Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-13

full of redolencc of clover tops. and
a-rustle with the silk of the corn, has
sung the praises of the plow. tell you
the praises of the needle. From the
fig leaf robe prepared in the Garden of
Eden to the last stitch taken on the gar
ment for the poor, the needle has
wrought wonders of kindness, gener-
osity. and benefaction. 1t adorned the
eirdle of the high priest; it fashioned
the curtains in the ancient tabernacle;
it cushioned the chariots of King Sol
ONION, it provided the robes of Queen
Elizabeth; and in high places and in
low places, by the fire OF the pioneers
back log and under the flash of the
chandelier everywhere. it has clothed
nakedness, it has preached the Gospel.
it has overcome hosts of penury and
want with the war-cry of Stitch, stitch,
stitch!" The operatives have found
livlihood by it, and through it the man.
sions of the employer have been con-
in all ages and land, set down the
conquests of the needle, l admit its
crimes; l admit it's cruelties. 1t has had
more martyrs than the fire: it has pune
tured the eye: it has pierced the side;
it has struck weakness into tho lungs;
it has sent madness into the brain; it
has filled the potter's field; it has
pitched whole armies of the suffering
into crime and wretchedness and woe.
But now that am talking of Dorcas and
her ministries to the poor, shall speak
only of the charities of her needle.
This woman was representative of
all those women who make garments for
the destitute, who knit socks for the
barefooted, who prepare banaages FOR
the lacerated, who fix up boxes of cloth
ing for the missionaries, who go into
the asylums of the suffering aud desti-
tutc bearing that Gospel which is sight
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 contrast between the practical
benevolence of this woman and 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 We're 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 ut the bow who has up
set his basket of cold victuals, or like
that charity which makes rousing
speech on the benevolent platform, and
| goes out to kick the beggar from the
step, crying: Hush your miserable
howling!" The sufferers of the world
want not SO much theory as practice; not
SO much tears as dollars, not so much
kind wishes rs loaves of bread; not SO
much smiles us shoes; not so much God
bless yous!" rs jackets and frocks. l
will put one earnest Christian man,
hard working, against five thousand
mere theorists on the subict of charity.
There are Il great many who have fine
| ideas about church architecture who
never in their life helped to build o
church. There are men who can give
you the history of Buddhism and Mo-
manned anism, who never sent 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 q page of
the worlds history which is not 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 someypersons unjustly
incarcerated in the prisons, went out
amidst the rabble and took 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-t field while
the missiles of death We're flying around.
and cared for the wounded. Is there u
man or woman who has ever heard Of
the civil war in America who has not
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
all their animosities while they bound
up the wounded, and closed the eyes of
the slain? Dorcas the benefactress.
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! l suppose
there were women here with larger for
tunes; women perhaps with handsom
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 Ill the Mediterranean sea, dashing
against the wharves of this seaport, than
"SAS ouA SAASS W uIu Ito VI
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 great many
carriages and 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
thing may be a falsehood aud sharS.
The church of God has lost nothing,
the world has lost nothing 1t is only a
nuisance abated; it is only grumbler
ceasing to find fault; it is only an idler
stopped yawning; it is only dissipated
fashionable 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 tire e,
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 vaprancy
comes and kisses the cold brow Of her
who charme ID it away from sin, and all