The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-06
CHAPTER XIII.
TWENTY YEARS AFTER.


when one evening well dressed, dis
tinguished looking gentleman stepped
out of the west bound express upon the
platform.
Does Mr.. Kirk live where he used
to?' he asked of one of the loungers at
the station.
Yes; he lives up by the church," was
the answer.
The stranger went on down the main
street, looking about him curiously,
and finally stopped in front of COM
Portable looking house close by a good
sized church building.
He went up the short board walk and
rang the bell
The door was opened by girl about
10 years of age, a girl with a great pro-
fusion of heavy brown hair and face
that people had TO look at twice before
they knew whether she was what is
generally called pretty or not.
rs your father at home?" asked the
gentleman, smiling.
II don't know. Will you come in
That is. unless you have something to
sell. And then am sure father is
out" She said it without the least APP
pearance of being pert or rude
II haven't anything to SELL" replied
the stranger, laughing. 81 am George
Wilson. one of your fathers old class
mates in Hermon, and he
Come right in" said the girl ANY
one from Hermon is welcome. I've
heard father speak OF you often"
This is Faith, is t?' he asked as he
entered a pleasant sitting room.
Yes. sir" she answered shyly. Eek
cuse me, I'll call father"
She went out of the room, and the
Rev. George Wilson of the famous In
stitutiona1 church of Boston looked
around him, and his look was full of
the most absorbing interest
What he felt and thought can per
haps best be told in a letter which he
wrote home two days afterward while
sitting in the guest chamber of the
parsonage. The letter threw much
light on the events of the past 20
years and is of value as coming from
one who saw Malcolm Kirk and his
family at this time. both as friend
and also as an intensely interested
spectator of a very remarkable life.
II am sitting in Malcolm Kinks
house," the letter began, land it is
difficult for me to realize all that that
fact means. There is no question in
my mind that Kirk is in some WAYS
one of the most remarkable ministers
i'll this country, aud yet he and his
talented wife have remained in this
comparatively obscure place for over
20 years, working quietly and without
oStentation, with some most astonish-
ing results until lately unheard of by
the churches in the east.
Since l was in Conrad about 20
years ago great changes have occurred
in the state. Perhaps the greatest
change of all has been the prohibitory
amendment to the constitution. Every
one knows that the election on the leg
islature's act to submit the amend
ment resulted in an affirmative vote.
Every one also knows that the people
have never reversed that decision, and
it seems probable that they never will.
You will also remember what an eX-
element was caused by one event in
! Conrad at the close of that famous
election day. l listened to the story
from Kinks own lips, and it was as
exciting as any novel l ever read.
HE had been called out of town on
the afternoon of that day to see a
young man who died of the effects Of
drunken debauch, and as he came
back to Conrad in the evening his wife
! was kneeling in the center of a group
of other women, holding prayer meet
ing in front of one of the most notori-
Gus saloons then in Conrad.
HE had only Just come to the place
when great disturbance broke out in
the saloon behind him. Some one broke
through the crowd and attempted to
throw Il bottle of vitriol at Mrs. Kirk.
1t was afterward shown that the man
was crazy with drink and awfully eX-
cited by the events of the day. He was
! only partly successful in his horrible
attempt. Mrs. Kinks face was burned
on one side, but Il man of the name of
Carver, who lad been drinking, but
was sober enough to realize what was
going on, grappled with the other and
took away the bottle, receiving dread
full burns in doing So This man is now
! the sexton in Mr.. Kinks church, a de.
vout sincere Christian and Il good eX-
/ ample, so Kirk says. of hundreds of
men who will remain sober ii the sa-
loon is taken away and the constant
temptation to drink is absent. And so
far as l can observe he is decidedly
| right in his belief.
'.Well, Mrs. Kirk has recovered from
those injuries, and her beauty of face,
which is still remarkable, is married
only by a scar which gives her, to all
who know her history, an added inter
est. The affair created an intense feel
ing here for long time. Nothing SO
terrible had been known since that at
tempt to disfigure Mrs. Coleman of
Marville, Canada, while marching with
other women in a temperance process
sion. The event opened many peoples
eyes to the satanic power of the drink
evil 1t was only one out of countless