Essays on Life 



is the festival of the Nativity of the Virgin 

 Mary, so that under any circumstances this 

 would be a great day, but the fact that not 

 only the people of Saas, but the whole valley 

 down to Visp, flock to this chapel on the 8th 

 of September, points to the belief that some 

 special act of grace on the part of the Virgin 

 was vouchsafed on this day in connection with 

 this chapel. A belief that it was owing to 

 the intervention of St. Mary of Fee that the 

 inundation was not attended with loss of life 

 would be very likely to lead to the foundation 

 of a series of chapels leading up to the place 

 where her miraculous picture was placed, and 

 to the more special celebration of her Nativity 

 in connection with this spot throughout the 

 valley of Saas. I have discussed the subject 

 with the Rev. Jos. Ant. Ruppen, and he told 

 me he thought the fact that the great fete 

 of the year in connection with the Saas- 

 Fee chapels was on the 8th of September 

 pointed rather strongly to the supposition 

 that there was a connection between these 

 and the recorded flood of September 9, 



1589. 



158 



