The Red Cloud chief., 1889-12-13

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 fallen"
Widowhood comes and shows the gar
ments which the departed had made.
Orphans are lifted up TO look into the
calm face Of the sleeping benefactress.
Reclaimed vagrancy and kisses
the cold brow of her who charmed il
away from sin. and all through the
streets of Joppa there is mourning
mourning because Dorcas is dead.
When Josephine Of France was car
ried out to her grave, there were a great
Dany 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
ten thousand of the poor OF France who
followed her coffin. weeping and wailing
. until the air ram again. because. when
they lost Josephine, they lost their last
earthly friend. Or. who would not
rather have such obsequies than all the
tears that were ever poured in the
lachrymals that have been exhumed
{ lIOHl duCiflll tAlle,. 1utlt AIdN b' ~
mass for the dead: there may be no
costly sarcopha-us: there may be no
elaborate mausoleum: but in the damp
cellars of the city, and through the
lonely huts of the mountain glen. there
viii be mourning. mourning. mourning
because Dorcas is dead. ..ElesSed are
the dead who die in the Lord: they rest
from their labors, and their works do
follow them.
Ispeak TO you of Dorcas. the resur-
rected. The apostle came to where she
was. and said: Arise: and she sat up"
In what a short compass the great writer
put that-"She sat up" Oh, what a
time there must have been round this
town. when the apostle brought her out
among her old friends. How the tears of
| JOY must have started! What clapping Of
hands there must have been. What sing
ing, What laughter. Sound it all through
that lane. Shouti ii down that dark alley.
Let all Joppa heal it. Dorcas is resur-
rected.
You and ! have seen the same thing
many a time: not a dead body resusci-
tated. but the deceased coming up again
after death in the good accomplished.
If a man labors up to fifty years Of age.
serving God. and then dies. We are apt
TO think that his earthly work is done.
No. His influence IN earth will on
tinue till the world ceases. Services
rendered for Christ never stop. \ Chris
tian tolls for the Upbuildinr of a
church through many anXieties. through
many self-denials. with prayers and
tears. and then she dies. 1t Is fifteen
years since she went away. Now the
spirit OF God deScends upon that church:
hundreds of souls stand up and confess
the faith of Christ. Has that Christian
woman. who went away fifteen years
ago. nothing 70 do with these things? ]
see the Towering out of her noble heart.
! hear the echo of her footsteps in all
the songs over sins forgiven. in all the
prosperity of the church. The good
that seemed to be buried has come UP
again. Dorcas is resurrec;ed.
After awhile all these wornanly friends
of Christ Will put down their needle for
ever. After making garments for 9TH
ers. some one will make a garment for
them: the last robe we ever wear-the
robe for the grave. You will have heard
the last cry of pain. You will have wit
messed the last orphanage. You will
ave come in worn II from our last
round of mercy. i do not know where
you will sleep. nor what your epitaph
will be. but there will be a lamp burn
ing At that tomb and an angelOf 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.
Asleep in Jesus, Blessed sleep,
Prom which none ever wake 10 weep.
Then one day there will be 4 sky rend-
ing. and a whirl of wheels. and the fash
of a pageant: armies marching. chains
clanking. banners waving. thunders
booming. and that Christian will
arise from the dust. and she will be sud
denly surrounded-sur-ounded by the
wanderers of the street whom She re-
claimed. surrounded by the wounded
souls TO whom she had administered.
Daughter of God. so strangely surround
ed. what mean this? 1t means tha. re-
Garu HAS cOuut- tII1t lNe NIclDrt Is VOL
that the crown is ready. that the ban
quet is spread. Shou. it through all the
crumbling earth. Sing il through all
the flying heavens. Dorcas is resUr-
rected.
In 1855. when some of the soldiers
came back from the Crimean war TO
London. the Queen of England distrib-
uted among them beautiful medals.
called Crimean medals. Galleries were
erected for the two houses of Parliament
and the royal family 20 sit in. There
was a great audience to witness the dis
tribution of the medals. A Colonel who
had lost both feet in the battle of Inker-
man was pulled in on 4 wheel chair:
others came in limping on their
clutches Then the Queen of England
arose 3efore them in the nane OF her
government. and uttered words of COM |
mendation TO the officers and men.
and distributed these medals. in
scribed with the four great ~battletields. |
Alma, Balaklava. Inkerman and Sebas-
topol. As the Queen gave these to the
wounded men and the wounded officers.
the bands Omusic struck up the nation |
a 4 air and tho ponp1a v-i.b S.roappipp