News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-12-12

| cordials. Mrs. Retson, at Matagorda, APP
peared on the battlefield while the missiles OF
death were flying around, and cared for the
| wounded. Is there man or woman who
| has ever heard of the civil war in America
| who has not heard of the women of the SAM
| tary and Christian commissions, or the fact
! that, before the smoke had gone up from
| Gettysburg and South Mountain, the women
of the North met the women of the South on
the battlefield, forgetting all their aninosities
| while they bound up the wounded, and closed
the eyes of the slain? Dorcas the benefac-
| tress.
l come now to speak of Dorcas, the Ia
mented. When death struck down that good
| woman, oh, how much sorrow there WIS in
this town of Joppa! l suppose there were
women here with larger fortunes; women,
perhaps, with handsomer faces: but there
| was no grief at their departure like this at
the death of Dorcas. There was not more
turmoil and upturning in the Mediterranean
sea, dashing against the wharves of this sea-
port, than there were surgings to and fro of
| GRIEF because DOrcas was dead. There are Il
great many who go out of life and are I'M
missed. There may be very large funeral
| there may be great many carriages and IA
| plumed hearse; there may be Understanding
eulogiums; the bell may toll at the cemetery
gate: there may be very fine marble shaft
reared over the resting place; but the whole
| thing may be falsehood and sham. The
church of God has lost nothing, the world
| has lost nothing.
| 1t is only a nuisance abated; it is only a
grumbler ceasing to find fault; it is only an
idler stopped yawning; it is only dissiputed
fashionable parted from bis wine cellar;
! while, on the other hand, no useful Christian
| leaves this world without being missed The
church of God cries out like the prophet
''Howl, fir tree, for the cedar has falen.'
| WidowhoOd comes and shows the garments
which the departed had made. Orphans are
| lifted up to look into the calm face of the
! sleeping benefactress. Reclaimed vagrancy
comes and kisses the cold brow of her who
| charmed it away from sin, and all through
the streets of Joppa there is mourning
mourning because Dorcas is dead.
When Josephine of France was carried out
| to her grave, there were a great many men
and women Of pomp and pride and position
who went after her; but l am most affected
by the story of history that on that day there
were 10000 of the poor of France who
followed her coffin, weeping and wailing until
| the air rang again, because, when they lost
| Josephine they lost their last earthly friend.
| oh, who would not rather hGye-snch= obs
| quies than all the tears that were ever poured
| in the lachrymals that have been eXhumed
from ancient cities. There may he no mass
| for the dead; there may be no costly sarcop-
| hagus; there may be no elaborate mauso-
| leum; buC in the damp cellars of the city and
| through the lonely huts of the mountain glen
| there will be mourning, mourning, mourning
because Dorcas is dead. 'Blessed are the
dead who die i'll the Lord; they do rest from
their labors, and their works do follow
them"
speak to you of Dorcas the resurrected;
| The apostle came to where she was and
said: "Arise; and she sat upn' In what a
| short compass the great writer put that
.'She sat up!'' Oh, what a time there must
| ave been around this town, when the apos-
tie brought her out among her old friends
| How the tears of Joy must have started
What clapping of hands there must have
been! What singingl What laughter
Sound it all through that lane! Shout II
down that dark alley! Let all Joppa hear
it! Dorcas is resurrected!
| You and have seen the same thing many
a time; MT dead body resuscltated, bt'
the deceased coming up again after death In
the good accomplished. If a man labors up
to 30 wears of age. serving God, and then dies
we are apt to think that his earthly work is
done. No, his influence on earth will con-
tnue till the world ceases. Services rem
dered for Christ never stop. A Christian
woman tolls for the upbuilding of church
| through many anXieties, through many self.
| denials, with prayers and tears, and then she
dies. 1t Is 10 years since she went away
| Now the spirit of God descends upon thai
church; hundreds Of souls stand up and
confess the faith of Christ. Has that Chris
tian woman, who went away Is years ago
nothing to do with these Things? | see the
Towering out of her noble heart. l hear the
echo of her footsteps in all the songs oyel
sins forgiven, ali the prosperity OF the
church. The good that seemed to be buried
has come up again. Dorcas Is resurrected.
After a while all these womanly friends OF
Christ will put down their needle forever
After making garments for others, some one
will make garment for them; the last rob,
we ever wear-the robe for the grave, Yot
will have heard the last cry of pain. Yor
will have witnessed the last orphanage. 1ol
will have come in worn out from your las
round of mercy. l do not know where yoU
will sleep, nor what your epitaph will be; bu
there will be lamp burning at that tomt
and an angel of God guarding it, and through
all the long night no rude foot will disturb
the dust. Sleep on, sleep on! Soft bed
pleasant shadows, undisturbed repose
Sleep on!