New-York tribune., 1908-05-27
LOURDES.
Andrew Lang on the Tision of 1858.

From The Illustrated London Neus
fo ti tloes must have been beautiful place be-
= r tILe events OF 1898. 1t has an acropoIis like
d creek city or like Edinburgh; It is surrounded
pF fyrenean hills gifted with more grace and
CoIor lhan the Alps, and the Gave which flows
pt peneath tne srotto, is Highland trout stream
70 put no" there are new churches in bad taste:
there is a vulgar image of Our Lady; and there
are rows of shops full Of tawdry ecclesia sticaI
tIlhkelS. u One is reminded of a mystical Monte
Carlo We all know, in a dim Wav that on
february IL, 1858, a little peasant girl of four
teen. Bernadette Soubirous, went out with her
sister Marie and another skeptical child Jeanne
Abadie. to collect dry fallen boughs for fire.
wood To reach the riverside the little girls had
TO wade shallow milldam Jeanne and Marie
took off their sabots and waded Bernadette was
asfhmatic; she was afraid wade and Jeanne
Whom she asked to carry her over, said she was
little muf. The two other girls gathered fire.
WOOD near the cave, and DISAPPEARED round the
bend of the stream.
Bernadette tried to throw in stepping stones.
but failed to make q dry crossing She was TAX
ing off her stockings. when she heard twice a
loud rolling noise. There was no sign of thun-
der. She stood UP. alarmed. and looked toward
if in a violent wind. From the ca We issued a
golden colored cloud. and presently came beau
tiful young lady in white, girdled with long
blue ribbon. with a golden rose on each of her
ma ked feet. The child knelt, and the two other
girls coming back and finding her on her knees.
called her 2 little idiot.
That was the beginning of the modern material
prosperity of Lourdes. The whole story is like
that of the first vision Of Jeanne dare She
was in her fathers garden: she saw a brilliant
cloud: then came a voice and appariton of
an angel. and she. like Bernadette was much
afraid. But Jeanne for years, held her tongue:
Bernadette told her sister. the sister told the
mother A military authority advised Jeannes
father TO box her ears, and the mother of Berna-
dette was about TO give her a firm whipping,
when an old aunt stayed her uplifted hand.
Both of the little girls used to kiss the earth
where the apparition had stood
take the story from a curious and touching
little book Les Apparitions de Lourdes' G9o6),
by NJ J. B Estrade. who, in 1855. was chief
who made fun of the story, till he met the little
girl in the Office of the head of the local police
She would not promise not to go back TO the
cave and her demeanor simple and
candid that NJ. Estra de. with some ladies. went
watch her there He amazed by what
he called her tran ST guration' when in tho
presence Of the beautiful vision which nobody
else could see, that he, a gallant young French
man. walked away IN total forgetfulness of the
ladies' We may we'll say. "Cest Ia lie miracle!"
On his way TO the place NJ. Estrade had been
chatting his fair companions: he has treasured
UP and repeats his little jokes. And then
marched home without the ladies! He and his
sister heranoe great friends of the child who
spoke to them very frankly.
Now let give the current explanation. It
was said that the girl. on February II. had sur
rrised a tender interview which fair married
Dido of Lourdes was giving, in the cave, to "a
brilliant officer Of cavalry The lady posed
a supernatural being, deceived Bernadette AMI
stole away.
one objection is that, on very cold February
day. the gayest lady does not go about in white,
with long blue sash!
In 1892, when NJ. Zola visited Lourdes. the
story was revived in the press for his instruc-
tion and delectation The name ot the gay mar
ried lady was published. she dead by 1892
NJ. Estrade vaguely seemed TO remember that
the lady had just become mother In the be-
ginning Of February 1858. He consulted the
registers Of births and found that the lady had
given birth to daughter on February s. so that
on February Il she unlikely 10 be dallyins
with her -F1neas in damp grotto.
The little girl. after the appearances ceased,
had plenty of trouble with the Church. the police
and the facetious She became a nun. had no
more visions and died at about the age Of
thirtv-eight An anecdote Is given which sug-
gests that the neighborhood of the cave has
curious natural properties but have not space
m relate parallel occurrence known to