The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-08-23
BENTON LOUISIANA THURSDAY, AUGUST

Of pure life and q all Christian char
tiles. 1 wish that the wives and moth
ers and daughters and sisters of all the
earth would initiate Dorcas in her dis
cipleship. Before you cross the
threshold of the hospital, before you
enter upon the temptations and trials
of tomorrow, charge you, in the
name of God and by the turmoil and
tumult of the judgment day, o women,
that you attend to the first, last and
greatest duty of your life-the seeking |
for God and being at peace with Him.
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 plow.
I 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
erosity and benefaction. 1t adorned
the girdle Of the high priest, it fash
ioned the curtains in the ancient taber-
nacle, 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 pioneers
back log and under the flash OF the
chandelier, everywhere, it has clothed
nakedness, it has preached the Gospel,
it has overcome hosts of penury and
want with the war cry of Stitch,
stitch, stitch!" The operatives have
found livelihood by it, and through
it the mansions Of the employer are
constructed.
Amid the greatest triumphs in all
ages and lands, I set down the con-
quests of the needle. I admit its
| crimes; admit it's cruelties. 1t 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 filled the potter's field;
it has pitched whole armies Of the suf-
fering into crime and wretchedness
and woe. But now that 1 am talk
ing of Dorcas and her ministries to
! the poor, ! shall speak only OF the
charities Of the needle. This woman
was q representative of all those who
make garments for the destitute, who
knit socks for the barefooted, who
prepare bandages for the lacerated
who fix up boxes of clothing for mis-.
sionaries, who 60 into the asylums OF
the suffering and destitute, bearing
that Gospel which is sight for thu
blind and hearing for the deaf, and
which makes the lame man leap like
hare and brings the dead to life
immortal health bounding in theil
pulses. What contrast between thu
practical benevolence of this woman
and a great deal Of the charity OF thi
day! This woman did not spend hel
time idly planning how the poor o
the city of Joppa were to be relieved
she took her needle and relieved them
She was not like those persons VIII
sympathize with imaginary sorrowa
and go out in the street and laugh a
!, the boy who has upset his basket o
cold victuals, or like that charit,
! which makes a rousing speech on tn
benevolent platform and goes out t
kick the beggar from the step, crying
"Hush your miserable howling!" Sui
: ferers of the world want not SO muc
; theory as practice; not so much tear
: as dollars; not so much kind wishes a
loaves of bread; not so much smile
. as shoes; not SO much "God bles
= yous!" as jackets and frocks. wi
!, put one earnest Christian man, har
working, against 5000 mere theorist
on the subject of charity. There al
. great many who have fine idea
, about church architecture who neve
. in their life helped to build churcl
- There are men who can give you tt
\ history of Buddhism and Mohamm
= danism who never sent q farthing II
= evangelization. There are women WI
. talk beautifully about the suffering
= the world, who never had the courag
like Dorcas, to take the needle ar
!. assault it.
. am glad that there is not a pal
of the worlds history which is not
:. record OIL female benevolence. Gt
"a says to all lands and people: Con
now and hear the widows mite ratt
= down into the poor box. The prince
! Of Cont sold all her jewels that 81
ot might help the famine stricken. Que
=. Blanche, the wife OF Louis VIII.
~ France, hearing that there were Sol
m persons unjustly incarcerated in t
!. prisons, went out amid the rabble a
. took stick and struck the door al
=. signal that they might all strike
he and down went the prison door, q
is out came the prisoners. Queen MAI
lie the wife of Henry I, went down an
; = the poor and washed their sores a
an administered to them cordials. M
he Retson, at Matagorda, appeared
"a the battlefield while the missiles
f. death were flying around and cal
he for the wounded. Is there man
i'm woman who has ever heard OF the G
... war in America who has not heard
he the women of the sanitary and Chi
he ton commissions or the fact that
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