The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1900-10-12

SWOlus lut past al pDNis win hio
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, gem
erosity and benefaction. Ii adorned
the girdle of the high priest, it fash
toned the curtains in the ancient taber-
nacle. it cushioned the chariots of King
Solomon. il 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,
f it has overcome hosts of penury and
/ want with the war cry of Stitch,
stitch. stitchi" 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, ] set down the con-
quests of the needle. admit its
/ crimes: I admit its cruelties 1t has
had more martyrs than the fire; il has
punctured the eye; it has pierced the
/ side: il has struck weakness into the
lungs; it has sent madness into the
brain: N has filed the potter's field;
IL has pitched whole armies OF the suf-
/ fering into crime and wretchedness
and woe. But now that L am talk
ing of Dorcas and her ministries to
I tn, rovi, shah 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 barefooted, who
prepare bandages for the lacerated,
who fix mp boxes of clotning 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 contrast between the
practical benevolence of this woman
and a great deal Of the charity Of this
dayl 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
svmpathize with imaginary sorrows,
and 90 out I'm the street and laugh at
the boy who has upset his basket Of
cold victuals, or like that charity
which makes a rousing speech on the
benevolent platform and goes out to
kick the beggar from the step. crying:
Hush your miserable howlingl" 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; not so much smiles
as shoes; not so much God bless
vous!" as jacAets and frocks. l will
put one earnest Christian man, hard
working. against 5000 mere theorists
ON the subject Of charity. There are
great many who have fine ideas
about church architecture who never
i'm their life helped to build church.
There are men who can give you the
history of Buddhism and Mohamme-
danism who never sent 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
/ am glad that there is not a page
Of the worlds history which is not a
record OF female benevolence. God
saws 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 uniustly incarcerated i'm the
prisons. went out amid the rabble and
took 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 !. went down annie
the poor and washed their sores ano
administered to them cordials. Mrs
Retson. at Matagorda. appeared OF
the battlefield while the missiles OF
death were flying around and careC
I for the wounded. Is there a man ol
woman who has ever heard Of the civi
war i'm America who has not heard OF
the women of the sanitary and Chris
tion commissions or the fact that be
fore the smoke had gone up from Get
tvsburg and South Mountain the won
en- of the north met the women of The
south on the battlefield, forgetting al
their animosities while they bound M
the wounded and closed the eyes o
the slain? Dorcas, the benefactress
: I come now to speak Of Dorcas, th
lamented. When death struck dow
that good woman, oh, how much sor
:. row there was in the town of Joppa
-. I suppose there were women Their
- with larger fortunes. women. perhaps
. with handsomer faces, but there wa
. no grief at their departure like thl
at the death Of DOrcas. There was no
more turmoil and upturning in tn
Mediterranean sea, dashing agains
! the wharfs at that seaport, than ther
. were surgings to and fro Of grief be
: cause Dorcas was dead. There are