Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-11

old-fashioned Difference which we like
to regard as her unquestioned right
The less woman is considered as a
| question" the surer she will be to
fulfill her natural destiny. If this Sun
day school lesson leads older students
to recall and reassert the primary
place of woman in the social organiza-
ton it will have done a service entire
ly germane to its original purpose
Old-fashioned indeed was Dorcas.
She had no other thought of career
for herself than to be helpful up to
the limit of her powers. She was not
famous "church-worker," nor had
she the gift of prophecy. Her Office
was the simple, lowly one of helping
the needy in humble womanly ways.
Nobody called her a"genius" but the
poor blessed her upon every remem-
brance of her name. She could not
teach to edification, perhaps, but she
could demonstrate her faith by her
works. Many were the new babies
whose first Wardrobes came from her
deft fingers And even the praiseful
lips of the friends who gathered about
her bier could not call the roll of all
the sick and aged and poor whom she
had clothed. All the while, doubt
less, Dorcas looked with admiration
upon such superior" woman as Mary
of Bethany. Little did she dream that
her swift needle was stitching her
own name in letters of fadeless gold
| upon the worlds brief roll of i'm
mortals.
The Solvers of the Social Problem.
Echoing in the wailing of those
Eastern women gathered about the
| bier of Dorcas-I have heard that
weird sound more than once, and
never want to hear it again-is one
solution of the social problem. These
weeping friends seem not to have been
professional mourners. Their grief
sounds too sincere q note for that. A
good neighbor and friend had died
And the world cannot be restrained
from rewarding it's helpers. whether it
be humble Charleston negro, whose
funeral was attended by a multitude
of whites and blacks; an unchronicled
East Side rabbi who afforded New
York one of it's largest funeral pro-
cessions; New Orleans Margaret"
or Frances Pasteur, voted first place
Wei eiDOVt NdpOlSoll, VII lllo Hdtloll o
roll of honor.
God gives us all some small, sweet
way. To set the world rejoicing"
And it is by the fulfllment of this
opportunity that the indebtedness
of the world which creates all our
social problems, is to be ameliorated.
No method is simpler than this, none
more profound. When high and low
become Decreases, not forgetting to be
kind, the long-sought social remedy
will have been found.
For the sake of this Dorcas there
were swift feet to run TO the Apostle
Peter for help Possibly nobooy's
thought extended beyond having the
apostle to speak at the funeral. He
came swiftly, for he, like Dorcas. and
like his Master, lived only to be help
full. Come to the house Of mourning,
he followed the example of Jesus in
similar case, and, putting forth all
the noisy mourners. he knelt to en-
treat of God this sisters life. Then
assured that the miracle would be
wrought, he turned to the silent corpse
and tenderly repeated the beautiful
name, "Gazelle." Dorcas straightway
opened her eyes, sat up, was given
Peters hand in assistance and arose
and was presented to her astonished
friends. One more sign" had been
wrought to accredit the Name; and
the number of believers multiplied.