The New York herald., 1873-08-16

booths had been hastily erected; cake sellers ana
sellers Of cool drinks drove busy trade. Beggars.
by the score and by the hundred, whined for aims,
while the solemn bass voices OF the onlciattng
priests rose high over the clamor. and some Of the
pilgrims were very devout and very travel-staned.
The July sun shone upon their bare heads and
dusty garments The song Of the choristers pealed
cut In the pauses OF the service, and the incense
rom thousand pious hearts went up to the abode
Of God.
/. high upon the steps OF the altar knelt the Wis
count de Damas, and he prayed long. When he
rose he stretched forth his cap for aims, and went
about with bowed head collecting them, never
tired ofshumiliating himself for that sublime cause
Of which the spirit gowed In his large senl like all
consuming fire. AS he began to move about with
outstretched cap, into which the pence Of the
pi0us fell like rain upon parched grass, the glad
song Of the children choristers burst forth again
IKE hymn OF angels rejoicing. 1t rose high and
sofr-oh so fresh and 80 pure mounting and falling
In joyous cadences wondrously sweet. The birds
answered from their branches in the shadowy trees
Of the church garden, and the rlpening crops CIV
ing out the rich promise Of approaching harvest
bowed full OF prayer and plenty, beneath the
breath Of heaven, In the golden fields around. And
the tall priest waved his censor, clad in gor-
geous robes which had been wrought by
plous hands; and again and again welled
mp from the subhmest depths Of music
shat beautiful song Of the choristers fresh
% fountain sparkling in the shade. Then the
host was raised aloit, and the small silver bell used
In the Roman Catholic Church service tinkled its
low, pleading notes, like. the voice of conscience,
which will be heard, and the pilgrims knelt upon
the ground and the priest blessed them.
Surely these men were
NOT FANATICS AND FOOLS
when the hushed amen came from their wrapped
souls and tervent lips. They gave their time and
their money, the things that were most precious
TO them, for the service Of God. They must have
been st least sincere in their devotion to 1t. 1--WE
give" they seemed TO say, as the coins dropped
one by one into the viscounts cap. 1--WE give Of
our substance to the Church. We pray its servants
to receive our humble tribute, as a part Of their
earthly DUE" And "Amen," and "Amen," cried
sou and franc, and whispered each bank note Of
the paper currency which the war has made, the
paper money speaking in more subdued manner,
- became 80 new and mean thing In the pres
ence Of 30 old and great faith.
Amid the crowd some of the greatest gentlemen
Of France knelt, PROSTATE and suppncating. l
dare not mention their Names for heard them
groan in anguish and pray aloud for their affairs
and their country. Such deeds as these are not to
be pufIed and advertised without sacrilege. We
must not bottle up our neighbours tears and sell
them at penny drop, even although they might
DO cures Tor many doubt and many heartache.
o, land Of Tyre ami lancet
It never seemed so good and great to me as now.
Inever knew or thought that its inner spirit was
% Cody and Christian till could sec the minds OF
Its best and bravest laid open before me like the
pages of Bible. There was general who had
been struck down at Graveotte, and, as he
deemed, mraculousy restored to life. There was
Q captain who had charged with the cuirassiers OF
Reichsonen, and there one OF the comrades
OF Auree de Paladine, who had helped
to break the Bavarian ranks at Orleans. The red
ribbon was beside the Pilgrims cross, upon his
breast, covered with honorable scars. and he had
won HIS knighthood fairly, sword In hand. There,
too, wele statesmen Of bygOne dynasties; the
courtiers Of Charles x; the professors and jour-
nalists who had risen to power under the Citizen
King, Louis Philippe. and the brilliant adventurers
who had thronged round the throne OF Napoleon
HI. Their voices mingled with those Of priest and
peasant and trader In one common prayer.
An old man, wearing the rosette and looking
very cheerful under the weight OF his years, was
near me during part OF the ceremony under the
oak tree OF st. Vincent de Paul. He had been Am.
bassador at the Court Of Austria, and he entered
into conversation with me, for we were not un-
known to each other. my friend,n said the old
man. anectionately laying his long, wasted hand
upon my shoulder, my friend, have long been
convinced that there is nothing true in this world
but Christianity, and every man of real intellect
whom have met in life has arrived, by divers
modes of reasoning, at the sams conclusion"
LET US LAUGH AT ALL THIS,
we fine fellows, who are disciples Of reason and
progress and cheap markets. 1t is so easy to laugh
ct It, Among the pilgrims were the fat and the
wheezy, the lean and the deformed, all praying, oil
praying. All my friends, let u.s. perhaps, pause
before We laugh at any one because of his outward
appearance. think have heard or read that St.
Paul, the finest gentleman Of the apostles, was not
. handsome man. II you could have seen some OF
those French noble ladies' and gentlemen's legs,
travel stained and dusty, terminating in feet shod
1unnily enough, you might, on racecourse or q
picnic. have been tempted to smile at them, but
you could not have scoffed here. There seemed q
sort OF glory or divine halo around some Of the
pilgrims 1t is not all Of ourselves or even the
best part Of ourselves that we show or
can show to the world. These people
were lifting up their hearts to God They were not
thinking If they looked well while doing 1t. shall
be glad II can tell the great American people. and
the large Roman Catholic population Of the United
States, how they prayed, and how well. think 1t
may raise their estimate Of the French national
character not q little. All French persons are not
the light-headed, hop-o'my thumb frogs to be seen
from the gateway of the Grand Hotel and from the
door Of Mr.. Wells bar In the Rue Auber.
1t is worth the readers while to note II ne would
understand this business that the Viscount OF Da-
mas, who led our pilgrimage, was q man in the
prime Of life and mental vigor-a very able man
undoubtedly. lie might have won reputation as o
soldier or politician; he might have made money
no nj q a
not do SO Why, indeedP
Yet it would have been easy to make q mock OF
the pilgrimage. One pilgrim had . voice like
gong, which seemed to sound suddenly at unex-
pected times in the pauses Of the hymns and can
ticles one had q cold In his head, one squinted,
one had red head, which seemed as If it were on
IRE. Dear me, how funny, and, above oil, how
witty it is to grin at the dealings OF the Almighty
with His creaturesl "Shall the clay say to the