MEMBERS OF METHODIST GUILD ENJOY A FIJIAN AFTERNOON

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 40, 10 November 1937, Page 11

MEMBERS OF METHODIST GUILD ENJOY A FIJIAN AFTERNOON

The monthly meeting of the Methodist Guild Ixeld in the yotin'g men's hall at ' the Wesley Church . toolc the form of an afternoon in. Fiji with Rev. R. B. Gosnell and Mrs Gosnell aa host and hostess. The room had been gaily decorated with greenery and bowls of lilies, and ieeland poppies, while native mats on the floor and island shells and eurios on the tables lent a native touch to the surroundingis. Mr Gosnell ■ presided and weleomed visiting friends^ among whom was Mrs- Sidall, 'from Takapau. Resoluflons of synipathy in their bereavement were accofded Mrs Farmery and Mrs King. It was announced that next month 's meeting would be "GrandmaJs Day?' and Mrs Garratt undertook to ruh an aprdn stall in aid of the fund's. Members were aslced to-send in material to be roade up. After the ■ dainty afternoon tea- had been. served Mr Gosnell read eXeerpts from the diary of .the late Mrs J. Small, whoin he termed ' ' one of the greatest women missionaries of the Paciiie." Mrs Small during her 51 years ' residenee in Fiji had in her diary -.macte entri.es which afforded a deep insight into the mindt-and heart ; of - itlhe; " mis sionary/s wife under condxtions prevaiiing at that time.

In the year -1879 the . Rev. and Mrs Small had sailed in. the John Wesley from Sydney for Fiji and- the trip which. now. takes four days .occupied three .weeks during which time the passengers en,dured .mucli Beasieknegs. On arrival they spent a few daysrat the head mission station and weie then taken 20 miles distant (which had to ue traversed oh foot), and left among" a strange people to-learn a new language.' Many were the mistakes they mgde. ' On ohe^occa'sion 'Mrs Small was given. a pieee' of fresh meat (a rare* treat) and .sTie. gave it to the cook boy and told hiih^Jo* taltb it .o-ut and cook. i.t/as sho thought, ,'but actually she - h'ad said to take' it out' and throw'it away. Eateishe learne'd that he had eaten it

Their flour came in casks packed.in a cake tokeep it away from the weeviis, and they had to g'et it but with ari 'axe. Becoming aecubtomed to the ' changed housekefeping conditions provided " ma'ny thrills for .the young housekeeper. (in one bccasipn she was bitten by'a'centi-pede;-land not kno'wiiig what to do /the' antidotes her 1 husbahd' administered proved worse than the bite. Not h'aving had any medical or narsing^ experience' and to be without a doctor meant'tliat they took many risks'in the experimehts ;they tried. On one occasion a* native ■came in with" a broken jaw so 'they bound up the head and spoon-fed him for many weeks. As it happened they made a lifelong friend for the bones knitted isuccessfully and the patient was devotedly grateful. For another patient they prcseribed some pills. The patient rhtumed- i'n a few days mu'ch im'proved in health, and on being asked if Ife had taken the pills, they were told he still had them in case he took sick- again. He had just licked . them. A case . of dislocated jaw had been treated with : massage and with a cliclc the jaw had gone back into place. The diary also • told of a wonderful cure of blindness in an old lady.: ; ; /, . Giving simple medicines^ teaching the women to sew, and to read and sbudy tho Bible occupied the time of Mrs Small, all of which the diary told, When her iirst baby arrived. (without the aid of doctor or nurse) the occasion was one of great rejoicing abiong the 5 Fijians and they presentqd her- with i over ohe hundred mats, which was,.thp native custom .on such an occasion. In 1883 they changed their station to the island of Iowa, and were loaded. with gifts of mats, bil and food, and as they departed with their two children and the Bijian girl, the native spokesman said, "There goes a minister and his wife who were diligent in their work and good to us,-' ' After 13 years' residence in Fiji, Mr ahd Mrs Small and their flve children (one. of whom later beeame Mrs Gosnell) journeyed to Sydney for their ; first furlough (the diary told of . a previous trip to Sydney by Mrs Small and her three children). ■ ; The night before they left on the furlough there was a terrific storm of wind and rain which. Mrs Small most graphically described. The mission church was blown down, the roof ripped off their house and all their belongings scattered and soaked with rain. The only wa y they obtained any protection from the elements was when they crowded into a building which 30 or 40 natives held down' to the ground with ropes. " Leaving two - of the children in Sydney to continue their education Mr and Mrs Small returned to the islands for a further term of service and many ineiddnts of interest were recorded .by Mrs Small. On one occasion a service was being held and.while the missiouary was preaching a native caiqe and felt the the calves of his legs. The preacher was Very nervous and wondered .what would happen next. He sensed what was iu the mind of the savage, and took. out his artificial teeth. This caused the native to move away saying as .he did so, "He is a god, not a man. " After 48 years in.the service of the Church Mr Small. passed to higher service and Mrs Small faithfully carried on the work of the Sunday school'and the work among the women. On the occasion of the jubilee of her worK there the native church gave her a surprise picnic which concluled with a very happy evening which she deoply appreciated. Visiting New Zealand the following year ghe died on the eve of her return to Fiji, at the home of the Rev. and Mrs Gosnell at New Plymouth, and Mr Gosnell bore testimony that ' ' hers wa's the heart and thought of a very noble woruan." Mrs P. Loach, on. behalf of those gresent^, thanked Mr : and. Mrs 'Gosnell

for the privilege that was. afforded those present in looking into the hqart and lifO of such a "devoted servant) of ihe Church as -Mrs Small had proved' to bo. - ' • • - • ' ; During the afternoon • Mrs Carey and Mrs Warrington sang - as a duet ' Whispering Hope" and Mrs Warrington gave a recitatiom ahd the, afternoon concluded with a Fijian goodbye sdng sung by Mr and Mrs Gosnell, partly in Fijian and partly in English. Mesdames Mazey, Pearce and Harris were thanked for the refreshing cup.of tea, and an interesting and inspiring afternoon elosed with prayer led by Mr Gosnell. ' *