Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-02

great man intimated that Juan had
been dreaming, ,whereupon young Diego
walked back to the spot where the
Blessed Lady had appeared to him and
she again presented herself to his view.
When she heard of Zumaraga's incre-
dulity. she tapped the ground with her
foot and there gushed from the eerth a
very wonderful chalybeate spring, the
like of which does not exi st
in all Mexico, and which
flows, in all its purity and healing vir-
tues, to-day as then. After the water
gusned forth the virgin bade the young
peon hold up his cotton blanket. or
tilma, and she filled it with rare and
curious flowers, bidding him give them
to the bishop and reiterate her com
mands. Juan made all haste to the
city, prostrated himself at the bishops
feet, told him of the marvellous things
that had happened him, and ended by
emptying the flowers from his tilma,
when, 10 and behold, upon the cloth was
a fine oil painting our blessed Lady
which the Spaniards of that day, and
the Aztecs as well, were utterly lncapa-
BILE of painting! The bishop fell to his
knees in alteration and Juan Diego
TAINTED FROM THE EXCITEMENT.
The most magnificent church in Mex
leo was erected on the chosen
spot; completed in 1888. In the
altar, enshrined in a crystal case,
surrounded by solid gold frame stud
ded with jewels, is the miraculous
painting, its colors as fresh and vivid,
its drawing as sharp, and every detail
as 1853 years ago, when it was given to
Juan Diego; and it is worth noting that
other celebrated pictures in the same
n Int lot
dlngy, and the figures scarcely discern
ible.
The miracle painting is by no means
the only thing worth seeing at Guada-
loupe. To-day there are 800 pilgrims
from the yellow fever infected district
of Vera Cruz (most of whom have
walked the entire distance here), offer
ing up prayers for the safety of them
selves and friends from the dread dis
ease, which is nov virtually epidemic
in the seaport town.
A GORGEOUS ALTAR.
They kneel before an altar rail which
weighs trifle over ffty-two thousand
pounds-twenty-six tons-and which is
made OF 'composite" so rich that
English and American syndicates have
repeatedly offered to replace it with
one of solid SILVER, elegantly orna-
mented. The Church refused these
offers, claiming that it was worth 80
per centum more than pure silver.
The Virgin of Guadaloupe is the first
American saint insthe calendar. The
building of this church was at most op-
perfume time, for the Indians were just
quitting idol worship, and the good
bishop of Zumarraga had thousands of
converts. This WIS not exactly what
some of the Spanish soldiers liked, and
one day cayalryman found, in mag
uey plant, wooden image of the virgin
clothed in silks lhnd adorned with
pearls and magnificent jewels They
set up shrine on another hill and
called their virgin
OUR LADY OF sUCCOR.
But the virgin OF Gaudaloupe worked
so many strange miracles that presently
the shrine of Our Lady Of Succor was de-
serted quite, and the image was placed
in the cathedral lest the value Of the
jewels should tempt thieves. 1t is here
yet, and decidededly the most unique
thing of its kind in existence. The
pearls and other jewels are valued at
100000.
1t is amazing how the fame of our
Lady of Guadaloupe has spread to the re-
motest ends of Mexico, and to Europe,
too, for that matter. Every day finds
dozen or more pilgrims at this holy
shrine. A pile OF crutches fifteen feet