Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-10
even as she cried aloud in her anguish
the pent up tears came, and she cried

even as she cried aloud in her anguish
the pent up tears came, and she cried
in sobs that rent her husbands heart
even more than the baby's sad smile.
/ Wilson choked as he rose to go and
said: Kirk, may God bless and help
you at this time. l would stay and
watch with you or help in any way
mo; it will not be necessary. The
neighbors and church people have been
very kind to us. No one can do any
| more"
| BE went away to the hotel, promising
to come in the morning to inquire, and
the night grew on for Malcolm and
Dorothy. The doctor came in, few Of
the most intimate church members al
so, but no one could do any more. and
| Malcolm Kirk held the baby with ten
derness that relieved its suffering, for
they had not been able to place its
| body IN n restful position on bed, and
it had grown used to it's cradle of long,
strong arms.
1t was toward morning, when no one
was in the room except Malcolm and
Dorothy, that the baby died. 1t SEEM
ed to these two as they watched it go
that their hearts broke, and the world
turned black and empty before them
when the last breath was drawn by
that frail, trembling body. For little
while Malcolm held him. Then he laid
the body down on couch, and, kneel-
ing there with his arms about his
| wife, he joined with her in moment
of unspeakable anguish for the death
of their firstporn.
The sun came up dry and red, the
heat of another day began to pour in
to the little room, and it seemed to the
bereaved parents as if the earth was q
great, dry, burned out wilderness. The
neighbors called. Wilson came, and
his presence and silent sympathy were
n blessing to Malcolm and Dorothy
But when, later in the day, the baby
had been laid in the little coffin and
placed in the center of the room with
a bunch Of white geraniunss on it's
breast brought in by the members Of
Dorothy's primary Sunday school class
Dorothy laid her head down on the
table beside the casket, and her grief
was very, very great Malcolm stood
beside her, looking hungrily at his
baby's face, and the people in the lit
tie room quietly went out and left
them alone for awhile. ~
Next day Wilson read the funeral
service and prayed at the house. and
after the simple service little COM
pany went with Malcom and Dorothy
to the cemetery just on the edge of the
town, and the baby was buried there,
and these children Of the All Father
went back to the little parsonage.
@tA-N1t was q great blessing to them nj
this time that Wilson was with them.
He, seeing how they chung to his pres
ence. staid over Sunday and preached
for Malcom. 1t was during this stay
that he learned something of what
Malcolm >and Dorothy had been doing
A short extract from letter written
by him to his wife in the east win
show us something Of the first three
years of Malcolm Kirk and his wife's
attempt to make good their pledge to
help redeem the lives of the people of
Conrad:
II cannot tell you what a profound
sense of sympathy / have felt for my
old classmate and his wife during their
great trouble, but l am simply aston
ished to find how great work they
have done in the three years they have
been here. This is place of about
2,0o0 people. 1t is having boom at
the present time.
"The agitation over the saloon is in
creasing. and am told by Kirk and
others that things are nearing crisis
and in all likelihood the next legisla-
ture will pass prohibitory amend
ment. The liquor men laugh at this
probability and scoutthe idea that such
law can ever be passed. There are
ten saloons here in Conrad and all ap-
parently fourlshing. Among other
things that the whisky element has at
tempted during Kinks stay here has
been to antagonize the business men
in his church against Kirk with some
success. Kinks wife has been great
help to him. think l never knew n
more happy union of workers in all my
life. She has been the organist and
the leader in Sunday school work, and
her social influence in the town is very
strong. The church membership has
grown from forty odd to over a hum
dred. and Kirk has managed to gain a
hold on a large group Of young men, l
think largely on account Of their ad
miration for his unusual muscular de-
velopment. l think 1t is probably true
from what feel and hear that already
the influence Of Kirk and his wife and
their little church in this wild western
town is the strongest influence that
ever entered the place. They are very
much broken up by the loss of their
baby. 1t has been tremendous. dis
appointment to them. / am very anx-
ious for them, as l think of what the
result may be on their future work
The pay Of Home Missionary out here
is small, and for some reason Kirk has
not been able to make much with his
writing. / cannot help asking myself
how the loss of their baby will affect