The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-06-06
THE BLOOD OF ST. JANUARIUs.
The Miracle of Naples Waiting for Gem
narO's Bio d TO Liquefy.

THE BLOOD OF ST. JANUARIUS.
The Miracle of Naples waiting for Gen
narO's Bio d TO Liquefy.
San Gennaro (St Januarius) is hel,
TO be the guardian saint of Naples
The alleged miracle by which the bloot
OF this holy person contained il
closed phial or glass tube) changes from
a solid to liquid state, is well known
Admitted by special favor, with five OF
six others, into the sanctuary of the ca
thedral, and seated within a few feet OF
the officiating priest, 1 had an excel
lent opportunity to observe the ceremo-
ny and its effect upon the assembled
| thousands who came to await the result.
In the front rank of the audience.
some ten feet from us, were seated
twenty or thirty women, some very old.
the reputed descendants of the saint
At their head, aud evidently chicf of
this favored corps, was a tall, mascu-
line woman, of middle age-a very Meg
Merrilies in appearance, with flashing
eye and the bold port of a popular
ae pea ., Il1l~ SET ls,-o,,- "a, ~
with massive silver rings, and her
eek was adorned with heavy chain
a sSJ other ornaments of the same metal.
This Amazon seemed, for the nonce, TO
have assumed the lead in the devotional
exercises of her neighbors.
These, when the priest first held up
the sacred phial with its clotted con-
tents, were quiet and reverential ; ut
tered in low tones, but audible where
we sat, " Holy Gennaro! Save, protect
us Bless the city of Naples and keep
it from plaques and earthquakes and all
other ills. Do this miracle, so we may
see that thy power and thy favor are
still with rs. Blessed San GennarO,
pray for us, and so on.
After each installment of prayer there
was an interval OF some ten minutes
then the supplications recommended,
patiently enough for an hour or more,
during which the still refractory blood
was, from time to time, displayed.
Then, gradually, the tone become quer-
ulous, and supplication changed to re-
monstrance. How long, o holy man
of God how lcag Art thou resolved
to weary out our patience? Come
quickly Hasten to show thy power y
then usually dropping back into the re-
frain, " Blessed San Gennaro, pray for
us %
When nearly two hours had elapsed,
the patience of this Amazonian leader
evidently failed. 1t was a sultry day
toward the end of May, the crowd was
densely packed, and | saw drops of per
spiration standing on her swarthy fore
head.
"San Gennaro, she exclaimed, " are
you going to keep us here, sweating in
this accursed crowd, all day long ?
Who's to attend to that little shop of
mine, | wonder, while I'm gone? Do
you want it to be entered and robbed ?
You know I can't afford to be away from
it all this time" Then, as if the thought
crossed her that she had gone little too
far, 90 Blessed saint Holy Gennaroi
Pray for u.s."
Half an hour more elapsed, and still,
as the venerated relic was held on high |
before the congregation, the obdurate /
blood remained unliquefed. At the /
sight. our dame of the silver chain and I
rings, unable longer to stand such I.
treatment IRON her canonized ancestor, /
broke forth Pointing her long, lank (
finger at the silver gilt burt of the
saint (which had been brought from his
chapel aud set on a pedestal near us), l
facei You It's past all bearing. Have
you no mercy? Hurry up Be about
it ! Come, set that blood allowing in
Gods name at once and let us depart /
in peace -
Her face all atiame and the nervous
agitation of her whole person; as she /
rose to her feet and tossed her arms ex
attested the vehement reality of
her emotion. Had l been inclined to
laugh, which 1 was not, l think any
such exhibition of levity might have en- /
dangered my Efe, at the hands of THAT /.
exaspera.ed multitude.
1t was some ten minutes after this OBJ |
iurgation that the priest, stepping to the /
front-this time witha complacent smile /
lighting up his face-showed the miracle /
wrought, and the blood flowing freely /.
in the tube.
Then there went up from the assem- /
bled thousands such a wild shout of ex
ultation as one hears only IN southern /
climes and there only when fear and /!
wound up to highest pitch /
and endured for hours, burst forth in |
congratulations at last.
While all this was passing, the priest /
who officiated had very politely brought /
to rs, for Examination, the vessel con- /
tanning the blood affording Ms salts 7
factory evidence that it was at first CO.
agulated and that it had liquefed at |
the close.-RObert Date OOen's Rem
iniScenceS Of Naples.