ESTELLE FAGUETTE, lady's maid to the Countess Arthur de La Rouchefoucauld, was dangerously ill in Paris at the end of May, 1875. At that time she was thirty-two years of age, and was obliged, owing to her ill health, to leave her situation. Through the influence of her mistress she obtained admission into an hospital under the care of the Augustinian nuns, Rue Cudinot. Towards the end of July, as her master and mistress were returning home, they had her brought to their country residence, the Chateau of Poiriers, near Pellevoisin, Indre, Diocese of Bourges. She was then very ill. Dr. B, who had been her medical attendant for several years declared, in the month of August, "that, besides the internal diseases under which she was suffering, her lungs were also affected," adding to Madame de La Rouchefoucauld, "this poor girl is totally unfit for service; she is dying slowly." Then he wrote a prescription and went away, saying: "You must not forget that she is in consumption." To all appearances, indeed, the poor girl was "dying slowly," as the doctor had declared. In the beginning of September, after having commenced alone several Novenas, she made, as she called it, "her will." A small grotto in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes had just been erected in the park at Poiriers, so Estelle wrote a letter to the Blessed Virgin, and, as she was unable to take it herself she asked Mademoiselle Reiter to place it at the feet of her statue, concealing it well under the stones. We shall see later on the wonderful way in which this letter turned up again.
On the 18th of December, after a severe attack, during which she was again given over by the local doctor under whose care she had been for several years, she received the last sacraments with the greatest resignation. Her employers, before leaving for Paris, at the end of January, 1876, had her removed with the greatest care to a house belonging to them at Pellevoisin, where her father and mother came to mind her. On the 8th of February another severe attack followed, and on the 10th she could not possibly be much worse. Another doctor was sent for, but the moment he saw her he declared she had only a few hours to live. As he was told that no nourishment would remain in her stomach, he replied: "It is useless to torture her for the short time she has to live." She was in great agony, but perfectly conscious and resigned to die.
On Sunday evening, the 13th of February, she asked M. Le Cure of Pellevoisin, to write to Madame de La Rouchefoucauld, begging of her to have a taper lighted for her intention at Notre Dame des Victoires, and another before the altar of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Jesuits' Church, Rue de Sevres. These tapers were lighted at the Shrines of Mary on the following day, Monday. On Tuesday morning Estelle told the parish priest that she had seen the Blessed Virgin during the night, and that she would be either dead or cured on the following Saturday. The priest said a few kind words, but he thought she was only laboring under a delusion. The next day she told him that she had once more seen the Blessed Virgin, and that she would be cured on the following Saturday. "Yesterday," replied the priest, "you told me you would be dead or cured. What will you tell me tomorrow?"
Estelle knew by his words that the priest did not believe her, and she said so to him. On Thursday morning she again declared that she would be cured on Saturday, but this time so emphatically and with such extraordinary details, relating to circumstances known only to herself and the priest, that he was astounded, and no longer wished to remain the only depository of this prediction. He persuaded the dying girl to relate all she had seen to several persons whose discretion could be depended on, and she obeyed him willingly.
On Friday night, about ten o clock, Estelle seemed to be in her last agony. She was completely exhausted, and could scarcely breathe. The priest recommended her to receive the Sacrament of Penance once more, although she had done so eight days previously, but she replied most emphatically that she preferred to defer her confession till the next day, as she would then be cured. The clergyman was very uneasy about her, but, as his house was not far away, he returned home, making Estelle s mother promise him that should the slightest change in her condition take place, she would send for him immediately. M. Le Cure returned the next morning. Estelle told him that she felt as if she had been cured, but that, as yet, she could not move her right arm, of which she had lost the use five or six days previously, it having become greatly swollen and quite numb. She then related the vision she had had during the night, and the priest went to say Mass, promising to come back and bring her the Holy Viaticum. As being unable to make the sign of the Cross with her right hand, Estelle used to make it with her left, M. Le Cure said to her before leaving the room: "The Blessed Virgin is all-good and all-merciful; if she wished it she can, indeed, restore you to your health, but to prove to us that all you have said is not an illusion, as soon as you shall have received Holy Communion try to make the sign of the Cross with your right hand. If you succeed, it shall be a proof that the Blessed Virgin intends to cure you." He returned soon after and gave her Holy Communion. There were seven or eight persons present at the time. As soon as she had received the Sacred Host the priest knelt down for a moment, but, standing up again immediately, he approached the bed, and said in a voice trembling with emotion: "My poor Estelle, you have edified us by your courage and resignation; be now full of confidence, and to prove to us that all you have said is not an illusion; make the sign of the Cross with your right hand." Estelle instantly raised her right hand and, be fore all present, made the sign of the Cross without the least difficulty. "Begin again," said the priest, in a voice trembling with emotion, and again she obeyed, making a large sign of the Cross, crying out: "I am cured. I know and feel that I am cured." A murmur of admiration passed through the room; a smile of joy illumined the faces of all present, the first sun beam, so to say seen in that chamber of death for at least a month. Each one left it now, acknowledging with the prophet, that they had seen wonders. It was Saturday, the 19th of February, about eight o clock in the morning. The same day Estelle rose, dressed herself without any help, in the presence of several persons, partook of some food, and talked gaily with all around. The tumor from which she had suffered for eleven years had entirely disappeared. It had grown much larger during her illness, and had been rubbed with ointment repeatedly during the time. The last doctor who had attended her was summoned on the 28th of February. He appeared thunderstruck on seeing her, but did not hesitate to declare her perfectly cured, and that her marvellous recovery could not have been the result of any natural means. On being informed of it, Dr. B also declared, "That there was in this cure, when considered with the various symptoms he had remarked during the course of Estelle's illness, something sufficiently extraordinary to upset all medical previsions, and that the whole case should be considered as quite exceptional."
From the time of her miraculous cure, Estelle has not had the slightest relapse or any other indisposition; in fact, she enjoys much better health than before her illness. On the following day she began, through obedience, to write the recital, which is here published.
Reproduced from Public Domain Material.
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