Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-07-21


trcss. History has told the story Of
the crown epic poet has sung of the
sword; the pastoral poet. with his
verses full Of the rcdOlence Of clover
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, gen.
eroslty and benefaction. 1t adorned
the girdle OF the high priest, it fash
toned the curtains In the ancient tab
ernacle, 1t cushioned the chari0ts OF
King Solomon, II provided the robes OF
Queen Elizabeth, and In high places
and in low places, by the fire of the pi-
oneer's back log and under the flash
of the chandelIer-everywh has
clothed nakedness, II has preached the
gospel, 1t has overcome hosts Of penu-
~ and want with the warcry OF
Stitch, stitch. stitchr' The opera
tives have found livelihood by 1t, and
through it the mansions of the EN-
ployer are constructed.
The Needles Triumphs.
Amid the greatest triumphs in all
ages and lands l 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; 1t has pierced the
side; 1t has struck weakness Into the
lungs; II has sent madness into the
brain; 1t has filed the potter's field; 1t
has pitched whole armies Of the suffer
ing into crime and wretchedness 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 repre-
sentative OF all those who make gar
ments for the destitute. who knit socks
for the barefooted, who prepare band
ages for the lacerated, who fix up box
es of clothing for missionaries, 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 n hart and brings the dead to
life, immortal health bounding in their
pulses.
What a contrast between the prac-
tloal benevolence of this woman and
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
sympathlze with imaginary sorrows
and go out in the street and laugh at
the boy who has upset his basket Of
cold vlctuals or like that charity which
makes a rousing speech on the benevo-
lent platform and goes out to kick the
beggar from the step, crying, Hush
your miserable howlingw Sufferers 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 yous" as jack
cts and frocks. | will put one earnest
Christian man, hardworking. against
5000 mere theorists on the subject OF
charity. There are great many who
have fine ideas about church architec-
ture who never in their lives helped to
build q church. There are men who
can give you the history of Buddhism
and Mohammedanism who never sent
a farthlng 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,
Female BenevoIence.
l am glad that there Is not page Of
the worlds history which is not rec
ord Of female benevOlence. God says
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, went out amid the rabble and
took a stick and struck the door as
signal 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 ad-
ministered to them cordials. Mrs. Ret
son, at Matagorda. appeared on the
battlefield while the missiles Of death
were flying around and cared for the
wounded Is there q 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.
l 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!
l 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 were not
more turmoil and upturning in the
Mediterranean sea dashing against the
wharfs at that seaport than there
were surglngs to and fro of grief be-
cause Dorcas was dead. There are q
great many who 60 out Of life and are
unmissed. There may be very large
funeral. there may be great many
carriages and a plumed hearse, there
may be high sounding euloglums. the
bell may toll at the cemetery gate.
there may be very ile marble shaft
reared over the resting place, but the
whole thing may be falschood and
q sham.