OUR LADY OF LOURDES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 46, 15 March 1895, Page 21

OUR LADY OF LOURDES.

(From an Exchange,)

It was the morning of the Feast of the Assumption at Lonrdes. The Holy Sacrifice of the Maas had been celebrated without interruption Bince early dawn by the priests gathered from all parts of France, who had come to take part in the feast's solemnity in that blessed spot where the Immaculate Virgin has shown a glimpse of her glory.

The last Masses were being concluded. The pilgrim's prsyera were arising with redoubled confidence toward the throne of heaven's gracious treasury.

The sick and the knim were very numerous— the one brought hither in qnickly pn pared h'torp, the other in light carriages, which could be managed by re'at'vrs or friends.

Everyone kLows (r-nt ihe pilgrims enter into tbe true spirit of a pilgrimage; <hey fjrgec themselves and become mindful of others. Lourdes is tte place where charity flourishes under the most touching forms.

After a f° rvent Commuri in the sicfe assembled together, anxiously awaiting Mary'n hour. They hoped 'o hear a voice which would say to them in the dipth of tin'ir hearts : " Go, thy faith hath R>ived thee." But no cure hsul been ob'aioed. and the cowd did uot leave the sanctuary ; hi j priyed yet, prayed alwiys without ceasing. It seems to thoee c ou!p euetain"<l by the holy courwgH of fnith ttint the feast of the cro*ni g ot th. Itnonculate V.rgin could not end without some gifts fr> m t> eir h"ly S ivureign,

In the corner of th^ chinch a young woman was half lying down in her little c- irn gi- H< r pale countenance, her sad smile made one imagino ihe 'roubles of mm i which agg'avated 'he "darings of this poor, immovable b)dy. Her loving gaze reste i on her three children groui^" around her, and the oldest, Martha, was Bcarcely ten years. H r bright eyes, glißtening with te »rs, were fixed on the tabernacle wnb nu expression of suppliant Borrow. They appeared lo say to Gorl, a'wayn present on tba altar to hear us and console us : " it, is for J.ese, U my God, that I a9k our Laay to p cad in my behalf,"

Martha drew near and delicately wiped the tesr-sUined face. Bhe has for her m tr^r a tender devotion, admirable in a child of cine years. Gentle and attentive, she guesses her ne-edfl and seldom quits her side. The children of the poor piralytic are net lively and noisy as are happy children. The suffering of their parent put their childhood into mourning.

Martha knew and wept for her father, a modest Christian officer — filled with sorrow and grief when death claimed him for her own. Germaine, a beautiful little girl of seven years, pimply remembered the day when the hou^e was crowded with mourning friends, and the black drees that her aunt put on her, ana the gloomy road to the cemetery. Little Joseph came into the world the sirae time his father left it, and since b'S sad bir h unhappiLess had not left the cheerless hearth of the family.

Medicine had little eff -ct on this incurable sickness wh'ch c >ndemned a poor living creature to drag along ma .imate limb-i. In apite of their nume oup attempts and praiseworthy z>al, tbc-emen of science conld not procure for Madam L any relief, and there now remained for her only the consolation of God. That was a great deal — it was everything.

During those lnnvj hotus of sleepless nights, eha thought of her brother, a brave cava'iy c ffic-r, who had well proved his valour, failing in nothing except the loss of Ohns'ian faith. She knew th it ho tenderly loved tbe cb.ldreu, and that the poor little ones would be happier with him thun ne*r a mother who could only love them.

Martha hal heard tbe Si9t< rs read of co many remarkable cures that she dreamed of j pi Unonge to Lmides for her mother. She took her teacher, Siste Agnes, into bur confidence, and tue good religieuae persuaded t.m sick worn to to try a miraculojs cure.

First, the question of boarding the two young children came op. Martta declared she was of a contrary opinion. "O, mamma," implored she, " take us? Wben our Lady will see ns around yon she will be touched and will cure you."

The mother smiled and consented to everything they wished, only putting in one condition that her brother accompany her to Lourdes.

Sister Agnes was to write to thi captain immediately. There was no time to lose, he should come the same evening that the invitation was sent. She wrote » beautiful letter, which was, without doubt, a formal order, for him to be found at the station of AngouJeme at ten o'clock that evening

Wben the baggage-mister brought this charitable errand to the captain's residence, he was out. He came in, however, very soon but in a state of mita'ion, which argued badly for Sioter Agnes' summons. He took the letter, cist it on the bureau without even looking at it ; opened and closed his drawers ; heaped up in the chimney some p ipers to which he set fire, and then sealed a large packet of enclosed writings locking as solemn as a testament. Then only did he care to notice the li'tie missive on the dressing case. He decided to open it. After the first line he Hung it from him and paced the room excited'y, exhausting his anger in blowsof the fistupon the furniture. S >me hackneyed phrases hinsed between hia teeth: "Ah I in what a miserable sr nation you place me ! And this devotee, with btr scrawl'ng, comes then to entangle me, saying that I am to go to Lourd<>B, to stait >jut to-day even 1 Surely that is tbe height of frankntfs. "

la spite of his anger, he again pisk'd up the lelter, read it attentively and nil cud.

"I oari'iot,' thougnt he, " 'efuse ihh unfortunate service to my dear suff nr. Pen" Bister, win' ;i dieaq;rt eible iiea 1 I have my permißHioQ in my pock'i. lam going to have a fight with an offic-jr of my corps wno h<tH offended me. To-nioi row the >>ff nr will bo over, and I will be free to go to Lourdcs to recite some Pater A'osters if it seems well to me ; but my sioter wishes me positively to start this evenirg — what to dvd v ?

What esptcwliy pr -occupied the captain was the c fleet it would produce on hie enemy, this kind of desertion. Not knowing what conclusion to come to, he went out. Ie was Providence, no doubt that put in his way his best friend, Captain H , a practical Cnristun, respected by every one, calm an 1 wise in his judgment.

To the confi lence of the impulsive ofßcer, he replied by a wise counsel : " Ooe companion, 1 warrant, has b^en with rue so'e witness of thy lameDtable dispute, I charge myself to explain thy journey to ihy opponent. 1 will say t> him that on your return from ibis unforseen pilgrimage you put yourself at h'.s disposal. Go then ; to day you owu tois duiy to your B<st<;r,"

"You will then remonstrate with Solomon, himielf ; th >nks ; behoM me relieved and a pilgrim ia spite of myself."

The captain did not know the anci^n' village of Loardes and its snrroundi.igs. He had visitod the entrenched camp that they Dame, ia patois, Catitera, de Juloi -tnd saw the apeara of CaMar ; the strong chateau that the English took for the central point when they came t'> occupy the cmniry of B in 13G0 in virtue of the treaty of Brittany. He again read with a more lively interest the recital of tbe heroic attempt of the Duke o ( Anjou, of the (Jon-stable DuKuesclin, ot Peter Aran \ of Barn, in 1374, to cast r.ff the English yoke, which ended in the Pyrenees, after a half century of B'ruggle only by the capitulation of this chateau.

The captain declared that those souvei irs cast a glorious light over the majestic beauty of thia country, and that be w>a not weary at Lour lea. His days were well fillet up. Id the mor'nng ha conducted he sifater to Miss; before dinner he took a wa.k with the children who were b j ing strenutoencid with the exhilarating air of the mountains ; at the s^ttine: of the Bun he conducted his infirm sister to the grot; o, ami alter tie Atig'Jus thtn again rttur ed to the hotel. il'u bt concluded,')