IN MEMORIAM.

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 279, 18 September 1918, Page 14

IN MEMORIAM.

There passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs Stephens, of Riversdale, Southland, Mrs Christina Russell Mitchell, formerly of Balclutha. Mrs Mitchell was born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland (also the birthplace of the gifted Janet Hamilton) in the year 1851. After the death of her mother, which occurred when Mrs Mitchell avas little more than three years of age, she was cared for by her maternal grandparents, and accompanied the aged couple to New Zealand in January, iXf>2. They went immediately to Ralclutha, where the subject of this little notice resided practically all her life, until about two years ago, after the death of her husband, the late Mr John C. Mitchell, Town Clerk, a faithful worker in the No-License cause. Hers was a rarely fine nature, such gentleness, kindliness, quick perception, and withal, that physical and moral courage which belongs only to the fine. I ike Saint Francis of Assisi, the birds and evenliving creature shared her tenderness. Mrs Mitchell was from earh girlhood an ardent Temperance worker. Even before th° Rev. W. J. W illiams and the late Rev. F. W. Isitt, of sainted memory, were in Balclutha, her voice and gifted pen were being used for the advancement of that cause, so dear to h'T heart. • And there was great need in those days for workers She had the joy of seeing Clutha free from the licensed liquor traffic, and hoped, as so many of that valiant band of pioneer workers did, to live to see New Zealand fre \ They have sown the seed. Let us not grow weary in welldoing, but endeavour to reap a rich harvest from that seed sown so often in tears.