Bidding Adieu To Her Family of Seventy Three

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 220, 6 December 1927, Page 5

Bidding Adieu To Her Family of Seventy Three

“Mummie*’ Says Good-Bye to the Mt. Albert Homes

MRS. ARMITAGE’S RETIREMENT

Pennies tightly grasped in their chubby fists, two small boys, rosy of cheek and blue of eye, fidgetted. Small boys from time immemorial have fidgetted—especially on occasions such as this. They were seated on the platform in full gaze of the multitude the occasion was the annual gift day in Auckland for the Methodist Homes—and the experience was certainly trying. Suddenly, a penny slipped through tiny fingers. It wound its way down the steps, across the floor and finally landed on the other side of the hall. “Mummie” smiled reprovingly, clasped the little hand in her own, patted it silently, and —no more pennies

fell to disturb the proceedings that afternoon. FAITHFUL SERVICE Now, Mrs. Armitage, matron of the Mount Albert homes—she is known to all her 73 children as “Mummie” —is about to retire. Faithfully and well, year in and year out, she has tended the numerous wants of her ever-grow-ing family. Pants have been patched until the original material from which they were made was unrecognisable. The “prize” pair “Mummie” always took along with her to the annual gift day. Despite the piles of mending, the baking and the cooking, the washing and the scrubbing, Mrs. Armitage will carry away with her many pleasant memories of the many boys and girls with whom she came in contact during her association with the home. There was the old man. for instance, who always brought a Christmas gift, sufficient to pay for the tree, and give every child a small present. “Father Christmas” was one of the Homes’ best friends. He never forgot the children in whom he was so interested. Yet he never would tell “Mummie” his name, and “Mummie/* woman-wise, never inquired. “Sufficient unto the day/’ she parodied, “was the good thereof.” Neither can she forget Tina, the little Maori maid. Every bit as pagan as her ancestors of old* Tina was found wandering among the highways and the byways. No one was particularly interested in her until she was brought to “Mummie.” Tina had never been taught to pray. We all know the thousand and one questions that an ordinary child asks. The questions that Mrs. Armitage has answered are legion. A true daughter of the parsonage, •she is justly proud of being the eldest daughter of the Rev. John Waterhouse, a Wesleyan minister of note in the Homeland. For many years associated with Y.W.B.C. movement, her leadership of the Devonport class of 40 was an inspiration to those with whom she worked. For six years Mrs. Armitage was president of the Auckland union. On two occasions she achieved the New Zealand presidency. For 14 years she has been a “visitor” to the Auckland Mental Hospital. Y.W.C.A. “HOUSE MOTHER” Came her appointment as “house mother” at the Auckland Y.W.C.A. So when she succeeded the Rev. J. Blight and Mrs. Blight at Mount Albert, she had, somehow, acquired the habit of mothering. To become “Mummie” to such a large family was not difficult to her. Since then she has gone on mothering the motherless —guidng, caring, helping. Though the Methodist Church loses a devoted servant in this phase of its social work, which Mrs. Armitage has made so peculiarly her own, the real losers are the 73 bairns who call her “Mummie.”