Dodge City times., 1889-12-19

This woman was a representative oi
all those women who make garments fol
the destitute, who knit socks for the
barefooted, who prepare bandages fol
the lacerated, Who tix up boxes Of cloth
ing for the missionaries, who 60 into
the asylums of the suffering and desti-
tute bearing that Gospel which is sigh:
for the blind, and hearing for the deaf,
which will make the lame man leap like
hart, and bring the dead to life, i'm
mortal health bounding in their pulses.
What a contrast between the practical
benevolence of this woman and a great
deal of the charity of this day! This
woman did not spend her time idly
planning how the poor of your city of
Joppa were to be relieved; she took her
needle and relieved them. She was not
like those persons who sympathize with
imaginary sorrows, and go out in the
street and laugh at the Dov who has up
I set his basket of cold victuals, or like
/ that charity which makes n roUsing
! speech on the benevolent platform, and
! goes out to kick the beggar from the
step, crying: Hush your miserable
| howlingi" 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 yous!' as jackets and frocks. l
will put one earnest Christian man,
hard working, against five thousand
mere theorists on the subjct of charity.
There are a great many who have fine
ideas about church architecture VINO
never in their life helped to build a
.l vuho
you the history of Buddhism and Mo-
hamme edanism, who never sent a farth-
ing for their evangelization. There are
women who talk beautifully about the
suffering of the world, who never had
the courage like Dorcas to take the
needle and assault it.
lam glad that there is not a page of
the worlds history which is not a record
of female benevolence. God says to all
lands and people, Come now and hear
the widows mite rattle down into the
poor box. The Princess of Cont sold
all her jewels that she might help the
famine stricken. Queen Blanche, the
wife of Louis VIII. of France, hearing
that there were somejpersons unjustly
incarcerated in the prisons, went out
amidst the rabble and took a stick and
struck against the door as a signal that
they might all strike it, and down went
the prison doors and out came the pris-
oners. Queen Maud, the wife of Henry
l., went down amidst the poor and
washed their sores and administered to
them cordials. Mrs. Retson, at Mata-
gorda, appeared on the battle field while
the missiles of death were flying around.
and cared for the wounded. Is there a
man or woman who has ever heard of
In xrl hoe ,ok
heard of the women of the Sanitary 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 battle field, forgetting
all their animOsities while they bound
up the wounded, and closed the eyes of
the slain? Dorcas the benefactress.
l come now to speak of Dorcas the
lamented. When death struck down that
good woman, oh, how much sorrow there
was in the town of Joppa. 1 suppose
there We're women here with larger for
tunes; women perhaps with handsomer
faces; but there was no grief at their de-
parture like this at the death of Dorcas.
There was not more turmoil and upturn-
ing in the Mediterranean sea, dashing
against the wharves of this seaport, than
there were surgings to and fro of
grief because Dorcas was dead. There
are great many who go out of life and
are unmissed. There may be very
large funeral; there may be a great many
carriages and a plumed hearse; there
may be high sounding elogiums; the
bell may toll at the cemetery gate; there
may be very fine marble shaft reared
over the resting place; but the whole
4 in ha f,t hor
The church of God has lost nothing,
the world has lost nothing. 1t is only
nuisance abated; it is only grumbler
ceasing to find fault; it is only an idler
stopped yawning; it is only dissipated
parted from his wine cellar:
while, on the other hand, no useful
Christian leaves this world without be-
ing missed. The church of God cries !
out like the prophet: Howl, fir tree,
for the cedar has fallen" Widowhood |
comes and shows the garments which the |
departed had made. Orphans are lifted |
up to look in the calm face OF the Sleep |
ing 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
g-mourning because Dor
cas- is dead.
When Josephine of France was car
ried out to her grave, there were 4 great
many men and women of pomp and
pride and position that went out after
her: but am most affected by the story
of history that on that day there were
10000 of the poor of France who fol-
lowed her coffin, weeping ana vailing
until the air rang again, because, when
they lost Josephine, they lost their last
L. e..
rather have such obsequies than all the
that have been exhumed
from ancient cities. There may be no
mass for the dead; there may be no
costly sarcophagus; there may be no
elaborate mausoleum; but 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 in the Lord; they rest
from their labors, and their works do
follow them
speak to you of Dorcas the resur-
rected. The apostle came to where she
xas and said: Arise; and she sat up"
In what O short compass the great writer
put that-"She sat up" Oh, what time
there must have been around this town,
when the apostle brought her out among
her old friends! How the tears of Joy
must haye started! What clapping of
hands there must have been, What
singing! What laughter? Sound it all
through that lane, Shout it down that
lark alley! Let all Joppa hear it. Dor
,as is resurrected,
You and have seen the same thing
many a time; not a dead body resusci-
ated, but the deceased coming up again
after death in the good accomplished.
II man labors up to fifty years of age,
serving God, and then dies, We are apt
% think that his earthly work is done.
No. His influence ON earth will con-
inue till the world ceases. Services
for Christ never stop. A
Christian woman tolls for the upbuild-
ng of church thu ough many anxieties,
through many self denials, with prayers
md tears, and then she dies. 1t is fif-
,een years since she went away. Now
he spirit of God descends upon that
church; hundreds of souls stand up and
confess the faith of Christ. Has that