The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-08-18

needle. | admit its crimes; | admit it
crucItles. 1t has had more martyrs than
the fire; it has punctured the eye; it ha
pierced the side; it has struck weakness,
INTO the lungs; it has sent madness into
the brain; it has filled the potter's field
1t has pitched whole armies of the suffer
ing 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 the needle. This
woman was a representative of all those
who make garments for the destitute, who
| knit socks for the baretooted, who prepare
| bandaees for the laccrated. who fix up
| boxes II clothing for missionaries. Who go
INTO the asyhms of the suffering and desti-
tuts bearing that gospel which is sight for
the blind and hearing for the deaf and
winch makes the lame man leap Ike a hart
| and brings the dead to HE, immortal
! health bounding in their pulses.
Nhat contrast between the practical
| henevolence of this woman and a great
deal Of the charity of this day. This
woman did not spend Eer time idly plan
were to be relieved. She took her needle
and relieved them. She was not like those
persons who sympathlzc with imaginary
sorrows and 90 out IN the street and laugh
at the boy who has upset his basket of
cold rictuals. or like that charity which
makes rousing speech on the benevolent
platform and goes out to kick the hesgar
from, the step, crying Hush your miser-
able hoWllns' Sufferers OF the world
want not so much theory are practice: not
so much tears as dollars; not SO much kind
wishes as loaves of bread; not so much
smiles az shoes: not so much God bless
you," as jackets and frocks I will put
one earnest Christian man, hard working.
against 5000 were theorists on the subject
of charity. There are great many who
have fine ideas about church architecture
who never in their lives helped to build
church. There are men who can give vou
the history of Buddhism and Mohamnre-
dansm who never sent a farting for
cvangeliZation. 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.
i am glad that there is not page of the
worlds history which is not a record of
female benevoence. God says to all lands
and people. Come, now, and hear the
widow mite rattle down into the poor
jewels that she might help the famine
stricken. Queen Blanche. the wife of |
Louis VIII. of France, hearing :liat there
were some persons mlustly incarccrated |
IN the prisons. went out amid the rabblc |
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 amid the poor and |
washed their sores and administered to
them cordials. Mrs. Retson. at Matagor.
da, appeared on the battlefield while the }
missiles of death were flying around and |,
cared for the wounded. Is there a mana
or woman who has ever heard of the civil
war IN America who has not heard of the
women of the sanitary and Christian COM
missions 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 battle6Ad: for
getting all their anmosties, white they
bound up the wounded and closed the eyes
of the slain? Dorcas the benefactreSs.
, L come now to speak of Dorcas the la
mented. When death struck down that
good woman, oh, how much sorrow there
vas IN the town of Joppa! I suppose there
were women there with larger fortunes,
there was not grief at their departure like
this at tha death of Dorcas There were
lot more turmoil and upturning in the
Sea dashing against the
wharves at that seaport than there were
surgings to and fro Of grief because Dorcas
was dead There arc great many who
20 oAb of life and are unmisscd There
may Be very large funeral, there may be
great many carriages and a pmmed
hearse, there may be high sounding eulo-
yiums, the bell may toll at the cemetery
gate, there may be a very fine marble
shaft reared over the resting place, but
he whole thing may be falsehood and
ham.
The church of God has lost nothing;
he world has lost nothing. 1t is only
nuisance abated. It is only a grumblV
30 Co. :, In !
topped yawning. 1t is only djsspated
fashionable parted from his wine cellar,
While on the other hand no useful Chris
ian leaves this world without being
missed
The church OF God cries ont, like the
prophet, Howl, fir tree, for the cedar has
allen" Wido vhood comes and shows
he garments which the departed, had
made. Orphans are lifted up to look into
he calm face of the sleeping bcnefactrcas.
vagrancy comes and kisses the
old brow of her who charmed it. away
rom sin, and all through the streets of
oppa there is mourning mourning be-
a,lse Dorcas is dead
Has that Christian woman who went
way fifteen years ago nothing to DO with
hose things | see the Towering out OF
er noble heart. | hear the echo OF her
ootsteps in all the songs over sins for
wen, IN all the prosperity OF the church.
he good that seemed to he buried has
ONE up again. Dorcas is resurrected' :
After awhile all these womanlv friends
+ Christ will put down their needle for
yer. After making garments for others
ONE one viii make a garment for them
he last robe we ever wear-the robe for
he grave. You will have heard the last
ry OF pain. You will have witnessed the
,st orphanage You will have come in
'orn ont from your last round of mercy.
| do not know where you will sleep nor
hat your eptaph will be, but there will
g a lamp burning AT that tomb and an
ncel of God guarding it, aad through all
he long night no rude foot viii disturb
ne dust. Sleep on, sleep On, Soft bed.
leasant shadows, undistuchad repose.
leep on
Asleep in Jesus Blessed sleep I
From which none ever wake to weep
Then one day there will be a sky rcrI-
lg and whrl OF wheels and the fash Of
pageant, armies marching. chains clark
q, banners waving, thuuders booming,
nd that Christian woman will arise from
le dust, and she VIII be suddenly sur
by the wanderers ni
le street whom she reclaimed, surround ,
BY the wounded souls to whom she had {
8
Daughter OF God, so strangely surround {
|, what means this? It means that re-
ard has come; that the victory is won; {
lat the crown Is ready; that The banquet
spread. Shout 1t through I'll the cIumb- ,