I'm sure the ladies thought that they were sincere; it just wasn't the most effective form of compassion. Mrs. Merriweather, when talking about them, was crying: "Oh child, those poor Mrunas...the poverty...the darkness...the immorality...I made a pledge in my heart. I said to myself, when I go home I'm going to give a course on the Mrunas." She seems sincere enough; weeping and pledging. Too bad she spends the rest of the time back-biting and subversively deriding almost everyone and everything the rest of the meeting.
The missionary meeting, although full of good intentions, seems to be more about refreshments and gossip than helping the oppressed, even though I am sure the ladies didn't see it that way. The ladies talk for a bit about the Mrunas, then "Immediately thereafter, the ladies adjourned for refreshments." They then spent the rest of the time gossiping about the Robinsons, teasing Scout, and getting into verbal entanglements. I am sure the ladies were interested in the Mrunas, and felt that they were compassionate for knowing about them, but sure didn't do a lot to convert it into action.
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