DUMB CHILD SPEAKS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12951, 16 May 1935, Page 3

DUMB CHILD SPEAKS.

SENSATION AT SERVICE

A seven-vear-old girl, Muriel Rose Arnold, interrupted a. recent healing service in the Church of St. StepheiT Brighton, by crying out and speaking the first word she had ever uttered in her life.

The child had been inside the church less than an hour and had licit even been ministered to by the priest in charge, the Rev. JchnMaiiiard. W hen she cried out. Mr Maillard paused in his address, and asked the mother to take the child to> the' vestry. He went there later and ministered to her with the laying oil )f hands.

11l is was the second case of its kind to occur at St. Stephen within a week. On the previous Sunday a blind man, Mr Frederick Jarv,' of Brighton, regained his sight two days alter the laying on oil hands.’ A congregation of nearly 500 pcople. gasped in wOndeHueiif \\h« n Mr Maillard mentioned the case of the' child during the afternoon service. He said, ‘ It has been suggested that this church will be n.inodays’ wonder. The mission of the Church >r Christ i.s not a nine-da vs' wonder but an eternal one. A child of seven spoke in this church to-day for the first- time in her life.”

The little girl who lives at Summerlands. Ban stead, Stir rev, i.- suffering from paralysis. At- the conclusion of the* afternoon service, vi hich jjvVted for two* hours and aHalf, Mr Milliard stated: 1 “Although the child was too young to understand the service she would be affected by the atmosphere of the church. The case is similar to one I had during my summer holidays at Dartmoor. In this case a child three years and a-half old had bee i paralysed from birth and was unable to

speak. I'he child received mv blessing. and by Christmas was able to speak quite, long sentences and Ivegan to find the use of its limbs/