The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-04-18

These oratories in Catholic countries are built
like miniature ohapels, and arevery substan-
tisl-of stone or brfck-and shrough the iron
gate in front you see the little altar and statue
before the cottage whose inmate is a wonder
of the world, and then proceeded to the Cures
We found him at dinner with a half dozen
friends, and we were invited tojoin the party,
which L Afterwards found was unusual
privilege. The dinner ended at 2 o'clock, and
few more arrivals swellsd the party to
twenty, among whom WAS an interesting
young countess and severa blemen. We
now followed the Cure sileuGy and solemnly
TO the little brick cottage, at when the door
opened my heart beat violently as we entered
the sacred spot. We passed through the neat
sitting room bung around With sacred pic
lures, then passage way intoR small chamber.
This was also hung with sacred pictures, and
here, sitting chair, with her bleeding hands
reposing n her lap, we beheld Louise Lateau
Bot she did not see us, her large blue eyes
were raised on high and fixed steadfastly on
some object far beyond our view; occasional
tears falling from her mmovabie orbs and
stealing gently down the pale face added a
patbos to the scene. She. repc. n&6d mesof the
Mater Dolorosa, and her attitude was ike that
in representations of the Saints. She seemed
SO modest, humble and submissive, Her frame
was slender though not emacistsd, her features
delicate but not regular, aud her face more
round than oval. How can describe these
memorable moments, my agitation, faintness,
and fear lest 1 might not have strength to
contemplate the seene But pressed my cruel
FIX to my lips, uttered fervent prayer, and in
q few moments q courage not my own enabled
me TO view this sad picture to the end. And
now 1 witnessed the pleasure of Our Lord on
being approached by His creatures in prayer,
for at each appeal, made loud by persons
present, the ecstatics face would change from
woe to joy. These prayers were said in various
languages, and always produced the same
effect, especially the "Gloria," which seemed
to draw her like magnet from her chair, and
raise her arms ecstacy. Thus she would
remain, immovaLle, until the praying ceased,
when the sorrowful expression of her face and
tears would return. When relics OF the Saints
were placed in her hands the rapture would
increase, also when priest placed.abov her
head his consecrated hands. Others tried in vain
to produce the same effect, and yet she was
UisibIy unconscious. 1 was called upon to say
an English prayer, end you may imagine how
my voice trembled as uttered the words. The
same joyful effect was produced that have
mentioned above, 1t reminded me of the smiles
of infants when mothers say, they are seeing
the faces of their angels" Her condition is
evidently supernatural, and no one who has
seen her could doubt it. Her hands have q
perfectly healthy look, and the pOHHds seem
fresh, not the least inasmed or sore, and whom
Friday ends every trace of them disappears.
Those ON her temples are of o different charac-
ter, not as if cut by steel or iron, but such as
you might imagine would be produced by
thorns. The blood simply oozes from them in
single drops and clots upon the hair. Exactly
at 3 o'clock she fell, face downwards, on the
floor, her pierced hands extended in the form
of a Cross. The manner in which she fell was
also most remarkable-almost as if she were q
spirit-so noiselessly, suddenly, gently, mod
estly her form was prostrated, and yet she
seemed rigid as if dead. After one more prayer
for our beloved America, proposed by an CO.
clesiastic present, we arose and left her, but
the remembrance of the scene is photographed
on nv brain never to be efaced. One of
Louise's sisters sat by her side during the
ecstacv and another in adjoining room.
Their life is spent in labor and the simple dis
charge of domestic duties, but am told that
when Louise was only sixteen years of age the
cholera ragged in the vicinity and she not only
nursed many poor victims but buried them
with her own hands. The family were always
poor, and her father died while she was quite
young, her mother only a year ago. One
physician tells me he ia well acquainted with
three eminent phSsicians aud two other gens
tlemen who are examining her case. He says
the wounds are certainly supernatural and
that the wound in her side lie different from
H.. L. L. l,nrdn and feat lrrnnar hhnA