2. Of her devotion to the image of the blessed Virgin

When this maiden, then, was seven or eight years of age, by the inspiration of God she commenced to have a great devotion to the image of the blessed Virgin Mary, which stood in the church of Schiedam. The townsmen of that city relate that this statue was obtained very miraculously and bought for a small sum from a certain man, the sculptor of the said image. For when he, wish ing to go to the fair at Antwerp and sell the image there at a better price, had gone on board ship, taking the image with him, the image became of such a great weight that twenty or more men ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM could not move the boat from the shore. Seeing- this, the seamen in amaze con sidered that the difficulty of moving the vessel came from the presence of the image, and that it wished to have the place of its dwelling there. After a brief counsel, then, the artist sold the image to the citizens, who for reverence set aside a special choir to it in the church. And later in honour of the blessed and glorious Mary ever a Virgin many of the townspeople of both sexes associat ing together instituted a certain confra ternity. And this image was of wood and so light that one man could easily have borne it This image therefore the young maiden, when she had carried their dinner to her two brothers who went to school, before she returned home, entering the church, lovingly visited; and she devoutly strove to honour the same as best she could by the angelic salutation. And this good and praise worthy beginning indeed was remark able in her childish days, and it was a presage of greater grace in the future, from the years of her youth even to the end of her life. When therefore she was reproached by her mother for her late return, the dove without gall replied, ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM that she had entered the church to greet the blessed Virgin, and that she in turn had smiled upon her. Hearing which her mother was satisfied, and gently con tented ceased to trouble her. For she was a dear and only daughter ; and she was found worthily engaged in the work of God and the praise of the blessed Virgin, and was not therefore to be restrained from her devotion.