The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-01-25
LOURDES' ORIGIN.
(Continned from Pare 1


became her old, familiar self. what ais you. Be
nadette?" asked her sister. 'Have Won NOT see
her" questioned the child "Who!" ooh III
beautiful beautiful woman" They all went HON
together, and Mary that evening told her rnotbe,
Inc mother drew BeTnadette to her and after hear
ing her story rebuked her for her silly fancies ant
Uold her to go no more to the rocks. For the mex
two days the sisters worked around their home
Linen on Sunday. Mary and Jane asked the mothe
TO let Bernadette accompany them to the rocks A
hrst she refused but at last yielded to their plead
| ings.
Now these young girls, light hearted and limo
cent talked with Bernadette about the lady she haG
seen and, as they walked along the banks of the
gave wondered If she would appear again When
they reached the spot where Bernadette knelt two
days betoe the young girl fell on her knees and be-
gan to say herabeads. This was an instantaneous
act and she became like one empardised in beatifc
VISION Her eyes were fixed in ecstatic wonder. for
once again, across the brook, closing the opening
to the grotto there stood the marvellous vision.
Her companions saw nothing. They beheld the face
OF the young girl, they saw the radiation of the su
pernatura the eyes wide open and motionless, they
looked upon kneeling figure that seemed no longer
one OF them. The vision faded away and Berna-
dette rose to her feet. When she came again, two
ladies who had heard her story accompanied her.
They brought with them paper, pens and ink. and
they said to Bernadete: "If the lady appears to-
day. ask her to speak to you and tell you what she
wishes you to do" Again
THE VISION APPEARS
And Bernadette drew and said ''What is it YOU
want OF me, Lady-will you tell me your name and
who you are" Then the apparition spoke and said
DO me the favor to return here, at this hour, for
the next fifteen days" The young girl replied: Il
promise to do So" Day after day for fortnight,
this innocent girl of fourteen years kept the tryst
and was daily favored with the supernal visit.
Crowds visited her every day and went with her to
the place of meeting. They saw the wonderful
change that came over the face of the child. 1t
was like unto TRANSPORTATION. Men who had no
faith in miracles, surgeons, lawyers, doctors and
local government officials were present and they de-
clared the child evidently sincere that her
pulse was normal and that her brain and nerves
were not diseased. They saw her lips move as if
speaking to some one, but they heard no converse
ton. The child declared she spoke in full voice
and that the Lady also spoke in strong voice
But only twice were any words heard by those pres
ent Once, the young girl said there was look oil 1
sorrow on the Lady's face. Bernadette asked her
what was the matter-what should she do? The I
lady answered, pray for sinners" Besides re-
vealing to her three secrets which concerned the
young girl herself, the vision told the child to 90
to the priest of the parish and say to him that it
was the Lady's wish that he should build a sanctu-
ary-a church-on this spot in her honor. Berna-
dete took the message to the parish priest and he
laughed at her. why ma petite" he said, 81
haven't decent soutane to my back and where can
I get money to build church? Run home to your
mother"
Again the girl was sent back to the priest to
deliver the same message "See here, my child, re-
turn to the Lady and tell her that if she wants me
to build church there. let her show me some sign
that you speak the truth 1t is now winter; let her
make that dried up rose bush at my door bud SD
blossom roses" 1t was the month of February.
The child repeated to the Lady what the priest had
said But the roses did not bloom. Then she gave
the second order to Bernadette in these words GO
drink and wash in the fountain and eat of the grass
that grows near it,
The child naturally looked to the waters of the
brook, but the Lady turned and pointed to the
right hand of the grotto, into which the
child crept on her hands and knees, but
NO WATER WAS THERE.
Then, following further instructions she scooped
with her hands little earth away and in the hol-
low she made there began to appear drops of water
By degrees the little cavity filled with water which
flowed in a stream no thicker than a straw. In
a few days this streamlet swelled and made for il
self large basin and from this fountain, every
day for the last fifty years, about thirty thousand
gallons of flow daily from the rock that from
times was as barren the Nubian
sands On the fifteenth Bernadette again asked the
Lady who she was and what was her Then,
with hands partially spread out like opening fan,
and looking up to heaven with eyes diviney bright
and q face suniernelu lender She exclaimed: