Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-13
Miscellany.
by REv. ALFRED .. HouGH,
fRead at public entertainment given by the ladies'
Sewing Society, Woodstock, VII

by kENs ALLIED - hVuhhs
cad at public entertainment given by the Ladies'
Sewing Society, Woodstock, VII
II was long ago, when the church was young
And the preachers preached with Gery tongue,
When the people prayed In the Holy Ghost,
And handful grew In day to host
That a lowly worker with needle and thread
In the city Of JOppa was lying dead.
In an upper chamber beside the sea
She waited her last sad ministry:
The chisel Of sorrow had left no trace
To mar the form Of her lovely face;
She seemed one who had wrought all day,
Then quietly laid her work away,
And peacefully turned to rest awhile
In the tender light OF her Masters smile:
For brighter sheen than the mornings wear
Flowed DER her face as she slumberCd there.
But the people rushed thro the streets all day,
And the ships weighed anchor and sailed away;
The world moved on, for It could not miss
From It's countless throngs such life as this
Only a worker with needle and thread
In an upper chamber was lying dead
But hther the widows and children came,
wailing their sorrow and calling her name
Ever deferring the burial day,
Refusing to carry the body away,
Counting hor almsdeeds and telling them DER
A disciple Of Jesus, friend OF the poor,
Cheering the sad as angel Of light,
How could they bury her out Of their sight7
Then a mother in Israel rose and said:
This sorrow ayails not; Dorcas is dead.
But Jesus is able to quicken her clay;
Bring Peter from LYDIA and let him pray
The counsel was timely. Peter was brought;
they showed him the garments by Dorcas wrought,
Aud with passionate pleas they troubled the air
Would Jesus have mercy and answer prayer?
Theu Peter sent all the peopeaway,
Aud knelt at the side Of the dead to pray;
His face was turned TO the gates Of gold,
Aud at touch OF his prayer they backward rolled,
Aud there, Ia listening attitude,
The form o.: bis glorious Master stood.
30 Jerus Of Nazareth! 20 Heaven grew still
As peter prayed. "If it be Thy will,
Send back to this frame the spirit fed
Thy serv iut worked with needle and thread;
She ministered daily 10 human needs,
Thy gospel preached by her loving deeds;
And the poor Of the city are sore distressed
Because Thou hast taken her homo to rest.
We have thousands left who will face the stake,
The rack and the prison for Thy names sake,
But nobody comes her place TO fill
o send her back, II il be Thy will!
No shivering children throng the streets
OF Thy heavenly home; not a sad heart beats
In one Of Thy MANSIONS fair and new
Thou hast nothing for Dorcas there to dol"
The Master turned as He heard the prayer
Aud beckoned to one Of His children there,
And forth she came with obedience sweet,
All rubed and crowned, to the Masters feet.
He told her the burden Of Peter's plea
How the widows were weeping bitterly
In the city Of Joppa far away,
And Peter was kneeling beside her clay
Till the answer came. Could she forego
The joys Of the heavenly life, and show
Her love 70; God with as sweet a grace
As she sang his praise In the heavenly placer
Pass out from the song and the fadeess bloom
To her lowly task in a narrow room,
with never a sigh for the glory fed
As she worked again with needle and tbread2
Swift as the lightning darts from heaven
Was the purpose formed aud the answer given.
To work for the love Of the Lord below,
To sit in desolate room and sew
The seams Of coat, that an orphan lad
Might leap for Joy and be better clad,
To her royal heart seemed a nobler thing
Than to stand by the heavenly throne and sing.
Serving the Lord with needle and thread,
Stitching away till her fingers bled
In O cherries room on a lonely street,
Through winters cold and summers heat,
That widows heart, for garment given,
Might turn with praise to the Lord in heaven,
Filled her soul with a melody
Sweeter than harps by the jasper sea.
Aud that is the kind Of religion we need
Eushrining itself In a loving deed,
Counting it better 10 serve the least
Than to be guest at royal feast.
Then the wondrous news through the city sped,
That she who had wrought with needle and threat
Had left the paradise of the blcst,
Its coudless skies and its wales of rest,
Deemng It nOber to carry aims
To suffering soul than to chant sweet psalms
with a harp Of gold in a grove Of palms.
And the heavens rang with a glorious strain
That the love Of the Lamb for sinners slain
Did such an abounding glory shed,
That lonely worker with needle and thread
Could sit il narrow room and sew
A coat for a child and never know
Her heart had a single pleasure lost
Though her soul had once the river crossed,
Though her feet the heavenly floors had trod,
Aud her eyes had looked on the glory Of God!
Then Peter knew that his prayer was heard;
The motion OF wings the still air stirred,
And the odor cf heavens unfIding bloom
Swept suddenly into the narrow room.
A flush 10 the face Of the sleeper came;
He sprang TO his feet and called her name;
She answered with outstretchel hand, and rose
As one who had taken sweet repOse.
Aud the people paused in the street that day;
Not ship weighed anchor or sailed away;
For the news through the city Of Joppa spread
That the power Of God had raised from tue dead
lowly worker with needle aud thread.
To the valley OF death cen kings go down,
Ne'er 10 return 10 the throne OF crown;
Apostles and martyrs, glorious band,
Return not again from the silent land;
The masters Of speech, the singers sublime,
Are only once heard IN the forum Of Time;
The favored Of fortune, the noble by birth,
Leave once aud forever their places on earth;
But luwly woman In Joppa, who plies
Her needle and thread for the poor, and des,-
She only, Of all that iunumerable train,
Was worthy 10 live her life over again.
Her voice was not heard in the chorus Of song,
Her form was not seen in the world-ruling throng
Had she one tender tie that swectened her life
Had she sister or friend? was she even a wife?
Her death caused no ripple on LIES flowing tide
just few humble women were sorry she died;
And all that remained TO speak for the dead
Was little love labor with needle and thread .
But He who behulds all the secrets ot thought
Had measured the spirit in which she wrought;
The cosiliest monument mortal had reared.
The work Of the sculptor shall suffer decay,
The tiuts of the painter shall vanish away,
O'er temple and tower Wild ruin shall spread
But utthework of this woman with needle and tbrea
Shall shine when the stars drop out Of the SKY
As something too beautiful ever to die
The spirit Of Dorcas is still abroad,
For women work, for the love of God,
With needle aud thread through weary hours.
They build our churches with graceful towers;
They the sexton the balance find
When the minister's salary runs behind;
They cushion the pews Of the holy place
Aud with needle and thread will stand and face
The mightiest debt that ever was poured
on a feeble church by quarterly board
While the brethren fee the impending ills,
The women walk up and pay the bills;
Aud churches that now sweet influence shed
Once held to life by bit Of thread.
They purchase the organs with stops and swells
They hang in the steeples the happy bells;
They shingle the roofs aud fresco the walls,
Aud promptly respond to a hundred calls,
Willing their varied talents to use
In serving the Master in ways he shall choose.
when hope from the heart Of the church has fed
They order a circle and raise the dead;
They are ready to work, and ready to pray,
And they preach sometimes in q quiet way;
Aud man would rather enlist for the war
Than the women should tell him just how thinl
are.
when the funds Of the church are running low,
They call for a needle and thread and sew
Or the dimes Of the people lightly take
In exchange for delicious coffee and cake.
They talk sometimes as their needles fy,
But a woman must either talk or die;
And what II they do our faults rehearseg
Why, nobody seems penny the wOrsei
And so gracefully is his death prepared,
man would rather bo slain than spared.
The spirit OF Dorcas is living still,
For the women, with consecrated skill,
In the churches Of God throughout the land
Are working away with willing hand;
The mountains before them fade from view,
And the rivers divide to let them through.
II they ask for dollar, you'd better pay
Your money, and get straight out Of the way;
II you stand moment TO plead or strive,
Instead Of one dollar, they'll ask for i've.
A single heart, with the love Of God,
The grace and the grit to pray and plod,
The banner Of truth alOft unfurled,
And a asewing-ciree-might beat the world.
UNDER THE CONVENT WALLS.