The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-07-25

den OF Elen 10 the last Stllcl taken on
the garment for the poor the needle has
wrought wonders Of kindness, generosi-
ty ard beoefaction 1t adorned the sir-
die Of the high priest, it fashioned the
curtains in the ancient tabernacle, 1t
cushioned the chariots of King Solomon
it provided the robes Of Qaeen Eliza
beth, and in high places and IN Low
places, By the fire Of the pioneer PACK
los and under the fash Of the chan0e-
ieT everywhere, it bas clothed naked
ness. it has preached the gospel, 1t mas
oTe-cono hosts of penury and want
r;tb the wsrcry of stitch, stitch,
st;ta.'" 49," The operatives have found a
i;+.I;$ooi IssI bv it, and through 1t. the
mau-iou> Of she employer are construct
Amid the greatest triunphs in all
AGES and lands, | set down the cop-
oacs., of the needle. admit its crimes
/ admits cruel,ies. 1t has had more
martyrs than the FIRE; it has puocsured
the eye; it has pierced the side; it has
struck weakness into the lungs; it has
sent madness into the brain; 1t has
filed the potter's field; it has pitched
whole armies Of the suffering into crime
and wretchedoess and woe But now
that | an talking 2f Dorca5 snd her
ministries to the poor, shall speak
only of the charities Of the needle.
This woman was representative Of all
those who make garments for the destl-
tu,e, who knit socks for the barefooted,
who prepare bandages for the lzcerated.
who fix up boxes Of clothing for mis-
sionaries, who go into the asyluu5 Of
the suffering and destitute, bearing
that gospel which is sight for the blind
and hearing for the deaf, aud which
makes the lame man leap like hart
aud brings the dead to life, immortal
health bounding in their pulses. What
a contrast between the practical benev
oIence of this woman aud great deal
of the charity Of this day! This wo-
man did not spend her time idly plan
ming how the poor Of the city CT Jop-
pa we're to be relieved; she took her
needle ard relieved them. She was
not Ike those persons who sympathlze
with imaginary sorrows, and go out IN
the street and laugh st the boy who has
upset his basket Of cold victuals, or
like that charity which makes a rous-
ing speech on the benevolent platform
and goes out to kick the beggar from
the step, crying, Hush your miserable
howlingl' Sufferers of the world want
not so much theory as practice; not
so much smiles as shoes, so much tears
as dollars; not SO much kind wishes
as loaves Of bread, not so much
"Go6 bless you!' as jackets and frocks.
I will put one earnest Christian man,
hard working, against FIVE thousand
mere theorists on the subject Of chari-
ty. There are great many who have
6ne ideas about church architecture
who never in their life helped to build
church. There are men who can give
you the history Of Buddhism and Mo
hamue6anism who never sent farth-
ing for evangeiization. There are wo.
men who talk beautifully about the
suffering Of the world, who never had
the courage, like Dorcas, to take the
needle aud assault it.
[ an glad that there is not page Of
the worlds history which is not a
record Of female benevolence. God
says to all lands and people, Come
now aud 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 some
persons uojustly incarcerated in the
prisons, went out amid the rab0le and
took stick and struck the door as
signal that they might al strike it,
and down went the prisoo door, and
out came the prisoners. Green Maud,
the wife Of Henry |, went down amid
the poor and washed their sores and
administered to them cordials. Mrs.
ketson, at Matagorda, appeared on the
battlefield while the missiles Of death
were flying around aud cared for the
wounded. Is there man or woman
who has ever heard Of the civil war in
America who has not heard Of the
woman of the sanitary and Christian
commissions or The fact that before the
smoke had goDe up from Gettysburg
and South Mountain the women Of the
north met the women Of the south on
the battlefield, forgetting all their ami
mosities 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
tia: good woman, oh, how much sor-
ro9 there was in the town Of Joppa! |
: suppose there were women there with
larger fortunes, women, perhaps, with
handscmer faces, but there was no grief
at their departure like this ct the death
Of Noroas. There was not more tur-
MOL aud upturning in the Mediterra-
mean sea, dashing against the wharfs q.
that seaport, than there were surgings
to and fro Of grief because Dorcas was
dead. There are great many who 60
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
eulogiuns, the bell may toll at the
cemetery, there may be very fine mar
bic shaft reared over the resting place,
but the whole thing may be fa!sehood
and a sham. The church Of God has
lost nothing the world has lost nothing,
the world has lost nothing. It is only
$ nuisance sbated. 1t is only gruu-
bier cessine to find fault. 1t is only
an idler stopped yawning. 1t is only
dissipated fashionable psrted from his
wine cellar, while on the other hand no
useful Christian leaves this world with
out being missed.
The church Of God cries out like the