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THE 'WHITE TRAIN.'
PITIFUL SCENES AT LOUBDES
FlLGIUiUAGE.
The national pilgrimage has begun.
Within the next few hours 33 trains, with
17,000 pilgrims, from all parts of France,
will be -onverging on Lourdes (tJegraphcd
a pre« correspondent from Paris on Au
trust 20). Manv of the nUzrims are eoinz
from pious motives, others because they
wish to accompany and watch otjfcr aide
friends end relatives, bat the exodus de
rives a'l iU interest and pathos from thc
presence of thc poor, suffering, souU who,
finding human licence onavaQrag, turn to
Our Lady of Lourdes as their last hope of
being cured.
— TrairJoads ot Sufferers.— '
Never, perhaps, -was the usually deserted
Gore d'Orleans more crowded and more
picturesque than to-da;f. From morn to
eve train followed train, each bearing its
burden of eager pilgrims. There one saw
the 'Red train, the 'Blue train.' thc
'Orange train,' the 'White train,' and
trains of many other colours; but it was
the 'White train' ni& which centred all
the pathos of to-day's proceedings. The
'White train' is tha's which carries those
sick unto death. , On stretchers or on
mattresses they lay on the platform tiil
they could be carried to their compart
ments. By their sides stood relatives com
forting them, whiL1 Sisters of Mercy hur
ried about attending to their needs.
— Mother and Son. —
The saddest scene I witnessed iraa just
Ori the 'White itrain' wa= preparing to.
start. Cricfl were raised of 'Stand
aside!' and pre--ent'y two young men ap
pmired carry rn« a sick youth on a stretcher.
Hie mother fo'lowed, weeping. At first no
mom -y-uM be found for cliem. Finally
the stretcher was squeezed through the
narrow doorwiay of a third-class carriaije,
and aa it prosed ' throuzh the young man
utfered a ditill cry of pain. # I heard
afterwards -ihot he was suffering from a
fawning fipinc. FiiKil'y he was installed
on a mattress suspended from the roof of
the carriage, and the mother squeezed in
beside him.
—The Archbishop's Blessing.—
As?ain there was a cry of 'Stand aside!'
and a ring* of young men came along the
p'otform, v/-jt& a high ecclesiastic in their
midst. . It waa the Cardinal Amette.
Arohbishnip of Paris. His face beamed with
kindly interest and pity. The faithful
crowded .around him to kiss his ring as he
enquired after this or that sufferer. At
last the \yhisile sounded. The faithful
raised tlieir voices in a hymn, and the pil
grims ^.-aved handkerchiefs. 'Bon cou
rage!' .'uns heard on all sides, and «s car
riage a'feer carnage oiarrd out of the sta
tion -gp' Archbiflwp raked his hand in
blessric..* J
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