AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16114, 1 May 1923, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

DROUGHT IN VICTORIA

MELBOURNE, April 19.—Owing to the continuance of the dry spell, a, large volume of water is being trained from Madura, Bendigo, and other place.-; to localities in which there is an acute shortage.

PARSON AS PUGILIST. ADELAIDE, April 19.—Rev. George Sharpley, M.U.K., at a Methodist Church meeting, told how at Cockburn. near Broken Hill, he fought two rounds with a pugilist as a*condition to the tatter's helping in church work. Afr. Simpler appeared in ihe pulpit next day with a, black eye, but the pugilist, .as a result, became an earnest; Christian.

DRAGGED A FURLONG

JOCKEY'S AMAZING ESCAPE

SYDNEY,' April 22.—R, Adams had a miraculous escape from serious injury when riding Tarella on the cinder;? track at Kensington. When cantering near the six furlong post the hit snapped, atid Tarella cleared- out. She did 1 not gt far befor'a colliding with the .outer rail, where) Adams was unseated. Tie was dragged a furlong by the. galloping horse, but escaped with a nasty cut on the light hand l and 1 a gravel rash on the left arm. Tarella galloped aroung the (rack, and was captured by the plucky Adams. The horse wns uninjured'. GIRL'S BAD LUCK. THIGH BROKEN TWICE. NEWCASTLE. (N.S.W.), April 21. The Newcastle Ambulance Brigade wns called out to altendi to a girl, Doris MeClure, who fell from Iter crutches in the yard At-'her parent's residence. She .sustained) a broken thigh, where if. had formerly been fractured. The girl had been out of hospital only a few weeks after long treatment following the breaking of her thigh, through Wing thrown tr.;m a sulky in which she was driving with her father. On that occasion the vehicle collided with a motor car on Broadmeadows railway bridge. Miss McClnre wapj again admitted to hospital.-

"OX A DUCK'S BACK

niCKSOX OX MATERIALISTS

HEALING NOT NEW

GRAFTON, N.S.W., April 15.—Invalid's' chairs, in which arc gad: figures with eyes dimmed by lout; suffering, people into whose faces have been scored deep lines 'hy years of pain, little children with twisted, frail frames, ailing men and women who walk unsteadily as though fearful that the next step may carry them over the precipice, others on crutches, and still others who by reason of the seriousness of their condition are bed-ridden—all these andl scores more whpm medical science has failed' to cure have made Grafton their Mecca this week-end'.

The journey of each and' every ome has been made/ with the same purpose —to attend the llickson spiritual healing mission. Over 500 patients have arrived, andl as- hundreds of show visitors are also here, the matter of accommodation has been a difficult one. Many of the sick hava been put up in private homes. \ Mr. Hickson arrived this afternoon. . "It is not the Hickson Mission," said', "and 1 am introducing nothing new. Spiritual healing is not a sentiment; it is a fact. My mission is a revival, of course. To the material mind' all things spiritual are foolish, and naturally so, because\there is nothing quickened or awakened in the material man to respond to the spiritual thought. To material man things spiritual aro like' pouring water on a duck's back. Christ helped all who came to Him, but He never forced! Himself upon anyone! or interfered with man's 1 free will. I certainly do not intend to ch> so. lam not here to argue with the sceptic, and lie ia not asked to believe, And lam certainly not going t« try to convince him against bis will. No man can be converted until he wants to be converted. "To question the wisdom of a. revival of tile ministry of healing is surely to question the wisdom, of Him Who gave the command to do this work. It is not a question of opinions: it is a matter of olfedicnce. ft had Its place: in the Christian ministry hundreds of years ago, but it became exceptional because of the unwortbiiiessi of Ihe church, ami through lack of faith. Thorci was healing by anointing with oil, iaccording to St" James; and also the healing by l.li/j. laving on of hands. The whole work is eo'iril'ral. end Cntliolic in Iho widtfct FOIISC'-*/-' .