THE STORY OF A CHAPEL
[By Miss MARIANNE FARNINGHAM]

Last month, at Wollaston, a pretty village in Northamptonshire, the best part of a week was devoted to the celebration of the jubilee of Zion Baptist Sunday School. Its story is perhaps not uncommon, but it is one of consecrated sacrifice and service, and, of course, there is a devoted woman in it. At the beginning of the latter half of the nineteenth century the Rev. Jonathan Whittemore, who was closely connected with the origin of "The Christian World," "The Standard Tune-Book," and other publications, was the minister of the Baptist Church at Rushden. He was a man of considerable literary ability, and a preacher of more than ordinary power; and people drove from the surrounding villages to hear him. Among his friends was a remarkable man, known throughout the county as "Dr. Knighton." He was a stalwart Nonconformist and temperance advocate, a man of high character and rare sagacity, who understood the curative properties of the plants that grew around him, and had keen insight and knowledge of men. He was a self-taught man, of small beginnings, but when I knew him, nearly forty years' ago, his fame as a doctor was great. Many people had unbounded faith in his opinion, and they went to him for miles around, and patiently waited for consultation, and who went away at the close elated with hope or feeling that they had received sentence of death. His dispenser and assistant was his daughter, a sweet woman full of tender sympathy and shrewd common-sense. Mr. Knighton was in the habit of driving his daughter to Rushden every Sunday to hear Mr. Whittemore; but in 1852, for some reason he ceased to go, possibly because the theology of Mr. Whittemore became too "broad." One of the last of the conversations I had with "the doctor" was upon, the discussion carried on in "The Christian World" at that time on the subject of eternal punishment. It was a great trial to his daughter when her father no longer attended Mr. Whittemore's ministry, and she missed the happy services of those Sabbaths. After a time, however, she comforted herself with work; for on October 10th, 1852, she started a Sunday school in Wollaston, at the old chapel there. On

THE FIRST MORNING

six scholars attended, three boys and three girls, at present, notwithstanding the losses which all villages are sustaining, the scholars and teachers on the books number together two hundred. As so often has happened, the Sunday school grew into a church. Mr. Knighton preached Sunday after Sunday, sometimes assisted by ministers and friends of adjacent towns and villages. Miss Knighton gathered about her the boys and girls of the place, and taught them with skill and affection to know their Bible and to understand why they were Protestants and Nonconformists. Village boys are sometimes rough, wilful, and disobedient, and the patience of the gentle teacher, who loved and prayed them into being good, was often sorely tried; but to-day there are men living their lives bravely and conscientiously, who are proud to say, each of himself, "I was one of Miss Knighton's boys." The testimony means much. It has been good for the young people of Wollaston to have, through all the years, the sacred memory of so gracious a life. About the year 1857 the scholars had become so many that the room could not contain them all, and

A COTTAGE

had to be used for the infants. At the same time Miss Knighton had a serious illness. But ''prayer was made for her continually" by her people at Wollaston, and she was spared to them for eight years longer. On her recovery she resolved to build a new schoolroom as a thank-offering. When the foundations were being laid a friend from Northampton, Miss Williams, another "elect lady," who also "turned many to righteousness," said, "Why not make it a chapel, and use the old chapel for the Sunday school? " Miss Knighton took the advice. A builder was secured who would do his work after Miss Knighton' s own heart. "I want you to build it to stand as long as the world does," she said.

"There is to be no contract work, but I would like to feel that praying men are doing it." The chapel was opened on May 26th, 1868. The bills announcing the services contained the words,

"NO COLLECTIONS,"

and the congregations were large. From that day to this the good work has gone on in the village, continued as a service of affection by those who loved Miss Knighton and who are faithful to her Master. She was called away on October 31st, 1875, leaving her aged father to mourn her loss—a sorrow shared by the whole village. A lady who knew her, and worked with her, Miss R. Sanders, wrote for the jubilee a little booklet of jottings, in which she says, "Miss Knighton was welcomed in every home, rich or poor. Her influence over young men was very great, and many remember with gratitude the good they gained at the night school. Her Sunday class was always large, and she was most anxious to keep them from evil and all bad influences. Many of them are scattered

FAR AND WIDE,

and some remain at Wollaston, members of the church." One old scholar, who gave her many an anxious hour, read the paper of reminiscences at the jubilee meeting. Miss Knighton had the joy of knowing, just before her death, that this lad had become a disciple of Christ, and now his greatest delight is to preach the Gospel to others. Things were made very easy for the people until Mr. Knighton's death. From the first he or his daughter paid expenses, and there were no church anxieties about balance-sheets, though a shilling a quarter was contributed by each seat-holder. But the good work continues to be carried on. The resident pastor is the Rev. D. McCallum; and he and the Rev. A. E. Phillips, of Wellingborough, conducted deeply interesting evangelistic meetings in connection with the jubilee, and so fulfilled the desire of the builder of the chapel and her father. Another part of the celebration was the presentation of prices won by the children in the Scripture examination of the Sunday School Union. One wondered a little whether they knew in the world of praise what was going on below. The only reward she longed for, says her friend, was to see the salvation of souls and a good cause maintained by united men and women, valiant for the truth and able to testify of the good hope of eternal life.—(From "The Christian World.")