52 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 
[October, 
fair estimate of the true moral and religious condition of this por- 
tion of the community. 
We cannot refrain from recounting one of these scenes, which 
took place in the same city. Walking with a friend, in rather a 
remote part of the town, our attention was attracted by the ap- 
proach of two clerical personages. One of them was seated on 
a fine charger, that would not have disgraced the rich valleys 
of Andalusia, and the other on a sleek mule ! And yet they were 
both mendicants, as could readily be perceived from the baskets 
of the one, and the alforjas (saddle-bags) of the other. As they 
approached leisurely along, keeping a " bright lookout " on either 
side, we asked an old woman, who was seated near the door 
of her humble rancho, who they were ? " Signiors," said she, 
" they are of the church of St. Augustine, dispensing grace to 
poor sinners." They had by this time passed us at a short dis- 
tance, and we began to despair of witnessing any of this singular 
dispensation. Just as they approached the termination of the 
street, we saw a woman, about the middle age, rush from her 
hovel, nearly opposite to where we were, standing and calling out 
to them vehemently, " Stop ! stop ! and give me a little grace 
The horse and mule were brought to a stand, while we followed 
close to the woman, who now approached the man on horseback, 
hurrying along with her a child of perhaps ten years of age, sal- 
low, and evidently in extremely bad health. We now saw that 
within the basket was a waxen image of the Virgin, having in her 
arms another waxen image of the infant Saviour. 
The poor woman insisted upon having some grace, " without 
money and without price," for the benefit of her sick child, in 
consideration of not having a single copper, and having never 
failed to pay the priest, for whom he was selhng grace, punctually 
for confessing her. He was, however, inexorable ; and would 
have gone off had the poor woman not implored him to wait for • 
another moment, to see if she could procure any thing with 
which to buy a little grace for her sick child ; and stepping into a 
neighbouring hut, returned with a single egg. When the egg 
was deposited in the basket, in despite of frowning, we took a 
look within, where were to be seen, carefully deposited in their 
proper places, some fowls ready for the spit, eggs, vegetables, 
&c. All was fish, it appeared, which came to this net. The 
