A MORNING WITH THE MAORIS.

White Ribbon, Volume 33, Issue 381, 18 April 1927, Page 10

A MORNING WITH THE MAORIS.

(By South Auckland District President.)

A ring on the phone, and Sister Nichol s voice asking if I would like to go to Whatawhata to visit a Maori Pah. Would I not? Yes, rather! and in a short while we were speeding over the road in her neat little coupe. We arrived at the settlement where a tangi had been held recently for a young Maori man, who had been very badly scalded with boiling tar, and had died at the Public Hospital, leaving a widow and four babies, the eldest being only live years. A Sister who is very well-known and is a true friend to the Maoris, spoke to some of the men, leaving me to converse as best I could with the women to whom I had been previously introduced. There was Mrs Paikau, whom 1 had initiated at the first Maori W.C.T.U. Meeting at Frankton, but whom I had not seen since, and I was pleased to see that she was still wearing her little white bow. She proudly brought her little baby girl to show me, and she was easily persuaded to write the baby’s name on a Cradle Roll card. I soon made friends with a very fine, stately

lady, Mrs Turanga, from Raglan, and despite her youthful appearance, she said u.at she had six children and four grand-children. It was a grief to her that her husband drank occasionally, but neither she nor her son touched any liquor or even smoked, and she readily agreed to sign our pledge. Together, we paid a visit to Mrs Nehupo, an aged Chieftainess, in her little home, on the walls of which she had pinned the photo of the Frankton Union. The old lady could not speak English, but pointing to the photo and then to me, she exclaimed: “Kia Ora, Kia Ora.” Her joy was unbounded that I had come to see her, as living so far away she is not able to attend the meetings. After a little conversation I prayed with them, especially commending the widow and orphans to our Heavenly Father’s care. Leaving her we went in search of Sister Nicholls, who had gone to the cemetery in search of the newly-made widow, whom she found by her husband’s grave. Leading her gently away and comforting her, she took her home. Thus ended a very interesting morning.