A  poor  woman  who  begs  a  sous  at  the  door  of  the  sanctuary,
instead  of  appropriating  it  to  feed  her  starving  children,  will
perhaps  cast  it  at  the  feet  of  the  first  image  to  which  she
kneels,  as  a  contribution  towards  buying  a  new  tiara,  or  a
new  set  of  ribbons  for  the  Virgin,  who  it  must  always  be  re-
membered is  the  great  object  of  worship,  not  to  say  of  idola-
try, in  Italy.
