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

lire Of pilgrims, and the litanies Of the virgin
were forever being chanted-"MaJer Admrabilis,
sedes Sapientie, oausa nostr@ latiti@, ora pro
nobisn
NOW" reasoned the onAcial mind, speaking
through the Scribes Of the period, "considerlng
that neither fees nor profitable jobs are to be got
out OF this miraculous fountain at Lourdes there
can be no such thing. 1t must be all nonsense" so
1t was printed and published in the official newspa-
pers that the miraculous fountain was only muddy
puddle. That was the Official version Of the thing,
to be accepted without doubt or question by all
mankind. Meantime the produce OF the miracu-
lous fountain was measured, and 1t was proved 10
yield twenty. five thousand gallons daily OF pure
water
The Official mind dealt with the case OF the blind
man who had received his sight in manner
equally impressive and peremptory. twas said =
l. That the blind man had not been restored to
sight
q That he had never been blind.
8. That he imagined he had been cured.
f. That there had never been a blind man.
Yet there was the COMPOUNDED fellow walking
about, and not only persisting that he had been
cured. but reading, writing, and c!phering in con-
sequence. What could the French Official DO but
consign him mentally to the Internal godss
I'll euC 81 VI moiCu AoOos A'OAhsuosSo o'S'NS~ 49,
on the Cure of Lourdes, q clergyman who is stall
hale and hearty, and whom saw yesterday She
spoke to him again In the name OF the vision.
',She wishes chapel to be constructed and pro.
cessIons to be made to the grotto," said the child,
repeating her message.
."That does not depend upon me-" replied M. lie
Cure; 'it depends upon my lord the Bishop. will
wait upon him and say that have seen you again,
and that believe in your mission"
THE BISHOP OF TARBEs.
Monseigneur Bertrand Severe Laurence, Bishop
of Tarbes. was at that time Of the most eminent
men In France. He had been Superior Of the
Seminary OF ST. Pc, which he mad founded Superior
OF the Grand Seminary, and Vicar General. Nearly
all the clergymen of his diocese had been his pupils
and he had been their schoolmaster before he
became their Bishop. He had been designated for
the preacy by the universal voice of public esteem
and his life was model OF Christian virtue. He
was anything rather than dreamer. His head
was so cool, he brought to the consideration OF
every subject q mind so calm and unimpres
sionable, that it was sometimes said he was
rather too practical and matter offact.
Warmth OF language and exaggeration were
especially dispeasing to him, and no argument
that was passionatey urged could ever convince
him. certain plain common sense appeared to
be the ruling power Of bis intelligence He spoke
very slowly and generally under reservations. He
was one Of those men who know how to wait. A
prelate Of rare sagacity and observation, he knew
mankind both in their strength and weakness, and
possessed in high degree the art Of managing and
guiding them. He was very prudent, and had
high sense of his responsibilities. He was careful
to offend nobody, and he seemed to be constantly
taking soundings as he cautiously sailed down the
stream Of life. He had contrived to keep his head
which had burst over his country, and was held in
as much esteem by the Second Empire as he had
been by the talking government of Louis Philippe.
The Cure Of Lourdes informed this Bishop Of the
events which had occurred In his parish, and the
Bishop coughed. Being accustomed to see truth
descend step by step Theoretically from the Vail
can, His Greatness was lndisposed to accept q
celestial message sent to him by an ignorant little
girl. He was staggered by the Cures circumstan-
tial narrative, but not convinced. He wanted to
see and hear Tor himself Meantime ne declined to
say anything; Or to write more truthfully, Ae
wrapped up nothing In roundabout words
"The hour" observed HIS Greatness senten-
tiousy, as not yet come for episcopal authority to
occupy itself with this affair. In order to form the
judgment which Is awaited from US 1t Is necessary
to proceed with wise delay, to beware of first i'm
presslons, to allow time for reflection and to
oOuCit cuuR AiOAA OSoA ohu oVeCuUNO wv
servatiOn."
This was a safe answer, and the Bishop would not
90 beyond 1t, nor would he cancel the prohibition
he had issued to his clergy against their taking any
part In the doings at the grotto
THE OFFICIAL ASPECT.
While ecclesiastical authority maintained this
extreme circumspection The civil power was much
perplexed. The prefecture Of Tarbes was filled by
NJ Massey; the Ministry Of Worship. by M. Roulaud
and neither Of them, for the life and soul
OF him knew what to do about the LOurdes
business after the mighty money.making perma-
nent clerk in the Home once, seeing that nothing
was to be got out Of II, had left him to his own
device. Baron Massey, at that time Project Of the
Haute- Pyrenees expressed vOluble contempt
for superstition whenever an occasion turned up
which gave him an opportunity OF doing 30. He
proiessed belief in the miracles by the Evan.
gelists and in the Acts Of the Apostles, but beyond
these prodigies, which he considered In some sort
as offcial, ne would not admit the possibility Of
anything supernatural. Poor Baron Massey, living
In such world of wonders and helping to govern
1t after fashion, yet totally unable to see beyond
his oficial nose
Miracles Baron Massey had Observed were in
dispensable for the foundation OF church and for
the uses of authority. There had not long ago
been miracle at Boulogne, not wholly uncon-
nected with an eagle. He Baron Massey was
therefore, so good as to accept the necessity Of
miracles In an epoch OF formation. But
the Empire was VIGOROUSLY eternal, and
what need could it have OF miracles
new9 Moreover, according to Massy's baronial
logic, the Almighty's hand had waxed short Of late
years, and he was contented with belief in o
minimum OF miracles officially entertained. This
administrative parsonage considered that the
and I'D
by the orthodox "Credo" and the concordats OF the
Church They were established, codihed and
settled by law. The Almighty had no power to in
teriere with existing authorities and to trouble
them by inopportune proceedings. lie was bound
to remain, henceforth and forever, within the in
visible depth OF the infinite. When baronial pre-
feet like Massey had once been so good as to confess
a belief In miracles, which were recognized by his
government he thought it better TO let bygones
be bygones and felt like man who had already
put his aims the church plate, so that 1t was I'M.
necessary for him to do so again. The Baron