The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-18
THE 6RorTo

arranging mattresses on the hard
boards of third-class compartments.
Passengers for the White train this
way" at length yelled the railroads
blue coated official.
He flung open the doors of the several
waiting rooms and at once emerged a
CHASTITY procession, the rank and file, 1t
seemed, of the accused Of the earth.
Emaciated consumptives, borne on lit
tiers, distorted rheumatics, horrible VIC
tins of cancer and of eczema without
even the outlines of human visage, par
alytics, epileptics, the blind in heart
rending numbers, from babi having
never seen the light of day to lettering
old men who at best could only emerge
from their darkness to view the setting
sun, the lame in endless variety, some
pulled in little wagons. others dragging
lifeless limbs, crawling on hands and
knees or scuffling on clutches.
A hard-faced woman trudged along,
carrying a grown daughter in her arms
Strong men offered to relieve her, but
the woman was almost vicious In her
refusal. No stranger hands should
touch that precious burden.
The odor of antiseptics pervaded the
deDot. rendering the hot air almost I'M
aboard the train. The well and the
hearty gasped for breath, mopped their
brows and complained of the weather,
but among others no murmur was
heard no sigh, no complaint. They
were the incurables, these occupants or
the white train, the abandoned of sci
ence, and yet on every face was JOY and
faith and blessed, blessed hope.
At last the whistle blew the signal for
departure. good-bys were said and the
train pulled out slowly While the
strains Of the magnificat burst from
the threats of these hundreos OF mis-
CRADLES.
The aMagnifcat," the song Of thanks
giving and praise from such lips as
thesei Could anything be more incon-
er1ous or contain a greater reproach
to us who could see and hear and walkl
A final glimpse of pale faces against
+he windows. of blind eyes turned for
evAr upward, and the white train was
gone-the pilgrimage to Lourdes had
" fourteen trains of this description
went forth from Paris witt the fol-
lowing twenty-four hours. They were
ionwn as the green train, the red, the
yellow, the dark blue, the light blue,
md so on. each one designated by
flag and decorations of its own color.
THE annual pilgrimage to Lourdes IS
q very important affair in France IL
is estimated that over 200,OOO pilgrims
visit the little city of the Pyrenees each
wear and Of these perhaps b0,OOO go at
The time of the national pilgrimage pc
tween the 18th and the 23d OF August.
nv leaving Paris on the regular train
.ba following morning l arrived at
I,ourdes a few hours ahead OF the pill
t5rinns. who had remained one night at
Poitiers. / was quite prepared 10 De
Accommodated in the town OF Lourdes
I am usually disappointed In towns,
making ND my mind for certain char
acteristics which they do not often
I,ossess. On several occasions L nave
dreamed of picturesque peasants IN
Fantastic gowns and headgear and
found instead shirt waists and sailor
hats Rut Iourdes was no disappoint-
Tnent I found it exactly as 1t should
he a beautiful little village In the
heart of the Pyrennes where the noun
tains are gigantic, the streams clear
as crystal and the simplicity OF the
people extraordinary.
It was o'clock in the morning wnen
our train arriy ed A thick mist hung
over the mountains, hiding even the
houses from view. From the railroad
hardly a sugg stion Of the town was
yet visible, but high upon The mountain
the sun was striving to break through
the mist and revealed the outline OF
mammoth cross. 1t suggested easily
certain gray morning Oh OtilF al
We found the town already astir.
For several days the pilgrims had been
pouring in and the little streets were
full to overlooking. Beds are always
at a premium in Lourdes at this sea-
son and the majority of the pilgrims
had slept out beneath the stars or on
the benches of the church. There are
three hospitals where the sick are well
provided for, but the healthy must util
ize the blue vault of heaven. The lit
tie hotels scattered about through the
town afford accommodations for a very
small part of the crowd and the rates
are naturally excessive.
The crowd was moving entirely in one
direction. but no questions were neces-
sary concerning its destination, for the
signs on the corners read Avenue to
the grotto of Lourdes and reveled in
gone by had / started at pictures of
the grotto of Lourdes and reveled in
the story of Bernadetto with ecstatic
faith and burning enthusiasm and now
the real spot was almost before me.
Something of my childhood's ardor for
the moment possessed me. I quick
ened nv footsteps and found myself
before the grotto with the dust of the
nights journey still upon me.
Yes, it was exactly like the pictures.
The white statue with the blue sash
and the pretty face of a Bougourreau
Madonna. the hundreds of clutches.