The New York herald., 1873-11-17
Hradlscn, and that all the bridges In BonemIa are
placed under his special care.

placed under his special care.
LUMINOUS MIRACLE.
NepOmuk-0r John OF Nepomuk-Was court
preacher and father confessor TO the Queen OF
Bohemia who dwelt up on the Hradlsch. Wenzelv.
q descendant OF the saint, was a jealous monarch,
and wanted Nepomuk to reveal to MIN all that his
fair consort confessed. Nepomuk, like faithful
spiritual father as he was, refused TO tell. The
King was raging mad, and historians tell US that
that same day he ordered his COOK TO be roasted
on spit his own fire because ne had sent
badly roasted pheasant or partridge to the royal
table, and ordered Nepomuk to come to his castle.
The priest came, but as he would make no revela-
tlons King Wenze commanded his servants TO
bind him fast, hand and feet, and at night to take
him to the bridge and cast him into the Moldau.
The King Imagined that the foul deed would
wondrous ways Not only did the body 1oat
miracuousy up ihe stream some distance, but
bright lights began to hover over the spot where
tho corpse lay-a phenomenon which soon attracted
the attention OF the people Then, to complete the
that part OF the bed where the corpse lay, aud
thus the fate OF the good Nepomuk was revealed.
This was III 1882 He was canonized IN 1923, since
winch time his fame spread witn wonderful ra-
pidity In Bohemia, Moravia and parts OF Poland
and Austria and is generally accepted as the pro-
tecting saint OF rivers and bridges There are q
great many songs and hymns In the Czech tongue
IN honor OF tue Saint, and great many stories
ABOUT his might in cases OF foundations; ana can
conscientiously recommend him TO the considers
ton of some OF our railroad companies, as he might
prove or especial service in preventing disasters
from bridges crashing In under their loads
LoNGINUS A HEATHEN CONVERT, FLOATS TO EUROPE.
have not heard any doubt raised as to the au-
rences. Indeed up above, on the Wissehrad, lar
greater miracles than this took place. to the glory
o. o. God ana the Czechs Up there, Wei guarded, IN
ST. Peter'S, the body or ST.. LOnglnus, In q strong
stone coffin, may be LonginIs was that
bind Roman captain who was made to see BY
some blood from the SaviOur's side falling upon
his eye, and then he lthe heatnen Roman) swOre
after that that Christ was in truth the anointed:
him to DEATH placed the corpse In stone cOfiln
and threw 1t into the water. l do not know
how the coifn got from Jerusalem to the sea- but
From Joppa or Jana, or somewhere Whereabouts,
IT foatea smoothly across the Mediterranean and
through the straits OF Constantinople and
through the Black Sea to the mouth Of
under the surface past all the heather populations
along the banks rs lar as Vienna, ana, IT Is PROB
abe would nave stayed there 6ut or me tne remark
There were vast foundations, the Danube over
flowed its banks, and st. Longnus took this
his stone comm into the Modau, ana in due course
of time, arrived at Prague. where he made his
the church on the hill There he reposed in sanity
rest many hundreds Of years until the archheretic
The duSsltes sacked the church and cast st. Lon
ginus, coffin and all into the Moldau, swearing all
the time the saint was humbug. There 1t re-
manned many. many years. One day. however,
when the HuSslteS had been annihllated, the old,
blind Roman thought it time to get on dry land
again. Some fishermen saw big bright star
lowering one night over the water. They ran for
the clergy, who immediately caused an examina-
great joy, the ong-lost CONN OF stone. Amid great
popular reJoolngs he was borne back to st. Peters,
where he still remains.
ST. wENZEL's DAY,
Sunday, the 28th OF September. was ushered In BY
the ringing all the church bells Of the city, and
the sun shOne with autumn brightness over the
quaint old city and illumined the towers Of the
nifty churches and the heights OF the Wissehrad
and the Hradiscn aud came softly down into the
quaint streets and alleys, gayly decorated with
nags and banners, and on pilgrim and peasant,
priests and whterobed maiaens as they fastened
In az al
place OF assembly before the statue OF ST. Wenzel.
1t took over an hour for the pilgrims to collect.
every street into the long broad square and formed
into lines, with banners aud insignia, and from
plre, OF Bohemia and oil Rome luttered gently In
the breeze, o scene was presented OF wonderful
richness In color and character Then hymns were
sung, the musicians played sweet SAD melodies
and the bells rang out, and we all expected that
the iron steed OF st. Wenzel would take on wings
and ny up to the Hradisch for very Joy.
Then we lett the square and drove up to the
Hradisch to wait for the arrival OF the procession
the streets are decorated win banners @ ana hags;
people all the way from st. Wenzefs square TO the
hradisch; all were dressed in their best. and the
windows OF the houses are crowded with faces OF
young Chechan beauties, with black hair and dark,
nery eyes, and pleasant, winning features, on
bridge and under the towers, In one OF which two
figures in complete armour have been posted, and
that leads us finally to the HradiscR. At last we
are there, and stand In 'front.' oil the historical
nand, once Kaiser OF Austria, who was compelled
to abdlcate in iavor OF his nephew, Francis Joseph
In the year 1s4S, and now holds his court here-an
old. disappointed and vain man. who sw0re when
he LETT Vienna to take up his residence in the
castle of the kings OF Bohemia, that he would
never more tread the streets of AustriaS capital.
DErHRoNED GRANDEUR
And he has kept his word. And IL pleases the
old man to think that the viennese never see him;
that he has 1t still in his power to withdraw his
benehcent presence from them. | have lived in
Vienna six months, and must admit that till
hd dYrnr rni inr hnd nard M
toned by any OF his old citizens. Poor dsap.
pointed. vain old man He tondly thinks the
world has not forgotten hml Then down below
the hill, in another castle, with two Austrian sen.
tlneis before the door, lives another lve de-
throned monarch, the ex Elector OF Hesse, driven
from his throne by Prussia In 1866 Austria still
pays military honor to him. IL Is just possible
that II l had had time might have scared up
few more dethroned kings, princes and emperora
In or about the beautiful, curious old city, which
one German emperor many, many years ago,
called "a garden OF JOY, in which kings could live
and be happy.n For does not the Czechian pc asant
sing OF the beauties OF this land OF dethr0ned
royalty
Where is my houses
Where my homer
de s rosEs sEs e ens over the
Everywhere spring time and flowers are blooming
And fi this is the beaSt,iai @ SaiiI land, Ian
Bohemla-my fatherandi
Where my houseY
Know St thou the land whore God himself wells :
Where the clear eye destroyeth each hostile powcr
That IS the noble OF the Czechs,
Among the Czechs my home is found.
THE PILGRIMS COMING.
long hoarse murmur comes up to us here on
the crest OF the hull away up from the hundred
splred city that basks in the pleasant autumn sun
this peaceful sabbath morning. The procession Is
moving. 1t enters the bridge. The tones .
dozen music bands comes up in unntegiole con-
fusion. Now the head OF the line has just climbed
the long, steep hill, while the is buried in the
narrow streets OF tue city, It's course is tor tuous
and winding, and 1t moves slowly along, snake like,
long intermnable serpentine line OF brilliant and
varied color Now the head OF the ten thousand ap-
proaches, and as 1t enters the gates OF the Hrad-
isch and passes through the court yards
we what IL is composed or. How
the musicians play, the one quite regard
less OF the other, the tunes mingling in utter
confusion. Then follow the singers, each provided
with little book or Bohemian hymns and each
group singing Its own songs regardless OF those
preceding and those following. And what curious
groups OF humanity First come the CIVIC Guard
In gay uniforms, and then the mobiles and Cathollc