The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-09
THE RECTOR OF ST. MARKS.

St. Martins was a mission church. II
was in a section OF the city where the
poor gasped for breath above the baked
pavements in summer and barely escaped
freezing 10 death in winter when the coal
barons pushed up the price of heat
John knight was the rector OF 81. Mar
tins. The little mission had been eStab-
iished by contributions from members Of
the fashionable Church of ST. Jude. St
Jude's was rather low in point OF rit-
ual, and was more than extremely exclu-
sive in point Of congregation.
Thus it was that St. Martins was
founded. but because OF its location the
"hatters' and the '.boarders" refused 10
attend services there, and so IL happened
that the rich and the poor had the gos-
pei preached 10 them while the mid
dIers'' went without the Bread OF Life.
The Rev. John Knight was q years old
be was a big fellow. an athlete and a
graduate of Harvard. where the unitarian
atmosphere failed 10 affect his stalwart
Guardianship. St Martins was his first
charge. Owing to the dependence of the
little parish upon the Church OF St. Jude
the rector of the mission was thrown
more or less in contact with the eongre-
CATION Of the greater parish. John
Knight was rather -churchly. His altar
was a thing of beauty. There were always
flowers on it in two great brazen vases,
hanked by two great candlesticks with q
cross midway
When the parishioners OF st. Jude heard
of the candles they declared that the
Rev John Knight was drifting rapidly TO
Rome, but John Knight was doing moth
ing of the kind. He knew his parishioners
and he knew that an appeal 10 the eye
would make easier the appeal to the
heart. Now John Knight was sincere. In
the absence Of the rector of St Jude
the priest OF the little mission filed the
pulpit The st. Jude people had kicked
at his candles, but they didn't kick at his
sermons. Young women who never be-
fore had thought of doing a stroke OF mis-
sionary work volunteered for work in the
slums about St. Martins. With this aid
John Knight labored TO extend his district
and 10 carry the gospel of the Christ that
If might sweeten the homes Of the many.
There was one woman in St Jude's par
ish who held a!oof from the work ar the
mission OF ST. Martins. She was the one
woman whom above all others John
knight would have liked to see at work
among the lowly. He had met Katherine
Forbes when she had visited her brother
at Harvard. Katherine Forbes was peer
less. Everybody said so. and it must be
true. John Knight believed it. kath-
crime Forbes was a bit disdainful. but
there was something in her face which
fected.
It is better told quickly. John knight
was in love with Katherine Forbes. He
was no recluse. He went into society to
the extent that a clergyman may when
his parish duties do not demand him.
He saw Katherine Forbes fiattered and
Courted. He knew her we'll and knew
that he was not without favor in her eyes.
But what woman brought up in luxury
and with absolutely burning social am
billions would ever marry the rector of a
missionary church with a pittance Of
$1,000 year in his own right with an adj
ded four hundred from his parishioners
aided by the missionary board?
Then there was George Banks. He was
of family as old as that OF John Knight.
He was big. good looking and worth two
millions. knight had the size and the
good looks but the balance went down in
Banks favor with the weight of the
millions Banks was in love with Kath-
crime Forbes. Everybody in st. Jude 5
knew it and talked about it and said the
marriage would be fine thing. and that
the Rev. John Knight ought to read the
marriage service because even though ''he
fully
One day Katherine Forbes heard that
John Knight, rector, had jumped into the
river and saved a Nttle girl from drown
ing. She heard also from time to time of
his constant visits to the sick and the
poor and of the work of uplifting he was
doing. This made her think. She went 10
the rector of the mission and said, Mr..
Knight, 1 want to pitch in with the rest
Of the girls and work"
John Knights face glowed.