The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-07-21
THESTORYOF D0RCAS.
Dr.. Talnage Draws a Lesson from
Noble WomAn's Life.
s@lf-SaeriaeinE work Assured sf =
Rich Reward Hereaftsr-Hslp-
fuI words for Thsst Who
Alleviate suffering.

"a
northern Europe, has forwarded the
following report Of a sermon In which
be utters helpful words to all who are
engaged in slleviEting human dis
tresses and shows how such work viii
be crowned at the last; text, Acts s:ss:
And all the widows stood BY him
weeping and showing him the coats
and garments which DorcAs made
while she was with them"
JoPPa is a most absorbing city OF
the orient Into her harbor once nost-
ed the rats of Lebanon cedar from
which the temples Of Jerusalem were
built. Solomon's oxen drawing the logs
through the town. Here Napoleon Asd
500 prisoners mastered One Of the
most magnificent charities Of the cen
turies was started in this seaport BY
Doress, a woman with her needle en-
bordering her name i~neffseeAbly into
the b~enefeence Of the world. 1 see her
sitting in yonder home. In the door,
way and around about the building and
In the room where she sta are the pale
faces Of the poor. She listens. TO their
slant, she Pities their woe, GAs makes
garments for them, she adjusts the
manufactured articles to suit the bent
form Of this invalid woman and TO the
cripple that comes crawling on hia
hands and knees. She gives . coat 70
this one she gives sandals TO that one.
With the gifts she mingles prayers and
tears and Christian encouragement,
Then she goes out to be greeted on the
street corners by those whom Lhe has
blessed, and all through the street the
cry Is heard: "Doreas IL coming!"
The sick look up gratefully into her
face as she puts her hand on the burn.
ing brow, and the lost and the AbAn'
doned start up with hope as they hear
her gentle voice. as though N angel
had addressed them, and as she goeI
out the lane eyes half put out with sir
think they see halo Of light about hel
brow and a trsil Of glory in her path
way. That night a half paid ship
wright climbs the hill and reachei
home and sees his little boy well elat
and says; where did these elothel
come from?" And they tell him: Dor
cas- has been here" In another place
woman is trimming a lamp. Doreal
bought the oil. In another place
family that had not been at table 70
many weeks are gathered now, To-
Dorcss has brought bread.
But there is a sudden pause in tha
woman's history. They say: When
Is Dorcas? Why, we haven't seen be
for many a day. Where is Dorcas?
And one Of these poor people goes u
and knocks at the door and finds III
mystery solved. Al through th
haunts Of wreichedness the new
somes: "Dorcas is sickl" No bulleti
flashing from the palace gate tellin
the stages Of a kings disease is NOR
snxiously waited for than the new
from this b~enefactress. Alas, 70
Joppa there is wailing, waiHngl IN,
voice which has uttered so many chez
al words is hushed; that hand whic
has made so many garments for Ii
poor is cold and still; the star whic
J had poured light into the midnight
wretchedness is dimmed by the bhnt
ing miSts that 20 up from the river
death. In every forsaken place in Thu
town, wherever there is a sick child ar
no balm, wherever there Is hunger Al
no bread. wherever there Is guilt al
no eommiseration, wherever there is
broken heart and no comfort, there Al
I. despairing looks and streaming ey,
and frantic gesticulations as they CT,
"Dorcss is deadi"
They send for the apostle Peter, WI
happens 10 be 10 the suburbs Of q
Is place, stopping with q tanner Of d
name Of Simon. Peter urges his wi
through the crowd around the do
and stands in the presence Of the dea
What demonstration Of grief all abo
himl Here stand some otthe poor pc
pie. who show the garments viii
this poor had made for the
Their grief cannot be appeased. T
7 apostle Peter wants TO perform
I miracle. He will not do II amid the c
~ cited crowd, so he orders that 1
whole room be cleared. The door
shut against the ~populace. The apos'
stands now with the dead. Oh, II Il
serious moment, you know, when y
w are alone with q lifeleSs bodyl T
n-o,tLa r.ts Iou~ an III. Ln.aa q.
prays, and then he comes TO the III
less form Of this one all ready for {
er. sepuleher, and in the strength Of n.
lar who is the resurrection, he eric
"Tabitha, arisel" There Is a stir In {
fountains Of life; the heart fiutters; I
on nerves thrill; the cheek fushes; (
eye opens; she sits up!
We see IN this subject DorcaS the d
ciple, Doreas the beneisctress, Dort
the lameDted, Dorcas the resurrect'
ri had not seen that word diSciI
in my text / would have known q
= woman was a Christian. Such music
that never came from a heart which
not chorded and strung by Div
grace. Before ] show you the need
work Of this woman l want TO sh
~ you her regeherated heart, the SOU
IL, Of q pure life and Of all Christian oh
tiles. / wish that the wives and mo
ers and daughters and sisters Of al
earth would initiate Dorcas In her .
cipleship. Before you cross
threshold OF the hospital, before }
n enter upon the temptations and tTi
OF tomorrow. ] charge you, In
name Of God and by the turmoil q
tumult Of the judgment day, o WON
p that you attend 10 the first last
M greatest duty OF your hfe--the SEEK
for God and being at peace with II
Further, we see DoreaS the benef
tress. History has told the story Of
crown; epic poet has sung Of
,on sword; The pastoral poet, with
verses full Of the redolence Of clio
tops and a-ruEile with the silk Of
"'s corn. has sung ths praises Of the pl
l tell you the praises Of The nee
From the fig leaf robe prepared 10
garden OF Eden to the last stitch tai
on the garment for the poor the nee
has wrought wonders Of kindness, 9
crosby and benefaetion. II ador
Oa. the girdls of thf high priest, IL fS
m. Toned the curtSinS IN the ancient tel
No. naele, II cushioned the charlotte Of Z
D. 4, Solomon. It provided the rotss Of %
Elizabeth, and in high places spc
sss low places, by the FIRE Of the phone
,da. back log and under the nAsh Of
chandelier, everywhere. II has elet
nakeeness, II has preached the Cos
it has oyereoms hosts Of penuTy
want with the var cry OF "oti'
AS stitch, stitehl" The operatives b
found a livelihood by Il, and thToi
'ad Il the mansions Of the employer
constructed.
Amid the greatest tnumphs in
" ages and lands, ] set down the {
auesta Of the needle. admit