Lourdes, France became popular in 1858 after someone claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary. Catholics flocked to the city to take water flowing from the spring in Lourdes. The water was thought to have healing properties by the Catholics. There were still many Roman Catholics in London and in A City Girl. Nelly Ambrose and Susan believe that the water has healing properties if the Virgin Mary chooses to allow it. Except that in both cases each woman experiences a fate worse than imagined after they try to use the water from Lourdes.

Harkness, Margaret. A City Girl, edited Tabitha Sparks. Broadview editions 1887.