Year: 1873

elegant gentleman. the titular Duke ofBucKingham,
with other wondering sages. The brotherhood Of
sour Lady OF Mount Carmep' was composed
OF slate workers; that OF "Our Lady OF
Montserrat" of masons The brotherhood OF
St. Anne" admitted none but locksmiths; another
none but tailors The "Brotherhsod OF the Ascen-
sion" was q union Of quarrymen. The work
women OF Lourdes too, had formed similar associa-
tiOns, and one of them, called 1.-THE Congregation
OF the Children or Mary" was particularly notice
able. These ladies had taken the w0men's rights
question, which Is puzzling


POOR LITTLE LORD AMBERLEY.


into their own hands, and settled 1t satisfactorily
before His Lordship was born. Poor little Lord
Amberley could not contrive to tumble down over
something strange or new in spite OF all bis efforts
to do so.


Such was the state OF Lourdes and its inhabi-
tants in 1858. They were citizens OF no mean city,
though 1t was such q long way from Paris and New
York. Among the surroundings OF this vivacious
little town there was no spot more wild and soil
tary than that known as Les Roches Marsabielles,
at the loot OF which ragged the turbulent river
Gave. A little above this stream the base
OF the rock was pierced by three irregular exca-
vations, rising one on the top OF the other, with
q communication open between them. The first
and largest OF these excavations was on level





those little tents which are pitched by wandering
pedlers at fairs, and 1t looked rather like side
of big shapeess oven The entrance to this grotto
was through an arch about four yards high; the
width of 1t was about equal to Its depth and meas
ured fifteen yards Above. on the right hand Of
the spectator, were two other openings. Seen from
without the principal OF these two openings ap-
peared Of an oval shape, about the size OF house
window or a niche Of q church. wild rose tree,
springng out OF crevice in the rock wreathed its
plant branches round the orifce, like garland.
The three excavations here described were called


THE GROTTO OF MARsABIELLE.


Around 1t was an uncultivated steep belonging
to the town OF Lourdes, and chiefly used for feed
ing swine. The swineherds who tended them, and
now and then fisherman, took refuge from the
storm and wind In this grotts. The storms were
very strong and mercilul in this region, and they
rent away many dry sticks from OIL the trees around
which served to warm the poor In Winter time.


THE APPARITI0N OF THE VIRGIN.


II was on the l1th Of February, 1868,
during that boisterous week of carnival which
precedes Lent The weather was cold, but without
wind, and the clouds rested imm0vable in the
heavens. few drops OF rain fell at rare inter.
walls. Throughout the diocese OF Tarbes was being
celebrated the festival OF the ustrlOus shepherdess
of France, ST. Genevieve. Eleven O'Clock before
had just struck by the church clock of LOurdes.
While everywhere among the well-tO-d0 citizens
preparations were being made for mirrh and least
ing, poor family, who rented one OF the most
miserable houses in the street Of 'The Little
Ditches," seemed cut or from the world and
could take no part in its pleasures. They had
not even fuel to cook their meagre dinner. The
father OF this poor family had once been miller;
but things mad gone Ill with him, and he was now
Ohli tO a
he could get work, which was not often. His name
was Francis SoubrOns, anu he was married to an
honest woman named Louise Caster0t. They had
iour ctildren-two daughters, OF whom the eldest
was fourteen years Old, and two sons much
younger.


BERNADETE,
their eldest daughter, was sickly child, who had
only returned home within the last fortnight and,
as all the world IS now concerned with ner, it may
be well to record what Is known to many living
people about her antecedents. Sue was an invalid
from her birth. Her mother. who was then sickly
too. having been unable to suckle her. put her out
at nurse in the neighboring village OF Bartres, and
Bernadette remained there alter she was weaned
Her parents paid-sometlmes In money, but more
often IN kind-about 1ve francs month for her
board and lodging. They could not afford to keep
sick child at heme for there was no one to nurse
IL but Its mother, who had enough to d0with her
other children and her housework. AS soon as the
girl was strong enough to work they sent Tor her,
indeed; but the poor peasants who had
brought her up by hand had become
strongly attached to her, and were unwilling
to let her go. They agreed to adopt her, and en-
ployed her to tend little flock OF sheep. She grew
up under the care Of her adopted family, passing
most OF her days in solitude upon the hillside,
where the sheep we're feeding Was it not, by the
aho onha oil dNpH vhn
first saw the star OF Bethlehems With respect TO
religion she knew no more than how to tell her
beads and, whether from the advice OF her nurse
or from her own choice, she was telling her beads
continually. She was very fond OF her sheep; and,
being asked by some one which Of them she liked
best, she answered simply, "The smallest and
weakest OF them" OF this sheep she made play
fellow she had no 0ther-and she was often found
decking 1t with wild flowers. She was miserable
looking little thing herself 80 small aud feeble that
when fourteen years of age and on the verge OF
wOmanhood she looked no more than ten years
old She was not then sickly, but she was troubled
with an asthma which caused her much suffering.
She bore her affliction with that patient resigna-
ton which seems so dficult to the rich, but which
Is inborn and natural to the poor. Perhaps 1t was
in the school Of physical suffering that she learned
that simplicity and habit OF selfsacrhce which have
been enjoined by all religions. Or the world and
Its wickedness its joys and its vanities, she knew
nothing.


She was an amiable child, and had the gift OF
making herself beloved by those around her; but
she had very bad opinion OF herself. She could
neither read WRITE and there fore she felt at
grievOus disadvantage in the presence Of other
children of her own age. Moreover, she could not
even speak French, and only understood the bar
barous dialect or patois Of the Pyrenees She had
never been taught her catechsm. The only prayers
she knew were some broken phrases-'Our
Father,r ~ salute you. Mary, full OF grace,n 81
believe" "Glory be to the Father and that was all.
1t is needless to add that she had never been con-
irmed, and tnat all the spendor, pomp
and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church
we're utterly unknown to her. 1t was, In.
deed, in order to teach her the catechlsm
that her parents had invited her to pay them q