The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-14
THRPHGRMAGE TO LOURDEs.
The Rsligious Sensation OF the Day In
France,

The Religious sensation OF tho Day In
France.
EParis Letter In the New York World.1
I.ourdes could not be situated In loveller
place. 1t is on lofty, steep mountain, spur
Of the Pyrenees. In front OF 1t lies valley
fertilZed by the waters Of Ls Gave, ano
which extends to the gapin the distant ridge
which bounds the horizon Wltn lts SNOW
capped peaks. The villages nestle 30 closely
in the mountains base, not one Of them ls TO
be described from the shrine. Look where
Won may, not house is Visible. The land
scape .is checkered only by grass and vine
and Woods, browsing sheep and goats, Ste,
rile granite, and eternal snow:~ All is lighted
bY the sun of S0uthern France. What mira
cies this miracle hath wrought When n.
Henri Lassere wrote his book telling how his
blindness bad been removed by water from
Inuriles protto, when n. Victor Palme
published the work, the former was poor
writer for the press, and the latter an OBSCURE
publlsher. The volume sold by hundreds OF
xs0. GOO nom 1t. and it still yields him $4,000 .
year; the publisher Is wealthy. The Southern
Railway Company's receipts at Lourdes STA
tloIi are $1,000 8 day oil the year round, and the
pilgrimage Of ftheSlh Of October put $50, 900 in
its treasury. Every year the company has de-
termined 10 build q monumental station at
Lourdes, and every year the accepted plans
nave Deem lOunu lnaue4uato W tno oIauou o
Requirements. Lourdes was wretched ham
lei, vwishout "a single Inn; no. railway trains
stopped there. Now there are fifty shops of
ssrelfRious articles" alone, none making less
than $500 month, and the majority Of them
$SOGa month. Whole villages In the neigh.
bofhOOd are supported by the manufacture OF
.sbeadsn There are dozen hotels In Lonr-
des. and every house has furnished lodgings.
A subscription to place an organ IN the church
at the grotto was opened. Twenty thousand
dollars were at once subscribed.
ssYho miracle occurred on ShroVe Thursday,
February, 1853. Bernadette Sonbirous, eirl
fourteen years old, was gathering wood on the
mountain. While near the Grotto de Massa-
belle. she perceived In the grotto woman Of
with, blue belt. Bernadette was terrified at
first, but seeing Ia dame reclte her beads, she
Initiated her and fell on her knees and Dwoohci.
When Bernadette's senses returned IL dame
had disappeared. Bernadette returned the
next and following days, and saw la dame
each time; but Ia dame never appeared to any
body but to Bernadette. The villagers In
crowds followed Bernadette without seeing
anybody, aad told Bernadette 'take pen, Ink
and paper, ,jand beg the virgin TO give us evil
dence that she has Indeed visited the Grotto
de Massabiele." Bernsdette did so, but the
virgin smiled and refused to write. When
Bernadette reported her unsuccessful requests
curate himself refused to give the least credit
TO what she said. Bernadette deplored her
hard fate to la dame, who bade her scratch
the ground whereon she eBtood, and she would
Discover spring there-Notre Dame de
IOHfdes Spring. She did as directed, and
f.scovered an abundant spring. Everybody
crledS-!A miracle has been wrought !" Slill,
until III Iassere published his book. the mira
Gle had merely q local reputation. The events
offthe iaststwo years. current Incidents, the
menacing future, have created In many minds
q yearning for thst support man finds only
when he rests ON Heaven. The inheritance OF
religion as social necessity. Is more keenly
felt than ever. It Is, moreover, desirable for
deyont people to count themselves and to show
the world how strong numerically they are.
AN the causes combined have made this pill
grimage TO Lourdes extremely important.
The number OF pilgrims fell below expecla-
tions, One hundred thousand were reckoned
on: TWENTY-FIVE thousand only came. This diff
ference was doubtless due In part to the dis.
tnrbances at Nantes and to apprehenslons OF
attn prayer scenes. Moreover, there were ru-
mora current that Benry Y Count de Cham.
bord) would be proclaimed king at Lourdes.
Timid people kept at home. Nevertheless the
pilgrimage was Imposing. There were eight
bishops and two thousand priests, all OF whom
celebrated mass, and will carry back to their
parishes stories likely to extend the enthusl-
Rsm for Lourdes.