Page:Anecdotescatechi00spiruoft.djvu/89

 hands down  to  the  spot  indicated  to  find  the  spring, and the  water  came  welling  up  out  of  the  dry  ground with ever  increasing  velocity,  and  from  that  time forth the  source  has  yielded  eighty-five  gallons  a minute. This water,  which  in  appearance  differs nothing from  ordinary  water,  possesses  miraculous healing properties; by  the  use  of  it,  countless  supernatural cures  have  been  effected  and  still  are  effected to  this  day. On the  25th  of  March,  the  Feast of the  Annunciation,  Bernadette  begged  the  lady to tell  her  her  name. After she  had  repeated  her request four  times  the  answer  was  given  in  these words, uttered  by  the  apparition  with  clasped  hands: “ I am the  Immaculate  Conception.”  Afraid  lest  she should forget  the  words,  of  whose  meaning  she  had no idea,  the  girl  hastened  to  the  priest  and  repeated them to  him. After a time  the  grotto  was  closed  by the  police,  and  bereft  of  all  its  costly  decorations. But the  Emperor  Napoleon  III  reversed  this  decree and allowed  free  access  to  the  grotto  to  all  comers. In the  year  1862  a Parisian  barrister  named  Henri Laserre, who  had  lost  his  sight,  was  immediately  and completely cured  by  bathing  his  eyes  with  some  of the  water,  for  which  he  had  sent  by  the  advice  of  a Protestant  friend. Out of  gratitude  to  almighty  God he traveled  all  over  France,  visiting  persons  who  had been cured  of  their  respective  maladies  at  Lourdes,  to collect  materials  for  publication  in  a book  containing an  account  of  the  miracles  wrought  at  that  spot, and entitled  Our  Blessed  Lady  of  Lourdes. In fact, the miracles  were  so  numerous  and  so  striking  that  the bishop of  the  diocese  was  compelled  to  look  into  the