The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-07-21

tops and ~a-rustle with the silk of the
corn, has sung the praises Of the plow.
! 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, gem
erosity and benefaction. 1t adorned
the girdle of the high priest, it fash
toned 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 fash Of the
chandelier, everywhere, it has clothed
nakedness, it has preached the Gospel,
it has overcome hosts of perjury and
want with the war cry of stitch,
stitch, stitch!" The operatives have
found a livelihood by it, and through
it the mansions Of the employer are
constructed.
Amid the greatest triumphs in all
ages and lands, l set down the con-
quests Of the needle. I admit its
crimes; 1 admit its crueltfes. 1t has
had more martyrs than the fire; it has
punctured the eye; it has pierced the
side: IL has struck weakness into the
lungs; it has sent madness into the
brain: it has filed the potter's field;
II 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. I 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 b~arefooted, who
prepare bandages for the lacerated.
who fix up boxes of clothing for mis-
~sionaries, 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 hare and brings the dead to life,
immortal health bounding in their
pulses. What a contrast between the
practical benevolence of this woman
and a great deal of the charity of this
day! This woman did not spend her
time idIy 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 go out in the street and laugh at
the boy who has upset his basket of
cold victuals; or like that charity
which makes a r~ousing speech on the
benevolent platform and goes out to
kick the beggar from the step, crying:
"Hush your miserable howling!" Suf-
ferers 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; o so much smiles
as shoes; not so much "God bless
yous!" as jacAets and frocks. 1 will
put one earnest Christian man, hard
working, against 5000 mere theorists
on the subject of charity. There are
a great many who have fine ideas
about church architecture who never
in their life helped to build a church,
There are men who can give you the
history of Buddhism and Mohamme.
danism who never Sent a farthing fol
CHARACTERIZATION. 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 clad that there is not a mage
NJ tbe worlds history which is not ,
record n, female b~eneyolence. Coz
saws 70 all lands and people Com,
now and hear the widows mite rattl,
down into the moor box. The princes,
Of Cont sold all her Jewels that sh,
might heir the famine stricken. Queer
Blanche. the wife of Louis VIII. O.
France. hearing that there were som.
persons uniustly incarcerated in tn,
prisons. went out amid the rabble an,
took a stick and struck the door as
signal that they might all strike It
and down went the prison door. an,
out came the prisoners. Queen Maud
, the wife of Henry ]. went down ami,
: the poor and washed their sores an,
administered to them cordials. Mrs