Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-07

theology added something of Celtic
fire and true poetic sensibillty. He
was a man who would always be
young, boyish at heart. not easily
taking offence nor meaning to give it,
but with an unruly evil of tongue
which frequently brought him trouble.
John Fowler was the Valley Kirk
minister, learned man and fine
preacher, living perhaps too much up
on the mountain-tops Of thought. But
he educated his congregation,anda add
ed thereto daily For his word was
with power and to him duty had be-
come well-nigh fetish. Bodily he
was trained fine, perhaps too fine For
mind like John Fowler's, vivid
alert, unsatisfied with anything mere
ly Obvious or received needs solid
bodily envelope to support 1t. hard
driven engine ought to have the sup
port of eXtra-solid bearings and bed
| plate. For the rest MI Fowler was
! dark-eyed. alert, vivid, and sadly shy
with strangers, and indeed, with all
whom he felt instinctively incapable
of understanding him. Yet, curiously
enough he was at home with all work
ing folk. The common people heard
|
subjects of discourse, there was al
ways nail of fact of principle to
join them on to everyday life. Mr..
ing lightly like flower" and few
who met the rather dreamy and dis
tan man would have guessed at the
swift. keen insight which went direct
ly to the heart of problem, uprooted
! fol of he
grown dim under the detlements of
street corners and the mire of thron-
ing pavements.
Lastly. the Kirk of the hill was
ministered to by the Reverend Ben
jamin Irongray. He was the junior of
the three and bacheor--a man of
strict views anG stricter life, grown
a little dishearted from long battering
the cold iron anvil of his peoples be-
lief No melting-pots for the faith Of
the Ironsides! No refners' fire for the
seven times required gold! The con-
gregation on the hill was the Peo-
pie" and well it knew it. And SO.
sometimes to his coat did their min
lister.
To this congregation Jacob Romer
nominally belonged A defender of
vested rights, an upholder of law and
order. he would naturally have been
found in the establishment. But some.
thing akin to his own grim nature
commended itself to Jacob Romer in
the austere and undlluted Calvinism
of the gospel according to the Martyrs
IF man is saved, he is saved, and
there is no more to be said,'' so Mr.
Romer argued in his rate theological
moods. "If he is lost-well. it was sc
: arranged in the councils of Eternity
Either way the man has no RESPONSE
bility in the matter An excellent
doctrine! | conduct my business or
these principles. and | expect you
Kahn, to do the same. Promote g
man or discharge him. But never give
hin. 81 reason. Every going concern
, ought to have but one head, stern, In
fallible, irresponsible-the incubus
Pits just the same as the Universe"
So Jacob Romer gradually became
power in the Kirk Of the mill bu
the minister, Benjamin Irongray. wa'
! undismayed. For he feared not thu
j. face of man-save only his session ;
! little and his choir great deal. II
l which he mucn resembled other min
] listers.
Now. all choirs are full of the anci
ent Adam and the no less ancient Ev'
Scottish mixed choirs especially
g 1t was the minister's mother who wa
!, directly responsible for tne Cameron
I ian choir in Kirktown. Mrs. Irongra
y had been born out of the purple.
:. mere U. P. brought up under Burghe
i ministry. So of course she knew n
[. better Bitter were the conflicts be
y fore the Kirk of the Hill would submit
l. to receive a choir
j. The minister did not want it. Tn
l. presenter did not want it. The sessio
J. did not want it. Jacob Romer foame
d at the idea. But little Mrs. Waite
e Irongray, with her wire-drawn OLE
It maidish ways-the face of the mothe
d of the only child"-beat tnem a
. just by sticking to it.
" But forming the choir was easie
" than running the choir when formed
That Indian institution called cast
n is as powerful in Kirktown as in a
r other Christian countries.
If The best voice in the congregatio
|" was that of Vida Brynn, who Sc