MRS. K. L. STEVENSON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 6 September 1909, Page 4

MRS. K. L. STEVENSON.

INTERVIEW AND ADDRESS. , ' It-was exceedingly difficult to tliing in tho way of an interview , , with Mrs'. Katheririe Lento Stevenson, 'interesting though' one know a good -.interview wpuld be, -'for. since;her. arrival in .Wellington she has had to get through an. extraordinary,, amount of. work. ■ Arriving by the mail .train from Palmorston at. midday on-Saturday, .she had a reception to attend in" tho'afternoon, when sho mado an excellent speech.; 6ho''wcnt out to a meoting arranged at the Hutt the same .ovening, and on .Sunday, in addition to addressing a largo meeting in'. Wesley. Church at night, '■• she/had to..deliver mi' address ■ at -'the Nowtown Methodist, fcluirch'in the morning, arid address a largo feathering of young women'at tho'-Y.M.C.A; jii the. afternoon.'.', Between thoso different meetings it was impossible:, to. find time for anything but a little talk''with the visitor. I Sirs.'.Stevenson' is a.. Boston ladyj and tomes of a-family 'of: scholars arid clergymen..The American' woman does not suiter from perpetual • consciousness' of tho disability pf .spx,. and-it was quito natural that-when tlie found her gifts, fitted her' for such a ositionshe' felt that she. had"a call to the iuiniatfy." Her first sermon was delivered

when she wa'a only eighteen. ■She was graduated'; at.-a', New. York - seminary,':- and; after-" wards graduated-from; ther'BastoriYTJnivoTsity Soh'ooiiof.Theology,..'and-for a,year-she'.acted as assisfantf .pastor- nt r ' a '■>iiy.,tho Subnrbk iof: Boitoii.. ..TlW.ihoi'qitestion ;ofi ijho legality ,bf;:a■ jvoiiian's,' Jibldjiig^sublvi a position. > was raised; :: and'- : tho,- Methodist Episcopal'; Church ' of-.. Abierioa, dc'citJcd', tliat ; lio.womalri.'could-be :pastor?'or-local preacher;' Mrs. Stevenson's clpricil' catior,' thei'efbro', camo to an end,.and- she turried, : her'"attention: 'to public* speaking ij was >> ■.•'.■'.■':'' '-■ .. . : Mrs,';Sto,veiispn;is,'nnelj nqulppctl; to,;give.', talks to! students.- .-on., scientific facts relating, to'.questions'■.of.\ telEiidraiicp/ and hcr.'.woikiiii America-hiie largely been'in; tho schools'; and'-, coljoges, ■ wljerp: .shb' has! ad-, dressed thousands .of. ch'ildren , oii'teinporance and' purity.'.-V ;; •. ■•* /' : ,' V' .''""- l -'■,■■''■'' -V- '"■; ; At' tho: ia'st. World's iConvcntion.i of 'the W.C.T.p.' that was Jicld' in •America,,: Mrs. Stevonsoii .acte'cT'as^hbsteEs':for- Wp converi.tion, an .honour which shows; thoposition sho takes among- her, fljviv countrywonieny , " ; ; Sho, has fonfpur''year's"been their cprri'spbnSiiig secretaryj ;'. Mrs.': Stevonsoii has' '.■ just ; ' cbmo from a .to'ur -of Japan .and, jThe.union; has a. vbrj , 's'trb"ng,hold'."iri ; .Japan, whero b^lween:-2000;and'aOpO-now-lwlpng.to it,', and Vtiiis'sibnarics' TdridcV- \i :.Wil)ing; a'ssist-' anco;. ■ -''She" found/'the. JapaiieEo'"women, yerj; opon-niiri(jed v and 'infol'ligenT;: '-".Of 'conreo .tho cducat ; ed. ; claps is;/a! sm.all;'bhc, ■:bui;vcry'ninth larger; than;'dnqt,wpj^d 7 havo•' expected to'find./ Sho wag most^interested;in.Clhina'to.findthow: wonderful, was -the, awakening of 'tlio wpin'e'h/ It is only] a;slio'rti.,tiiiie..sinco,,.tlieir.nnin realisedfitJhat'tfvWOnia'n ,, cblildlearh-'anytluhg" ot all,'.and-.Mow.not : ohly; are. itho /women: flocking- , itoyth'e'i inhesion ; 'schools, *''-jnterisely'eager i tb:|lear,n,.blit.'tho : Governmcnt-i lia've ■built ''schools fon. thorn.. .• At ' 3 Tientsin/' -Mrs! Stevenspri--"aadrossc : d'-. '■meetinss'.: in\"'fpuV; women's Bchpols; one. of> them tho women's medical school, which is'.full;bf promiso, and whero .the principal is ,-.a ■_ Hri!liaTit : ' Chinoso woman. who 'studied 'for siimo j'odrs in Eng-' land-and /for.'many years in' America. '■ There ir. a \ybhderful opninp for 'medical women i-ri Qhina. , ; Tho Chinese have been a very' ab- : ctomious,people, but are contracting tho' vice 'of drunkennessi, among other' western vices, and Mrs. Stovinse-n. fonndthat'the women. .wero.also-Jearning to drink. ■ The'missionar.ies feel th.it it-is"qiiifc'liimo'.an'effort was'be-' ing.mado.tp check .it bsforo'it takes'".moro hold on.the country.' '-'■■'■;'-.■ . ; '■ '■'■■;.'■; : ■■'■';.

\Mfs.-Stcvcnsoii hasnlreiulyivisitcd Queensland and Now South Wales, and from Now Zealand, she returns'to 'finish her tour .of Australia:',;-., :;; , : --y 'y,'-*-, . ' ■'■ :'.,.■>■■:.•:( :■.-..;-:•.,.'"-.

■■■••■jliere.':.waa.:n. gVod .attendance- at '.'Wesie.V, Church, Taranaki Sfcrpet.'nt ~eight':,,o'clock Mil night, , when Mrs..Stevcnran ! gfTvo ■.ajr address on ;, "Tho.Briglit : Sitle of 'tlfe Temner , -' iuicfiQaestibiu":: Jlr.. R.,Atkinson' lirtkijcdi' injii'.iij; av-.foiT '< appreciative' 'sontcnccs / ' l mtti>;- : tho speaker.-,: Tho speech iwnb n .very, .rajjfjl rcview.'.of.'thei progress Virada. by <• the; 'ton![)efftncq morcinorit! during ".thsr:. hundred;yo«rß::of its.. : oxistciico. >,Ncxt to-]iaying-faith' l and. : ,eni?-rgy,v i tho speaker : ;thoughtv'tho- thing'.essential _to. a-.roformor , was tohavc a long- , - rango'ivisi.on, and to' beablo- to cstimato.t-ho, realv'deßrco.of. progress., One- sJiould ;iot 'judgflvtho progresc-.of 'a reform ■■ froni year tn. year, ',or, oven; frpm. :d€cade, r ,l)uj' from.ccntury. to'century,, and.theivono .)b----iain.ed an. accurato 'ictea;. -She .shoircd how

the liatj; grecUmily-altered; its: point-o! vjbw wit-h. , : regard, to the question: of ■ tptfi) , abstinence,, liow'peoplb 'were 'beginning-' to "realise ,-,thati.a.!cahb! '-wne A hindrance rather'

than;, , a: , help 'to.'health,: ami.'sh'o quoted' tho , "oxnorithenta-made by 'Professor Kroppelin, Of. ■Heidolberg, who' after many, months: of-mosl : : careful study! of tho act-ion of alcohol on the :human,'body, comparing tho.effect on men's powers'of work in a great m-auy ways, pub-, iiehed his. conclusions in throb statements: (1) .That ,alco]ioL was; injurious . to ■every human (faculty:; (2) that ;tlip higher and: mbro complex .-'ilib/ faculty,,. the -greatcT, was ;:■ tho. injury ;,'land/(8) 'that ,the : effect-a,- oV alcohol wer»icuniiilativc;i, America! had realised.! thai slionld'.bo. taiight ,tho, physiological effects.V(;alcohol,: and/it was, : now';a' co'mpul-; , so-fyf suhject-'thfougli 'nearly-V.'all tlio Stntecy There;. 1 ■Si'Or.o :22j0!).p,000, cliildreJi' in 'tho TJiiipn , being instruijtcd on"this aspect of ■.the^question .:' spako ■of -the -niafifcr" from • tho business man's jiomt^vof.view, and..quoted instances'of .would .• only omplov; mcn , .'. I Vho : ;vford''-ab!itn4n6rsi; ; , "Capital ■ was .now '.ffir'-it- v ;that, VltwoHld bb good for. \ GapitalHtd- nialio itljb .siniAidiscovcry-".^!!'!^- , ; gard-to'i-'itself .'■• l Mrs.; Stev_enEon;.sppl!;o v ot.lho extrjicirdiriary;-growth of I'femp'eranco a ceuti- , ment'.iji tHp''Statpsjv aud ';\\\p\ flyct-.tjiat -.byp-,' itiillioiv , pMple,;t'hc'r.o;,w'bfo..iipw - Jiving; imder. : Np^L'ic'ente.'; Tlio;' : Erowtli' of tho' NoEiconspi , . sentimfflt. :ovc.n •■ tfiis: year '.had .been enormous;-. ■;.;..v;Concludi)ig,; Sirs. Stovenspn warntodjj her;; biters-: that it-was' of ."'lid ■'•usebeing: so ■■ optimistic-that t>ii6> did:;nothing but; feelvhopefiil^;.;-The,.victories' .'that..had been ;woiij.!aml,;.the'-.growth; of temperance isenti-;-rnent duopriniarily to the ßolf-sacrinoing. efforts Jbf: rjQpplbwho had met with- trenroii* ; 'dons''-opposition-,' .aiid-the -.succoss..would.. 3Jot.-; bo completb until their examplo was followed by: those, who to-day .praised-'thcir.. work.;:; y. iJlrs.i:Stevenson' will, give a' 1 ectiiro iri '■ tli<V Taranajri,.Street. Methodist' Church-to-mof rbw ; - evening at.B:'o'clock. .'■ '■ ;■■'; ■'-. .;■>■:; -. ■