The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-03-12
SATURDAY NIGHT
SERMONS
M-A@, By
p REvSAMUEL
u WpURvISDl
DORcAs, THE DRESSMAKER.

Text, "All the widows stood by him.
weeping and showing him the coats and
garments which Dorcas made while she
was with them."-Acts tx. 49,
Grief in Joppa. Flags ought to be
at half mast To that little seaport
town. now modern Jaffa. from which
Jonah had set sail and Solomon had re-
ceived merchandise, had come q severe
blow. The Eva. the Maud Ballington
Booth of the town is dead Possibly
a martyr to her own exertions in be-
half of the unfortunate. She had the
fingers of the first art. that of dress
making. and she made garments for
the poor. especially the widows. who
were a most unfortunate class in that
country Ten miles away was LYDIA.
Peter was there. Too late to send for
physician. but not for Peter. He
came posthaste The widowed and
aged women presented eloquent eulo-
gy by showing the garments she had
made to protect them from the cold
winds that swept in from the Mediter-
ranean How could they ever find
such friend again? Peter kneeled
down to learn Gods will and receive
power ''rabitha. ariser She opened
her eyes. and he took hold of her hand.
The revised version says he raised
her up. Freemasonry has preserved
this quaint idea through the centuries
Some women are admired; this one
was loved. Some pine over their own
troubles; this one wept over the trou,
bIes of others. Gifts of those dead are
precious. In orr home is bit of nee
dlework with this note: "a little gift
from fingers that will soon be still"
Daughters Of Martha.
A few women have monuments of
marble erected to them. Still less will
be recorded in the hall of fame. This
woman, like the woman who spent her
money for vase of spikenarl for the
Master will be known when monu-
ments sink into the dust. Some spend
their time in backbiting talebearing
and mischief making destructive
work Dorcas was constructive. Some
are admired for beauty. wit or talent;
she was loved for her good works
like to think of her when the morning
papers are full of the exploits Of
whisky drinking. indecent. so called so
ciety woman whose wealth and social
standing alone save her from all that
is ILL., would rather think Of the no
BILE army of women who are working
in the Temperance cause, settlement
A.
mans world--the mighty army of
church workers, Indies Aid. Kings
Daughters, needlework guilds than
those whose pictures adOrn the Sunday
paper pages as the latest divorcees. By
the side of the sword the needle looks
insignificant. yet Gideon did not more
truly advance Gods cause with his
sword than Dorcas with her needle.
God bless the vast army of garment
workers in our city sweatshops and the
army Of those who toll ut dressmaking
under vicious tongue lash in private
homes!
The Song Of the Shirt.
The needle has slain more than the
sword. There is some danger that In
these more deliberately civilized days
we should lose sight of the peculiar
worth of woman's work with the nee
die. Much once sewed by hand is now
| done by machinery. The spinning ien-
ny takes the place Of distaff and spin
ming wheel; the power loom of hand
weaving; the sewing machine In the
great clothing factory and sweatshop
has taken place of needle in home.
The qiIietness Of home needlework is
lost in the roar of factory wheels.
Even the sewing machine dispels the
charm The rattle of wheels, the click
IF bobbins. the throb of looms. the
strain of attention. the rushing moving
Of machinery. all form different at
mosphere. not the home atmosphere Of
early days. The old picture Of the
mother sitting by the window. so quiet
in her movement that the droning hum
Of the bee without the window can nj
most be heard. while the robin so tame
comes up to the very siH-that picture
50 beautiful is gone, and gone forever
Now the cotton mill weaver and the
great factory and custom made cloth
ing worker take her place. and there
is no poetry In her life And she is no
longer American. but from Russia or
southern Europe. A stranger in
strange land she tolls
Wcmsn's inhumanity to Woman.
My sympatbies go out for the dress
maker. OF course she makes mistakes.
especially If she is UP to midnight sew
ing every night. She disappoints folks
by taking on more work than she can
do--more's the pity 1t is necessary.
She's a woman trying to earn her liv
ing and having for her employer one
of the most exacting employers IN the
world-one of her own sex Il would
rather By far risk the sex brutality OF
men than the refined inquisition Of a
lady. said one before the Industrial
commission. The ineanest woman in
the world is the woman who will give
81 Il yard for her dress goods and then
go over to a poor seamstress who is n
member of her church and beat her
DOWN to the last nickel for the making
of 1t. | heard testimony Of woman
who swooned with exhaustion in so
riety home where her dinner was
crackers and milk. while half chicken
was ordered from caterer for the pct
dog of the house. That lady" is still
whining about The inferior help one
has to employ. 1t sounds like the
cruelty of the women before the