Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. II.djvu/92

102 the report was spread, that one day, when a poor woman called upon the image of the church's Madonna for help, she began to speak, and replied, “If I only had something, then I could help thee; but I myself am poor!”

This was a great miracle! The story spread, was repeated, made a great noise, and very soon, throngs of credulous, believing people, hastened to the church to kiss the foot of the Madonna, and to present her with all kinds of gifts. The crowding thither was now at its height. The image of the Virgin—a beautiful figure in brown marble—with the child Jesus on her knee, sat shining with ornaments of gold and precious stones. It was the hour of the Ave Maria; candles and lamps were burning around the figure; the people poured in, rich and poor, great and small; all came to kiss—some of them two or three times—the Madonna's foot, a gilt foot, to which the forehead was also devotionally pressed. The marble foot has been worn away with kissing; the Madonna is now rich. The church, formerly one of the poorest in Rome, has within a short time become one of the richest in Rome. Most of the devotees, after having given the kiss, let a coin drop into a little pewter vessel, which is placed upon the altar where sits the Madonna-image, after which they dip their fingers into the oil of the lamp, and anoint their eyes, forehead, neck, cross themselves, and give place to others eager to come forward, that they too may kiss the golden foot. The concourse of people continued uninterruptedly for a full hour and a half, during which time I remained in the church. Below the altar, it is inscribed in golden