The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-08-30
The future for him was as indefinite

HermOn seminary. The chapel was
filed with n representative congregn-
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 did
so:
1.-THE German scholarship is awarded
to Malcolm Kirk OF the graduating
class"
There had been n slight rustling OF
applause as the different names were
read, but when Kinks name was spo-
krn the class applaudcd vigorously,
and the clapping extended over the
chapel very heartily. Kirk sat bolt up
right and blushcd very red, and Will
son, who was sitting by him. exclaimed
in loud whisper: Good. That means
500 and year abroad"
Kirk said nothing. There was no
question he was pleased. His lips trcm-
blcd, and he shuillcd his feet under the
pew. and his great hands opened and
shut ncrvOusly. When his turn came
to go up on the platform to speak, he
felt as if his natural awkwardncss 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. lie
loved people. and after the first mo-
ment Of conscious fright was passed
he eagerly entered til 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 on, 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 tha' ne pastor felt
like envying the pee ar tone Of that
voice. 1t had a carrying quality that
commanded attention and held 1t. And
nearly every man on the seminary fac
ulty was wondering why Kirk had re-
ceived no call from any church. There
was no question rs 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
very good fit. But were the churches
looking for 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 Il young
man nearly Kinks age. with a face and
manner that spoke of the most sens-
| tive, refined breeding. IL was the face
of n dreamcr-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 a man who has all
his life been used to expensive details.
AS he sat there listening to Malcom
Kirk this morning Francis Raleigh
was attracted by the voice of the
speaker He had listened to the others
with u conventional interest that did
not mean anything to him. lie started
the moment that Kirk spoke the first
word and fastened his look upon him
until he was through. He then re-
sumed his previous attitude of mild in
difference to the programme.
The other person who followed Kinks
speech with especial interest was a
young woman who sat in that part of
the church reserved for the trustees of
the seminary and their families. 1t is
said that the young women who work
In the nltroglycerin and dynamite es-
tablishment at Ardeer Scotland, have
the most perfect compilations in the
world. owing to the nature Of the pc
culiar materials they handle and
breathe. 1t is very certain that Doro-
thy Gilbert had never lived or worked
In any mere explosive atmosphere than
that Of her own intense energy, but her
face would fairly have rivaled that Of
any Scotch lass in Ardeer. There was
o striking resemblance in many ways
to Francis Raleigh's beauty. 1t might
have been due to the similarity In