Page:About Mexico - Past and Present.djvu/341

Rh he saw imprinted on the coarse woolen fabric the face that had thrice appeared to him on the hill. This was accepted as convincing proof that the Virgin had espoused the cause of the Indians. Belief in Our Lady of Guadaloupe now became universal among her countrymen, although the fraud of the whole story is frankly acknowledged by many intelligent and loyal Roman Catholics in Mexico.

On the spot was built a church which became the richest in this land of rich churches. Its great wealth is not derived from the mines, but from the earnings of the abject poor, in whose behalf the Indian Virgin came. Half the women in Mexico, and thousands of the men, are named after this lady, and scarcely a house in the land lacks her blanket-image enshrined in the most honored place. Hundreds of chapels have been erected in her honor in every city and town in Mexico.

The anniversary of the Virgin's appearance is still celebrated by a great pilgrimage to her shrine. Along the road from the capital to this spot were constructed fourteen beautiful shrines, each commemorating some fact in the history of Christ. Thousands of devotees can be seen crawling on their bare knees on the hard pavement, saying their prayers as they go painfully along. The highest dignitaries in the land were wont to join in this celebration. As many as one hundred thousand people came on foot from the surrounding country to join in the ceremonies and to bring their offerings. Those who were too poor to pay for lodgings would sleep on the sacred soil, and thousands thus camped out rolled in their blankets, acres of sleeping humanity. This pilgrimage is falling into disuse. The great neglect the occasion, and the poor have less time to spend thus