Page:Anecdotescatechi00spiruoft.djvu/87

 figure of  a woman,  surrounded  by  a halo  of  brilliant light. She was  clothed  in  a white  robe,  with  a blue girdle round  her  waist  and  a long  white  veil  on  her head, while  from  her  right  arm  there  hung  a rosary formed of  white  beads,  the  cross  being  of  gold. This lady was  most  beautiful  to  behold,  and  she  smiled kindly and  Sweetly  on  the  child. Bernadette fell  on her  knees  and  tried  to  tell  her  beads,  but  she  was  so much  frightened  that  she  could  not  even  make  the sign of  the  cross. Seeing this,  the  lady  made  the sign of  the  cross  herself. Then the  child,  taking courage, blessed  herself  and  recited  the  rosary  all through. . When she  had  finished,  the  apparition suddenly vanished,  just  as  a flame  goes  out. Bernadette told her  companions  what  she  had  seen,  and when she  got  home,  she  told  her  mother  also. The next Sunday  the  girl  went  with  her  companions  to the  same  spot,  taking  some  holy  water  with  her. Scarcely had  she  begun  to  say  her  beads  when  the same figure  appeared  again. This time  Bernadette sprinkled some  holy  water  in  the  direction  of  the place where  the  apparition  stood; but  instead  of disappearing,  the  lady  smiled  benignantly,  bowed  her head, and  approached  somewhat  nearer. The other children saw  nothing  extraordinary,  they  only  noticed that  Bernadette’s  countenance  beamed  with delight. When the  child  went  to  the  grotto  for  the third time  she  was  accompanied  by  two  women. On this occasion  the  shining  figure  expressed  the  wish that Bernadette  should  come  thither  daily  for  a fortnight, and  that  a great  many  people  should  come with her. Accordingly, when  the  apparition  again