this circumstance, the miracle came to be generally
believed in the neighbourhood. The number of persons who resorted to
the place with money in their pockets steadily increased. The question
was then taken up by the local priests, who vouched for the
authenticity of the miracle seen by the two children. The miracle was
next accepted by Rome.[100] A church was built on the spot by means of
the contributions of the visitors--L'Eglise de la Salette--and thither
pilgrims annually resort in great numbers, the more devout climbing
the hill, from station to station, on their knees. As many as four
thousand persons of both sexes, and of various ages, have been known
to climb the hill in one day--on the anniversary of the appearance of
the apparition--notwithstanding the extreme steepness and difficulties
of the ascent.

[Footnote 100: An authorised account was prepared by Cardinal
Wiseman for English readers, entitled "Manual of the
Association of our Lady of Reconciliation of La Salette," and
published as a tract by Burns, 17, Portman Street, in 1853.
Since I passed through the country in 1869, the Germans have
invaded France, the surrender has occurred at Sedan, the
Commune has been defeated at Paris, but Our Lady of La
Salette is greater than ever. A temple of enormous dimensions
has risen in her honour; the pilgrims number over 100,000
yearly, and the sale of the water from the Holy Well, said to
have sprung from the Virgin's tears, realises more than
L12,000. Since the success of La Salette, the Virgin has been
making repeated appearances in France. Her last appearance
was in a part of Alsace which is strictly Catholic. The
Virgin appeared, as usual, to a boy of the mature age of six,
"dressed in black, floating in the air, her hands bound with
chains,"--a pretty strong religio-political hint. When a
party of the 5th Bavarian Cavalry was posted in Bettweiler,
the Virgin ceased to make her appearance.]

* * * * *

As a pendant to this story, another may be given of an entirely
different character, relating to the inhabitants of another commune in
the same valley, about midway between La Salette and Grenoble. In
1860, while the discussion about the miracle at La Salette was still
in progress, the inhabitants of Notre-Dame