The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-06-22

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
filed with a 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 did
| so:
| ''The German scholarship is awarded
| to Malcom Kirk Of the graduating
class"
| 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 a loud whisper: Good! That means
| $7O0 and year abroad"
Kirk said nothing. There was no
question he was pleased. His lips trem-
bled, and he shuf11ed 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 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 g
position and enjoyed both the audience
and his own effort in addressing it.
His subject was 1.-The Business of
Preaching" What was it? How did
1t 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-
ceived 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
i. isteriaI cut. His clothes were not g
, very good fit But were the churches
looking for a fashion plate for an or
namental failure behind the pulpit?
ii In the audience that morning there
were also two other persons who pait
. close attention to Kirk while he wal
. speaking. One of these was a youns
man nearly Kinks age, with a face and
manner that spoke Of the most sensi
tive, refined breeding. 1t was the fac'
of a dreamer-dark eyes, waving darl
hair, handsome features, thin, delicate
curved lips and the hands of an artist
His clothes were made Of the fines
material and bore the stamp of tina
unconscious gentlemanly feeling whicl
always goes with a man who has al
his life been used to expensive details
AS he sat there listening to Malcon
Kirk this morning Francis Raleigl
was attracted by the voice Of tn
speaker He had listened to the other
with a conventional interest that di,
not mean anything to him. He starte'
the moment that Kirk spoke the frs
until he was through. He then re
sumed his previous attitude Of mild in
difference to the programme.
The other person who followed Kirk
speech with especial interest was
young woman who sat in that part Q
the church reserved for the trustees Q
the seminary and their families. 1t
n said that the young women who wor
in the nitroglycerin and dynamite es
i tablishment at Ardeer, Scotland, hav
the most perfect compilations in th
world. owing to the nature of the pt
culiar materials they handle an
breathe. 1t is very certain that Dort
thy Gilbert had never lived or worke
in any more explosive atmosphere tha
that of her own intense energy, but he
to face would fairly have rivaled that {
any Scotch lass in Ardeer. There wa
" striking resemblance in many way
70 to Francis Raleigh's beauty. 1t migt
have been due to the similarity
training and in tastes. The New En-,
>" land type of Independent, morally cain
but thoroughly interested activity ws
.u well represented in Dorothy Gilber
" Her father sat beside her, a dignifie
carefully dressed man Of So. iron gra
III hair and mustache, a successful boo
u publisher, with a beautiful home
Hermon and business in Boston. Do
H. othy was the only child at home. 81
We had graduated year before at Mort
Is hampton and was now taking sp
cial course in music, going to the eli
he three days in the week.
nd O. Al MT ..an4 70 .ooso, ri.