The sun., 1916-12-24
Lourdes. Here they come for relief from sorrow too great 70
From All Parts of France They Conc
Seeking Divine Help for Sorrows
Past Bearing

ness. Nails dig deep into h4ris. r'
q. things and handkcrChicfs ar arIoN
quickly his way and itat. io
into many knots: tigh: fnc"r. "
ut dresses. grasp canes umbr.l'a-. -.
supports OF chairs and the hauI -
s'rrtchers.
In the faces Of some there is O.. '.v
iamiliiT expression A. ~ l""s.-
ag inst hope that has become p .'
a strain resulting from wees ta
months OF thinking and hoping
ACROSS the way is TIC soldi'r 70
had ioou given gp for dead h, 80
girl beside him. his wife. when ',.r
told her months before that 10 lid
been killcd. lie stands there looh *
ahead-sn'ing nothing-,younE. Ike
others of tho wars de-clicts about In
the press.
He stands there immoh.le. rcsisnsd
seemingly. and his face shows nothing
% deep regret. lie cannot perceive
the DOL OF utter anguish now lined
into the cointenancc Of tho young
woman by his side. .>s they wait.
ahead of the procession. she Whisper
casually and calmly into his car little
suggestions OF hope. but he does no,
know she Is weeping trying hard
10 suppress a sob occasionally and
sometimes seems about to scream
Not lonC ago there were ambition AMI
biz plans.
Others are there In like condition. \
tall officer. a captain whose eyes look
unsceingly through dark spectacle.
stands straight. head above ;hoa"
ahou. him. And on his face still In
gers the tan OF n long siege a. tho
front.
While the crowds are vet ga,h.'1ng
an old woman feebly made hc- way
unaided and alone to tho spa . n
front. She carried "A folding chair ard
when she reached the oper SD. ~aa
unfoldcd il ana sat dowa. WIFI. mfl"
iostled about her and the lin vi rel
frequently. she kept her pla,. pc
sistently.
She sat there n very feeble AM a-.l
looking m ~ too much 80 =. ''
alone. Now she stI,l sits in t..
spot. and a The procession
nearer she prays p a nodir7'l' &C..
voice that is much cracked ana .... .
NJ she prays hpr VOICE
higher in pitch. She say. a. ..
: !ngs over and over dcdI-.
Saint Mary, holy Mo:hor - los,
have mercy on me- nui hell %. -"
* saying. ~ is possible e." ,..
will. Everything IS po: .a,o Y.'.
II Is with 8n accent that
TO understand. She seems utt,.I '.
saken and alone. There is on Dr.. 'na
a look OF determination that Do. .t.
vived long periods of wli'l.: S.
she asks. from what distance .t
come WITH only a cane t. support h0r.
enfeebled by even more than l,r
!otted time and a life OF toll and t
snip, no one about her know. 49,.
is asking something that scou.4 20
mean TO her life itself. Nca' &C." -
a Timber form that rests IN 4 su.' ~
box. AS the procession ptssDt ',.y
lift the box partly up on one end IT,"
eyes OF the person inside. vic. or
man or woman Is a question l'.,
askance as II passes. They burn ST.
a stubborn hight that docs No. 20
out. Meanwhile others cry ou' as
they implore.
The procession makes tho circuit
and ~ toward tho nitro ~ ~"
open space, suddenly all become ,cr'
silent. Far or. many miles away. D.
heard the faint shrek II an cu-Iu
whistle. while from one side ,om''
the insistcnt murmur OF IA" -ouut'in
stream neal by.
4 voice from some one IN The ~
group out there in the centre ,r'-
out. II is in supplication. Il stops
All Is again silent and a second or 80
Inter the voice repeats its cry, T. IA
an entreaty. a cry for divine help ~"
the multitude, II asks for relief from
unheara bile pain and sorrow,
.As each time IL concludes a mlsltE
wave of a low, all filling murmur runs
over the vast asscmblag". tt" t'o'l-
sands are praying for rclicf from 'rae-
edies that to some seem too glc'' f"r
endurance.
The murmur stops. Tho voice IN 'h'
centre again takes up the cutrca'y. In
its shrill note II perctratcs everything
n seems to carry to the tops ~ -"
mountains surrounding, II trCmhlcs ,t
its earncstncss and thrills. II t. ~
a mighty crowd calling for rcliof 'r'n
the world as they have found y and
here IL "A large part Of the TRAGEDY ~
the nation.
The voice does not dc down tho
time, In its carnCstu"sS It r,-"s
comes a piercing wal aud end. IN 4
uulyCriug Shrek Th,n ~ is al Nyo'
n" crowds stand arouHi 'or , h''~'
moment. Then tho outer odsce r'. Il
ava as they hcgin Ia dlsperSc
And the people, still woudcring. 'rNs
away under the influence of the 'v.n'.