The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-11-08

| su1ering and temptation, most OF
which has always been unknown even
to their own people, came out of their
/ afiliction with astonishing power over
the life Of the place. There Is no ques-
tion that the very thinking Of the peo-
pie here is shaped by Malcom Kinks
Christianity. The promise he and his
wife made when they came here has
been constantly in mind. The number
Of lost men and boys who have been at.
tracted to Kinks ministry and to Mrs.
Kinks singing and playing and led to
Christ is amazing. Even the business
and political life Of the town has been
shaped by Kinks purpose in life. That
means great deal, as any one will ac-
! knowledge. This fact, however, is
shown by the common illusions to Con-
rad by other towns. They speak Of IL
Us 'Kirkville.' A higher compliment to
a mans influence it would be difficult
to find.
ut is Of curse still true that the
devil does bl Siness in Conrad. Kirk
has told me tnat the whisky men have
never ceased from the day they were
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 n 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 prohibitory
statute or not, is the incentive of great
financial returns for 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.
ut 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 n
place in the world where 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 10 silence the question, What If
every minister as he entered n new
place, no matter how small or diff
cult, entered it with n passion like
Kinks to redeem the lost part of 1t
and bring 1t back to GodY | know
this much is true the work done
citement and no eS raordinary means
employt produce the astonishing
results. re is no question that Kirk
has cert IN qualities that have helped
him. His voice is, as 1t always was, n
fine instrument. He knows how to
talk to people, and he writes uncom.
monty well. 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
uul tlu ltE tuc sdiNutiOu VI tic
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.
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 | do not know why 1t
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? II we did, should
we not see the results everywhere that
we see here? | shall return home from
my visit to Malcom Kirk with that
question sounding in my heart"
There was one brief allusion In this
letter which meant even more than
Wilson knew. 1t was his allusion to
what he called Malcom Kinks 'pe-
culiar habits of generosity" Indi-
rectly these led to events which have
to do with this history Of the human
conflict against sin and involved in
that growing conflict all the members
Of Kinks family.
A few days after Wilson's departure
Faith and her mother were sitting to-
gether in the common room," as Faith
called 1t, the room that the family
used for dining and sitting room to-
gether. Dorothy was sewing. and
Faith was helping her with some work
On the boys suits.
II was about II o'clock in the morn.
ing, and Malcom Kirk was up stairs