The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-05-21

him that he was continually declining. Al
though about three years of age, he was not
only unable to stand on his legs, but he could
not even put his feet the ground without
screaming with pain.
After many attempts, the physicians had
given mp the hope of curing him. However,
following the advice of one of them, his mother
took him to the waters of Bigorre. There,
instead of growing better his illness increased,
and the medical inspector of the waters had no
more hope of curing him than the doctors of
Toulouse.
The distressed mother then turned all her
thoughts and hopes towards Our Lady of
Lourdes; but, true Christian mother, che
would not ask favor OF the Blessed Virgin
without deserving it as much as possible by
purifying her soul from all sin to make fer
vent communion in honor of Mary. But her
confsssor being absent, she was obliged to put
of her commu MON till her return.
I" She set out for Lourdes with her sister and
the child. She heard Mass there with the
greatest devotion; had taper burned ct the
grotto during Mass, and left another to be
burned after wards; she plunged the child
twice into the fountain, onoe before Mass, and
once after. There was no cure. What struck
her forcibly, and also amased all the pilgrims
who were around the fountain, was that the
little cripple, who had been plunged several
times into the water up to his head, was not
even wet, and did not feel any thing, although
the water was very cold and his body very
delicate.
"Astonished, making no effort to explain the
mystery, the mother took with her q supply of
the water, and returned to BiRorre.
60 To-, 81,
the child drink some of the water, rubbed his
loins with it, and went to confession. She re-
caved Absolntion, and, not withstanding her
impatence to see the miracle which she hoped
for after the communion she had promised, she
thought it better to wait till the next day.
That evening and the next morning she made
the child drink the water, and rubbed him
again with it ; then, full of confidence in the
Blessed Virgin, she received communion with
all possible fervor. 1t WAS on Sunday, the 26th
of September. She folt an extraordinary con-
ISOLATION in that comm 1nion, and she returned
to her dear child with the certainty that he
would be cured.
"She had scarcely reached the door Of her
house when she heard her child calling for her,
and walking all alone, with firm and rapid
step, to meet her, opening his little arms and
crying out joyously: Come, mamma come ?
On seeing the miracle, the woman who was
minding the little one during his mothers
absence, and from whose arms he had escaped,
fell her knees and began TO cry. The
mother cried still more, and she, too, her
knees raised her hands and eyes to Mary: %
Our Lady of Lourdes! o Our Lady of Lourdes
how great thou art! how good thou artp and
the child leaped for joy, and repeated
Mamma, let me kiss the Blessed Virgin And
since then he always repeats those words when
his mother speaks of the Blessed Virgin, or
when he sees any statues of her. All of them,
to him, are the Blessed Virgin, and he always
wants to kiss them.
"His inirmity has entirely left him; the
cure was instantaneous and radical; he il
wonderfully well, and he walks better than
most others. saw him myself walking, and
admired his grace and agility.
THE happy mother Immediately wrote the
good news to her husband She brought the
cured child to the altar of Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, and the child escaped from her to go
and embrace Mary; the mother hung around
his neck, at the foot of the altar, the medal of
Dor Lady of kourdes, which the child always
kisses lovingly. Sac promised to take him as
soon as possible to Lourdes in Thanksgiving,
and to make there fervent communion, which
she knew by experience to be 30 agreeable to
Mary immaculate.
"These are the facts dictated by the mother,
and Of which l guarantee the authenticity"
CTo be continued.)
= 81 SIo