A Monthly Paper for Circulation among the Coloured People of Australasia.

Issued by the Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia. 212 Pitt Street, Sydney

June. 1912 Vol. 12. No. 6.

Fire! Man's Friend becomes Man's Enemy

THE AUSTRALIAN EVANGEL 1942

Our Message OUR HABITS

The word "habit" means "what one has" or "possesses," but more often than not it pictures to us "what has the man" or "what possesses or owns him" as in the case of the drunkard when we say "Drink has taken pos­session of him," or "Gambling has taken possession of him."

Habit is just simply a thought, a feeling, or something that we choose to do changing into something that, instead of being there just once is there always. Something which at first is only occasional or now and again changing into something which we do all the time, even without knowing we are doing it.

Someone has wisely said "We sow a thought and reap an act; we sow an act and reap a habit; we sow a habit and reap a character."

There are many bad habits but we will just mention three of them: the habit of drinking; the habit of im­purity (or evil thoughts and bad living) and the habit of gambling. A working man who had been a great drunkard gave this testimony: "I wandered from God, and tried to drown my sorrows in drink; but I found sorrow is a good swimmer and doesn't easily go under."

To take to drink to try and do away with sorrow and suffering is to use a medicine that is worse than the disease.

A minister once offered a prize to the boy who in five minutes could write the best composition on how to overcome a bad habit. The boy who won the prize wrote:

"Habit is hard to overcome. If you take off the first letter it does not change a bit. If you take off an­other you still have a bit left. If you take off the third letter the whole of it remains. If you take off another letter it is wholly used up; all of which goes to show that if you want

to get rid of habit, you must throw it off altogether."

If you do not understand quite what the boy meant then print out the word HABIT in big letters and take off one letter at a time and see what is left and what is spells each time you take a letter off.

The only real cure for bad habits is to form good ones. We cannot often break a habit in our own strength. We must ask the Lord to help us.

We mentioned three bad habits people have and now here are three of the best to take their place. Of course if they have the first lot of habits they surely do not know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Take Him to be your Saviour and ask Him to point out to you any bad habit you may have and then to give you strength to break it off altogether; in other words ask Him to be the LORD of your life.

These then are the three good habits. There are many more.

(1) The habit of Bible study. This should be a daily one. A great mis­sionary wrote these words: Don't have your concert first and then tune your instruments, begin the day with the Word of God, and get into harmony with Him.

(2) The habit of secret prayer. Matthew 6: 6 teaches us the value of getting absolutely alone with God. This habit of secret prayer when joined with the other, daily Bible study, clothes the Christian in the whole armour of God and makes him proof against the wiles of the devil.

(3) The third great habit is work for others. Let us ask the Lord to show us how we can help others round about us so that their faith in Him and love for Him will be in­creased. Don't let this habit get ahead of the first two.

June, 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN EVANGEL 3

Young Dear Young Cousins:

We have a lovely lot of new cousins to welcome to our page this month, and the most of them come from Pilliga, away out in the north-west of N.S.W. Their names are Flora Toomey, Thelma Welsh, Hubert Naden, Neville Naden, Cliff Welsh, Junette King, Mary King, Terry Doolan, Claud Toomey, Sheila Reid, Barbara Doolan, Leslie Silk, Geoffrey Adams. The others are: Joan Bright and Albert Moolabong from Condobolin; Violet Smith, Viola Button, Doris Gee Gee and Elvie Beckett from Cherbourg; Merle Charles from Barmah; and Marie Phillips from Fingal Point.

Neville Naden wrote a little letter with his to pay that he was writing in bed as he had a bad leg and had to have six stitches in it the day before he wrote. We hope it is quite better now, Neville.

A Letter from Cowra Dear Cousin Evangel:

Just a few lines to let you know about our station. I started a little garden at home and some of the seeds are coming up out of the ground. It rained here and the grass is green. At the church Miss Bellinger started a garden and got some plants in as well. I thought it would be nice of me to write a letter to you and tell you the news. I went in for the com­petition at the church and I got one star for the first time and when I saw my name in the Evangel with one star I was pleased.

From Cousin Joyce Wallace. (Thank you for your letter, Joyce, it

was lovely to hear from you. 1 hope your garden is going along well and that you try lots more of the competitions.—Cousin Evangel.)

Results of April Competitions CLASS I. The Bird who found a nest

for herself. 1st Prize: Cousin Sheila Reid, Pilliga. 2nd Prize: Cousin Gloria Meredith,

Cherbourg. Stars: Betty Williams, Billy Williams.

Darlington Point. Rachel Lacey, Chrissie South, Lissing Williams, Elvie Beckett. Jessie Hegarty, Una Byers, Cherbourg. Eunice Browning, Gwen Rotumah, Fingal Point. Sylvia Ingram, Cowra. Flora Toomey, Hubert Naden, Cliff Welsh, Junette King, Barbara Doolan, Leslie Silk, Pilliga. Gloria Briar, Joyce Wallace, Cowra. Cyril Muir, Daisy Cooper, Valda McGee, Cummera-gunja-Barmah. Doreen Johnson, Vera Thomas, Condobolin,

Folks CLASS 2. Birds who fed a Prophet. 1st Prize: Cousin Vera Thomas, Condo­

bolin. 2nd Prize: Merle Charles, Cummera-

gunja. Stars: Melva Walsh, Agnes Turner,

Cummeragunja-Barmah. Geoffrey Adams, Claud Toomey, Terry Doolan, Mary King, Neville Naden, Thelma Welsh, Pilliga. Betty Browning, Olga Slabb, Marie Phil­lips, Fingal Point. Violet Smith, Wilma Byers, Nellie Cobbo, Viola Button, Doris Gee Gee, Isabel Bundai, Barbara Edwards. Phyllis Bond, Cherbourg.

These competitions arrived just after last month's Evangel had gone to the printer, but they received a star just the same: Margaret Sloane, John Moolabong. Sophie Briar, Kevin Goolagong, Joan Bright, Dulcie Johnson, Vera Thomas, Betty Barlow, Audrey Goolagong, Glory Thomas, Albert Moolabong, Coral Sloan, Condobolin.

Then these cousins, also from Condobo­lin, wrote very nice little letters to me asking for a Bible so that they could study for the Examinations: Margaret Sloan, Vera Thomas, Coral Sloan, Glory and Pearl Thomas, and Bibles have been sent to them from Sydney.

Awards for Six Stars: Coral Sloan, Condobolin., Rachel Lacey, Una Byers Cherbourg. Betty Browning, Fingal Point.

New Competitions CLASS 1 (11 years and over).

Who said the following and where can I find it in the Bible? TI SI I TON EB FO DOGO EB FARDAI

REECH The order of the words is jumbled at

well as the letters of the words. CLASS 2 (under 11 years).

Give four texts beginning with the first four letters of the alphabet—the first one beginning with "A," then "B," etc., one for each letter, up to "D."

Send your answers to Cousin Evangel, A.I.M., Pindimar, N.S.W., before the end of July.

Here is a little story we had ready for last month but there wasn't room to put it on our page—it is really a Mother's Day story.

A little while ago an Australian boy aged seven years came out from England to join his mother. He had not seen her since he was a baby and did not know her by sight. His name is Teddy. When Teddy's father died six years ago in

{Continued on page 4)

4 THE AUSTRALIAN EVANGEL June, 1942 • • •

Our News Page The following men have enlisted

from the Walcha-Armidale district: Richard, Francis and Ronald Archi­bald; George McKenzie; Ernest and William Murray; Charles Porter; Leslie Smith; Leonard and Walter Towney; Ernest Widders.

The newly formed Women's A.A.M.M. at Dubbo is going along well and is much enjoyed by all who attend. One member, Mrs. Carr, while in hospital recently, sent for some work to do. So with the wool given to her she crocheted 91 squares for a quilt which they were making. During May they have sent £3 for Native Workers.

One Saturday towards the end of May, our Associate Worker, Mr. Wilson, of Cowra, gave the children there a picnic and 52 attended and had a lovely time. The Sunday School sent 5 - for Miss L. Carten.

Karuah has been passing through a time of trouble. Some months ago, Mrs. Manton, Senr., had a stroke but is now recovering and was able to attend church for the first time on May 31. Mr. Fred Dates broke an arm whilst at work and has since been ill with the 'flu. Two of his sons have had nasty accidents and Mrs. Dates and practically everyone else have had influenza also. Mrs. Janie Ridgeway has suffered a great loss in the burning down of her home, which was in times past the home of the King and Queen of Karuah and con­tained many interesting souvenirs.

Miss May Runge and Mr. Walter Nagus witnessed for their Lord in baptism at Fingal Point, Tweed River, on Mother's Day, May 10.

The Women's Branch of the A.A.M.M. at Fingal Point opened

their offering box at the May meet­ing, which contained £1 /7 /11 . It was decided to send 10/- to Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson, 5/- to Miss L. Carten, 5 / -to Mr. Naden and 5/- to Mr. and Mrs. Cormier, and 1/- was given for postages.

Cherbourg Women's Branch have also done well and sent £3 to be di­vided amongst several Native Work­ers—earlier in the month they sent 7/6 for the Evangel and 3/6 for the A.A.M.M.

Menindee A.A.M.M. sent £1 to be divided between Mr. and Mrs. Fer­guson and Mr. and Mrs. Naden.

Condobolin Sunday School has 4 / - ; Boggabilla 5 -; Palm Island 10/-; Dubbo 5 -; and Balranald 4 / -for the Evangel.

Balranald also sent 12 '• to be sent on to different workers.

I Continued from page 3)

England, his mother came hack to Aus­tralia, while Teddy stayed to live with his grandmother in London.

Teddy travelled out in a big boat to join his mother in Brisbane. On the way out, Captain Treffone, of the Salvation Army, took care of him, but nearly every­body on the ship gave a hand in trying to look after him. He was so excited at the thought of seeing his mother that he was hardly ever still throughout the whole voyage. Even when the temperature rose to 140 degrees in the Red Sea, he romped about the decks and wrote long letters to his mother and grandmother.

When a newspaper man had a talk with Teddy as the boat passed through Melbourne, however, he found him a bit worried. "I started the trip with 5/- and wanted to spend it all on a present for mother," he said, "But with this and that I have only 1/8 left, so I think I will buy her some postage stamps, they are always handy."

What a lovely time Teddy and his mother would have on their first Mother's Day together!

God bless all our boys and girls, Yours in Christ Jesus,

COUSIN EVANGEL.

June, 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN EVANGEL 5

Stories from Other Lands ^ "PLEASE MAKE THEM SNORE!"

Lee Wong was a young Chinese man who lived in one of the small villages in Central China. He had been brought up to worship idols, but when the Gospel Hall was open­ed and missionaries preached the good tidings of a Saviour Who could deliver Lee Wong from his sins, the young man joined the band of Chris­tians and it was not long before he, too, could call himself by that name.

One day, only a few months after Lee Wong became a Christian, news came that brigands were on their way to the big town which lay ten miles to the north, sacking the vil­lages on their way. Scarcely had the news spread through the village than the brigands appeared. They seemed in a hurry, and only stopped to take all the young men they could find, bindng them together and carrying them off as prisoners.

Lee Wong found himself being hustled along, tied tightly to an­other young man, one who had often had long talks with Lee Wong about Christianity, but who was still an unbeliever.

They reached the town of H'shien just before darkness fell, and, as

there was little resistance they soon took the town. Lee Wong and his companions were thrown roughly on the ground in a dark inner room, after the cords which bound them had been tightened so that they cut into the flesh.

Later on, four soldiers threw open the door, carrying a light with them. This they placed on the floor, and began to play a game of chance.

Lee Wong lay in silence watching his captors, and as he watched, he was busy thinking. Some weeks be­fore he had been reading a wonderful story in the Bible. It was about a man called Peter, who had been shut up in prison, but who had had a wonderful escape. Now Peter's God was Lee Wong's God, and had not the missionary said that He was "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever r

The soldiers soon tired of their game, and began to yawn. One by one they lay back in the shadows ready for a short sleep. Every now and then one of them would pick up the light and take a look at the prison­ers, who lay as quiet as they could. Then Lee Wong began to pray.

(To be continued.)

Mrs. Ethel Ingram Called Home

Mrs. Ethel Ingram passed away in the Deniliquin Hospital on April 28. She was taken from Moonah Cullah three weeks before. Our mission aries were unable to get in to the funeral on the 30th, and she was buried by Lieut. Wheatley of the Salvation Army, who had visited her in hospital.

Mrs. Ingram will be greatly miss­ed. She has been a helper to our missionaries and seldom missed a morning prayer meeting for many-years, nor the Bible studies unless

she was ill. If asked to take the A.A.M.M. meeting she was ready to do it, and was its secretary there. There are few grown-ups to whom she has not spoken of spiritual things. She was always ready to bring out her Bible and explain its truth, no matter who was present. She truly witnessed for the Lord.

It doesn't seem true to her mis­sionaries that they will not see her walking to the tap to get water again with her four little dogs following her, but they look forward to a blessed re-union when they are all with Christ in the Eternal glory.

6 THE AUSTRALIAN EVANGEL June, 1942

Bible School at Fingal Point A great time of blessing was the

outcome of the first Bible School— which was held at Fingal. It was conducted as a part of the work of the Native Workers' Training Col­lege.

Special questions about the word of God proved very interesting and helped many to search their Bibles and so to know them better. Know­ing God's word led them to know Him better too. Three adults and six children gave their hearts to the Lord and others made a fresh start to follow Him. Two witnessed for Him in the waters of baptism and 18 Active and Associate Members were added to the Christian Endeavour.

Our Lord lovingly said "Suffer little children to come unto Me," and while we were there seven mothers brought their little ones to the same Lord and in dedicating their young lives to Him promised to train them to love and serve the Lord. Five new teachers were added to the Sunday School.

There is a lovely choir at Fingal and they have been used, not onlv there, but in other places, in singing the songs of Zion.

A Sunday School Tea Party was held one Saturday afternoon and competitions and games were follow­ed by a lovely tea of saveloys and bread and butter, cakes and rasp­berry syrup, sweets and peanuts.

A Letter from Dubbo Dear Mrs. Collins,

It is a long while since I wrote to you but I know that you pray for us and thought that you would like to hear a little about the work here and about my little Sunday School down by the river bank. It is a real joy to teach the children—they sing so well and listen attentively to the lesson. The room and the children are always ready for us. We have it at Mrs. Reynolds' home (she is Mr. Rolie Waterloo's sister).

In the afternoon Miss Campbell has the bigger children and I have

the kindergarten. This is at our cen­tral Sunday School. Quite a nice number of tinies come along and we have a lovely time amongst the children.

During the week we have meetings in various places. A Cottage Meet­ing on Tuesday night, on Wednes­day afternoon the A.A.M.M. sewing meeting, which we all enjoy, Thurs­day night J.C.E., Friday night Y.P. Endeavour, and Sunday evening ser­vice. There is Talbragar, 44 miles away, which we visit as we are able. West Dubbo is two miles away. We also have a walk of three miles visit­ing homes on the way, then there are two hospitals and scattered homes about the town to visit.

Miss Campbell and I have been busy digging and fixing up our vege­table garden and it is simply thrill­ing to see the little green shoots pushing their way up through the earth.

Altogether we are kept busy but we know that we are not wasting our time for we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Yours in Christ Jesus, (Miss) L. Carten.

Mrs. Stuart Asleep in Jesus Mr. John Swift, Native Worker

(who has been blind from his in­fancy) sends us news of the home-going of an aged sister (Mrs. Stuart) , who for many years has walked hum­bly before the Lord in happy trust in Him. She was one of the founda­tion members of the Darlington Point, and was baptised with a num­ber of others in the Murrumbidgee River on Easter Sunday, 1936. She was then a very old woman, with skin withered and wrinkled by the passing of time, but the light of heaven lit up her trusting face and she was eager to serve the Lord with all her failing powers, and did so as best she could till she fell asleep in Jesus on the 19th May. About the same time Mr. and Mrs. Hector Glass's little baby went to rest in the Saviour's arms.

June, 1942 THE AUSTRALIAN EVANGEL 7

Watching Our Words

Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee. Proverbs 9: 8.

These words were proved one time in a little incident in which our late brother, Dowie Nicholls, played a part. Once hearing of a man hav­ing spoken in an unkind way about him and he believed a slight rebuke would not be wasted if done in the spirit of meekness.

On seeing Dowie the wrong-doer began to apologise. "That's all right." Dowie said, "but I have come to tell you a story." Being told to "go ahead" our brother told the follow­ing story:

"One time, long ago, a soldier was commanded to gather thistledown in a bag. He set out and searched day after day until he had filled his bag, with which he hurried back to the king. When the king had assured himself that the bag was full he commanded the soldier to scatter the thistledown to the four winds. This was very easy to do and so without waiting any longer the soldier mounted his horse and galloped many miles scattering the thistle­down in all directions. How it spread! The wind caught it and car­ried it for miles! The soldier, satis­fied with his work, sped home to tell the king that the order had been car­ried out. When the king saw the empty bag and heard the soldier's word he said, 'Now go once more and gather up every piece of thistle­down that you have scattered. Do not miss so much as one piece or you shall be put to death. The poor soldier saw how hopeless it was to gather it all up again."

And so our brother finished his storv with shaking his friend's hand saying this, "No matter now, but we should always be careful of the words we speak, for once the word is out it is out for ever and we can't put it back in our mouth again.

DUNCAN FERGUSON.

The Sunday School Examination I am writing this on June 1, the

day on which the entries for the Ex­amination are due to be in and they have been arriving at the College by every mail for the last few days. Palm Island's list came first, a nice long one too; this was quickly fol­lowed by one from Walcha, and many others followed that. So it seems as though we are going to have a great many entries this year.

Normanton will not be represent­ed this year but hope to enter next time. They very kindly sent 5/- to­wards the expenses just the same. Cowra Church and Sunday School have sent 10/- and Balranald 2 / - to­wards the expenses too, and we thank them for their help in this way.

We hope you will like the ques­tions and that you will be able to answer them all without any trouble.

Births Riley.—March 18. 1912, to Mr. and Mrs.

C. Riley, of Talbragar, a son, John. Carr.—April 19, 1942, to Mr. and Mrs.

G. Carr, of Dubbo, a daughter, Betty June. Heland.—May 8, 1942, to Mr. and Mrs.

J. Heland (Native Worker), of Cummera-gunja. a daughter, May Hilda.

Murray.—May 16, 1942. to Mr. and Mrs. P. Murrav, of Balranald, a son, Richard I Dick).

Burns— May 23. 1942, to Mr. and Mrs. B. Burns, of Dubbo, a son, Arthur Allan.

Dedications At Woolbrook.—April 29. 1942, Ross

Bath. At Fingal Point.—May 10. 1942, Pasepa

Rotumah, Russell Walter Slockee. At Cowra.—May 10, 1942, Kerry John

Draper, Mileta Rose Newton.

Marriages Lawrence-Trewlynn.—April 23, 1942,

Joan Trewlvnn to William Lawrence, at Walcha.

Morris-Munro.—April 30. 1942, Retta Munro to Thomas Morris, at Walcha.

Bartman-Orcher.—May 14, 1942, Dora Orcher to Reuben Bartman, Jnr., at Bog-gabilla.

Deaths Fuller.—.May 20, 1942, Margaret, baby

daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, of Dubbo. aged 3 months.

Binge.—May 23, 1942, Mrs. Jessie Binge, of Boggabilla, at Goondiwindi Hospital. Buried at Goondiwindi on May 24.

8 THE AUSTRALIAN EVANGEL June, 1042

OUR SERIAL STORY. C A R

CHAPTER 23 (Continued).

"Yes, read what you love best, Carola, my dear," he answered, looking fondly at her from under his shaggy grey eyebrows; "if it is good for you it'll be good for me. There's something that has made you better than any daughter of my own people that I ever knew. But you mustn't ask me to forsake the Lord God of my fathers."

"No, oh, no!'" she replied earnestly; "is He not the Father of us all? Only let me read to you about my Lord!"

With eager and trembling tones she read to him the story of the Lord's death. But when she came to the words, "And when they had platted a crown of thorns they put it upon His head, and they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him saying 'Hail, King of the Jews, '" she could not control her faltering voice any longer and falling down on her knees beside the old Jew's bed, she burst into tears.

"Why, my Carol!" he said, stroking her head with his bent fingers, "do you love Him so? You mustn't read any more of that to me."

"Oh, but I must!" she said, looking up at him through her tears.

Matthias listened to the end, and when it was finished she closed the book with a sigh and he shut his eyes, and lay for a few minutes in silent thought.

"I'm too old to remember," he said at last, "but our wise men used to say some­thing about all that; and I've known a great many Christians, too many, but you are different to them, Carol. You shall read it over again if you love it best, and the Lord my God will pardon me if I gin in this matter."

Now Carola was free to read in the New Testament, she did so gladly, choosing such passages as she thought least likely to arouse his old thoughts, and putting for the hated name of Jesus Christ the title of "my Lord." It sounded better to the old Jew's ears, for he seemed to be listening to the history of Carol's Lord, not of the Jewish imposter, whose name for many centuries had been accursed.

These thoughts did not trouble him, they seemed to enfold him as a sort of sweet atmosphere, soothing away dis­tress. There was another and better Chris­tianity than that which he had known, but he no longer thought of the past with its evil memories. The days and weeks passed peacefully and happily away, and he felt it was very good for him to lie still and be waited on by Carola.

"You'll be lonely when I'm gone, my dear," he said one evening after she had made his bed and lifted him back into it, almost as if he were a child again.

O L A By Hesba Stretton.

"Yes, I shall be lonely," she answered, '"only my Lord said just before He died, 'I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.' When we lose all we find Him."

'"Is that in your book?" he asked. "Yes," she replied, "and just before

that He said 'In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." He is preparing a place for us, Mat­thias."

"If there are many mansion*," he said feebly, "perhaps He'll let you and me have a little one together, Carola. I used to be afraid you were lost to me forever."

"Oh. He couldn't let us lose one an­other!" she said smiling.

He fell asleep smiling as she had done, and she watched beside him whilst he slept, for at last she knew the end was very near, and the messenger of death might come at any moment. At last he woke again, and met her wistful look.

"My Carol," he murmured feebly. "I'd like to make you happy before I go away, but I'm afraid I'll have to grieve the Lord my Cod. If your Lord is the Messiah, He will pardon me."

"Oh, yes!" she answered eagerly, "He will pardon you."

He closed his eyes again and lay still talking to himself in faint undertones.

Once after a long pause, she heard him whisper. "Our Father which art in heaven. That's a good prayer, Carol." Then he lay silent, dreaming perhaps, for a smile rested on his face, but he woke up with a look of trouble and spoke in a loud voice, "There's something I've forgotten" he said, "help me to remember, Carol."

He was struggling to lift himself up. and she raised him in her arms.

"Turn my face to Jerusalem," he whis­pered, "then I shall remember."

She moved him a little on the bed. The sun was setting and she could see all the long shadows stretching eastward.

"I remember," he cried in a tone of solemn triumph, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our Cod is one Lord!"

Carola laid him down again on his bed. but he spoke no more. Only as she knelt by him. with his hand in hers, she felt now and then a little pressure of his fingers, growing feebler each time, until it ceased altogether, and she knew that he was gone.

She buried him in the parish cemetery. "Matthias has seen his Messiah now."

she thought, as the tears ran down her pale cheeks. "Cod is no respecter of per­sons," she said to herself as she returned alone to her empty cottage, "but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him."

(To be continued.)

The Central PRESS. Ltd., 309 Castlereagh Street,