The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-28
MADE WHOLE BY FAITH.
rtTHER SMITH, OF BROOKLYN.
TELLS OF WHAT HE SAW AT
LOURDES.


From the New York Times.
..yveu. no. didn't believe in them-that
&c didn't give much credence to the mat
tsr. I didn't give much thought TO the
-niracIes anyway. don't give much at
IGNITION TO the extraordinary. I like to see
,r-res for myself. I had no great desire
TO go TO LOurdes."
This was the reply of the Rev. William
smith. Of the Roman Catholic Fathers Of
,fsrcv who was the spiritual leader of
The recent pilgrimage 10 Lourdes, to the
..sstion put by a reporter for the The
T4w York Times, in regard TO the mira
clss said to be performed at Lourdes.
..But it was much more wonderful. much
more impressive than ! could have mag
ira5~ Father Smith continued.
.Tt would appeal to any one of any
faith. and looking at it from any stand
-oint to see this mass of suffering human
inv. waiting patiently, with perfect faith,
and rben to hear the joyous notes of the
Naguihcat sung by pilgrims, as they pro-
claimed themselves cured and threw away
their crutches and supports.
..Tbis is one case that came under my
ov-n observation: 1t was that of a young
man of twenty-four He had been suffer
s.
laft him with bronchitis. with shrunken
limbs. and so weak and feeble that it was
necessary 10 dress and tend him carefully.
His whole body was so sore that when
his mother, drawing on his socks, touch
ed him ever so lightly, he screamed with
pain. Two men brought him to Lourdes
and tended him constantly, and when he
went out pair of crutches were placed
under his arms to help support him.
'Ite was taken to the bath, his body
hideOus from its diseased condition, and
plunged into it just once. The water is
very cold. He wore in the bath the sim
pie broechcloth which the men wear when
they are immersed. lie was lowered
down and plunged in for a moment, ana
then. as he was lifted from the water,
he rushed from the room of the bath
to the glotto, shouting, Thank God,
The crowd followed, also SHOUTING,
partially with delight at the cure and
partially at the funny and ridiculous
sisht Of the joyous man with the breec;s-
cloth. They carried mis- clothes 10 Inn
at the grotto, and there dancing ana
juhilant, the man who had been unable
10 help himself, and who had screamed
with pain at gentle touch, dressed
That is the part of the story I heard,
and 1 saw the rest of it.
These cures have attracted physicians
from all over the world, VINO come TO eX-
"
ed and there is an Office which they make
their headquarters. In the ONCE saw
this young man carefully examined by
two English Protestant physicians. 1hey
tested his lungs ana examined MIN care
fully IN every particular and pronorn-
Ccd him cured.
sicians testifying 10 his condition when
ne started for Lourdes, and the men VINO
had tended him, witnesses OF ms
condition. were also there 10 testlly.
There were too many OF his friends
around not to expose the truth II he had
not been i'll as he was SAID TO nave Deen
j saw him that evening IN the procession,
IL which / was too tired to take part. lie
had been dragged around all DAY by his
friends, but ne was MOVING /, ~, 1aoila sen,,
me in the morning, ana called out 70 me
and went on, with hrs candle in hand,
ginaing Ave! Ave! Ave Maria
Mrs O'Meara of our own party was
cured She had an absccss on her SIDE,
with an opening as large as the TOP OF "a
troweipot' when she went 10 L S,.s anu
when She came home 1t was reduced 10 the
size of a wineglass, and she was apparent
ly well and strong. Going over she was
sustained only by brandy, but coming
each day. She came home on the steamer
with me. She. had Travelled through
France and crossed the channel without
being i'll a single moment
81 had never visited LOIrdcs before, and
] could not help thinking of the transior-
nation since the time when the Virgin
Marry appeared to the peasant maiden.
Now there is a wealth of churches and
hotels. and people from all nations. saw
Spauiaris, people from England ana Ire
land, beside the Americans and party OF
German Catholics, whom the French off,
Gals would not allow to enter because OF
the strong feeling OF the hrench against
the Germans. They were afraid with the
crowds tnat there might be trouble.
"BuJ at the place OF the 2pparitionm-the
two churches, the one at The top, a little
Gothic gem, and the lower basillca, with
isi priests singing al enc time-and the af-
tEence OF ali nations joining 10 reverence
me Blessed Sacrament as IL was carried
in the prOCesss0n--it was wonderful.
AS a leader. Of the pilgrims, and wear
ing my cope, l was able to be very near
the Blessed Sacrament. 1t was carried by
the bishop of Montpelier a nobleman.
Iucee bishops walked with il ana four
clergymen, also noblemen carried the can
opy- 1t shows that the nobility are COM
tig into the church again. 1t was huge
pro- ession, with priests in cloth of gold
end silver, singing hymns in honor OF the
Sacrament.
THE procession started from the grotto,
and rows OF gentlemen with clasped hands
kept back the crowds on either side
AS We left the grottO and came to the
place of the baths, there We're the people,
some on clutches, some brought up in the
arms of friends or of the religious and
the monks, as the procession passed, ex-
nOrting the pilgrims TO have faith. There
We're poor, pallld faces. invalids, worn out
with consumption. others eaten up with
disease, crippled. and every illness poor
human nature is heir to represented there.
Inoy were all crying out:
Jesus of Nazareth, cure mel
% Lord, cure our sick!
Lord, make me straight
Then, as one and another was touched
ny the ostensorium containing the host,
tnere was the feeling that they had touch
el the hem of the garment of the Lord
a child of eighteen months would be
brought up; an old man, a delicate girl,
actually gasping for breath, but with a
LOOK OF perfect faith in her eyes. Then
you would hear the joyful sound of the
Alphabetically soul doth magnify the
!4ord'-as some one was healed, and look
ING back, / would see held up in the air
cIuteh that had been used before as a
hat was all I knew about 1t then, for
SHe procession was moving on up the es-
tidhade 10 the church. l could not keep
-Lie tears from my eyes 1t was sight to
move the heart of any one who saw it.
Lhen when we reached the stone the
selung sun shone upon the bishop. as he
5000 turning to the multitude, surround
g! KY the priests in their rich vestments.
y Inc audience with the Holy Father at
-Noihe was most interesting. Although he
W ,t9 Kept three hours without eating, he
v - very active and alert. l never heard
ny one say the morning mass with such
an upLftng of heart and soul. When he
-ttHe TO the Gloria the words were like a
GG.ant or hymn, ana when ii came to the
eIeI0 he said it with such fervency l
MOI ka1~. IL