Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-21
PRIMEVAL INNOCENCE.
rhe water Of Lourdes and Its People.

The water Of LOurdes and Its People.
Having given the civilized world glimpse
OF DR.. Livingstone and the mythical Don
Carlos, the New York Herald ventures on
supernatural ground, and has sent an Sen
voy= to the miraculous grotto Of Lourdes
in France, now the focus of Catholic pill
grimages from all lands, which are looked
on BY suspicious politicians as preliminary
to some attempt at q crusade to restore the
temperatures of the Pope. While in this
country We are groaniDg over human de-
pravity, it is refreshing to read from the
Herald correspondence:
The water of Lourdes Goes not work
miracles without faith. 1t is no use to buy
it wholesale and put it in bottles for mer-
canti,e purposes. 1t is not mineral water.
1t has no curative properties acknowledged
in medicine. 1t is only very pure, very
wholesome. The revenue Of the town is
only 100000. [f6,000l a year. The pill
grims do not throw away their money. Not
much is made out of them. Thirty cents
for a breakfast of four courses, fifty. six
cents for dinner of FIVE courses, wine in
cluded; thirty cents for q bedroom, with
clean sheets and plenty Of towels, do not
leave large profits.
| go to be shaved, find q lot of rosy
faced children playing about the bIrbar's
shop, and ask one Of them if be has ever
seen a Sou3 The child looks up wondering
and answers "NoI" Then be scampers of
with shout, to tell Of the strange man
who spoke to him of an unknown thing.
"Come, barber, what's to pay?-whSt's
the current price at Lourdes for shaving a
stranger" "What you please" says the
indiscreet barber. 81 please two pence, "
say 1. The amazed man snuffies "ThSnk
yoc" between tis nose, not without emo
tor, down-at tbe-heel wife listening with
surprise at the door. The current price fol
the labor of fifteen minutes, soap and tow
e, is under half-penuy.
60 to the postofice and am too late fol
ths Paris post. The letter-bag has just
been sent off to the station. "Hallo, rosl
postmaster and wife in one breath. "What's
the matter?" ask |. ave have stopped q
bus and you can post your letter at the sta
ton if you make haste" "But l haven't
paid The postage" "Never mind; here;
The letter ready stamped" 81 haven't
change, either, 70 pay the 'bus." "Well
here are five francs" / have never before
seen these good people, and l don't know
ilOEh oAau4s a AOJ w A@ON ~ 90 Al
they belonged to population of cheats anC
humbugs.
l crossed over TO the telegraph Office, II
is just closing and catch sight of the ope
rator, a woman, at the door. tell her
want TO send telegram before she shut:
up,hut must 60 hoTe for money first. Why
can't you send it without money and pay Il
another time, is her response.
buy little medal for lady in Paris
In weight it equals five franc piece, aud
it is beautifully made. The price is seven
francs and lack four Of hem. "Psy an
other time," says the brisk little woman
who kept the shop.
EverywhereEI find the same civility
Simple trust and honesty. bought DO!
of matches, and laid down the Paris pric
of three sous. The man ran after IN
down the street without his hat to tell m
had paid sou to much, and brings
back. A couple Of active British swindlel
would stsrtle these people like the she
nom double barreled gun falling among
flock of inexperienced ducks.