Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-01-20
Children, Many on Crutch-
eS, Treated by Laynan at
Mission - Some Patients
Feel Improvement

James Moore Hickson, layman of
the Church Of England. Conducted
his first healing mission ia Atlanta
at II o'clock Saturday morning at
St. Luke's Episcopal churChe on
Feachtree street. between Pines ana
| Currier streets.
The service was attended by about
zoo peopIe-the small size of the
| audience being due to the fact that
it was announced in the morning pa
per that Mr.. Hickson would hold no
mission until Monday. The sudden
change was made when he arrived in
Atlanta at 500 o'clock and was in
formed that many people were wait
ing at the church.
In the audience were men, women
and children of all ages. There were
ladies so old that it seemed a breath
of wind would blow their withered
frames away. and there We're chill
dren so young that they were car
ried in their mothers arms.
All these were victims of dis
eases, deformities and Affections of
infinite variety. There were women
on crutches, men toddling along and
children with club feet and hunched
backs, blind people, deaf people, one
lady who wanted to be cured of
hot temper
So far as newspaper men could
find out. there were no sensational
cures wrought. A number of people
said afterw&rd that they felt bet
ter physically, and that they had
faith they would eventually get well.
Others said they felt better spirit
ually, that they didn't mind their
troubles so much. The names and
addresses of all in the church were
taken, and, since Mr.. Hickson states
the cures are gradual and the eXcep-
tions are the sudden cures, time may
show more definite results.
Afflicted in Rows
The first twelve rows were filled
with the afflicted. On one end was
a shaggy-looking man with a great
black beard whose left hand, held
close to his side, was withered. Be
hind him an old lady, trembling in
her seat, held her chin on a gnarled
hand, her elbow resting on the edge
of the pew. Further back was a
face many AtIantians would have
recognized-that of the "soab boy as
he is known to nearly everyone who
works in downtown offices, the boy
whose impediment in his speech has
made him an object of sympathy.
On the front row were mostly
children. There was a little boy,
sitting silently with his hands be-
tween his knees, looking out from
| behind big horn-rimmed glasses
| There was a child of two or three
years in a woman's arms, his eyes
| afflicted.
Intense stiffness reigned through
out the church as Bishop H. j. Mi
| Ilell in his. vestments, entered from
| the rear of the chancel, walked for
ward and stopped at it's edge, look
! ing out at the strained, tense faces
i At the same time Mr.. Hickson en-
! tered, but he slipped in most unob-
trusively behind the bishop and sat
down quietly in one of the choir
seats He wore a dark business suit,
black shoes and a dark craVat. He
| looked like many of the men of
business type N the audience.
He is medium height. trifle
heavy, but thick-set rather than
stout. His face is red, but not florid,
for he is of the brunette type. Black
Hall oIlOl Win eIc1y q 9AlOA ~ ~ SLY
sandy mustache also gray tinged;
rather prominent nose and heavy
black eyebrows are his facial char,
acteristics. But chief of them are
his eyes. They are warm brown,
When he is serious they seem to
widen and deepen, to become very
earnest and very kind. And then
again, he will laugh and they will
twinkle most merrily.
At the conclusion of the prayer
| Mr.. Hickson walked quietly 10 the
front and began to speak, slowly and
! inpressiyeIy, hating every now and
then to choose his words.
He wanted the people, he said, to
! feel that the mission was not his.
| but theirs, and that they must do
! their part. The most important
! thing was to enter into it in the
right spirit. Reverence and earnest
prayer We're necessary.
God can do all things" he said,
but lie is limited by your attitude
toward him. ( want you to ren1em-
Der that there is only one Healer
Jesus Christ. [ am afraid you will
be disappointed if you come here eX-
pecting 1 have power to heal. God
does use people as instruments, as
! channels for His power, but do not
| look to me, look to Christ"
At the conclusion of his talk,