The Grit-advocate., 1900-07-20
DRAWS A LESSON FROM
NOBLE WOMAN.S LIFE.
cs fhoss Engaged In Alleviatlnx Human
Dbtrsss-self Sacrificing Work Assured
Of . Rich Reward Hereafter Praise
for the Needle.

he following report of sermon in
which he utters helpful words to all
who are engaged in alleviating human
1istresses and shows how such work
will be crowned at the last; text, Acts
X. 80. And all the widows stood by
aim weeping and showing him the
coats and garments which Doreas
made while she was with them"
Joppa is the most absorbing city Of
the orient. Into her harbor once float
I'd the RATS of Lebanon cedar from
which the temples Of Jerusalem were
Quilt. Solomon's oxen drawing the logs
through the town. Here Napoleon had
800 prisoners massacred. One Of the
most magnificent charities Of the CEN
suries was started in this seaport by
Oorcas, a woman with her needle en-
broidering her name ineffaceably into
The benetcence Of the world. see
her sitting in yonder homo. In the
doorway and around about the build
Ing and in the room where she sits are
he pale faces Of the poor. She lis
ems to their plant, she pities their
woe. she makes garments for them.
she adjusts the manufactured articles
TO suit the bent form of this invalid
woman and to the cripple that comes
crawling on his hands and knees. She,
gives coat to this one, she gives san
dals to that one. With the gifts she
mtngles prayers and tears and Christ
ian encouragement. Then she goes
out to be greeted on the street corners
by those whom she has blessed, and
all through the street the cry Is heard,
"Dorcas Is coming!" The sick look
up gratefully into her face as she puts
her hand on the burning brow, and
the lost and the abandoned start up
With hope as they hear her gentle
voice. as though an angel had ad-
aresssd them, and as she goes out the
lane sYss half put out with sin think
they see halo of light about her brow
and trail of glory in her pathway.
That night a half paid shipwright
climbs the hill and reaches home and
sees his little boy we'll clad and says.
Whore did these clothes come from?'
And they tell him, "Dorcas has been
here" In another place woman is
trimming a lamp. Dorcas brought the
oil. In another place family that
had not been at table for many weeks
are gathered now, for Doroas has
brought bread.
But there is sudden pause in that
woman's ministry. They say: Where
tor many day. Where is Dorcas?'
And one Of these poor people goes up
snd knocks at the door and finds the
mystery solved. All through the
AAunts of wretchedness the news
comes. "Dorcas is sick!" No bulletin
flashing from the palace gate telling
the stages of a kings disease is more
anxiously waited for than the news
from this benefactress. Alas, for Jop-
pa there Is wailing, wailing. That
voice which has uttered so many
cheerful words is hushed; that hand
which has made SO many garments for
the poor is cold and still; the star
which had poured light into the mid
night of wretchedness is dimmed by
the binding mists that go up from the
river Of death. In every forsaken
pidCe LII lldl loWu. WHeicNel lhoie 10 -
sick child and no balm wherever there
is hunger and no bread. wherever
there is guilt and no commiseration,
wherever there is a broken heart and
no comfort, there are despairing looks
and streaming eyes and frantic ges-
ticulations as they cry, "Dorcas Is
dead"
nR Dat