Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-07-19


ing, 'Dorcas the disciple!" Would
God that every Mary and every Martha
would this day sit down at the feet Of
Jesus!
Praise of the Needle.
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.
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 g.rdle of the high priest, 1t fash
Toned the curtains in the ancient tab
ernacle, II 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 backlog and under the flash
of the chandelier, everywhere, 1t has
clothed nakedness, 1t has preached
the gospel. it has overcome hosts Of
penury and want with the war cry Of
Stitch, stitch, stitch" The opera
tives have found 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; admit its cruelties. 1t has
had more martyrs than the fire; 1t
has punctured the eye; it has pierced
the side; it has struck weakness into
the lungs; 1t has sent madness into
the brain; 1t has filed the potter's
field; 1t has pitched whole armies OF
the suffering into crime and wretched-
ness and woe. But now that | am
talking of Dorcas and her ministries
to the poor, 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 barefooted, 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 hart
and brings the dead to life, immortal
health bounding in their pulses. What
contrast between the practical be-
nevolence of this woman, and a 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 sympa-
thize with imaginary sorrows, and go
out In the street and laugh at the boy
| who has upset his basket of cold vic
tuals, or like that charity which makes
rousing speech on the benevolent
platform and goes out to kick the beg
gar from the step, crying, Hush your
miserable howlingt"
womsns BenevoIence.
am glad there is not page OF
the worlds history which is not rec
olu VI bChONoANhSt. Sod soy
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,
Tho rahIla
stick and struck the door as a siislal
that they might all strike it, and down
went the prison door, and out came
the prisoners. Queen Maud, the wife
of Henry l., went down amid the poor
and washed their sores and admins
tered to them cordials. Mrs. Retson,
at Matagorda, appeared on the battle
field while the missiles of death were
flying around and cared for the wound
ed. Is there man or woman who
has ever heard OF the civil war in
America who has not heard of the wo-
men of the sanitary and Christian
commissions or the fact that before
the smoke had gone up from Gettys-
burg and South Mountain the women
of the north met the women of the
south on the battlefield, forgetting all
their animosities 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
that good woman. oh, how much sor-
row there was in the town of Joppa!
| suppose there were women there
with larger fortunes. women, perhaps,
with handsomer faces, but there was
no grief at their departure like this
at the death of Dorcas. There was not
more turmoil and upturning in the
Mediterranean sea, dashing against
the wharfs at that seaport, than there
were surgings to and fro of grief be-
cause Dorcas was dead. There are
great many who go out Of life and are
unmissed. There may be very large
funeral, there may be a great many
carriages and plumed hearse, there
may be some high sounding eulogiums,
the bell may toll at the cemetery gate,
there may be very fine marble shaft
reared over the resting place, but the
whole thing may be falsehood and a
sham. The church Of God has lost
nothing, the world has lost nothing.
1t is only nuisance abated. 1t is only
a grumbler ceasing to find fault. 1t is
only an idler stopped yawning. 1t is
only dissipated fashionable parted
from his wine cellar, while on the
other hand no useful Christian leaves
this world without being missed.
The church of God cries out like the
prophet. Howl, fir tree. for the cedar
has fallen!" Widowhood comes and