The sun., 1916-12-24

Morning comes and the arrivals con-
tinue by train and tho various roads.
Noon. and tho town II packed. HUI
nanity hlls the streets. restaurants,
cafes. lodging houses and hotels. And
everywhere. on every hand. is deep
tragedy. =
Faces set in hard lines. cut deep:
limbs withered or crippled--that Is
what one sees for the most part. On
the faces OF some OF these people are
marks Of mighty battles. fought and
being fought-battles OF lost trenches.
But with the many 1t Is a general
expression OF resignation To the in
evitable that n sees on the faces and
In their eyes the earnest CLEAN OF hope
the shrine gives its pilgrims. 1t Is the
same with the soldiers. one looks in
vain for the play OF strong emotion.
II Is probably the greatest gathering
Of blind. halt and withered In the
world. From the remote and lonely
mountain districts. the coast towns
and the lowlands OF the interior they
are gathered.
At I o'clock In the afternoon will be
the nrst big event. the procession Of
the Blessed Sacrament. when the thou
sands will gather over by the basilica,
the great church. TO call TO heaven for
help, each man or woman for the
miracle that will bring relief.
So . sense Of expectancy possesses
the town, a v tension that all
seem to be under. BY the faces It
seems ~ though all minds are gov
erned by a common thought as the
time drags.
Seeking relief in activity. most OF
the people spend the morning wander
Ing about the town buying trinkets
now and then, but more often looking
at the arrays In the windows OF the
stores and on the many stands out
along the streets.
There are little crosses OF aluminium,
likenesses OF the Virgin Mary and
saints stamped on the same metal.
beads of many sizes and designs and
baubles of innumerablc character.
Some Of the people study hard before
they buy a little trinket for a cen or
two.
Noon comes and again the eating
places are running to capacity. Again
the countless bags. boxes and shape
less parcels are opened as others eat,
standing or sitting about in the streets.
Their provisions they have bought at
stores near by or carried with them
from distant homes. Down one OF the
streets comes a flock of goats that
run hero and there through the crowd
and spread disorder. The drovers
bring the flock to a halt and the goats
lie down In the street and on the side
walk to rest.
Suddenly sounds a rattle Of tin and
the tinkle OF glasses, as persons rush
up from all directions. Hardly has
, the flock come to a halt before a score
or 10 of people are milking the ami
mails. It must be a custom. for only
here and there does q spectator look
on In idle curiosity.
Having eaten. those sitting and
standing about In the streets tie up
their parcels again and prepare to
move. A short time later tho whole
town seems to he moving along In a
common direction. II Is toward the
church at the other end OF the town.
Here the grotto Is. the shrine of the
pilgrims.
Buying trinkets at the stores has
ceased for the q part now. There
In only the shunis Of many feet. the
clamor Of many voice In many ac-
cents. The light OF expectancy in tho
| eyes Of she majority has ~dccpcned nuw
II n tho light Of refig lous servor. while
on the sacss In the strained and tensr
look. .4.a,,t. 49, AL: