The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-06

as 'Kirkville' A higher compliment to
a mans influence it would be difficult
to find.
cit is of course still true that the
devil does business in Conrad. Kirk
has told me that the whisky men have
never ceased from the day they We're
driven out of Conrad to attempt to |
come back in some form and carry on |
their work. AT the present time he |
tells me that through failure on the
part of the officers of the law to en-
force the law the whisky men have
grown bold and opened several places.
He is right now in the midst of the old
struggle again. This time it is a strug-
Gle with state and county officials who
have broken their oaths of office. 1t is
the same struggle in another form. AT
the bottom of the whisky business in
any state, whether it has q prohibitory
statute or not, is the incentive OF great
financial returns for a very little real
labor and also the human passion for
drink, two things which Kirk says
must be recognized by the temperance
| people and always reckoned upon in
| the problem of temperance.
at remains therefore TO be said that
so far as Kirk and his wife are con-
cerned the contest they began here,
| the battle they entered for victory over
| the world still goes on. Is there
place in the world where q Christian
may cease from fighting the good fight
| of the faith? But | am profoundly
| touched by the extent of overcoming
| to be seen in this place. have been
unable to silence the question, What If
every minister as he entered new
place, no matter how small or diff
| cult, entered it With a passion like
| Kinks TO redeem the lost part of it
and bring it back to God? know
| this much is true of the work done
| here. There has been no unusual eN-
| element and no extraordinary means
| employed to produce the astonishing
results. There is no question that kirk
| has certain qualities that have helped
| him. His voice is, as it always was a
| fine instrument. He knows how to
talk to people, and he writes uncom-
monty we'll. But, on the other hand,
| he is still awkward, homely of appear
ance and by no means always at his
best. He loves people. He longs, as
Paul did, for the salvation of the
world And there lies the secret of his
work. 1t is nothing which other men
may not also have.
81 don't know minister in our
churches anywhere who might not
claim all that Malcolm Kirk and his
wife have claimed. They have over
come the world by means of their love,
by following the plain path of duty at
the cost of suffering, by not pleasing
themselves. They are still engaged in
the struggle 1t will never cease this
side of death and paradise. But | wish
that every pastor and every church
might come here and see what has been
done and what the future seems GER
tain to record The most malignant
forces of evil have evidently arrayed
themselves against Kirk and his wife,
and so far these two have overcome
them ALL Heaven has won the victory
out here, and Go not know why it
should not do so everywhere. DO we
want the world to be saved! Do we
have a passion to save it? DO we put
the kingdom first? If we did. should
we not see the results everywhere that
we see here: | shall return home from
: my visit to Malcolm Kirk with that
question sounding in my heart"
There WIS one brief allusion in this
letter which meant even more than
Wilson knew. 1t was his allusion to
what he called Malcolm Kinks ''pe-
Ind
j. rectly these led to events which have
to do with this history of the human
: conflict against sin and involved il
that growing conflict all the members
Of Kinks family.
A few days after Wilson's departure
Faith and her mother We're sitting to
gether in the common room," as Faitl
called it, the room that the family
used for dining and sitting room to
gether. Dorothy was sewing, ant
'' Faith was helping her with some worl
on the boys suits.
1t was about II O'Clock in the morn
ing, and Malcolm Kirk was up stair:
in his study The boys were at school
and Faith, who had finished the hgl
|. school, had been staying at home TO
two years helping her mother
Mother, how does Gilbert manage
l. to tear his coat across the back Xix,
that?" asked Faith, holding up tina
: garment and looking at it with grav
establishment.
Dorothy could not help smiling, al
though the next instant she sighed
little.
"He said one of the boys pushed hin
against wire fence last Saturda
lie while they We're out fishing near 9Th
l. Forks"
l. well, the boy that did it ought to b
N made to wear it after ! have mende
it, That would be making the punish
ment fit the crime" said Faith a
she stabbed the back Of the coat wit
big needle and began turning owe
the basket to find some thread.
"I'm sorry Gilbert hasn't bette
suit" said Dorothy gravely. He mus
ID try TO get along with it this fall, an!