New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-21
ZOLA'S NEW BOOK.
THE STORY OF LOURDES.

| LOURDES BY Emile Zola rra Mnn,snp ~ Neeiv'
| A. Vizeteliy; Svo, PIP. 1876. T. Ienhysoh ->eei''
| .c,,,n,o eex,blo common sense" says Matthew
| Arnold rs what we want In order 10 pe ao'e
| 10 follow truly the dealings OF that spontaneous
| irregular wonderful power which gives oi'" "
tales of miracle,-the Imagination In applying .,'e
| scientific method of the Naturalist Schooi 10 '''e
study of the extraordinary annual pilgrimage from
all parts of France and from other portions OF Eu
| rono n tho shrine of our Lady Of Lourdes NJ lola
| has done nothing more less than to diVest
himself OF prejudice and to exercise Ills SIM
| p,e flexible common sense In porUayihs ''e
| people and in pcturng the scenes his P"i-
nose 10 deem and serious 1t is to learn from
| 4 careful examination OF the human documents
in the case the source of the popular BELIEF through
ont France in the efficacy of the waters in the IA
NOUS grotto in curing diseases which science mas
declared 10 be ncurabe. and to describe the Incl
dents attending the supposed cures with suoh LUZ
ness as to give the reader abundance or evidence
upon which he can base his own conclusions as 10
the trusiworthiness the fasity of the claim thae
the waters possess a miraculous healing power
The MAGNITUDE of this theme may be inferred from
the fact that the average number Of people VINO
make the August pilgrimage to Lourdes Is -"V"V'
and that the year of the Coronation Of the Virgin
the number to half million. Five days are
occupied In the pilgrimage. TO each OF which NJ
lola has devoted book in his bulky volume. From
Paris alone fourteen heavy trains each known
from the color Of the tickets as the white or
the red the yellow or the blue train
start at or soon after daybreak, reaching Lourdes
early the next morning Most of the sufferers who
throng these hot. dusty. racking cars are afflicted
with organic diseases-paralysis. scrofula tumors
ulcers and assesses. cancers and consumption; ana
the worst cases are confined the white train
or the agony, physical and mental which these In
vads endure during the long ride VI. lola has
conveyed a vivid idea The hold which many OF
them have upon life of the senderest sort. but
kv hnpp etp
faith unsuitable that the Virgin VIII hear their
prayers and restore them TO perfect health.
Literature. 1t Is safe to say. contains no such
illustration is here presented OF the well-nigh
lim,less extent OF human credulity. Given up by
men. these poor sufferers have turned to the Virgin
for help in their distress with Infinite faith-a
childllke faith that believes blindy and does not
question. Every scrap OF information that tells OF
miraculous cures is eagerly seized upon and used
TO fortify this faith and hope SO great is their
trust in the protecting power Of God that no pro-
vision IL made for medical attendance or medical
supplies during the entire five days of the pilgrim
age; there is not even dispensary in the Hospital
OF our Lady OF Doours in Lourdes from which
the helpless sufferers are carried TO the baths.
What would have been the use Of any-slnce the
patients those whom science had given up.
despaIring creatures who had come to beg OF God
the cure which powerless men were unable to
promise them" Some OF them have made the pill
grimage year after year, apparently without result
Yet hope never dies. This time. they persuade
themselves the Blessed Virgin will smile on them
she did ihlrty-six years ago on little Bernadete.
and they will be well The alternative is utter de-
spair and death and this they refuse to face
y treatise in psychology might easily be written
upon the vital point in the whole matter-the mira
cos themselves TIat remarkable cures have taken
place. VI. lola not only does not deny but admits.
lie attributes their cause. however. not to super
human influence In the waters but to the Magma
,ha .,1a
suppose that peasant woman who had been tod
by ignorant country practitioner that had
consumption. and who had consequently been driven
into condition Of abnormal perhaps hysterical
nervousness might. matter OF fact. be entire
y free from consumption. How easy. then. 1t
would be for miracle 10 be performed-for the
cuppos.tItious disease to be eradcaed her case.
1t is hardly possible to overestimate the powerful
effec; upon the agnations Of these simple. credu-
lous peasants. when they stand. they verify be-
eve they do stand In the presence Of the Virgin
and n momen, later, are lowered into the waters
which to cleanse them Of all disease Imaginary
merely functional dlseasc' due to resulting
in nervousness and affecting persons OF deep emo
tiona and religious temperament might. are
left TO Infer disappear entirely under such power
fu influence.
OF tangible evidence. however. OF any value 10
science. going to Snow that in single instance a
sore had been hcaed sight restored or any other
cares to find shred The little girl whose foot
was healc,, still bore which she was proud
to show. and the miserable inva,ids found Infinite
comfort and fresh hope IN her sereoyped narrative
OF her experience. But the comment OF the little
fair-haired gentleman" who is none other than NJ.
Zo!a himself upon her long story was to the point
Mon Dleu" he said. there is need of any such
complicated affair lie. merely "A finger cut
with penknlfe let me see II dipped In the water
and let 1t out with the cut clcatrzed. The
miracle Will be quite as great. and shall bow 10
II respectfully" Then he added: IF possessed "A
source which could thus close up sores and wounds,
would turn the world topsy-urvy. do not know
exactly how | should manage H. but at all events
| would summon the nations, and the nations would
come | should cause the miracles 10 be verified In
such Inlisputabe manner that should be the
master OF the earth. In reality however there was
always a missing link in the chain OF evidence.
which made the verncation incomplete and un-
satisfactory except to those who WISHED to be-
lleve
No better summary Of the actual facts which NJ.
Zolas researches disclosed be given than In the
following paragraph:
Pierre had new begun to understand what was
Gle which the world has been witnessing for
the insulting laughter OF others. Forces as yet
but imperfectly studied. OF which one was even
long prepared disturbance of the nerves; inspirit
Ing influence of the journey the prayers and the
unknown force which was evolved from the multi
tude In the acute crisis OF faith. Thus 1t seemed
to him anything but intelligent 10 believe In trick
cry. The facts were both OF much more lofty
and much more simple nature. There was no oc-
casion for the Fathers Of the Grotto to descend
to faisehood; It was sufficient that they should
lie the universal ignorance. 1t might even be
admitted that everybody acted in good faith. the
doctors void OF genius who delivered the certih-
Gates the consoed patients who believed them
selves cured and the imprisoned witnesses who
swore that they beheld what they described. And
from all this was evolved the obvious mposs-
bility OF proving whether there a miracle or
not. And such being the cage, did not the miracle
naturally become reality for the greater num-
Der, for all those who suffered and who had need
OF hope:
Considered In its literary aspects, NJ. Zola's book
hn.. H. and Lf..l.