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all musty prejudices are in a fair way to be obliterated。 And how will

Christian rejoice to hear of this happy transformation of his old

antagonist! I promise myself great pleasure in informing him of it;

when we reach the Celestial City。〃

   The passengers being all comfortably seated; we now rattled away

merrily; accomplishing a greater distance in ten minutes than

Christian probably trudged over in a day。 It was laughable while we

glanced along; as it were; at the tail of a thunderbolt; to observe

two dusty foot…travellers; in the old pilgrim…guise; with cockle…shell

and staff; their mystic rolls of parchment in their hands; and their

intolerable burthens on their backs。 The preposterous obstinacy of

these honest people; in persisting to groan and stumble along the

difficult pathway; rather than take advantage of modern

improvements; excited great mirth among our wiser brotherhood。 We

greeted the two pilgrims with many pleasant gibes and a roar of

laughter; whereupon; they gazed at us with such woful and absurdly

compassionate visages; that our merriment grew tenfold more

obstreperous。 Apollyon; also; entered heartily into the fun; and

contrived to flirt the smoke and flame of the engine; or of his own

breath; into their faces; and envelope them in an atmosphere of

scalding steam。 These little practical jokes amused us mightily; and

doubtless afforded the pilgrims the gratification of considering

themselves martyrs。

   At some distance from the railroad; Mr。 Smooth…it…away pointed to a

large; antique edifice; which; he observed; was a tavern of long

standing; and had formerly been a noted stopping…place for pilgrims。

In Bunyan's road…book it is mentioned as the Interpreter's House。

   〃I have long had a curiosity to visit that old mansion;〃 remarked

I。

   〃It is not one of our stations; as you perceive;〃 said my

companion。 〃The keeper was violently opposed to the railroad; and well

he might be; as the track left his house of entertainment on one side;

and thus was pretty certain to deprive him of all his reputable

customers。 But the foot…path still passes his door; and the old

gentleman now and then receives a call from some simple traveller; and

entertains him with fare as old…fashioned as himself。〃

   Before our talk on this subject came to a conclusion; we were

rushing by the place where Christian's burthen fell from his

shoulders; at the sight of the Cross。 This served as a theme for Mr。

Smooth…it…away; Mr。 Live…for…the…world; Mr。 Hide…sin…in…the…heart; Mr。

Scaly…conscience; and a knot of gentlemen from the town of

Shun…repentance; to descant upon the inestimable advantages

resulting from the safety of our baggage。 Myself; and all the

passengers indeed; joined with great unanimity in this view of the

matter; for our burthens were rich in many things esteemed precious

throughout the world; and especially; we each of us possessed a

great variety of favorite Habits; which we trusted would not be out of

fashion; even in the polite circles of the Celestial City。 It would

have been a sad spectacle to see such an assortment of valuable

articles tumbling into the sepulchre。 Thus pleasantly conversing on

the favorable circumstances of our position; as compared with those of

past pilgrims; and of narrow…minded ones at the present day; we soon

found ourselves at the foot of the Hill Difficulty。 Through the very

heart of this rocky mountain a tunnel has been constructed; of most

admirable architecture; with a lofty arch and a spacious double…track;

so that; unless the earth and rocks should chance to crumble down;

it will remain an eternal monument of the builder's skill and

enterprise。 It is a great though incidental advantage; that the

materials from the heart of the Hill Difficulty have been employed

in filling up the Valley of Humiliation; thus obviating the

necessity of descending into that disagreeable and unwholesome hollow。

   〃This is a wonderful improvement; indeed;〃 said I。 〃Yet I should

have been glad of an opportunity to visit the Palace Beautiful; and be

introduced to the charming young ladies… Miss Prudence; Miss Piety;

Miss Charity; and the rest… who have the kindness to entertain

pilgrims there。〃

   〃Young ladies!〃 cried Mr。 Smooth…it…away; as soon as he could speak

for laughing。 〃And charming young ladies! Why; my dear fellow; they

are old maids; every soul of them… prim; starched; dry; and angular…

and not one of them; I will venture to say; has altered so much as the

fashion of her gown; since the days of Christian's pilgrimage。〃

   〃Ah; well; said I; much comforted; 〃then I can very readily

dispense with their acquaintance。〃

   The respectable Apollyon was now putting on the steam at a

prodigious rate; anxious; perhaps; to get rid of the unpleasant

reminiscences connected with the spot where he had so disastrously

encountered Christian。 Consulting Mr。 Bunyan's road…book; I

perceived that we must now be within a few miles of the Valley of

the Shadow of Death; into which doleful region; at our present

speed; we should plunge much sooner than seemed at all desirable。 In

truth; I expected nothing better than to find myself in the ditch on

one side; or the quag on the other。 But on communicating my

apprehensions to Mr。 Smooth…it…away; he assured me that the

difficulties of this passage; even in its worst condition; had been

vastly exaggerated; and that; in its present state of improvement; I

might consider myself as safe as on any railroad in Christendom。

   Even while we were speaking; the train shot into the entrance of

this dreaded Valley。 Though I plead guilty to some foolish

palpitations of the heart; during our headlong rush over the

causeway here constructed; yet it were unjust to withhold the

highest encomiums on the boldness of its original conception; and

the ingenuity of those who executed it。 It was gratifying; likewise;

to observe how much care had been taken to dispel the everlasting

gloom; and supply the defect of cheerful sunshine; not a ray of

which has ever penetrated among these awful shadows。 For this purpose;

the inflammable gas; which exudes plentifully from the soil; is

collected by means of pipes; and thence communicated to a quadruple

row of lamps; along the whole extent of the passage。 Thus a radiance

has been created; even out of the fiery and sulphurous curse that

rests for ever upon the Valley; a radiance hurtful; however; to the

eyes; and somewhat bewildering; as I discovered by the changes which

it wrought in the visages of my companions。 In this respect; as

compared with natural daylight; there is the same difference as

between truth and falsehood; but if the reader have ever travelled

through the dark Valley; he will have learned to be thankful for any

light that he could get; if not from the sky above; then from the

blasted soil beneath。 Such was the red brilliancy of these lamps; that

they appeared to build walls of fire on both sides of the track;

between which we held our course at lightning speed; while a

reverberating thunder filled the Valley with its echoes。 Had the

engine run off the track… a catastrophe; it is whispered; by no

means unprecedented… the bottomless pit; if there be any such place;

would undoubtedly have received us。 Just as some dismal fooleries of

this nature had made my heart quake; there came a tremendous shriek;

careering along the Valley as if a thousand devils had burst their

lungs to utter it; but which proved to be merely the whistle of the

engine; on arriving at a stopping…place。

   The spot; where we had now paused; is the same that our friend

Bunyan… truthful man; but infected with many fantastic notions… has

designated; in terms plainer than I like to repeat; as the mouth of

the infernal region。 This; however; must be a mistake; inasmuch as Mr。

Smooth…it…away; while we remained in the smoky and lurid cavern;

took occasion to prove that Tophet has not even a metaphorical

existence。 The place; he assured us; is no other than the crater of

a half…extinct volcano; in which the Directors had caused forges to be

set up; for the manufacture of railroad iron。 Hence; also; is obtained

a plentiful supply of fuel for the use of the engines。 Whoever had

gazed into the dismal obscurity of the broad cavern…mouth; whence ever

and anon darted huge tongues of dusky flame… and had seen the strange;

half…shaped monsters; and visions of faces horribly grotesque; into

which the smoke seemed to wreathe itself… and had heard the awful

murmurs; and shrieks; and deep shuddering whispers of the blast;

sometimes forming themselves into words almost articulate… would

have seized upon Mr。 Smooth…it…away's comfortable explanation; as

greedily as we did。 The inhabitants of the cavern; moreover; were

unlovely personages; dark; smoke…begrimed; generally deformed; with

mis…shapen feet; and a glow of dusky redness in their eyes; as if

their hearts had caught fire; and were blazing out of the upper

windows。 It struck me as a peculiarity; that the laborers at the

forge; and those who brought fuel to the engine; when they be

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