The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-30

diction q statue OF the Virgin In white marble,
representing her at the moment when she had said,
81 AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION"
and this statue was set up In the place where she
appeared to Bernadette. The miraculous water OF
the Fountain of Our Lady OF Lourdes continued to
grow in reputation, and cures which had bafied
all the science Of physicians daily and hourly
performed there. On the 2lst OF May, 1856, the
grotto was opened for divine worship, and high
mass was solemny performed there.
now return to the course OF my own personal
experience and proceed to relate what saw and
| heard. 49,
WHAT TIE MONK SAID.
"Are you really prepared to say that these mirac-
ulous cures rest upon satisfactory evidence ?" 1
| asked OF a Benedictine monk.
! Miracles" replied the brother, ''always leave
room for faith; but unbeiievers In them are upon
the horns OF this dilemma-either they do think
that the power OF the Almighty Is equal to work
miracles, or they do not. II they do not they
must deny the evidence OF their senses, for the
birth of all things on earth and water is
miraculous In so far that II cannot be
brought about by human power. II they
do think that the Almighty can perform miracles
they must admit that such things as are alleged to
be done here are possible. 1t is quite gratuitous
assumption to pretend that miracles have now
ceased There Ia no warrant whatever in Scripture
for such a superstition. Now the evidence upon
which the Lourdes miracles rest would appear
conclusive as to any ordinary event that might
have occurred there They are established by the
concurrent testimony of many honest Witnesses"
WHAT DR. DOZONS SAID.
| ssNether Bernadette, who saw the Divine vision,
nor her parents made any money by their celebrity
| They never received so much as an apple, though
ahey might have been very rich. great lady
offered them 10000 francs to be permitted to adopt
| Bernadette. They refused her Offer Many OF the
| pilgrims brought gifts and offerings to the Sou
blrOns family. Not one was ever accepted. They
lived and they died In extreme poverty. Berna-
dette herself never touched a SOU" (Dr. Dozons
is clear headed old gentleman, with much sly
| hum0r In HIM. 81 was present at the candle
scene. / saw the child hold her hand over
the name and l saw the name burning
between her fingers. l took out my watch
and counted the. time while her
hand remained in the flame of the candle. 1t re.
ma ned there Tor quarter OF an hour. examined
her hand afterwards. 1t was perfectly uninjured
| Then lighted the candle again and babe her put
| her hand in 1t. She drew her hand away instantly
for the fame burned her after the Virgin was gone
| have examined this business step by step.
| have seen miraculous cures performed on my own
patients. Louis Bourrtette was my patient and
| all you have written about him is quite true. One
|
powder. was restored to sight. No physician or
oculist in the world could have cured him. The
eye had broad cicatrix acyoss it and vision was
quite destroyed He was cured by the miraculous
! water. Bernadette was q nice little girl, simple
| and modest. There was no nonsense, no tricks
about her. saw her while she was in the presence
| OF the vision Her face seemed to be lifted up In
| remarkable manner and beamed with light which
never saw on any human face. Her lips moved
as II she were speaking, but when put my
| ear to her lips 1 could hear no sound. She
| was not subject to hallucinations. When she had
seen the vision she went about her ordinary
duties quite calmly. Calmnsss was the character
stic quality Of her mind-a certain quiet dlgnifed
calmness which mad nothing OF apathy IN it. She
was not cataleptic. She knew perfectly well what
she was about. Even when the vision was before
her she would answer questions and light her
waxen taper If 1t went out, and she always con-
Quoted herself in every way as reasonable human
being nephew OF the Pope saw her at my house
several times. He offered her money and a chapet
OF great price for the poor little string OF beads
| which she had in her hand when she saw the
| Virgin. She would not take the money, and she
| would not part with her beads. You cannot deny
facts. ~ (Dr Dozons, at present alive and we'll
| doctor OF the faculty OF medicine, residing at
Lourdes) ''do solemnly declare, upon my word Of
| honor as gentleman and upon my reputation as
physician that have seen miraculous cures per-
| formed by the fountain which Bernadette discov-
cred not one cure, nor Two cures, but hundreds Of
cures Iauthorze you to afx my name to this state
ment, and l am prepared to prove it. l believe,
| without any doubt or reservation. that the whole
account which Bernadette gave Of the celestial
vision was literally and accurately correct. be-
lieve that she actually did see the Virgin Mary and
that the miracles daily performed here are wrought
| by Mary the mother OF our Lord"
! That surely was fine argument of Pascal when he
said:-"We are told that our religion Is incOmpre.
| hensible." Father incomprehensble, Son incom.
prehensble Holy Ghost incomprehensbie). "lf
we could understand 1t, 1t could not be true"
| STATEMENT OF THE REV. ROBERT SMITH.
The Rev. Robert Smith, an English Roman Catho-
lie clergyman, canon Of Hexham. now at Lourdes,
and an eye witness OF the FACT records the follow
| ing statement
| Marie Lascombe, OF Cadouin, near Perigueux,
Dordogne, was miracuousy cured at Lourdes on
Monday July %, 1873. She had been suffering for
upwards OF three years from tumor on the upper
part of the foot, and had been 50 i'll as to be con-
BEEN twice to Lourdes during her illness Her
! medical adviser had had recourse to burning and
e to
| her lite. During the month OF May, when 1t had
been long found impossible TO heal the wound
caused by the lance, she washed 1t with the water
from the fountain Of Our Lady OF Lourdes and at
the end OF that month the wound had been COM
pain Continued still. She was not dlsheartened,
and on her third pilgrimage TO Lourdes her prayers
were heard. Immediately after washing her foot
on the bath adjoining the grotto she walked
thence steadily and easily carrying the crutch in
her hand, and placed 1t beside scores Of similar
| testimonials of miraculous cures. After fervcntly
returning thanks to God she arose from her knees
and walked to the bank OF the river,
| back to the grOttO, again to the river
side. receiving the sincere congratulations OF her
friends ana OF all the pilgrims present This
| occurred sabout nalfpast six yesterday evening
WhosOever witnessed on the occasion, as did, the
| 10y that heamed In her c0untenance, the delight
| with which she spoke Of the happy change from
| intense suffering to perfect repose will never
forget either the hour or the miraculous TACT; Tor
| to the mind Of any reasonable person 1t could be
nothing else. This favored young person appeared
| to be about twenty-four years OF age.
| STATEMENT OF MISS ELIZABETH WHITAKER, AT
| PRESENT RESIDING AT LOURDES.
On July 20 1 think 1t was that o lady was cured
| of a mad cancer by the water OF Lourdes THIS lady