Newspaper Page Text
18 THE
ij The Family
'BROIDERY WORK.
By Mrs. Margaret J. Preston.
Beneath the desert's rim went down the
sun
And from their tent doors, all their service
done,
Came forth the Hebrew women, one by
nnp
For Bezaleel, the master, who had rare
And curious skill and gifts beyond compare,
Greater than old Misraim's greatest ware,
Had bidden them to approach at his command
As on a goat skin spread upon the sand,
He sat and saw them grouped on every
hand.
And soon, as came to pass, a silence fell,
He spoke and said, "Daughters of Israel,
I bring a word; I pray ye, hearken well.
"find's tnhflrnflnlp hv His nattsrn m?dp
Shall fail of finish, though in order laid,
Unless ye women lift your hands to aid!"
A murmur ran the crouched assembly
through.
As each her veil about her closer drew;
"We are but women! What can women
do?"
And Bezaleel made answer: "Not a man
Of all our tribes, from Judah unto Dan,
Can do the thing that Just ye women can!
"The gold and 'broidered work about the
hem
Of the priests' robes?pomegranate, knob
and stem?
Man's clumsy fingers can not compass
them.
"Yours is the very skill for which I call;
So bring your cunning needlework,
though small
Your gifts may seem; Jehovah needeth
all!"
O Christian women! for the temples set
Throughout earth's desert lands?do you
forget
The temple curtains need your 'broidery
yet?
"SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES."
Lillian felt a glow of pride and pleasure
in her success at tne guessing-game
in which some of the older guests in the
summer hotel had invited her to Join.
"We can't expect to match our wits with
a girl just out of high school," said one
of the party, with a kind smile at Lillian.
"We might have known that she would
recognize Boawell as the Englishman
whose claim to fame rested upon a biography."
"And she knew it was Pepys who
chronicled small beer and great historical
events in the same cryptic pages," added
a gray-haired gentleman. "But if you
; PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU1
will leave the room again, Miss Lillian,
we'll try to find a character that won't
be so easy for you."
When Lillian was recalled she was told
that the person she was to guess was a
leader, a lawmaker and a wonder-worker,
and celebrated for his meekness. After a
few moments' thought, she owned herself
mystified. "He had stone tables," a lady
suggested.
"Was it Hadrian?" Lillian asked. "He
had lots of marble furniture."
"Ours is an Old Testament character,"
remarked the gray-haired gentleman,
smiling, "and he passed forty days on a
mount" Even this hint did not enlighten
Lillian. "I'll have to give up," she said.
"Moses," merrily chorused all the players.
"Moses?" repeated Lillian. "Why, did
Moses preach the Sermon on the Mount?"
The merriment died out of most of the
elderly faces, and was replaced by a
grave expression that made Lillian uncomfortable.
"Have I said something
wrong?" she whispered to Mrs. Dorsey,
her chaperone.
"I think, dear, we are all pained to find
you don't know who preached the Sermon
on tne Mount," was the gentle reply.
A few minutes later Lillian answered
a tap at the door of her own room and
Mrs. Dorsey entered. "I thought when I
missed you that maybe you were here
alone," she said, and then noticing Lillian's
tear-stained face, "Why, my child,
you mustn't be unhappy."
?
"I can't help it. I know every one in
the parlor was shocked at my ignorance
about the Bible."
"Perhaps your ignorance is not altogether
your fault. The Bible isn't taught
as it used to be. In my early days it was
vuuoiucivu ail imi/ui iaui pan ui cuutation,
and I think the present almost total
neglect of it in the home and school is a
sad mistake. Children who are not
brought up on the Scriptures as I was
don't know what they are missing. Aside
from the great religious and ethical value
of a knowledge of it a familiarity with
the Bible is necessary for good understanding
of literature. Do you know why
Mrs. Wharton named her novel 'The
House of Mirth?'"
"No," answered Lillian.
"Then search the book of Ecclesiastes.
Do you know why Mrs. DeLand called a
story 'Many Waters'?"
"No; I read It, and I couldn't see any
sense to the title."
"That was because you hadn't read
'Solomon's Song.' These two names happen
to occur to me now, and as you fcecome
acquainted with the Bible, you will
see what fulness and richness it has
given to nearly all our literature."
"Well, I Intend to become acquainted
with it," said Lillian. And she wrote
home that night and asked her father to
send her mother's Bible to her.?The
Youth's Companion.
"If a person don't get a good hold on
his life while he has it here on earth,
what under the sun is he going to hang
onto when he gits flung out into space?"
rH. November 24, 1909.
GOOD TIDINGS FROM A DARK LAND.
A glowing memory "for Joy and for
beauty" will ever be the recent visit to
the First Presbyterian church, Meridian,
Miss., of Rev. and Mrs. W. S. Porter, of
Brazil, representatives of that body of
Christians in the foreign field. Mr. Porter's
fluency in English speaking is surprising
when it is considered that the
Portuguese tongue is used exclusively by
the people among whom he has lived for
twenty-five years. Mrs. Porter is socially
charming and accomplished in literature
and music. Her talk to the ladies was
much enjoyed. In Meridian, the former
made four addresses to deeply interested
audiences. A reception tendered these
missionaries in the home of one of the
elders was largely attended, and much
good will doubtless result from all these
manifestations.
It was thrilling to hear the recital of
every-day experiences of these self-denying
laborers in the gospel, as the case
of a ranchman who lived nearly three
hundred miles from Natal, the mission
Station sendinc moaeoncrc-a mi?i< v.
1 c ^WWUWUQVIO nuu UU1 oca
to entreat the missionary to come and
teach him, and preach to others at his
place, and, too, the lamenting among the
native people when Mrs. Porter was compelled
to give up part of her work on account
of being broken down. The Bible
society's agents have travelled over extensive
areas in Brazil (which is as large
as the United States), and the people
possessing a book which they never saw
before, are studying the word of God,
waiting for ministers to come, instruct
and preach to them, and organize them
into Christian churches. Mrs. Porter has
done important educational work, and her
pupils are much in request for teachers.
Mr. Porter is the only gospel preacher
in a section large as New England, excluding
Maine, and though persecuted in
iormer years, is now In high favor with
the natives, including the government officials.
He relates that when he was to
embark for the United States the Mayor
of the city came in person to escort him
to the steamer, and the governor of the
Province, after the -demonstrative manner
of the Latin races, sent his band of
music for the same purpose. All begged
him to return as soon as possible.
Mr. Porter has a membership of more
than three hundred and fifty in his church
at Natal, with a building worth $8,000
nearly paid for, which sum was mostly
raised by the native Christians and s>mpathizers
in the community. He also
maintains twelve preaching stations in
the country continguous, and has more
calls for such service than can be complied
with.
The Presbyterian Church in Brazil has
seven organized Presbyteries, which are
included in two Synods and a general Assembly
a supreme body. Jhere are sixty
native Brazilian ministers in connection
with our Church.
Those who have for centuries arrogated
to themselves the sole authority as spiritual
advisers of the benighted peoples in
South America, actually put a premium
upon sin by offering "indulgence" or per