Year: 1873

Of strong cloth, sometimes white lambs heece,
sometimes OF bright scarlet. 1t covers the head
and falls down upon the shoulders as low as the
waist. When the weather s cold and windy the
Pyrenees women cover their breasts and arms
all over with 1t. In Summer time they fold 1t In
neat square and wear 1t upon their heads as
four-cornsred hat. The capslet OF the small shep-
herdess Of Bartres was white, and she was clothed
in 1t when she first saw the vision Of the Virgin
Mary.


PORTRAIT OF BERNADETTE.


have the portrait Of this little girl before me as
write. She Is small creature. with face won
derluly sweet and eaxnest-nothing at all like
trick or falsehood In It, She has broad, smooth
open brow. with candid expression ON it,
Her deep-set eyes seem trying, with all
their might and main, to be COED and
true. Her nose Is Of that Greclan order which has
given laws TO beauty, and her mouth is nrm-set,
Yet soft. do not think that mouth could tell
lie. Her face is oval, rounded and lovely Her hair
is hidden beneath modest little cap, that only
the parting OF 1t and the back hair can be seen.
farer vision than this little girl has never broken
upon poets dream. dainty, quaint and pretty
little thing You must kiss her. for there Is a
wondrous dignity about this child, that does not
know her catechism. She holds rosary an her
hand, and her common dress mounts high mp TO



and mind, the grace OF it is not some cunning trick
ola painters hand, ''some artlul dodge" OF an
imaginary priesthood, ever looking out for dupes
and alert to deceive as no community Of human
beings ever have been or could be. The sun
struck on from nature this faithful resemblance OF
the little girl. mite OF thing. in little white
riding hood, she trpped out OF the town OF Lourdes
with her sister and her friend, escorted by her
brother, who perhaps intended to marry the friend
when he grew up; and hand in hand. chattering as
they went, they came TO the lett bank OF the River
Gave.


The River Gave, at the point where they stopped,
Is now deep and rapid stream. l asked peasant
how these little children crossed It on foot. They
could not cross 1t now swimming. He said that
1t was formerly shallow that to ford
it was easy. The children began to pick up
sticks, and passed over TO little island called
the Chalet, on the property OF one M. de Laftte,
where there were many sticks. The elect
Girl, who was about to see the Virgin
Mary, ielt her strength give way, and her
sturdy young companions strode on ahead Of her.
She had picked up nothing, and her apron was
empty-she was very Cinderella OF an elect little
girlwhile her sister, her sisters friend and her
brother had their arms full OF fagots. She had on
black rock, all darned and pieced and thread
bare; her small feet were hidden in wooden shoes,
her head and shoulders were covered with the
snowy cGpulet. She must have looked an innocent
rustic little girl, charming the heart OF the be-
holder as much as the eyes. Her complexion,
though tanned by the sun, had lost nothing of It's
native delicacy Her silky black hair was hardly
visible beneath the kerchief which bound It, The
perfectly arched eyebrows over her am0nd-shaped
brown eyes OF exceeding softness gave them a
look OF gentle surprise. The pervadIng meaning
hat 1ttftn nf L. Ei,.In
passion.


Her countenance, at once fair and intelligent,
won all VINO looked upon 1t. There seemed mys-
tic power and authority about this poor, ignorant
child, dressed in mended rags; ior about her was
the rarest OF earthly things


THE MAJESTY OF INNOCENCE.


She had been christened after the great Doctor OF
the Church who wrote the ''MemOrare," ana who
had especially dedicated his life and its works to
the Virgin Mary. mean st. Bernard. In accord
ance with graceful custom prevailing in France,
the name OF this great man, when given to a little
peasant girl had been softened into something
pastoral and childlike and the little girl, who
owned the pretty name which had been made out
OF the great name, was called Bernadette. She sat
down by the banks or the River Gave, Tor her com.
panions had tod her that the water was cold, and
she hesitated to cross it. She had stockings on,





Throw TWO or three large stones on the ford
and can cross it dryfoOted," said Bernadette; !;
but the other children answered, "Do as we have
done. Come across to the island bareiooted."


SO Bcrnadette sat down on the fragment OF q
rock and began to take or her stockings 1t was
noon by this time, and the sAngelus" sounded
from the steepes Of all the towns and villages OF
the Pyrehees. Bernadette had just taken OF one
OF her stockings when she heard around her mur-
muir like the signing OF wind sweeping over
grass She thought that hurricane, such as she
had often seen in the mountains was coming on
and she looked around her for the premonit0ry
symptoms OF it. But, to her amazement, the pop
lars on the borders OF the Gave were still. Not
breath Of air stirred among theft quiet
branches, Thinking she had been mistaken,
yet remembering the noise which she
had heard, the child felt puzzled and
then she began to take or her other stocking
At this moment an impetuous gust Of the invisible
wind made itself heard again. Bernadette raised
her head and, looking up before her. tried to utter
q loud cry, which died stned on her lips. She
trembled In all her limbs, and, crouching down,
dazed and overwhelmed by the sight before her,
the child fell all in heap upon her knees. An
amazing sight, indeed, had been revealed to her.
Above the grotto within that upper niche there
stood, surrounded by supernatural radiance, q
lady OF Incompatible splendor.


ATMOSPHERE OF THE VIRGIN.


The inetfaDle light which foated about her did not
trouble the vision and daze the eyes, like the into
cradle brightness Of the sun. On the contrary this
aureoia, brilliant stream u rays, was as peace
full as a profound shadows and attracted the
childs looks, which bathed and reposed IN it with
sense Of delight This light was as the
light Of morning star in its fresh
ness. Nor was there anything vague and
vaporous about the apparltion within 1t. 1t had
not the uncertain outlines Of fantastic vision; 1t
was, 1t looked like, living reality, human body,
which the eye judged to be OF papable flesh
like ours; and 1t differed only from the person
OF q mortal by the aureoa around 1t and by its
divine beauty. "He is not the God Of the dead,
but OF the living" have somewhere read.


PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF THE VIRGIN MARY.


She was OF middle height. She seemed quite