, 1872-11-06

dette could do nothing. She stood in deep
Thought, passing the vision over in her mind
and looking up.
:. "What did you see p asked the girls again.
We'll, some one in white, replied Bernadette.
Marie and JEANNE were afraid
Dear me, I hope it won't hurt us." We will
not come to the grotto again" was all they eaid
and thought Of the vision; but when they got
home they told the tale to their mother.
"Nonsense," said Nine. soubirous, struggling
her shoulders "You fancy; you did not see,
my child"
Bernadette maintained she had, and related
the whole scene, with the description of her
vision, in the same words as to her sister and
friend.
swell, will not let you go to the grotto any
more, WAS Mme Soubirous' conclusion. Berna-
Friday and the child talked Of nothing but her
"dame." On Saturday some one asked her who
she WAS like. She said she fancied she. had seen
such faces at church. As she talked on Of the
came vision necessarily the mother vas prevailed
on to allow her to go to the grotte on the follow
ing Sunday, and the only restriction Madame
Soubirous made Was that Bernadetto should not
be left alone, but that the two girls, Marie and
Jeanne should stop on each side Of her all the
time. Bernadette walked very fast, and when
she came to Massabielle she knelt Her two
companions did likewise, watching her face all
the time and divided between wonder and fear.
"TnERE SHE IS u
cried Bernadette. 'sThere there!"
Jeanne and Marie looked; they could see
| nothing; but when they next turned to Berna-
dette the child was transformed, her face was
radiant, her lips parted. She was listening at
| tentive1y with clasped hands.
| s.Bernadette!" exclaimed both, tive are
| frightened OF you. Get up! come p"
| But Bernadette did not hear, neither did she
rise until they SOW her features assume their
usual expression. They went home to repeat
I MR. hn1 oil 1v frf1 and
heard with the same disbelief. This occurred
| several times until at length
! ALL THE PEASAETHY HEARD AND TALKED OF IT.
Among others who dsbelieved were Nine.
| Millet and Nile. Antonette Peyret; but they
| thought they would cross-Question Bernadette,
| after taking her to the grotto themselves and
| watching her. On this occasion, instead OF
walking quietly at her usual allow pace, she took
! 8 short cut down precipitous rock, and the Ia
| dies had some difficulty in following her. When
they were in front Of the grotto they Witnessed
| the most extraordinary change come over the
child's face. She appeared in ecstacy and yet in
f.! holy fear. They were SO impressed that Nine.
| N1il1et whispered:
ave should not be here"
"You are to stop!" cried Bernadette, as it
she had been told to speak.
HAsE WHo SIZE IS,
desired Nine. billet, 'tor take this paper, with
my pencil, and request her to put down what she
| wants"
The child obeyed, and the witnesses distinctly
''A1a Dame,' it yon have anything to tell NE,
will you be good enough to say what you are, and
| what you desire 7"
The witnesses heard no reply, but they saw
her gaze on the excavation, then she stopped
| and listened for some time. Her features we're
angelic. It lasted for fully three minutes, after
| the expiration OF which Bernadette walked back,
/ and on being questioned, related that the lady
had said she saw no necessity for writing, as she
| knew Bernadette would obey; but what ehe
! wanted was to see her every day at the grotto
for fifteen days, promising her that II she did 80
| she
/ SHOULD BE HAPPY IN BETTER WORLD.
This is but the preliminary OF the whole story
| During the fifteen a.ys which followed b1tua-
we've Tas people but By All nhab
tants Of Lourdes followed her to witness her in
te1views with the vision, and the same trana-
formations took plsce during her frances. The
Perfect Of the Commune, Mr. MASSEY, a and the
at the spread OF the agitation, the former came
to Lourdes from Tarbes to look into the matter
and desired hlr. Jacomet to arrest the child as
an impostor, il, after Questioning hes alone, he
part. Meanwhile the fifteen days we're far ad-
vanced, and the population OF the village, as well
as Of the villages around, gathered to look at the
| child. She passed through them with perfect
| impsssiyeness, neither reddening nor turning
| pafe ever thinking and walking on in her coarse
clothes as If she had too much on her mind to
care for people, or for what was going on about
her.
The cure Of the place did not encourage the
! peasantry to believe in her visions he was even
| verJ sharp with Bernadette. His name is Pey-
| ramale and he is still alive; none Of the peas
antry, on the other hand, doubted; in their
opinion Be1nadette WAS instrument in the
hands of God, and they believed that the Blessed
Virgin appeared to her. On the 21st February
Barnadette came as usual to the grotto, and as
simply as possible knelt IN her accustomed
..J,n Tr,+ +h1y nr$o milf
tude, after she had her usual vision and was
rising to move,
4 POLICE OFFICER PUT Els HAND ON HEB sHouL-
/ DEB
and arrested her in the name OF the law. She
was led to H. Jacomet, who with threats and
but after long sitting gave his efforts up, say
ng he had never seen or heard such a case.
- forbade her father at the peril OF his
nbeety to allow her to return to the grotto,
. and ninEing he would have to adopt
| ZONE eou,se, after having written for advice
to Il. Roala1.a who was then Minister Of Public
dnstfuctlon' helet her go to her parents home.
fa46sr Il the gotto proved 50 strong
ting into trouble With II. le Prefect rather than
cause his Child to pine and grieye, as she viBibly
did, besides which, the peasantry OF Lourdes are
Bernadette against Prefect Cure, father, and
Commissaire, and to the grotto Bernadette re-
turned, all making way for hor whenever she ap-
peared- 1t was tnen thought ~. FeyTamee
could shake the child'e fancy and detect any
| equiyocation, if there existed any. As he was
known to be averso to her visions and to be very
little acquainted with her on account Of her long
stay away from the village, it was supposed he
would show no partially to her, and the time wae
looked forward to when he would call her to the
presbytery. He, however, Was disinclinedto to dc
so but Bernadette to his great wonder, one day
walked through his garden into his house.
9'Are you not the daughter Of Miller soubir-
Gus " he asked.
"Yes, Monsieur le Cure"
"Well, then, Bernadette, what do you want .
'tMonsier 10 Cure, the dame who appears al
the Grotto OF Massabielle ~
"Yes, yes, know" said the cure. You
pretend you have visions, and you have got all
i do you mean by telling me- these things7 What
is this2 Nothing but things you cannot
prove"