PAPUA’S WAYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 945, 11 April 1930, Page 13

PAPUA’S WAYS

ADDRESS AT METHODIST FUNCTION INTERESTING TALK It was once the practice in Papua, when a woman died bearing a child, to tie the live baby to the dead mother and bury them together, according to Mrs. M. K. Gilmour, wife of the Rev. M. K. Gilmour, for nearly 30 years a missionary in New Guinea. Airs. Gilmour, who gave an address yesterday at the annual gift afternoon of the Women’s Committee of the Board of Management of Alethodist Orphanages, is in charge of the Alethodist orphans in Papua. The first orphan she had to take care of was rescued from the fate described above! The girl is now grown up, married, and has adopted no less than three orphans. Airs. Gilmour gave other similar instances. On one occasion a girl whom they had rescued from famine was later lured back to the village, which had been only too ready to give her up when she had been starving. Airs. Gilmour tracked her to a house, where she had great difficulty inducing the people to return the girl. Eventually they did so, and the girl was now a married woman employed in the same house as a teacher. The meeting, at which a large quantity of books, clothing and money was handed in, was also addressed by Airs. Everiss, matron of the Buckland Road home, and by the Rev. S. Griffith, secretary and treasurer of the board, and tho Rev. E. Drake. Recitations were given by Airs. T, Clark and Airs. Kirkpatrick. while Aliss Jean Buttle sang a solo. Airs. A. Peake was in the chair.