THE enemies of Superstition had lost considerable ground in their desperate struggle against the events, which, for the last eleven or twelve weeks had brought their philosophy to bay. As it was impossible to deny the existence of the Spring, whose limpid waters were flowing magnificently before the eyes of the astonished people, so it was becoming impossible longer to deny the reality of the cures which were effected, every hour and every where, by the use of this mysterious water.
At first they had shrugged their shoulders at the earliest cures, confining themselves to denying them purely and simply, and to refusing, with their usual prejudice, to submit them to any kind of investigation. But the spirit of Incredulity had been very soon outflanked by the multiplicity of those admirable cures, of which we have only been able to relate or point out the smallest number. Facts obtruded themselves on their attention. They became so numerous and striking that it was necessary, at all cost, either to yield to the Miracle, or discover some natural way of accounting for these extraordinary phenomena.
The Free-thinkers then plainly saw that unless they surrendered their arms or rejected the clearest evidence, it was urgent upon them to initiate some rapid evolutions and to contrive some different tactics.
The most intelligent among this little band found that they were already somewhat late in the field, and reproached themselves with the gross blunder they had originally committed in denying prematurely and without investigation, facts which had since become patent and perfectly established, such as the gushing-forth of the Spring and the cures of many who had been notoriously pronounced incurable, but who were now to be seen by every one, going about the streets of the town in perfect health. What made the evil almost irreparable was, that these unfortunate denials of facts, since amply verified, were authentically and officially certified in all the journals of the Department.
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