The Princeton union., 1900-08-02

|
Before the speaking began the pres
fdent 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. E.
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:
'The German scholarship is awarded
to Malcolm Kirk Of the graduating
Glass;
There had been a 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 loud whisper: Good! That means
$500 and year abroad"
Kirk said nothing. There was no
question he was pleased. His lips trem-
| bled, and he shuff1ed his feet under the
pew, and his great hands opened and
shut nervously. When his turn came
to go up on the platform to speak, he
felt as II 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 "rhe 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 a 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 a face and
manner that spoke of the most sensi-
tive, refined breeding. It 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
| n 1vyyoV ,1@ 1,o1
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 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-
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. It is
said that the young women who work
in the nitroglycerin 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 more 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
a striking resemblance in many ways
to Francis Raleigh's beauty. 1t might
have been due to the similarity in
training and in tastes. The New Eng
land type of independent, morally calm,
but thoroughly interested activity was
well represented in Dorothy Gilbert
Her father sat beside her, a digniied
carefully dressed man Of 55, iron gray
hair and mustache, successful book
publisher, with a beautiful home in