. Little journeys abroad . ndwhether this feast of roses might not be arelic of some older festival kept by theancient Druids, who had once held their 4 LITTLE JOURNEYS ABROAD. services in the crypt in honor of the Vir-gin who should bear a Child. Musing thus, I strolled through the am-bulatory, stopping to admire, on the wallenclosing the choir, the exquisite sculp-tures which tell the story of our Lordslife, and are worthy to be called a BibliaPauperum, so clear, strong, and naturalevery incident, so noble and gracefulevery figure, and so cunningly arrangedthe lace-like tracery beween the gr
. Little journeys abroad . ndwhether this feast of roses might not be arelic of some older festival kept by theancient Druids, who had once held their 4 LITTLE JOURNEYS ABROAD. services in the crypt in honor of the Vir-gin who should bear a Child. Musing thus, I strolled through the am-bulatory, stopping to admire, on the wallenclosing the choir, the exquisite sculp-tures which tell the story of our Lordslife, and are worthy to be called a BibliaPauperum, so clear, strong, and naturalevery incident, so noble and gracefulevery figure, and so cunningly arrangedthe lace-like tracery beween the groupsand the Gothic canopies and turrets smiling Virgin bending over hersmiling Babe haunts me as I write, sostartling was its lifelikeness. Passing on around the circuit of theseven chapels, finding something curiousor interesting in each, I came suddenly ona little group of women kneeling with ap-parently greater devotion than anywhereelse in the church, and directing theirglances toward something in the obscure. i/ imi i / ■ _: . 1IA l- 1 J~ -; r CHATEAU VILLEBON, CHARTRES. THE FETE DIEU AND THE PARDON. 7 little chapel before them which I could notsee. Coming nearer, I found the object oftheir worship to be the special treasure ofthe cathedral, Our Lady of the Pillar,a dark wooden figure of a Madonna andChild, dating from the fifteenth century. Thefaces of both Mother and Child are quiteblack, and form a curious contrast to thewhite satin, gold-embroidered robes inwhich they are dressed. The marble pillaron which the image rests is kissed withgreat reverence by the pilgrims, who ap-proach it kneeling ; and above the head andto the right and left on the walls of thechapel, were thousands of little votive heartsof gold and silver, making a rich back-ground for the dark little figure that hasbeen so venerated for four hundred were hanging lamps burning here,and a great candelabrum full of lightedcandles, and crowds pressing around con-tinually; but my com
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidlittlejourne, bookyear1895
