“Was our picture made in that manner?” eagerly asked the wife. “What an excellent art, since it keepeth before us the memory of the saints! The good St. Christopher!” she exclaimed, and with clasped hands for a moment gazed devoutly at the picture,--a curious wood-cut, representing the legendary saint in the act of carrying the infant Jesus across the sea; beneath, was the date, 1423. The art of engraving had doubtless existed long before, but this is the only positive proof that wood-engraving was used in devotional pictures at that early period. Some years after, the art made an onward and most important step,--an inscription being added to this picture; and the famous block books, complete with cuts and written explanations, appeared. The picture Anna so earnestly regarded, was one of the later-date impressions, accompanied with a Latin legend. It was of folio size, and colored, like playing-cards. Beneath was the inscription, or legend:-- [Illustration: Christofori faciem die qua cumque tueris Illa nempe die morte mala non morieris. Millesimo cccc^o xx^o terno. ] “We almost worshipped that picture in my father’s house,” said Anna; “but prithee tell me the meaning of the inscription; there was none upon ours.” “It saith,” explained Gutenberg, “that one cannot be overtaken by evil, or die, on the day that he looks upon the face of this saint.” “Since that is true, we do well to gaze upon the picture early and late,” remarked the wife. “I revere the saint,” returned Gutenberg, smiling, “but am free to confess that I do not see how there can be any power to shield one from harm in simply looking at his picture. The good saint himself had not so easy a path to prosperity.” “Pray tell me of him,” said she; “I do not remember to have heard the story since, when a little child, I sat upon my father’s knee.” “I will even tell it to thee,” answered Gutenberg, “as I heard it in my childhood.