Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-11-15
WHAT MAY BE SEEN AT LouRpEs.

Gigantic ST. Antoine Hospital IN the
Midst NeuiIIy Fair.
Paris Correspondence of the New
York Tribune.-M. Huysman, that &C.
centric, impassioned writer whose
compositions, always imbued with
/ vigorous individuality, seem to be
seasoned with dashes of the weird
imagination of a Poe, with a pinch
of Walt Whitman and with sprink-
ling of lola, is putting the finishing
| touches to a work on Lourdes. The
author of La Bias" of EN- Re
bouts" of EN- Route" and of La
Cathedrale," who has been inter
viewed by Raoul Aubry OF the
Temps, gives a Characteristic fore
word concerning the priests, pill
grims, pietists and pilferers who fire.
quent the miraculous pool. ~ am
not writing a novel, in the course of
which imaginary persons are con
Quoted to Lourdes, but am completing
series of critical studies, showing
| that Lourdes is a sort of gigantic St.
Antonio hospital in the midst Of a
kind of roughnnd-tumble Neuilly
| fair" says NJ. Huysman.
Now and then there are truly mi
raculous cures at Lourdes; this |
firmly believe. But the most strik-
| ing miracle of all is. to my mind. the
fact that the multitudes that come
to The place defy with IMMUNITY the
laws not only of medical science,
but of ordinary hygiene. | have
made three long visits to Lourdes.
and constantly saw men reeking
with sweat plunging after meal-time
! in almost ice-co.d water; I saw
children so i'll as to be scarcely able
: to draw their breath dipped into the
chilly pool; l saw delicate women,
| Regardless of the critical condition of
! their health, immerse themseves up
to their chins in the frigid water.
None of these men, women, or child
rem appear to suffer the logical con
/ sequence of their acts. / saw good,
Plus, Woodworking Sisters of Mercy
and honest. undetermined priests.
b0N lAOAhAhe1 cibbtAt bllClllY llhb HdIDlGS
or birds of prey. were vile vendors
of trumpery crosses and trash, which
| they disposed of at eXhorbitant
prices to confiding pilgrims. saw
| hanging in the grotto thousands of
discarded crutches, canes, ear trump
cts and leading strings, that had
served for the lame, the infrm, the
deaf or the blind, but / failed to see
anywhere a single wooden leg. One
wooden leg would have been more
! eloquent than all these semidoubtful
! relics
worthy. hard working and conscien-
tious. I sympathize with them. for
/ they defend the last ramparts OF the
| dignity of this huge religious, popu-
lar fair. Emile Zola was brave
homme, but he collected his data
concerning Lourdes too hastily lola
was the victim of one of his infuen-
! tial friends, who excited him against
/ the Lourdes Fathers, because this
trusted adviser had a secret ambi-
/ ton of being able to induce the gov
eminent of the republic to expel the
fathers and priests, and. when this
element was once eliminated. to
| transform Lourdes into a sort of
stock company, Astounding in palace
! hotels, clubs, casinos, with baccarat
and petits chevaux; sheds and gar
| ages for automobiles, and with Amer
lean bars dispensing Manhattan cock
tails, whistles an. sodas and other
! drinks, while bands of relocated fid-
dlers played macabre polkas or har-
rowing cake walks.
/ mol" continued NJ Huysman, 1.-The
/ Fathers of Loudres are doing a noble,
justly prejudiced against them. The
health regulations at Lourdes are
abominabley Cosmopolitan crowds
of infrm wretches bivouac in the
open air. uncork their bottles Of sour
wine devour cod veal, sausages.
hard boiled eggs, sardines and horse
meat, while greasy newspapers.
broken bottles and bits of putrfd vic
tuals strew the ground The Holy
Virgin of Lourdes is certainly a
downright good-hearted woman to
continue TO accomplish these mir
acles under such revolving circum-
| stances and amid the mob of repul-
siye pilgrims, faithful sufferers, half
| witted, crack-brained inva.ids. rapa-
cious, shame-faced swindlers and adj
venturers, such as one finds at pub
lie fairs or suburban race tracks.