The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-12-11

4 rustic with tic silk O: III" corn, ha:
sung the praises OF the l.!ow. ! tell yo2
the praises Of the needle. From the fic
leaf robe prepared in the garden Of Ede.
to the last stitch taken on the garment
for the poor, tho needle has wrought
wonders Of kindness, generosity, and
ba1efaction. Il adorned the girdlc OF
the high priest; itfashioncd tie curtains
in the ancient tabernacle; it cushioned
the chariots OF King Solomon; it pro,
vidcG the robes OF Queen Elizabeth: and
in high places and in low places, BY tie
fire Of the pioneers back log and under
the fash OF the chandelier, every where,
it has clothed nakedncsS, iShas preached
the gospel, it has overcome hosts OF per-
ury and want with the war Cry OF
''Stitch, stitch. stitch."' The operatives
have found livelihood b. 1t, and
through i the mansions OF the employer
have been constructed. Amidst tho
greatest triumphs in ell ages md lands,
I set down the conquest OF the needle.
I admit its crimes; admit its cruelSies.
1t has had more martyrs than the firc:it
has punctured the eye; it has pierced
the side; il has struck weakness into the
lungs; it has sent madness into the
brain; it has filed tho potter's fie 4: it
has pitched whole armies OF the suffer-
nginto crime and wretchedness and woe.
But now that am talking Of Dorcas and
her ministries to the poor, shall speak
only Of tho charities OF the needle.
This woman was representative Of
ell those women who make garments
for the destitute, who knit socks for the
barefootcd, who prepare bandages ior
the lacerated, who tixup boxes of cloth
ing for missionaries, who go into the
asylums Of the suffering and destitute
bearing that gospel which is sight tc-
the blind, and hearing for the deaf. ana
which makes the lame man leap like p
hart, and brings the dead t. life. in
mortal health bounding in their psls2s.
What contrast between the pryctical
benevolence of this woman andS great
deal of charity of this day. This woman
did not spend her time IDLY planning
how the poor of your city OF Joppa wers
to be relieved: she took her needle ant.
relieved them. She was not like those
persons who sym pathize with imaginary
sorrows, and go out in the street and
laugh at the boy who has upset MS bas-
ket of cold victuals, or like that charity
which makes a rousing speech on tho
benevolent platforms, and goes out to
kick the beggar from the step, crying:
sHush your miserable bowling" The
sufferers Of the world want not so much
theory as practice; not SO much tears as
dollars; not so much kind wishes as
loaves Of bread; not so much smiles as
shoes; not so much "God bless ycus." as
jackets and frocks. will put one earn
est Cnristian man. hard working. against
Ave thousand mere theorists on the sub
ject Of charity. There arc 4 great many
who have fine ideas about church archi-
lecture who never in their life helped
to build church. There are men who
can give you the history of Buddhism
and Mohammedanism who never sent
farthing for their evangelization. There
are women who talk beautifully about
the suffering Of the world who never
had the courage, like Dorcas, to take
she needlsand assault it.
Ian glad that there is not a page Of
the worlds history which is not rec
ord of female benevolence. God says to
all lands and people, Come now and hear
the widows mite rattle down into tie
poor box. The Princess Of Cont sold all
her jewels that she might help the FAM
inc stricken. Queen Blanche, the wife
of Louis VIII, of France, hearing that
there were some persons unjustly incar-
cerated il the prison, went out amidst
the rabble and took a stick and struck
the door as a signal that they might all
strike it, and down went the prison door
and out came the prisoners. Queen
Maud, the wife Of Henry l., went down
amidst the poor and washed their sores
and administered to them cordials. Mrs
Retson, at Matagorda, appeared On the
while the missiles Of death
were flying around, and cared for the
Is there q man or woman
who has ever heard Of the civil war in
America who has notheard Of the women
OF the Sanitary and Christian Conmis-
sions, or the fact that, before the smoke
had gone up from Gettysburg and South
the women Of the North mot
the women of the South on the battle
field, forgetting all their animosities
while they bound up the wounded, and
closed the eyes OF the slain? Dorcas the
come now to speak Of Dorcas the Ia
mented. When death struck down that
good woman, oh, how much sorrow there
was in this town Of Joppa, l suppose
there were women here Of larger for
tunes; women, perhaps, with! handsomcr
faces, but there was no grief at their de-
parture like this at the death OF Dorcas.
There was not more turmoil and uptur2-
ing in the Mediterranean Sea, 6ashi2g
against the wharveS Of this seaport,
than there were surgings to and f-o ct
grief because Dorcas was dead. There
are a great many VINO go out Of life and
are urmissed. There may be a very
large funeral; there may bo q great
many carriages and q r2umed hca"sc;
there may be high sounding euiogiUms;
the bell may toll at the cemetery gate;
there may be very fine marble Shaft
reared over the resting place; but tho
whole thing may be a falsehood and Z
sham. The church OF God has lost
nothing, the world has lost nothing. i
is only nuisance abatcd, it is only q
grumbler ceasins to find fault; it IS only
an idler stoppea yawning; it IS only =
dissipated fashionable parted from his
wine cellar; while on the other hand 10
useful Christian leaves this world with
out being missed. The church of God
cries out lilzo the prophet: ''Hov3, e
tree, for the cedar has fallen" WadoF-
hood comes and shows the garments
which the departed had made. Orphans
are lifted up to look into the calm faco
of the sleeping benefactrcss. Reclaimed
1-:ccoc - n (,r1H lrNvy