PILGRIM’S PROGRESS IN VERSE

(Continued from Chapter II.)

Christian and Pliable—They Fall into a Slough.

Here Pliable was much perplexed
By reason of the slough;
I heard him say with timid voice,
“Where, Christian, are we now?”

Then Christian said to Pliable,
“I truly do not know;”
Then Pliable offended was,
And did quite angry grow.

“Is this the happiness,” said he
“Of which I heard you speak;
So much ill-luck at first outset
We worse things yet shall meet.

May I get out again with life,
You may possess for me
All that great country, sir, alone,
For there I’ll never be.”

Now as he spoke, a desperate leap
Released him from the slough:
Mark well, when he had gained the bank,
‘T was next his own house now:

He spent but very little time,
Before he reached his door,
Away he went—got out of sight,
Him Christian saw no more.

Christian—he was left to stumble
In the slough alone,
But still he gained towards the side
The farthest from his home.

His effort was to gain the bank
Next to the little gate,
And when ‘twas gained to scramble out,
He had awhile to wait.

He had a burden on his back,
As I before have said;
This sunk him deeper in the mire
Each struggle that he made.

A man whose name was Help, drew nigh,
As I saw in my dream,
Who said, “What are you doing here,
And how have you got in.”

Said Christian: “One Evangelist
Did bid me go this way,
To save me from the coming wrath
That will abide for aye.

While going to the little gate,
I somehow got afraid,
I ran this way, and tumbled in,
And this’s the way I’m paid.”

Help asked him “Why he had not looked,
That he the steps might find:”
He said he “looked the other way,
Fear was so close behind.”

Now Christian, by the hand of Help,
Was drawn from miry clay;;
Help set him on good ground again,
And bade him go his way.

Then I stepped up to him whose hand
Had lifted Christian out:
I said: “This plat why not make good;
It is the only route.

No other way can trav’lers go
To yonder gate, I’m sure,
But over this most dangerous plat—
Why not have it secure?”

He said to me: “This miry slough
Can never be made good;
For if it had been possible,
It would not long have stood.

This place, dear sir, has chanced to be
Where all the scum of sin
And filth that from conviction flow
Do Constantly run in;

For when the sinner is awake
And sees his ruined state,
He thinks for him the die is cast,
That now it is too late:

This is the reason why this place
Received the name it did,
This spirit of despondency
The Scriptures do forbid.

Some think this place remaineth bad
By sanction of the king,
But I have seen enough myself
To know it’s no such thing.

His laborers have been employed
For sixteen hundred years,
About this very miry place,
But yet Despond appears:

The very best materials
Have in this place been cast,
Instructions by the wagon load,
And what is it at last?

‘Tis true, the giver of the Law
Has ordered steps secure,
Well planted through the midst of it,
To make the footing sure.

But there are seasons in the year
It spews out mud and mire;
And then the steps are hardly seen,
Though they are firmly there.

And even when the steps are seen,
Men often step aside;
Those subject to a dizzy head,
Get well with mud supplied.

But having entered by the gate,
Through this part of the road,
The footman finds a sweet relief,
Because the ground is good.”

I in my dream saw Pliable
By this time had got home—
As soon as he was in the house,
It all abroad was known.

His neighbors then came flocking in,
That they might hear him tell
What he had met with on the way,
And what him had befell.

Some called him wise for coming back,
But others called him fool;
And some set up to mock at him,
And called him timid soul.

Said one: “Had I the venture made,
I wouldn’t have been so slack
As, for a few hard things at first,
To come a coward back.”

So Pliable felt quite alone,
Looked foolish in the crowd;
While all the rest were in a chat,
He scarce dare speak aloud.

He soon regained his confidence;
His case was set aside;
No time was lost, they all began
Poor Christian to deride.

(To be Continued).

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