The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-03-09

A Woman's Career.
The name Of DOrcaS has been adopt
ed by thousands Of organizations of
helpful Omen Her example IS a
good one to mediate upon in this day
when there is such widespread discus
sion of woman's sphere. Some of us
are uneasy as we see that woman is
made the comlnonest 'prob1em' OF the
novel. the play, the essay and the lee
ture. The sign is not a wholesome
one. For when men begin to regard
woman as a curious and complex so
ciai enigma, and try to analytic and
dissect her, they cease to pay her the
old-fasfioned Difference which we like
to regard as her unquestioned right.
The less woman is considered as q
question the surer she will be to
fulfill her natural destiny. If this
Sunday school lesson leads older stud
en hts to recall and reassert the primary
place of woman in the social Organi-
cation it will have done a service en-
tirely garmane to it's original
Old-fashioned indeed was Dorcas.
She had no other thought of q career
for herself than to be helpful to the
limit Of her powers. h was not q
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. No
body called her a genius but the
poor blessed her pom every remem-
brance of her name. She could not
teach to ~edifcation, perhaps, but h
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 n poor whom she
had clothd. All the while, doubtless,
Dorcas looked with admiration upon
such Superior women as Mary of
Bethany. Little did she dream that
her swift needle was stitching her own
name in letters of fadelessu gold upon
the worlds brief roll of inn1ortals.
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 n solution
Of h social problem. These weep
ing friends seem not to have been pro
fessional 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 a humble Charleston negro
whose funeral was attended by a null
titude OF whites and blacks: an UNI
II I-oiSl o1OS ~ viz dl-
forded New York one Of it's largest
funeral professions: New Orleans
Margaret" or Frances Pasteur, voted
first place, We'll above Napoleon, on
his nations roll of honor.
God gives us all some SMALL, sweet
way,
To set the world rejoicing"
and it is by the fulllment of this OPP
portunity that the u~nbrotherliness OF
the world which creates all our So
cial 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 Ions 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 nobody'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
a similar case, and, putting forth all
the noisy mourners. he knelt to entreat
| of God this sisters life. Then, as
sured that the miracle would be
wrought, he turned to the silent corps
n tenderly repeated the beautiful
name, "GaZelle.' DorcaS- straight
way opened her eyes. sat up, was given
Peters hand in assistance and arose
and was presented to her astonished
friends. One more sign a been
wrought to accredit the name; and the
nunber Of believers multiplied.
THE LAW AND LIQUOR,