One year it was said that a crippled man had been made quite well while praying at the grotto.

This event was told everywhere, and from that day forth on St.James's Day people came from many countries, many of them walking hundreds of miles to the grotto.
"Some of these people were ill and diseased, and others were sick and blind, and some were cripples.
"It is said that a good many of them were cured of their afflictions.
"Now all these poor people that walked slowly and painfully to St.
James's tomb carried big oyster shells, in which they made holes for cords to pass through, and they placed the cords round their necks.
"When they came near to people they would hold out their shells and say, 'Please to remember the grotto!' And people gave them money to help them on their way and to buy candles for the grotto, hoping that the poor people would get there safely and come back cured.
"So it came to pass that whenever people saw a man with an oyster shell, they knew he was going or returning from St.James's tomb in Spain, and they helped him.

The custom of building grottos on St.James's Day spread to many countries besides Spain.

In Russia they build very fine grottos.

At length the custom came to England, and you boys and girls do what other boys and girls have done for many years in other countries, and in reality you celebrate the death of a great and good man." The children were very silent for a while; the cripple boy looked at me with tears in his eyes, and I knew what his tears expressed.