Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-26

never felt just like that, but he thought
he could understand.
II hope you will have such church
some time. would like to be men,
Der of it,
sThank your Kirk smiled Wilson,
If you were that church would have
a unanimous call. l am sure there is
a work for me somewhere in Gods
great world, else why did he give me
such a passion to speak to men and
love then?"
Malcolm Kirk looked out across the
great seminary campus and spoke with
conscious cry of heart longing. The
beautiful June dav was nearly gone.
The future for him was as indefinite
and unsettled as any condition can be.
Yet the strong, patient, undisturbed
realities of his call to preach the gospel
were as unmoved as the sky of that
lovely June day. The light would soon
fade out of the heavens, but the sky
would still remain.
The next day was commencement at
Hermon seminary. The chapel was
filled with representative congrega-
ton of Hermon people. friends and rel
atives of the classes, the trustees and
officers of the seminary and the usual
number Of undergraduates.
Before the speaking began the pres
ident of the faculty came forward to
make the usual list of announcements
concerning the annual prizes and schol-
arships.
1t was the custom at Hermon for the
annual announcements to be made at
the close of the exercises of commence
ment. For some reason, however, this
order was changed, and the audience
listened with unusual interest to the
presidents remarks.
He had read the names of the win
ners in Hebrew and New Testament
scholarship and the successful man in
the general work of the entire course
He paused now at the end of the list
and then read the last name, looking
down at the graduating class as he Gid
so:
"The German scholarship is awarded
to Malcolm Kirk of the. graduating
class"
There had been slight rustling of
applause as the different names were
read, but when Kinks name was spo-
ken the class applauded vigorously,
and the clapping extended over the
chapel very heartily. Kirk sat bolt up
right and blushed very red, and Will
son, who was sitting by him, exclaimed
in a loud whisper: Good! That means
500 and a year abroad"
Kirk said nothing. There was no
question he was pleased. His lips trem-
bled, and he shuffled his feet under the
pew, and Tiiis great hands opened and
shut nervously. When his turn came
to go up on the platform to speak, he
felt as if his natural awkwardness and
shyness had been doubled by the at
tention directed to him by the winning
of the best scholarship in the gift Of
the seminary.
The minute he began to speak all
this shyness disappeared. 1t was true
Kirk loved to face an audience. He
loved people, and after the first mo-
ment of conscious fright was passed
he eagerly entered the true speakers
position and enjoyed both the audience
and his own effort in addressing it.
His subject was "The Business of
Preaching" What was it? How did
it differ from oratory? What was the
object of preaching? What were the
materials of preaching? And SO on.
He spoke straight OH, with his heart in
what he said. 1t was in the thought Of
more than one minister in the audience
that this man who had won the Ger
man scholarship had remarkably
good voice. More than one pastor felt
like envying the peculiar tone of that
voice. 1t had carrying quality that
commanded attention and held it. And
nearly every man on the seminary fac
ulty was wondering why Kirk had re-
ceiyed no call from any church. There
was no question as to his ability. He
had both brains and heart. 1t is true
his face and figure were not in his ia
vor. He was not Of the orthodox min
isterial cut. His clothes were not a
very good fit. But were the churches
looking for a fashion plate for an or
namental failure behind the pulpit?
In the audience that morning there
were also two other persons who paid
close attention to Kirk while he was
speaking. One Of these was a young
man nearly Kinks age. with face and
manner that spoke of the most sensi-
tive, refined breeding. 1t was the face
of dreamer-dark eyes, waving dark
hair, handsome features, thin, delicate,
curved lips and the hands of an artist.
His clothes were made of the finest
material and bore the stamp Of that
unconscious gentlemanly feeling which
always goes with man who has all
his life been used to expensive details.
AS he sat there listening to Malcolm
Kirk this morning Francis Raleigh
was attracted by the voice of the
speaker. He had listened to the others
with a conventional interest that did
not mean anything to him. He started
the moment that Kirk spoke the first
word and fastened his look upon him
until he was through. He then re-
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