ited the base part which Sweden has been pia Will he next? asks The Orillia News -Letter. P0sitit--Conv�g Proof We publish the formula of Vino) to prove convincingly that it has ilia power to create strength. a/ uog Y. er asaaa d P•1L~..w 1 wa W Ammonium CitrateLuna aim Mee Obsar.paoap►atee. l:aesria- Any woman who buys • bottle el Vinol for a weak run-down. nervous condition and finds after giving ft a fair trial it did not help leer, will n cion ed. have her money r You see, there is no guess work about Vinol. Its minute proves there is nothing like it for all weak. run-down, overworked. nervous men and women and for feeble old people and delicate children. Try it ones and lis convinc d. H. C. Dunlop, Druggist, Goderich, Ont. Mao at the best druggist in all Ontario - sing in serving the Kaiser. go' towns. "To instill a spirit of brotherly love in- stead of savage militarism into the hearts, of the Germans will be a very hard job." said a California fruit grower, just back from Germany. "The militaristic Ger- mans will misunderstand the preachers of brotherly love as Wash White misunder- stood the missionary. A missionary wag sent South to a very godless region of chicken thieves and boozers, and, finding that there was no church, he got permis- sion to use an old henhouse. He said to an old colored man who was always loaf- ing round the hotel: 'Washington. your go down bright and early tomorrow morn- ing and clean out that henhouse back of Sinnickson's barn.' The old man frowned. 'But sho'ly. pawson, sho'ly,' he said, 'yo' don' cleanout a henhouse an de daytime.' ' GIRLS WANTED For office work to till the places of mm a tin nave gime o1 ■m going to the front. Young women can render the ,-oomtry real nervus by preparing to take positions to bank. and buslu..a omoo.. Special (bur -ea of training In Bonk keenins. r�o�•tlhand and all other 1'ow rile Kial-u.yq.w now in urowrw. Mt ude.,t. admitted any time. Ulu.trated c..ukarue tree. Northern Business College, Ltd. ow EN MOUNII, ONT. C. A. FLEMINU, Principal. "Let Me Help You Carry the Burden, Mother" " Ij Canada fails us in October, we must curtail many of our activities." Sir ARTHUR STANLEY, Chairman, Executive Committee, British Red Cross. it now costs $300,000.00 a week to carry on the work of the British Red Cross, or $16,000,000.00 a year. Every minuted the day and night it costs $30 to minister to the sick and wounded and dying. Last year Ontario's magnificent contribution paid for the entire work of the British Red Cross for nearly six weeks. This year, in view of the greater need, it is earnestly and confidently hoped that Ontario's contributions vi1I be as great proportionately as the magnificent offering of last year. Our trust is, that the`Citizens of Ontario will give generously to this noble cause on— 1,,,,,,"OUR DAY", OCTOBER 18th A Few Facts about British Red Cross Work. The British Red Cross Society is the osly institution which carries voluntary aid to the Sick and Wounded of the British forces on land and sea in every region of the War. Its work is therefore the concern of all classes of British sebjecta, whether living ds the British isles, in the Dominions and Colonies beyond the seas, or in foreign cos °tr*es. IN GREAT BRITAIN 57,000 Hospital Eleds found in the United Kingdom. 30,000 of these provided with Nursing Staff. 2,000 Trained Nurses working at home and abroad. 7,500 V. A. D.'s helping in Arnsy Hospitals. $220,000 spent on equipment of King George hospital (1,850 beds) and $130,000 a year contributed to cost of its maintenance. $225,000 spent on huiiding and equip- ping Netley Red Cron Hospital (1,(100 beds); and $625,000 spent on maintenance. $175,000 for Orthopaedic Curative Workshops and Training Fund. $185,000 for Facial injury Hospitals. organisation of Reeouroes Committee, Paeiiansont Buildings, Toronto. 1 1 CENTRAL STRATFORD. ONT.. Ontario's Best Commercial Scheel Courscs are thorough, the inatruc- tors are expieriencetl, students get individual attention and graduate% are placed in pamitions. During three. months we ttirneal down over 300 calls for trained help. This is the school for those who want the prac• tical training and tho good poaltlonti. COMMERCIAL, SHORTHAND and TELEGRAPHY DEPARTMENTS eel our fres catalogue. Ix will Interest eon W. J. Eio.ttrrr, D. A. MCLACHLAN, President. Principal. $tar'aYe Corner Montreal Street and &quer• HIGH CLASS and SANITARY We serve excellent meals a la Carte daily PiES TO TAKE OUT Private Luncheon Room for Ladies and Gentlemen CAREFUL SERVICE Our Motto -Cleanliness Always OPEN 9 A. M. TO 1 A. M. STOWE'S THE RED BARN, SOUTH STREET' for 'Bi .,' Livery thick Service 'Buses meet all trtihii: Passen- gers called for in any part of the town for outgoing trains on 0. T. R. or C. P. R. Prompt attention to all orders or telephone calla. Good hones First -doss rigs H. R. STOWE Teleplitmebl Successor to T. M. Davis 6.0 uwar ..-•nr..,r..--991199.