Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-07-16


! and amid the boiling of yonder sea and
amid the live, leaping thunders of the
! flying heavens calm and placid will be
every woman's heart who hath put her
trust in Christ-calm notwithstanding
| all the tumult, as though the fire in
| the heavens were only the gildings of
! an autumnal sunset, as though the peal
| of the trumpet were only the harmony
of an orchestra. as though the awful
voices of the sky were but group of
friends bursting through a gateway at
eventime with laughter and shouting,
''Dorcas the disciplev Would God
that every Mary and every Martha
would this day sit down at the feet of
Jesus.
Further, we see Dorcas, the benefac-
tress. History has told the story of
the crown; epic poet has sung of the
sword; the pastoral poet, with his
verses full of the redolence of clover
tops and a-rustle with the silk of the
corn, has sung the praises of the pillow.
1 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 garment for the poor the needle
has wrought wonders of kindness, gen.
crosby and benefaction. It adorned
the girdle of the high priest, it fash
Toned the curtains in the ancient tab
ernacle, it cushioned the chariots of
King Solomon, it provided the robes Of
Queen Elizabeth, and in high places
and in low places, by the fire of the pi-
oneer's back log and under the flash
Of the chandelier-everyw has
clothed nakedness, it has preached the
gospel, it has overcome hosts of penu-
ry and want with the warcry of
'Stitch, stitch, stitchr' The opera
tives have found a livelihood by it, and
through it the mansions of the en-
plOyer are constructed.
The Needles Triumphs.
Amid the greatest triumphs in all
ages and lands 1 set down the con-
quests of the needle. l admit its
crimes; l admit it's cruelties. It has
had more martyrs than the fire; it has
punctured the eye; it has pierced the
side; it has struck weakness into the
lungs; it has sent madness into the
BRAIN it has filed the potter's field; it
has pitched whole armies Of the suffer
ing into crime and wretchedness and
woe. But now that l am talking of
Dorcas and her ministries to the poor
l shall speak only Of the charities Of
the needle. This woman was a repre-
sentative of all those who make gar
mentS for the destitute, who knit socks
for the barefOoted, who prepare band
ages for the lacerated, who fix up box
es Of clothing for missionaries, who go
into the asylums of the suffering and
destitute bearing that gospel which is
sight for the blind and hearing for the
deaf and which makes the lame man
leap like a hart and brings the dead to
life, immortal health bounding in their
pulses.
What contrast between the prac-
teal 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 the city
Of Joppa were to be relieved. She
took her needle and relieved them.
She was not like those persons who
sympathize with imaginary sorrows
and so out in the street and laugh at
the boy who has upset his basket Of
Geld victuals or like that charity which
makes a rOusing speech on the benevo-
lent platform and goes out to kick the
beggdr from the step, crying, FLUSH
your miserable hOWling!' Sufferers Of
the world want not so much theory as
practice; not so much tears as dollars;
not so much kind wishes as loaves of
bread; not so much smiles as shoes;
not so much God bless yous!'' as jack
cts and frocks. 1 will put one earnest
.icfi hoy Ap1-iy y,c,4
5000 mere theorists on the subject of
charity. There are q great many who
have fine ideas about church architec-
ture who never in their lives helped to
build q church. There are men who
can give you the history of Buddhism
and Mohammedanism who never sent
a farthing for 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.
Female BenevoIence.
1 am glad that there is not page Of
the worlds history which is not a rec
ord 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 some
persons unjustly incarcerated in the
prisons, went out amid the rabb1e 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 1, went down amid the
poor and washed their sores and adj
ministered to them cordials. Mrs Ret