The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-05-21
10y kind permission of the publishers D. J. Sadler
d Co.. New York
CONTINUED l
XXXyII.

XXXvu.
TOUCHING CURES OF CHILDREN RECENTLY
EFFRCTRD BY THE MIRACULOUS WATER on
LOURDES.
We have said before that the sweet aud IN q.
ternal Virgin of the grotto seems to have O
weakness for children; it was through ohild
poor little Bern dette, that she was pleased to
reveal herself at the rock of Massabielle; and
again, it is on children, the living images OF
her Infant Jesus, that she prefers to besto W her
miraculous favors. Besides, she then kills two
birds with one stone-healing a mothers heart
by the same power which heals the child's
body.
Here, grouped together, like little bouquet
5Of rose-buds, are Ave beautiful miracles, very
evident, very luminous, which we lay lovingly
in the sacred grotto, at the foot of her whe
deigned to perform them. These little roses
are quite fresh, the favors which we are going
to relate being scarcely two years old.
The fret of these miracles took place in the
month of June, 1857, at Clermont dc Lodeve,
in the Diocese of Montpelier, ON q little boy of
ak years old, named Henri Michel.
This poor child was taken with q fearfully
malignant fever which, from the very first, en-
dspgered his life. The two first stages had
PoooONb OHO OA0 PbyolSioho o"1iIOo OA0 OulEo
with anxiety. 1t came. and left no hope.
Little Henri fell into stupor which seemed to
be that of death. His face was like that of
corpse. Henris grandfather had died of q
similar fever, in the prostration which folio we'd
the third crisis.
The doctor had already said to his eldest
sister: HE is gomez" and to the religious who
was attending the sick child he said con-
fdentially: eco to his mother; prepare her !;
aud when you can, announce to her that the
child cannot live"
The poor distracted mother retired to her
room where she prayed for three hours, wait
ing till the Sister would come to bring her the
dreaded news. All at once she felt inspired to
make a vow to Our Lady of Lourdes; and she
promised to make pilgrimage with the child,
if the Immaculate Virgin would deign to save
him. She thcn rose, saying to the Sister:
" Now the will of God be done! / am going to
give Henri 9ome of the water Of Iourdes. 1t
was the first thing he drank at his birth it
will be the last before his DEATH" The same
day all danger had disappeared.
Three months after, when accomplishing her
vow, this pious lady related before the Rrotto
what the Blessed Virgin had done for her poor
child; aud the good little Henri himself was
there, fresh and vigorous, smiling as he heard
his own story. MAMMA" said he, al have
said my prayer to the Blessed Virgin three
times. What should do now ~ His mother
brought him into the grotto, where the family
recited the rosary with a fervor which is easy
to conceive.
1t was at Toulouse that the Blessed Virgin
was pleased to gather the second rose for our
little bouquet; and this is how pious son Of
st. Francis, Father Marie Antoine, related the
fact to the editor of the Annals of Lourdee."
whilst was preaching the Jubilee in one
of the large parishes of Toulouse, r young
mother came to me, and told me, with deep
emotion, of Our Lady of Lourdes, saying that
she wanted to go to confession, and make a
communion in her honor, and to pay q debt of
gratitude. She related to me the following
exquisite story, 1t will be very useful to pub
lsh it for the good of souls, because it will be
seen how Our Lady of Lourdes regards purity
of conscience, and that a confession and com.
munion are the greatest means of obtaining
favors from her.
"Here are the facts as stated in the letter:
IA couple named Montcassin, living at Tou-
louise, have a young child, named Louis, who
was born the 25th of July, 1867, and was infrm
from his birth. This infrmity, which, accord
ing to the physicians, proceeded from great
weakness Ct the loinS, had 80 mach snfoebled