The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-07-24
CONTINUED
CHAPTER XIII.

PLATFORM.
Does Mr.. Kirk live where he used
to?" he asked of one Of the loungers at
the station.
Eyes; 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 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, girl with great pro-
fusien 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.
"Is your father at home? asked the
gentleman, smiling.
81 don't know. Will you come in?
That is, unless you have something to
sell. And then l am sure father is
| out" She said it without the least ap-
pearance of being pert or rude.
81 haven't anything to SELL" replied
the stranger, laughing. Il 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 it?' he asked as he
entered a pleasant sitting room.
"Yes. sir" she answered shyly. "Ex-
cuse me, I'll call father.'
|
| Rev. George Wilson of the famous In
stitutional 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 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 Malcom Kirk and his
family at this time, both as a friend
and also as an intensely interested
spectator Of a very remarkable life.
Il am sitting in Malcom Kirk s
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
in this country, and 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 TIE east.
"Since ! 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.
citement was caused by one event in
Conrad at the close of that famous
election day. 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 Oh
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 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 a great disturbance broke out in
the saloon behind him. Some one broke
through the crowd and attempted tc
.hrow bottle of vitriOl at Mrs. kirk
1t was afterward shown that the mar
was crazy with drink and awfully ex
: cited by the events of the day. He wa:
only partly successful in his horrible
? attempt. Mrs. Kinks face was burned
ON one side, but man of the name O
Carver, who had been drinking, bu
was sober enough to realize what wa
going on, grappled with the other ant
took away the bottle, receiving dread
full burns in doing SO. This man is nov
the sexton in Mr.. Kinks church, de
vout, sincere Christian and a good ex
ample, so Kirk says, of hundreds o
men who will remain sober if the sa
loon is taken away and the constan
Temptation to drink is absent. And s.
far as l can observe he is decidedl
right in his belief.
''WeN, Mrs. Kirk has recovered fron
those INJURIES and her beauty OF fac'
= which is still remarkable. is MARIE
only by a scar which gives her, to al
who know her history, an added intel
est The affair created an intense fee
J. ing here for long time. Nothing S
terrible had been known since that a
tempt to disfgure Mrs. Coleman
= Marville, Canada, while marching wit
d. other women in a temperance proce'
% y sion. The event opened many people
el eyes to the satanic power of the drin
N evil. 1t was only one out of counties
IS events where the whisky element ha
stood for the greatest crimes and Il
which it must answer heavily at til
iudpment bar of a long suffering God