Mower County transcript., 1903-01-14


his Hermon memories. He saw again
the old campus, its great avenues Eof
elms, the noble landscape Of hills and
woods, Dorothy's home across the cam
pus, his own dingy little room, his love
for the woman who now was sharing
this great trouble with him. And he
cried without attempt at concealment,
for his heart was sore at the coming
loss of the baby out of home where
God himself had blessed the love of q
man and wife as rarely in human lives
it has been blessed. .
Finally he lifted up his face and
spoke calmly:
"We've hoped all along, of course.
but the long continued heat has been
against his recovery. It's hard to part
with the little fellow. See'''- Malcom
Kirk rose and took the baby again
from his wife, while Dorothy sat down
near a table and laid her beautiful
head on her arms, but still she was
without a tear. ''See, the little fellow
smiles at me still.'
The baby opened his eyes, looked up
into 5Malcom Kinks gaunt, agonized
countenance, and a faint light went
over it's face.
''Malcom, oh, Malcomw cried Doro-
thy. II can't endure it!' -.
1t was the first protest that had es-
capped her. Like him, the presence of
this friend from the old loved place in
the east had stirred her heart, and
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. I 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."
He went away to the hotel, promising
to come In the morning to inquire, and
the night grew on for Malcom and
Dorothy. The doctor came in, few Of
the most intimate church members al
SO, but no one could do any more, and
Malcom Kirk held the baby with ten
derness that relieved it's suffering, for
they had not been able to place it's
body in restful position on bed, and
it had grown used to it's cradle of long,
strong arms. T.: -
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 20
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 Malcom 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 firstborn.
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 a
great, dry, burned out wilderness. The
neighbors called. Wilson came, and
his presence and silent sympathy were
a blessing to Malcom 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 geraniums 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. Malcom stood
beside her, looking hungrily at his
babys 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.
1t was a great blessing to them at
this time that Wilson was with them.
He. seeing how they clung to his pres
ence, staid over Sunday and preached
for Malcolm. 1t was during this stay
that he learned something of what
Malcom and Dorothy had been doing.
A short extract from letter written
by him to his wife in the east will
show us something of the first three
years Of Maleom Kirk and his wife's
attempt to make good their pledge to
help redeem the lives Of the people of
Conrad: }[rfs" n - [5
Il 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 a work they
have done in the three years they have
been here. This is a place Of about
1000 people. It is having q boom at
the present time. 5IS
'"Fhe 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 scout the idea that such
L q 0o