Page:Siam and Laos, as seen by our American missionaries (1884).pdf/116

 floor is covered with plates of what they say is silver. On the walls hangs what is said to be a representation of the footprint, set with jewels and made of beaten gold. It is about four feet long and one and a half broad. Of what is worshiped as the footprint itself we could see nothing but a dark oblong opening in the floor like a small open grave. It is enclosed in a railing about a foot high, said to be of solid silver, and over it is an elegant gilt canopy with curtains of gold cloth at the sides.

There were many worshipers within the temple, and a great number of small wax candles or tapers burning. The poor devotees entered the sacred spot on their knees, and, crawling beside the footprint, bowed the head three times to the floor and laid their offering within the enclosure. Then, crawling to some water that had probably been blessed by the priests, they sprinkled their heads, and left the room, as they entered it, upon their knees. Some who perhaps were too poor to make any offering took up a priest's fan and with all the solemnity possible fanned the footprint. All these ceremonies were performed in perfect silence, and the place seemed truly solemn. Oh, how my heart ached to tell them the folly of all these things, and to point them to the almighty One whose footprints can everywhere be traced in nature!

When we were returning from the temple a