The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-06-07
LEGEND OF 81. w1NuRxD.

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Month, entitled GA Narrative of the Days
of Persecution in England, we copy the
following facts in regard to the above saint:
st. Winifred was a holy maiden in North
Wales, comedy of face, and comelier still
one of the Welsh chieftains loved her and
sought her hand. She rejected him, as well
on account of his being q heather, as be-
cause she had already vowed her virginity
to God at the hands of the bishop of the
place, and was unwilling to yield it to man.
fury, and he cut off the maiden's head with
a stroke of his sword. AS this happened
on the slope of a HILL the head rolled down
to the bottom, where Instantly burst forth
powerful spring of water. Ever since,
the glen, which before got its name from its
water, which takes its rise at the spring and
flows on to the sea. Such volume of
water gushes out of the spring every minute,
that it suffices to turn a mill at fifty PAGES
distance. There are very large stones in
the well, all red, as if covered with fresh
blood. The people of the place are very
loath to allow pieces to be cut off. Such
pieces are also red, and the place of the
cut changes from white to red in time. In
the stream are found many stones either
covered or sprinkled with blood. The
! Catholics gather these, and treasure them
| sweet-smelling moss thatsticks to the stones.
The water is very cold but drinking it or
bathing in it out of devotion has never
done any one any harm: I myself have
taken several draughts together fasting
without hurt. On the feast Of St. Winifred
lthe third Of November,) the water rises a
foot higher than usual. 1t turns red on that
day, and on the morrow is clearer than
before. l visited it once on. that day to
witness the change, and found the water
100, Id e Ell Il
is generally SO clear that you can see a pin
at the bottom.-It was winter, and freezing
SO hard at the time, that, though the ice
had been broken the night before by the
people crossing the stream, I had hard
work to ford it on horseback the first thing
next morning. notwithstanding this severe
frost, l went into the well, as all pilgrims
do, and lay down and prayed there for
quarter of an hour. On coming out my
shirt was of course dripping wet, but did
not change. l put on my clothes over it,
and took no harm whatever. IA. ~.
These are wonderful facts, but in addition
to them very signal miracles are very often
wrought there. A hereto visitor seeing
the Catholics battle out of devotion, said
scoffingly, "What makes these fellows
battle in this waterP-Ill wash my boots in
it," He jumped in as he was with boots
on, and sword in hand. No sooner had he
done SO than he felt the supernatural power
of the water, which before he had refused
to believe. He was at once palsied and lost
the use of his limbs, and his sword could
hardly be got out of his hands. For several
years he was drawn about in little cart,
cripple, to punish his own unbelief and to
strengthen the belief of others. I myself
have spoken to several persons who saw
the lame mai. and heard the story vouched
for both by he man himself and by all
who knew hi,. L learnt from them that
the cripple aiterward repented, and re-
covered his soHudness in the same well
where he had lost it. There are many
other stories of the same sort.