THE STORY OF PILGRIMS PROGRESS. John Bunyan "dreamed a dream." In this he saw a man named Christian who, although he was a good man, was much troubled in his mind because of certain things that he read in the Bible. It seemed to him that his sins were so heavy that they weighed upon him like a pack on his back. His loving wife and chil dren could not see this burden and thought he must be losing his mind. He was much distressed, for he thought that the City of Destruction, in which he lived, was so wicked that it would be burned by fire from Heaven. As he was walking and crying in the fields, he met Evangelist, a good man who said to him, pointing with his finger over a very wide field: " Do you see yonder shining light? Keep that light in your eye and go directly thereto. So shalt thou see a wicket gate; at which when thou knockest it shall be told thee what thou shalt do." Christian was so eager to be off on his pilgrimage that he began to run. His wife and children called and begged him to come back.
Two of his neighbors, Obstinate and Pliable, overtook him and tried to fetch him home again.
When he ref used to return Obsti nate left him, but Pliable went on with him a little way. Soon they came to the Slough of Des pond, a wide miry bog. When they began to sink into the dread ful mud, Pliable grew afraid and turned back. Christian struggled through to the other side, but could not get out because of the pack on his back.
Then Help came up and set him on solid ground.
Very soon Christian met Mr. Worldly Wiseman, who warned him of the " wearisomeness, painfulness, hunger, perils, unkindness, sword, lions, dragons, darkness, and, in a word, death," which awaited him along that path; and offered him an easier relief from his pack, by the aid of Mr. Legality who dwelt in the village named Morality. But as Christian tried that way, the road became so steep and hard that he grew afraid. Then Evangelist appeared to him once more and after rebuking him set him again in the path which led to the wicket gate.
When Christian arrived at the gate, he found writ ten over it these words, "Knock and it shall be opened unto you." Goodwill opened the gate to him and pointed out the road along which he must continue his journey.
"Dost thou see this narrow way?" he asked. "That is the way thou must go. It was cast up by the patriarchs, prophets, Christ and his apostles, and it is as straight as a rule can make it." After tarrying for a time in the Interpreter's House, where many things were made plain to him, our Pilgrim set out once more on his journey. He toiled up a high way that was fenced with the Wall of Salvation, and at the top he came to a Cross. There his burden fell from his shoulders and rolled and tumbled down the hillside to the mouth of the Sepulcher, or tomb, where it fell in. He never saw his load again.
Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and he cried for joy.
And suddenly three Shining Ones stood before him and said : " Peace be to thee. Thy sins are forgiven thee." They clothed him in clean garments, set a mark on his forehead and gave him a parchment roll, and bade him not to part with it until he came to the gate of Heaven. So Christian went on, singing.
The Pilgrim thought his troubles were now at an end. But soon he had to climb the steep Hill of