,transcriber's note3 ,unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed4 ,,the ,,radiant ,,city1 ,,an ,,allegory ,,by ,,evelyn ,r4 ,,garratt1 ,,author ,,of ,the ,cry1 ,the ,old ,square ,pew1 ,meg of the ,heather1 etc4 ,,with ,,preface ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,prebendary ,,fox4 ,third ,edition 7,second ,impression74 ,tenth ,thousand4 ,,ipswich3 ,,smiths1 ,,publishers1 ,,suitall4 ,,london3 ,,simpkin ,,marshall1 ,,and ,,all ,,booksellers4 #aibd4 7,copyright47 ,,the ,,radiant ,,city4 ,first ,edition1 ,nov4 #c1 #aiaa1 ,first ,thousand4 ,second ,edition1 ,aug4 #a1 #aiac1 ,third ,thousand4 ,third ,edition1 #b_/-1 ,may #b1 #aibb1 ,fifth ,thousand4 ,fourth ,edition1 ,edition de ,luxe1 #b_/f1 ,jan4 #ba1 #aibc4 ,third ,edition 7,second ,impression71 #b_/-1 ,sept4 #bj1 #aibd1 ,tenth ,thousand4 ,fifth ,edition1 ,illustrated1 #c_/-1 ,oct4 #a1 #aibd4 ,,smiths1 ,,printers1 ,,bookbinders1 ,,and ,,publishers4 ,,suitall1 ,,ipswich4 ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,third ,,edition4 ,though the following pages1 at the first glance1 naturally recall the famous allegory1 which after two and a half centuries is still a world-wide classic1 the reader will at once perceive an originality of treatment and an adaptation to modern conditions which give ,miss ,garratt's book a character and usefulness of its own4 ,the writer shows an intelligent perception of the spiritual dangers in the present day1 and describes how they may be met by the same weapons as those which gave the victory so often to ,christian and ,faithful4 ,the characters are drawn with skill1 and the dangers which befall the travellers on their way to the ,radiant ,city1 are those which probably the conscience of every reader will recognize4 ,an important and valuable feature is the constant reference to the ,guide ,book4 ,it has just the teaching to be put into the hands of young people entering life1 and yet has ample lessons for their elders4 ,h4 ,e4 ,fox4 ,it shone with a radiance like that of a very precious stone1 such as ,jasper1 bright and transparent4 --,rev4 xxi4 ,,ii4 7,weymouth ,version74 ,fight the good fight with all thy might1 ,christ is thy strength1 and ,christ thy right1 ,lay hold on life1 and it shall be ,thy joy and crown eternally4 ,run the straight race through ,god's good grace1 ,lift up thine eyes and seek ,his face1 ,life with its way before us lies1 ,christ is the path1 and ,christ the prize4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,banquet ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,voice ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,king',s ,,mark ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,donning ,,the ,,armour ,,chapter ,v4 ,,enemies ,,of ,,the ,,road ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,book ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,enchantment ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,straying ,,from ,,the ,,path ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,a ,,fierce ,,conflict ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,passing ,,of ,,heman ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,dark ,,forest ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,dangerous ,,heights ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,cross ,,in ,,the ,,valley ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,indifference ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,singers ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,brink ,,of ,,the ,,river ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,till ,,he ,,come ,,the ,,radiant ,,city4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,banquet ,darkness had settled down upon the town of ,punon499 ,the streets1 which were crowded with men and women1 were only lit by unsatisfactory lamps1 which made the darkness more visible1 and cast gloomy shadows on every side4 ,the sound of revelry which issued from open doors was in strange contrast with the sad gloomy faces of many of the passers-by4 ,some looked hopeless and dreary1 as if no gleam of sunshine had ever penetrated their souls2 others wore an expression of deep despair1 which did not change even when the passers-by looked at them with amusement1 flinging a derisive laugh after them as they twitted them with their misery4 ,for among the many were those who did not seem conscious of the gloom1 or were indifferent to it1 and these went by gaily chatting1 intent on their business or pleasure4 99 ,darkness4 ,a sound of music and revelry issued from the window of a large building in one of the principal streets1 and through the open door could be seen a number of people seated around a table laden with luxuries of all kinds1 and gleaming with silver and glass4 ,at its head sat a young man whose expression of face did not exactly harmonize with his gay surroundings1 or with the words that fell from his lips1 for the words were full of mirth and jollity1 and caused hilarious laughter from the assembled guests1 among whom he was evidently a favourite4 ,there was an amount of daring in his conversation that made the elders occasionally shake their heads as if only half approving of what they heard1 but which caused cheers of approbation from the younger members of the community4 ,amer is not improving1 said one of the guests in a low voice to his neighbour1 and now that he is on his way to make such a fortune no doubt he will grow more arrogant than he is already4 ,nevertheless1 he is a nice fellow1 and a great favourite1 answered the one addressed1 and he has a generous hand so that he will share his fortune with his friends4 ,there is something taking about the lad4 ,i don't understand him1 said the first speaker1 his face belies his words1 from his conversation you would think him the happiest man alive1 but his eyes tell a different tale4 ,his friend sighed heavily4 ,is there truly a happy man in this dark place8 he asked sadly1 to my mind all is vanity and vexation of spirit4 ,away with pessimism1 cried the other1 look6 our host demands silence while he delivers himself of the speech which if ,i mistake not he has been preparing for the occasion ever since he came of age4 ,hark6 what is he saying8 ,but the lad's first words were drowned by the prolonged cheers and clanging of the glasses of his guests1 and he had to wait patiently for a hearing4 ,and when at last the speech was made it was disappointing to some who had expected greater things from the speaker4 ,he was evidently not in good form1 for he paused again and again with a far away look in his eyes as if he heard some voice calling him1 and had difficulty in concentrating his attention4 ,as he closed however with a joke amid the cheers of his companions1 there was suddenly a dead silence1 as across the street came the loud and piercing sound of a trumpet4 ,it is the herald again1 someone exclaimed4 ,aye1 ,it is the herald6 ,he won't leave us alone1 what do we want with him here8 grumbled another4 ,he's enough to throw a gloom over the merriest feast1 cried a third4 ,right you are4 ,i could not sleep the other night for thinking of his prophecies about ,punon4 ,all are doomed to death who stay here1 said the first speaker4 ,we need not believe every fool who prates1 cried ,amer1 come and let's hear the man again and get some fun by questioning him as to the truth of his words4 ',why1 ,amer1 ,i began to think you half believed in him1 laughed one of his companions as a stir began and a hasty exit was made from the house4 ,the herald was standing in the market-place4 ,come out from among them1 and be ye separate1 saith the ,lord1 he cried4 ,amer found his way to the front of the crowd in the masterful manner that was natural to him1 his satellites surrounding him on every side4 ,and then began a volley of mocking questions and raillery1 led by ,amer and his companions1 and aided by the lighter spirits among those present4 ,some of the questions the herald answered quietly and patiently1 others he answered not at all1 but stood and looked at the young men with sorrow and deep compassion written across his face4 ,at last seeing that the people were demoralized by this band of intruders1 he turned quietly away1 saying in a solemn voice that rang loud and clear above the noise of the crowd-- ,come out from among them and be ye separate1 saith the ,lord4 ,slowly the crowd broke up1 and ,amer's friends parted from him with laughter and congratulations as to the success of his banquet1 leaving him at last to find his way home alone4 ,come out from among them and be ye separate1 saith the ,lord4 ,the words rang in the lad's head4 ,the feast1 his companions1 the fun1 all forgotten3 the words1 together with the gentle sternness of the face of the herald1 alone filling his mind4 ,ah6 he cried1 ,it is the ,voice again4 ,i hoped it was stifled6 ,i will not listen4 ,but the words would not leave him alone4 ,amer had heard them the day before1 from the lips of the herald1 who had looked him straight in the face with his penetrating eyes1 and they had cast a strange kind of spell over him4 ,he had hoped that his coming of age feast would have dispelled the remembrance of them1 but even in the middle of the speech1 with which he had taken such pains1 the ,voice had been heard1 causing him to stammer and forget what he had intended to say4 ,the ,voice was insistent1 compelling4 ,suddenly a sweet vision met his eyes4 ,at the gate of a house he was passing stood a young girl dressed in white1 who1 at the sight of him1 ran forward with outstretched hands4 ,amer1 she cried1 have you had a happy day1 has the feast gone off well8 ,for the moment1 at the touch of her hands and the sight of her sweet eyes1 even the ,voice was forgotten1 and ,amer eagerly told her of the delight of his companions and of the nice words they had said to him1 but in answering her eager questions as to his speech1 he paused in slight confusion4 ,no1 he said1 ,i did not excel as ,i had hoped4 ,it was lame and ,i was hesitating4 ,but why8 cried ,gabrielle1 when you rehearsed it to me you never paused for a word2 how was it1 ,amer8 ,i will tell you some day1 he answered1 perhaps to-morrow4 ,he had an instinctive feeling that ,gabrielle would not understand him or sympathize with his strange thoughts4 ,gabrielle pouted1 but his refusal was soon forgotten and they walked towards the house hand in hand4 ,her eyes shone as stars in the gloom and her smile was better than sunshine to the lad who loved her with his whole soul4 ,so happy was he in her presence that the sad forebodings that had interfered even with the joy of his feast were forgotten4 ,they talked of the doings of the day2 of to-morrow1 when he was to be made partner in a great business transaction which promised an immense return2 of the possibility of soon being able to fix upon the day which was to crown their love and to make them man and wife2 and at last1 with a joyful wave of the hand1 he parted from her1 crying-- ,to-morrow1 ,gabrielle1 we will meet again1 to-morrow4 ,but no sooner had he left her to make his way towards his own home than his gay spirits departed1 and the sound of the ,voice seemed to thunder in his ear-- ,come out from among them and be ye separate1 saith the ,lord4 ,suddenly ,amer turned round and making his way back towards the market-place1 he enquired where he could find the herald4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,voice4 ,the boy is mad1 cried ,anthony ,hershall1 bringing down his fist with an angry movement on to his knee1 the herald has turned his head4 ,what is it8 asked his wife anxiously1 as she looked up at her husband1 who had just come in from his ride and had sat down heavily on the large chair by the fire4 ,what is it8 he repeated fiercely1 why he refuses to have anything to do with the business ,i have bought for him1 and declares he must start at once for the ,radiant ,city4 ,radiant ,city1 indeed6 ,why everyone knows that the herald is no true prophet2 there is no such place4 ,belief in it has long ago vanished4 ,it is only a passing fancy of the boy's1 said his wife1 he said something to me about it last night1 but ,i made little of it1 and told him to get rid of the nonsense as soon as he could4 ,he won't be driven1 ,anthony2 we can only persuade him4 ,it has been so with him ever since he was a child2 the boy will not be talked out of it4 ,aye1 he was always a stubborn lad and went his own way2 but this is passing all bounds1 after the trouble ,i have taken to set him up in life1 and with the prospect of making a large fortune4 ,has he scruples about the business1 then8 ,scruples8 ,he says he will have nothing to do with it2 that he would be getting rich at the expense of other men's souls1 or some such nonsense4 ,besides which he is starting out at once for the ,radiant ,city4 ,he won't do that1 said his wife1 smiling1 he won't leave ,gabrielle1 and certainly ,gabrielle is not one to go on that mad journey with him4 ,she is too fond of ,punon4 ,do not fear1 ,anthony4 ,the boy is devoted heart and soul to ,gabrielle1 and nothing would induce him to give her up4 ,mark my word1 she will go with him4 ,a woman is easily persuaded by the man she loves4 ,gabrielle is much too fond of her comforts and luxuries to give them up even for ,amer4 ,she loves herself better than him2 ,i have noticed this in a hundred ways4 ,no1 she will never start on that long and hazardous journey1 and if the boy does he will have to go without her4 ,it will be hard for him1 poor lad1 if he keeps to his resolution1 but he won't4 ,half comforted1 her husband rose up1 determined to seek his son once more and to bring before him all the strongest arguments he could think of to turn his mind before it was too late4 ,his wife let her work drop on to her knee after he had left the room1 and her eyes peered out into the twilight with a somewhat mournful expression in them4 ,so ,amer1 poor boy1 was going through all the agony of mind that had once been hers4 ,once1 long1 long ago1 she herself had heard the ,voice4 ,the remembrance of strange longings1 strange fears1 began to haunt her soul4 ,she had believed in the ,radiant ,city in those days1 and had more than once made up her mind to journey towards it1 but something had always come in the way to induce her to put off the decision2 some important engagement in the town which she felt she could not give up2 some friend who had influenced her to postpone thinking about it for at least a month or two2 some occupation which she could not forsake even for the ,radiant ,city2 and finally her husband had come across her path1 and the thought of him1 her love for him1 had at first put the subject out of her mind1 and when after a while she mentioned to him that she had thought of setting out for the ,radiant ,city before her marriage1 he laughed at her1 telling her that great and wise people had come to the conclusion that there was no such place1 and that those who set out for it were only following a mirage and would be disappointed at last4 ,was this true8 ,was there no ,radiant ,city8 ,was the ,city of ,punon the only reality8 ,or was ,amer right and her husband wrong8 ,mother1 said a voice by her side1 has my father told you of my decision8 ,yes1 dear lad1 she answered1 but ,i am not going to think about it1 it cannot be4 ,you could not give up all your bright prospects1 specially after the pains your father has taken to secure them for you4 ,but ,i have heard the ,voice1 ,mother1 and ,i must obey4 ,i heard the ,voice once1 ,amer1 and almost made up my mind to set out on the journey myself4 ,but had ,i done so ,i should have lost a great deal that makes life delightful to me1 and ,i should have had to start out alone4 ,so will you my boy4 ,gabrielle will not go with you4 ,you will have to leave her behind4 ,a spasm of pain crossed the boy's face4 ,you do not know that1 ,mother1 he said1 ,i have hopes of ,gabrielle4 ,i have none1 answered his ,mother quietly4 ,she loves me1 said ,amer1 and ,i know ,i have influence with her4 ,i believe she will set out on the journey with me4 ,i think not1 said his ,mother4 ,amer answered nothing1 for so much did he believe in his love for the girl and in her love for him that he felt it would be easy work for him to persuade her4 ,mother1 he said1 turning the subject1 do you never long for the sunshine8 ,punon is dark4 ,i have only noticed it since the herald came and pointed it out to me4 ,how few people there are with sunlight on their faces4 ,i do not know one4 ,and are you not afraid to disobey the ,voice as it is the ,voice of the ,great ,king of the ,radiant ,city8 ,i used to be afraid1 answered his ,mother1 and used to long passionately for light and sunshine4 ,but all those longings have fled4 ,i never think of them now4 ,and besides1 do you not know that a very large number of our cleverest men have given out the fact that there is no ,radiant ,city and no ,great ,king of the ,radiant ,city8 ,they seem to say that it is only very simple souls that trouble about such things4 ,amer1 she said earnestly1 don't let your ,mother have the grow of having it said that her son is a simple1 unlike other young men of his age4 ,i have always thought of you with such pride4 ,there is not another ,mother that ,i know who has a son to be more proud of than ,i4 ,you are the most popular young man in this part of ,punon1 but once decide to start on that long journey and your popularity will be gone4 ,men will talk of you with a laugh and a shrug of the shoulder4 ,you will be treated as mad4 ,think of your ,mother1 my boy4 ,dear ,mother1 said the boy sadly1 you will break my heart1 but even you cannot make me forget the ,voice4 ,i am hearing it continually1 and ,i must obey2 besides1 ,i have had such an account given me of the ,king1 that ,i cannot rest till ,i am on my journey towards ,him4 ,he is the one ,i have been looking for for years1 and ,who alone can satisfy the longings of my heart4 ,i am taking ,him as my ,king to-day and ,i am starting out on my journey to-day4 ,mother1 won't you listen to the ,voice and come with me8 ,you dare to break my heart8 said his ,mother sternly1 you reward your father's labour for you in getting you this good post in this way8 ,my ,king must come first1 answered the boy1 sorrowfully but firmly4 ,i think you will find that ,gabrielle comes first1 was his mother's answer4 ,i will go and seek ,gabrielle1 said ,amer4 ,he found her in the honey-suckle arbour of her father's garden4 ,she did not receive him with the same sweet smile as usual3 ,amer felt instinctively that already the thought of the ,radiant ,city lay between them and estranged them4 ,gabrielle1 he said4 ,she moved slightly away from him4 ,i have heard strange things about you1 she said coldly1 you refuse to take up the post which your father has found for you4 ,your love for me cannot be so great as you have led me to suppose4 ,my father will not allow me to have anything to do with a man who cannot support his wife4 ,you have heard then that ,i am setting out for the ,radiant ,city8 he questioned4 ,i have heard some such nonsense1 she answered1 turning away her face from his steady gaze1 but you will have to chose between the ,radiant ,city and me1 for ,i will not have a husband who is the laughing stock of everyone1 you are mad to give up this post4 ,you will have a husband who is more worth having1 he answered1 and you will come with me4 ,the idea was so amusing to the girl that she turned round and laughed at him4 ,the journey would not suit me1 she said1 neither would the company1 and she threw a defiant look up at him2 think of me enduring the hardships which they say await pilgrims to the ,radiant ,city2 ,i should be frightened to death with it all4 ,besides1 she added1 with a spice of coquetry in her eyes1 the company would be dull4 ,amer looked down upon her with a mystified expression of face4 ,you do not love me enough then to be willing to leave all besides8 he asked4 ,not if you go on this pilgrimage4 ,already ,i find you different to what you were before you heard the herald4 ,you used to say then that you would follow me to the end of ,punon1 but now you wish me to follow you out of it1 you do not love me as you used to do4 ,in a minute ,amer was on his knees beside her1 telling her in passionate language that his love was even stronger than it used to be1 that it was as strong as death4 ,then1 said ,gabrielle1 prove it and give up these ridiculous fancies of yours4 ,why should you set yourself up as better than other people8 ,think of the many who have gone in for this business2 you do not suppose that you are better than they8 ,no1 said ,amer1 but ,i have heard the ,voice4 ,oh don't1 she cried1 when you talk like that ,i am afraid of you4 ,have you never heard it8 ,gabrielle wrenched her hands from his and covered her pretty little ears with them4 ,no1 no1 she cried1 and ,i don't want to4 ,if ,punon is really doomed1 there is still plenty of time4 ,i will not hear the ,voice2 ,i could not endure the hardships4 ,but the ,king1 ,i am told1 takes care of all those who start on the journey1 and at the end we shall see ,him in ,his beauty4 ,there is no ,king and no ,radiant ,city1 exclaimed the girl petulantly1 no one believes in that story now2 and you have not really heard a ,voice2 it is only in your imagination4 ,but ,i have heard the ,voice1 persisted ,amer4 ,oh don't1 cried ,gabrielle1 ,i begin to hate you when you say these things1 we had better part1 ,amer4 ,i could not have a husband who frightens me by his mad talk1 and who insists upon taking me this long journey4 ,i will not go1 you must choose between the ,radiant ,city of your dreams and me4 ,must ,i then go alone8 ,amer rose as he said these words1 and stood looking down upon her with such tenderness in his face that ,gabrielle repented of her hard words4 ,no1 she said1 stretching out her hands towards him1 you must not go alone1 you must not go at all4 ,i want you ,amer1 and cannot do without you2 you must stay with me4 ,you say you love me2 love me enough then to forget the ,radiant ,city and to stay and work for me2 you will not1 you cannot leave me4 ,and standing there looking into her sweet eyes1 which were now suffused with love1 ,amer felt that he could not leave her4 ,you shall be my ,radiant ,city1 he cried1 ,i will live and work for you4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,king',s ,,mark4 ,for some weeks ,amer resolutely put away the thought of the ,radiant ,city1 and would not listen to the ,voice4 ,in fact the ,voice seemed1 when he heard it at all1 to be very far away1 and he began to wonder how it was that its sound had ever stirred his soul4 ,his new work1 the thought that every day he was piling up money for the support of ,gabrielle1 together with the society of his old companions1 filled his thoughts and his days1 and if ever the remembrance of the step he had so nearly taken1 intruded1 he flung it aside4 ,but was it his fancy that his ,mother's face now and then wore an expression almost of disappointment when she looked at him8 ,was it fancy that even ,gabrielle did not treat him in exactly the same manner as formerly8 ,she looked up to him as above her in the old days1 falling in with his suggestions1 and following1 in a great measure1 his advice4 ,but it seemed now as if there was sometimes a tinge of scorn in her words1 as if he had fallen from some pedestal upon which she had placed him4 ,during the day he was able to banish these thoughts and suspicions from his mind by the means of business or pleasure4 ,but at night he would lie awake pondering over it1 and at times a great loathing of himself took possession of him4 ,he despised his want of decision4 ,he had been weak1 and had turned his back upon the enduring of hardships4 ,moreover the thought of the business he had undertaken lay at times like a dead weight on his spirit4 ,gradually there came a great depression over him1 and he began to wonder if his soul would ever be stirred to its depths again by the sound of the ,voice1 and if ever again he would be given the chance of journeying towards the ,radiant ,city4 ,so great was his depression and his loathing of himself1 that one day he started off to try and find the herald1 but he was told that he had left ,punon some weeks ago4 ,despondently ,amer made his way home1 but he could not rest4 ,he went about his work listlessly1 and gradually his old companions began to drop off from him4 ,he was not as good company as he used to be4 ,amer is not himself1 said his father1 he is working too hard4 ,but ,amer suddenly found out that what was making him so restless and stirring his apparently dead soul again1 was the ,voice4 ,come out from among them1 it cried1 and be ye separate4 ,was it his imagination8 ,was it fancy8 ,he was so miserable and so conscious of the sinfulness of himself and the unsatisfactoriness of his life1 that after much agony of soul1 he determined1 even if it might be nothing but a morbid imagination1 to start out for the ,radiant ,city4 ,even if there was such a place1 he had no very strong hopes that he would be allowed to enter it4 ,the ,great ,king1 if there was a ,king1 might not care to have him after his resolute turning aside before4 ,but1 notwithstanding his doubts1 he decided to venture1 and should there be a ,king1 to throw himself on ,his mercy4 ,this time1 so miserable was he1 and so full of fear that he might be shut out of the ,radiant ,city1 that he thought it was worth bearing scorn and laughter1 if only he might start out on his journey4 ,the one thing he now shrank from was losing ,gabrielle1 for he could not deceive himself for a moment about her4 ,she was set against all mention of the ,radiant ,city1 and he knew right well that when he started on his journey he would have to give her up4 ,he spent nights of anguish over the thought of this1 but his fears lest he was too late to be accepted as a citizen of the ,blessed ,city were growing so great1 that even the thought of ,gabrielle could not make him swerve from his resolution4 ,remembering however1 his former conduct1 and fearing lest his parents might not take his decision seriously1 he determined to start on his journey without talking it over with them4 ,but to ,gabrielle he boldly mentioned it4 ,her answer was a derisive laugh4 ,i shall believe it when you have started1 she said1 and when you start we part for ever4 ,saddened and almost despairing1 ,amer made his way towards the ,east ,gate1 which he remembered he had been told was the gate through which he would have to start4 ,but on nearing it he noticed that it was closed4 ,anxiously he looked around him and saw a man coming towards him4 ,sir1 said ,amer1 can you tell me if this is the way to the ,radiant ,city1 and how the gate is to be opened8 ,why do you want to know1 my lad8 asked the stranger4 ,because ,i am in great trouble of mind1 and am bent on escaping from this dark place4 ,but ,i do not know how ,i can be sure that ,i shall be allowed to make the journey1 as ,i have so long put it off4 ,what is your trouble1 asked the stranger4 ,i am my own trouble1 he replied1 ,i have resolutely shut my ears to the ,voice1 and have spent much of my short life in folly and sin2 and now my heart will not let me rest4 ,my sins are such that ,i am unable to look up4 ,sir1 are you able to give me comfort8 ,the stranger pointed to some words carved on the stone above the gate which ,amer had not noticed3-- ',come unto ,me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ,i will give you rest4' ,that is the message of the ,great ,king to you1 my lad1 he said4 ,to me6 murmured ,amer1 astonished4 ,yes1 to you4 ,to all that need ,him1 to all who have sinned and want ,his forgiveness1 to all that hope in ,his mercy1 to all who feel themselves to be miserable sinners and to need a ,saviour4 ,i am that sinner1 cried ,amer1 ',i have gone astray like a sheep that is lost4' ,let me through that ,i may start at once for the ,radiant ,city1 so that ,i may fall at the feet of my ,king and thank ,him for ,his mercy4 ,you cannot go through that gate without the ,king's ,mark1 said the stranger1 ,it is a ,cross1 a ,cross of ,blood1 which you will wear always on your forehead499 ,this is the key which alone will open the gate for you1 and it is your talisman for your journey4 ,what does it mean8 ,it means that you belong to the ,great ,king2 that ,he has set ,his own mark upon you2 that ,he has washed away your sins with ,his own ,blood2 that you are forgiven2 that ,his angels will be about your path2 that you have but to cry out and the ,king ,himself will hear you and deliver you4 ,and must everyone who starts on his journey wear this sign8 ,no one can even start on this journey without it4 ,the gate will not open unless this sign be worn4 ,sir1 give me the key1 cried ,amer1 that ,i may at once begin my journey4 ,nay1 said the stranger1 man cannot give you the key1 neither can man open the gate4 ,it must be done by the ,king ,himself1 ,i am but ,his ambassador4 ,must ,i wait1 then8 asked ,amer1 sadly4 99 ,eph4 #a1 #g4 ,s4 ,john #ad1 #f4 ,nay1 not a moment1 said the stranger1 the ,king is even waiting to let you through the gate and has been waiting for years4 ,aye1 ,he is rejoicing to-day in the ,radiant ,city because ,he sees you coming to ,him4 ',there is joy in the presence of the angels of ,god over one sinner that repenteth4' ,but1 asked ,amer1 perplexed1 ,i do not see the ,king and how am ,i to open the gate8 ,the ,king sees you1 answered the stranger1 and that is what signifies4 ,all you have to do is to obey the words above the gate1 ',come unto ,me4' ,you will find as you enter the porch1 the gate will fly open and the ,king ,himself will mark you for ,his own4 ,you have simply to take ,him at ,his word4 ,then with great joy ,amer went forward1 and as he passed through the portal1 the gate opened1 the ,king's mark was placed upon his brow1 and he found himself on the other side in a blaze of light and glory4 ,so wonderful was the change from the dark city he had left behind1 and such a peace stole into his heart1 that he could only fall on his knees and worship and praise the invisible ,king1 ,who had taken away his burden and his misery4 ,i will thank ,thee1 ,o ,lord my ,god1 he cried1 with all my heart3 and will praise ,thy name for evermore4 ,for great is ,thy mercy toward me3 and ,thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,donning ,,the ,,armour4 ,it was as if in a dream that ,amer rose up again and looked about him4 ,a very large expanse of country lay around him2 hills and valleys1 rivers and lakes1 trees under which to rest1 and far1 far away1 almost too far for eye to see1 a haze of golden glory fascinated his eyes4 ,the ,city6 he cried under his breath4 ,he turned and looked for a moment at the town of ,punon that he had left behind1 and was appalled to see its gloom4 ,he had never realized its darkness to such an extent before4 ,he could hear the faint sound of revelry1 and caught a distant sight of its flickering torch-lights1 but he shivered as he looked at it1 and turned again with joy to face the ,east1 in which direction the ,radiant ,city lay4 ,he shouted for very gladness of heart4 ,he felt as if he had wings1 and imagined that the journey to the ,city could be nothing but joy4 ,the way looked easy and beautiful4 ,no rough stones or rocky passes could he see1 and every step he took seemed to bring him higher1 and the breezes blew fresher4 ,suddenly he became conscious of the presence of the ,ambassador4 ,my lad1 he said1 you will need a guide book to show you the way4 ,it must be your constant companion4 ,there will be enemies on the road who will make every effort to take it from you1 but you must lose anything rather than the ,book4 ,if you give up the ,book you are lost1 and will never find your way to the ,city4 ,it is your most precious possession4 ,amer eagerly took the ,book from the ,ambassador's hand1 and opened its pages at once to read4 ,he was surprised at the words that met his eyes4 ,they spoke of a great enemy that he would meet1 and of the necessity of wearing armour so as to be able to wrestle against 'principalities1 against powers1 against the rulers of the darkness of this world1 against spiritual wickedness in high places4' ,it spoke also of the 'fiery darts of the wicked4' ,amer looked up into the ,ambassador's face with a look of perplexity on his own4 ,i do not understand the ,guide ,book1 he said1 ,it speaks of enemies1 and ,i see none4 ,the first part of the way is often easy1 answered the ,ambassador4 ,there was once a people who started on a journey to a land flowing with milk and honey1 and the ,great ,king to whom they belonged led them a long way round1 in order that they might not meet the enemy too soon1 and so be discouraged and turn back4 ,but you never know when the enemy will be upon you1 and you must be clad in the ,king's armour4 ,where is it to be had8 ,it is lying at your feet1 answered the ,ambassador4 ,no sooner did ,amer see the armour than he began to don it4 ,it must never on any account be laid aside1 said the ,ambassador1 the great enemy is on the watch1 and if ever you lay it aside he will take advantage of you4 ,what is the enemy like8 asked ,amer earnestly1 and what is his name8 ,his name is the ,devil1 answered the ,ambassador1 and his servants are legion4 ,it is not very likely that you will have to confront the ,devil himself1 as you are too small and insignificant4 ,but should you grow into a very useful and powerful servant of the ,great ,king1 should you in the future fight many of ,his enemies and give help on the road to many of ,his servants1 it is possible that the great enemy may attack you in person1 and then woe to you if your sword has grown rusty1 or if you are not wearing your armour4 ,will the road become more difficult and more dangerous as ,i near the ,radiant ,city8 asked ,amer4 ,i do not know4 ,everyone is not led in exactly the same path1 even though they are all going to the ,radiant ,city1 and so in the same direction4 ,some1 ,i think1 have their worst fights at the beginning1 others in the middle of their course1 some are fighting up to the very end1 even as they cross the river4 ,but ,i think1 probably1 it is the best soldiers and the most valiant who have to fight then4 ,the great enemy will not leave them alone1 and makes every effort to prevent them crossing into the ,radiant ,city2 the more valiant the soldier the harder the fight4 ,i mean to be a valiant soldier1 and will never turn my back to the foe1 said ,amer4 ,my son1 answered the ,ambassador1 be on the watch6 ,i already see an enemy in the long grass close at your side1 although you perceive him not his name is ,boastful4 ,he does not look formidable1 and is so small that you may be inclined to despise him4 ,amer smiled incredulously1 but before he had turned round to look behind him1 he felt a knock on his shoulder which gave him pain1 and in a minute he was lying prone on the ground1 while a small creature stood a few yards in front of him grinning at him triumphantly4 ,amer sprang up dismayed and ashamed of having been so easily overcome by such an insignificant enemy1 but when once on his feet he found he was alone4 ,he remembered then that he had been struck on the back1 and that there was no armour provided for the back4 ,he pondered over this1 and the next time he met the ,ambassador he asked him how this was4 ,it is probably to show you that you must ever be ready to face the foe4 ,you must keep such a watch that you cannot be taken by surprise2 and you must never show fear and fly4 ,if once you turn your back to the enemy1 either through carelessness or fear1 woe to you4 ,i begin to think the way is not as easy as ,i thought1 said ,amer1 sadly4 ,after this mishap1 ,amer began to walk more carefully1 and kept a watch over ,boastful and other foes1 who1 because so small of stature1 were not easily detected4 ,one of these enemies was a most offensive little man of the name of ,irritability1 who1 if ,amer set his foot on a slippery stone1 or if the heat of the sun was unusual1 or the wind piercing as it swept across the plain1 would suddenly fly at the young soldier1 and give him a blow on the mouth4 ,and ,amer found that this worrying sprite often prepared the way for a much more formidable enemy1 a relation of his called ,temper2 and that ,temper was the name of a family composed of three brothers1 each one more disagreeable and objectionable than the last4 ,the youngest of these brothers would walk doggedly and silently beside his victim with a great gloom on his face1 and every hour that he was allowed to remain he grew more morose1 and finally would cling on to his coat1 so acting as a drag4 ,his name was ,sulks1 and he was the most difficult of the three to get rid of1 unless he was snubbed the moment he arrived4 ,the second brother was a very dangerous fellow1 for he was perpetually handing daggers to his victim1 urging him to do his work for him4 ,his name was ,revenge4 ,but the eldest of the three worried ,amer the most4 ,when the lad had lived in ,punon he had had to do with him1 and was surprised to meet him so often on his journey to the ,radiant ,city4 ,while in ,punon1 ,amer had thought little of him1 and had not looked on him exactly as an enemy1 in fact he had more than once found him useful there1 for being somewhat tall and imposing looking1 and moreover of a fierce expression of countenance1 people had been afraid of ,amer when they found him in the company of this enemy1 whose name was ,passionate2 consequently the lad had more than once got his way with others simply on account of the fear of his companion4 ,but once having started on his journey to the ,radiant ,city1 ,amer felt he must entirely give up his company1 and was surprised and mortified that this enemy was not so easily disposed of as he had imagined4 ,it was true that his visits did not last so long as formerly1 but long enough to make ,amer's fellow travellers who passed by look askance at him1 saying among themselves1 ,can he really be on his way to the ,radiant ,city1 as ,temper walks by his side8 ,but except for these1 ,amer met few enemies at first1 and wondered at times what the ,guide ,book meant when it spoke of ,principalities and ,powers against which he would have to wrestle4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,enemies ,,of ,,the ,,road4 ,amer soon found that the journey was not so smooth as he had thought4 ,there were stiff bits of hill to climb1 and rough rocks and stones which cut and hurt his feet4 ,he was often desperately tired and the ,radiant ,city seemed a long way off4 ,also at certain times he felt to miss his old companions4 ,he had not met many people on the road4 ,he had seen many a merry party walking fearlessly on a broad walk which at times seemed to be leading to the ,radiant ,city1 picking flowers and singing gaily1 and he had looked somewhat longingly at them4 ,several pilgrims indeed had passed him on the way in the narrow path1 but they were so intent on their own journey that they seemed to have no time to give to him2 and he sometimes felt lonely4 ,one day as he was giving way to rather sad thoughts he noticed three small people sitting together by the roadside4 ,they looked dreary and were dressed all in grey4 ,forgetting the warnings of the ,ambassador1 ,amer sat down by their side and entered into a conversation4 ,he soon found that their company instead of comforting him depressed him greatly4 ,where are you going to8 they asked him4 ,to the ,radiant ,city1 was his answer4 ,you will never get there1 said one of them1 you have not the air of a servant of the ,great ,king4 ,when we saw you1 you were looking dreary and forlorn4 ,i feel lonely at times1 he answered4 ,but ,i thought your ,book tells you that you are never alone4 ,you cannot be one of the ,great ,king's soldiers if you feel lonely4 ,how long have you been on your journey8 asked another4 ,two months1 was his answer4 ,i started late ,i grieve to say4 ,only two months6 then you have wasted some of the best years of your life2 you do not suppose the ,king will accept anyone who has despised ,his message all those years1 do you8 ,how do you know that you are ,his soldier and accepted by ,him8 ,i see no sign of you being different from others whom ,i meet1 said a third1 you still have the look of the ,dark ,city upon you4 ,how do you know that you belong to ,him8 ,i met the ,ambassador and he told me that the ,king loved me1 said ,amer4 ,the ,ambassador cannot tell4 ,he does not really know all your sins4 ,think of all those years in the ,dark ,city1 all the time you have forgotten the ,king4 ,think of how you turned round after making resolves to begin your journey1 said one of them who had evidently heard his story4 ,but it was for sinners that the ,king died1 answered ,amer4 ,yes1 but not for sinners like you4 ,besides if you were one of ,his servants you would look more cheerful and get on faster4 ,why you have been two months on the way and have only got so far4 ,how do you know that ,he has accepted you8 persisted another4 ,because ,he cannot break ,his word1 said ,amer1 and ,he has said1 'him that cometh to ,me1 ,i will in no wise cast out2' then turning round suddenly upon them1 he asked1 ,what is your name8 ,we are a family of the name of ,morbid1 they answered1 and we take upon ourselves the duty of warning people if we think they are deceiving themselves4 ,i must not tarry here talking to you1 said ,amer1 beginning to wish he had not taken any notice of the ,morbids1 ,i must be continuing my journey1 at which he rose from his seat4 ,but the little grey clad men would not leave him1 they ran by his side and would take no hint from him as to his wish to be rid of their company4 ,for a mile or two they trotted beside him1 filling his mind with all sorts of gloomy forebodings1 and the more he hurried hoping to out-distance them1 the quicker they ran1 till at last1 somewhat out of breath1 they took hold of his coat and so helped themselves along4 ,amer began to be suspicious of them4 ,are you on your way to ,radiant ,city8 he asked4 ,why not1 they answered evasively2 then as the lad would not be satisfied with their answer they added4 ,why be in such haste8 ,you are not sure if the ,king will receive you at the end2 and then what will become of you8 ,besides which we doubt if you will persevere1 and in that case it would have been better never to have set out4 ,at this ,amer pulled his coat away from them violently1 but it only had the effect of making them cling to his feet1 so that every step was an effort4 ,do what he would he could not get rid of them1 and the more he struggled the tighter they clung1 till at last they pulled him to the ground4 ,there he lay exhausted and miserable1 and how long the little grey enemies would have had him in their clutches ,i do not know1 if the ,ambassador had not happened to pass that way and beheld his distress4 ,sir1 cried ,amer1 ,i am in great straits4 ,the ,morbids looked peaceable enough as ,i passed them on the road1 and ,i only talked with them for a few minutes as ,i rested4 ,but they have not left me since1 and ,i cannot get rid of them4 ,out with your sword1 man1 cried the ,ambassador1 have you forgotten the armour8 ,to parley with the enemy or to argue with him is fatal4 ,i see your sword is sheathed and idle in your hand4 ,out with it and do battle4 ,amer drew his sword1 and at that the little grey people fled4 ,my lad1 said the ,ambassador1 your fall has been caused by several mistakes4 ,first1 you were not on the watch4 ,secondly1 you thought the enemy too small to be of much consequence4 ,thirdly1 you forgot your sword1 and your girdle is hanging loosely about you4 ,take my advice1 lad1 and never despise the enemy however small and insignificant he looks4 ,many a battle has been lost simply through this4 ,shall ,i always have you at my side to help me when ,i fall8 asked ,amer4 ,nay1 ,i do not know that we shall ever meet again here4 ,i have to go elsewhere and work for the ,king4 ,but what does it signify8 ,you have the ,king ,himself with you1 you do not need the ,ambassador4 ,but1 said ,amer perplexed1 ,i cannot see the ,king and ,he did not come to my aid4 ,you forgot to cry unto ,him2 ,he hears the faintest call of ,his children1 but you trusted in your own strength to deliver you1 and forgot ,him4 ,but ,he came to your aid notwithstanding1 for ,he sent me this way to help you4 ,how may ,i be sure that ,he hears and is willing to help8 asked ,amer4 ,you have not studied your ,guide ,book enough if you have not come across ,his promises4 ,and at that the ,ambassador opened the ,book that he always carried in his hand and told ,amer to do the same4 ,listen to the words of the ,great ,king1 he said3-- ',the eyes of the ,lord are upon the righteous1 and ,his ears are open unto their cry4' ',this poor man cried1 and the ,lord heard him1 and saved him out of all his troubles4 ,the angel of the ,lord encampeth round about them that fear ,him1 and delivereth them4' ',i will never leave thee nor forsake thee4' ',lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4' ,at these wonderful words ,amer looked up with joy1 and though he was sad at the thought that he might never see the ,ambassador again till he met him in the ,radiant ,city1 he renewed his journey with hope and confidence4 ,looking towards the ,east he noticed how brightly the ,radiant ,city shone1 and for a long time he kept his eyes continually upon it and often sang for very gladness of heart4 ,the loneliness of the way was scarcely noticed by him at this time as he was so full of the ,good ,news that the ,king was ever with him4 ,his path took him up a very steep hill4 ,but so great was his joy that he did not notice its steepness4 ,about half-way up the hill1 ,temper met him4 ,amer looking him sternly in the face was struck with his ugliness4 ,come now1 he said1 ,i will have nothing to do with you4 ,i have in the past had too much of your company1 but from this day ,i will have none of you4 ,be gone1 and drawing out his sword manfully he saw1 to his joy1 ,temper make a hasty retreat4 ,but the enemy was not going to let him off so easily1 and met him further up the hill4 ,amer however was on the look-out for him1 so that he could not get near enough to strike the young soldier1 and after awhile1 growing tired of waiting for an unwatched moment1 he clattered back to where he came from with a surly countenance and a threat that he would have his revenge later4 ,full of triumph at his victories1 ,amer went forward1 congratulating himself that he was growing a brave soldier1 and that he was able to overcome the enemy4 ,after a while he looked again at the ,radiant ,city1 and was rather surprised that a thin veil seemed to be between it and him4 ,however he did not take much notice of this but sang lustily in exultation4 ,he soon caught up a man who was walking slowly and carefully on the same road1 picking his way to avoid loose stories and slippery places4 ,good morning1 friend1 cried ,amer1 well pleased that he had found a companion1 you are going the same way as ,i am4 ,yes1 answered the man1 ,i am journeying to the ,radiant ,city4 ,how long have you been on the way8 asked ,amer1 wondering at the slowness and carefulness of his walk4 ,i have been ten years1 he answered ruefully1 and alas1 have made but slow progress4 ,ten years6 cried ,amer1 ,i have not been ten months6 ,how is it1 friend1 you walk so carefully and slowly8 ,because1 he answered sadly1 ,i have had so many a fall through careless walking1 that it has delayed me4 ,only last week ,i tripped over a loose stone and twisted my ankle1 so that the next enemy that came past had the advantage over me4 ,do you use your sword8 asked ,amer4 ,my sword is never out of my hand1 said the traveller1 had it not been for that ,i should have been lost on the road long ago4 ,but look at me1 said ,amer1 ,i have conquered triumphantly the last enemy that attacked me1 and am not now afraid4 ,you should trust the ,king more and hasten forward4 ,but we must obey ,him as well as trust ,him1 answered the traveller2 ,he tells us in the ,guide ,book1 ',ponder the path of thy feet1 and let all thy ways be established4 ,turn not to the right hand nor to the left3 remove thy foot from evil4' ,your progress must be so slow1 said ,amer4 ,i have learnt that 'the race is not to the swift1 nor the battle to the strong3' ,i have learnt this through many a downfall4 ,i do not judge for you or for others1 but for me1 my only safety is to live day by day looking towards my ,king and pondering the path at my feet4 ,is it not written1 ',let thine eyes look right on1 and let thine eyelids look straight before thee4' ',looking unto ,jesus4' ,as the man spoke he lifted his eyes towards the ,radiant ,city1 and his face was suffused with the light of it4 ,amer followed the direction of his glance and was startled to see1 that although he had noticed the bright reflection of the ,city on the traveller's face1 the ,radiant ,city itself looked still dimmer to him than it had a few minutes before4 ,he made no mention of this however to his companion1 but he glanced about him a little uneasily1 for he felt conscious of an influence that he had not known before4 ,he was not aware that one of the worst of enemies that he could meet on his journey1 was at his heels1 though quite invisible4 ,well1 he said1 ,i must away4 ,this slow pace does not suit me altogether2 nor do ,i think it necessary4 ,and with a wave of the hand he bounded forward4 ,the traveller he had left behind him1 sighed4 ,ah6 he cried1 what must it be to be as good and strong as he4 ,he cannot be so easily tempted as ,i am4 ,i shall have to walk carefully all my life1 or ,i shall grieve my dear ,saviour1 who has done so much for me4 ,then he took out his ,guide ,book as he walked1 and opened it4 ,the words that met his glance were these3-- ',my ,grace is sufficient for thee3 for ,my strength is made perfect in weakness4' ,meanwhile ,amer made his way up the hill4 ,his sword was hanging loosely by his side1 and not seeing any enemy in sight1 he took off his helmet and carried it in his hand4 ,his mind was full of his victories over the enemy who had accosted him twice during his journey up the hill4 ,as he found himself nearing the top1 so full of congratulations was he1 and so glad that it had not been his fate to make so slow a journey as the traveller he had passed1 that he began to sing4 ,and the words he sang were some that he had seen in the ,guide ,book1 and which seemed appropriate to his present state4 ',in my prosperity ,i said1 ,i shall never be removed3 ,thou ,lord1 of ,thy goodness hast made my hill so strong4' ,he had scarcely come to an end of the verse1 when at his elbow he heard a voice1 and on looking round he saw a man dressed in a scarlet cloak trimmed with gold4 ,amer was so taken up with the grandeur of his appearance that he scarcely looked at his face1 but when he did1 he noticed that he was handsome1 and had an aristocratic air about him1 and his words1 together with his appearance1 took the lad's fancy at once4 ,you are making a good journey1 said the stranger1 ,i have seldom seen a pilgrim to the ,radiant ,city wear a happier expression4 ,you have1 doubtless1 had some victory that has cheered you4 ,you are right1 said ,amer1 colouring with pleasure1 ,i find the way easier than ,i had anticipated1 and am not so bothered with the enemy as ,i expected4 ,i passed a pilgrim a few miles away1 said the stranger1 walking along the path with pain2 evidently he has not had the same good fortune as you have1 and has had many a fall4 ,it cheers one to see a young man full of health and vigour treading the path so steadily4 ,i am trusting the ,king1 said ,amer1 and have read that ',he shall give ,his angels charge over me that ,i dash not my foot against a stone4' ,and so you are able to make quicker progress1 answered his companion1 and if it were not for your heavy armour you would be quicker still4 ,come2 ,i am going the same way as you1 and ,i will gladly take charge of some of your armour for you4 ,but have you none of your own to carry8 said ,amer1 surprised1 supposing that his cloak covered it4 ,no1 he said1 ,i am a man of peace4 ,i dropped my armour long ago and find that ,i can do as well without it4 ,come1 he added1 let me help you to carry your sword4 ,no1 said ,amer1 remembering the warning of the ,ambassador1 ,i will keep my sword1 but if you are so kind as to lighten my burden by helping me to take off my shield for a bit ,i shall be glad4 ,the day is hot and ,i have been walking so fast that it will be a comfort to get rid of it for a moment4 ,stay1 he said1 as they reached the summit of the hill and the stranger made as if he was about to turn to the left1 ,i have been given directions never to lose sight of the ,radiant ,city or ,i should lose my way4 ,i must go straight on1 neither turning to the right nor to the left4 ,but1 said the stranger1 the straight path leads across that bare desert1 and will1 besides being full of enemies1 take you days to cross4 ,now1 this path which ,i will show you1 is a short cut to the ,city4 ,you will find that you meet a few enemies only1 and that the way will be one long triumph from beginning to end4 ,you are not by any means an ordinary pilgrim1 but have shown yourself strong to do battle and to gain victories4 ,you are not like that poor pilgrim who is always tripping1 that you have just seen1 and who needs the experience of the desert to give him the strength that you already possess4 ,come with me and you will never regret it4 ,and has not your ,guide ,book told you that ',he shall give ,his angels charge over you8' ,why then fear8 ,so after some little hesitation ,amer followed the stranger and certainly he found himself apparently wonderfully free from enemies4 ,nevertheless he did not feel altogether comfortable when he found that directly he determined to follow this man the ,radiant ,city began to fade from his sight4 ,neither was he pleased to find that he was going down hill into a somewhat dark valley4 ,but his companion talked away in a sprightly manner1 comparing him so favourably with many other pilgrims that he had come across1 that he had not the courage even to hint to him that he was beginning to fear4 ,darker and darker grew the way till at last1 suddenly1 with a shout1 a band of men confronted him1 and tearing his armour from him1 flung him to the ground1 and binding his feet together brought him to a dark cave and threw him into it4 ,it had all been done so quickly that ,amer had been taken entirely by surprise1 and now realised to his great discomfort that all his armour had been wrenched from him and that he had nothing with which to fight the enemy4 ,there he was left1 after all his bragging and pride1 a prisoner in a dark cave1 armourless4 ,and then he began sorrowfully to think how it had all happened4 ,he remembered now that he had not been altogether easy while walking by the slow pilgrim's side4 ,he had felt a sensation as if some antagonistic influence was near4 ,could it have been all the time the stranger who had enticed him to his fall8 ,then he remembered how he had talked about his own experiences and his victories1 and had quoted texts in his own favour4 ,he remembered1 too1 how he had looked down on the traveller who was walking so slowly and carefully1 thinking himself to be altogether a superior soldier of the ,king's1 and how he had deemed it quite safe to put off some of his armour for a while1 although the ,ambassador had expressly warned him never to part with it4 ,he lay and groaned4 ,the chains hurt his feet and wrists1 but the physical pain was as nothing to the mental anguish caused by the remembrance of his terrible fall1 and the recollection that there was no sight of the ,radiant ,city possible in this dark cave4 ,for some time he sat with his head hanging down1 a picture of despair4 ,then he began to look around him4 ,the first thing he saw were the following words painted in large red letters on the walls of the cave3-- ,this cave is the property of the great prince ,spiritual ,pride1 and underneath these words1 were the rules to be followed by the soldiers of ,spiritual ,pride in the capturing of the soldiers of the ,king of the ,radiant ,city4 ,each rule caused a further groan to escape from ,amer's lips4 #a4 ,get talking to the traveller on the road to the ,radiant ,city in a friendly way1 having prepared his mind beforehand by invisible influence4 #b4 ,encourage him to speak of his own experience1 his own attainments1 either spiritual or physical4 #c4 ,if he has had any victories1 remind him of his prowess and bravery4 #d4 ,quote texts to him without their context1 to prove that he should be beyond fear of the enemy4 #e4 ,take off his mind as much as possible from the ,king and ,radiant ,city and fix his thoughts on himself4 #f4 ,make him think the importance of the armour less for one naturally so strong4 #g4 ,help him to compare himself with other travellers1 their slowness1 their trips and falls1 and make him congratulate himself that he is better than they are4 #h4 ,if possible1 take away his sword from him without his notice4 #i4 ,induce him to believe that there is a short cut to the ,radiant ,city1 and that instead of having to endure hardness1 to one who is so far on the road1 the way is smooth4 #aj4 ,above all things1 take his mind off the ,king1 so that he may not call to ,him4 ,all must be done with the greatest possible speed4 ,amer groaned again and again as he read these rules4 ,how he envied that slow and careful traveller1 whom he had once despised4 ,he had indeed sunk in deep waters6 ,then he remembered that he had his ,guide ,book in his pocket4 ,would it give him any rule as to how to act now that he was sorely smitten and enchained8 ,in the dim light of the cave he bent over it4 ,the words he read were those of ,jonah the prophet1 who1 like ,amer1 felt by reason of the punishment of his sin that he was cast out of ,god's presence4 ',i cried by reason of mine affliction unto the ,lord1 and ,he heard me2 out of the belly of ,hell cried ,i1 and ,thou heardest my voice4 ,for ,thou hadst cast me into the deep1 in the midst of the seas2 and the floods compassed me about3 all ,thy billows and ,thy waves passed over me4 ,then ,i said1 ,i am cast out of ,thy sight2 yet ,i will look again toward ,thy holy temple 4 4 4 4 ,i went down to the bottoms of the mountains2 the earth with her bars was about me for ever2 yet hast ,thou brought up my life from corruption1 ,o ,lord my ,god4 ,when my heart fainted within me ,i remembered the ,lord1 and my prayer came in unto ,thee1 into ,thine holy temple4' ,amer remembered also the words quoted by the ,ambassador1 ',this poor man cried1 and the ,lord heard him1 and saved him out of all his troubles4' ,there was then this one resource left him2 to cry to the ,king4 ,he was indeed poor1 as he had nothing at all to boast of4 ,he had discovered that he was as nothing1 that even his good efforts were tinged with sin2 that his victories were in no way whatever due to his own bravery2 that in fact he was a very poor soldier indeed4 ,so he was just the one to cry to the ,king1 for it was written in the ,guide ,book1 that the poor man cried and the ,lord heard him4 ,all the rest of that day ,amer cried unto the ,king4 ,as the night drew near he still cried4 ,his chains chafed his wrists and ankles and he grew faint and full of pain2 but he still cried on4 ,it was just his one hope1 for had not the ,great ,king promised to hear the poor man8 ,in an agony of tears and repentance he cried1 and at midnight the answer came4 ,invisible hands broke off his chains1 and led him out of the cave2 and when to his wonderful joy he felt the fresh air beating on his forehead1 he found also that his armour had been returned to him and that once more he was on the way to the ,radiant ,city4 ,but he had to go back a great part of the way before he caught a sight of the ,city4 ,the valley which he had descended so easily in the company of ,spiritual ,pride was a steep one to climb up1 and it was not till once more he reached the top of the hill from where he had last seen the ,radiant ,city1 that he caught sight of it again4 ,and even then his view of it was misty1 and remained so for several days4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,book4 ,for some time after ,amer had gone through the experiences related in the last chapter1 he felt the effects of his time in the cave of ,spiritual ,pride1 and it was long before he regained the elasticity of spirit that was natural to him4 ,he walked more cautiously and steadily1 and kept a sharp look-out all round1 lest the enemy should get the better of him1 and in this way had many a victory1 and was saved many a blow4 ,one day1 when somewhat tired with his journey1 he came across a woman leading a young girl by the hand4 ,a glance at the woman's face was enough to convince him that she had to do with the ,radiant ,city1 for her face was beautiful with a calm light upon it1 which he knew could come from no other source4 ,her name was ,belthiah199 and the name of the girl ,iddo4 99 ,daughter of the ,lord4 ,loving4 ,we are going the same way1 she said1 and so long as our paths do not diverge1 let us keep one another company4 ,before long they came across the slow traveller again1 still walking steadily and carefully towards the ,city4 ,after all1 said ,amer to him1 ,i have been the one to lose time1 for after leaving you ,i fell in with the worst foe that ,i have met yet1 and was completely overcome4 ,the man looked up with sympathy expressed in every line of his face4 ,what was his name8 he asked4 ,spiritual ,pride1 answered ,amer1 and if it had not been for my ,king sending me help1 ,i should still be a prisoner in his cave4 ,ah6 said the man1 ,i have had to meet that foe myself1 and ,i know his ways4 ,poor lad6 ,mother1 said ,iddo1 have we met that foe yet8 ,very possibly1 my child1 and may not have recognised him4 ,possibly he might not have taken such pains to overcome us1 as he has taken with these two brave servants of the ,king4 ,but any day he may tempt us1 and so we must keep our eyes on the ,radiant ,city1 where dwells our ,king4 ,madam1 said ,amer1 you do not look as if you had been much troubled on the way4 ,what is the secret of your peace8 ,the slow traveller looked uneasily about him4 ,i feel the enemy is somewhere near1 he said1 warningly to ,belthiah1 and he is listening for your answer4 ,the mother gave him a grateful look1 but answered simply3 ,we have had communion with our ,king1 and ,he has given us peace4 ,and1 answered the girl1 we are shod1 you know1 with the shoes of peace4 ,i lost mine one day1 and had to turn back to find them4 ,besides1 continued ,belthiah1 we have so much to make us happy1 so many promises to rest upon4 ,and1 do you know8 said the girl1 looking up confidingly into ,amer's face1 it is not quite certain that we shall ever have to cross the dark river1 which ,i cannot help sometimes dreading4 ,the ,king may come to meet us ,himself1 and take us up to the ,city4 ,yes1 said her mother1 that is what helps to make us happy4 ,we are looking for ,him3 and though we gather from the ,guide ,book that certain events must take place before ,he comes1 they may happen very shortly4 ,no1 no ,madam1 there you make a mistake1 said an irritable voice behind them1 and on looking back they beheld a short1 stout man1 who had evidently been making a great effort to catch them up1 and now stood before them wiping his brow1 and much agitated4 ,his voice did not sound like the voice of one travelling to the ,radiant ,city1 as it was rasping and irritable1 but the ,king's ,mark was on his forehead1 and he had his ,guide ,book under his arm4 ,i am always having to argue this point with people1 he said1 irritably1 there is no event that must happen before the ,king comes4 ,but there ,i am1 again1 he added1 ruefully1 always arguing1 always disputing1 and always irritable4 ,i beg your pardon1 ,madam1 but when ,i find people who do not see eye to eye with me in these matters1 ,i seem to be unable to listen to them4 ,my name is ,chisleu1 which means rashness4 ,alas6 ,i am too rightly named4 ,sir1 said the girl1 concernedly1 your shoes have gone4 ,ah6 that's like me6 he exclaimed1 looking round to find his shoes just behind him1 always trying to set others right and going wrong myself4 ,i lose my shoes1 and then ,temper comes and torments me4 ,and yet ,i am devoted to my ,king2 and he gave a look towards the ,radiant ,city1 which proved to those around him that his heart was there4 ,my good fellow1 he said1 turning to the slow traveller1 ,i should be greatly obliged to you if you would tell me how it is you are so successful against the enemy4 ,i have been watching you for a long time as ,i walked behind you1 and you never seem put out whatever happens to you1 and ,i seldom see you even trip4 ,at the words a pained expression crossed the face of the traveller1 and he looked around him carefully1 as if expecting to find the enemy at his elbow2 moreover1 when the stranger praised him1 he impulsively put his hands over his ears to prevent hearing4 ,but now turning his eyes steadily towards the ,radiant ,city he said3 ,it is written in the ,guide ,book1 ',my strength is made perfect in weakness4' ,amer1 remembering the rules inscribed on the walls of the cave of ,spiritual ,pride1 noticed how the slow traveller resisted the temptation to speak of his own experience1 and spoke instead of the ,king4 ,ah6 sighed the stranger1 you are right4 ,it is because ,i forget the promises of my ,king and ,his ,book that ,i fail2 thank you1 ,sir4 ,but look1 what is that crowd ,i see before me8 ,if some poor fellow is being belaboured by the enemy ,i must be off to help1 and he began running1 and would even then have forgotten his shoes1 if ,iddo had not cried after him1 ,your shoes1 your shoes4 ,what a warm heart that man has6 said ,belthiah1 full of feeling for others and of humility4 ,but how cross he was1 said ,iddo1 not as a soldier of the ,great ,king ought to be4 ,hush1 child6 whispered her mother1 the enemy is near4 ,i hear his whisper in your voice4 ,the ,king tells us not to judge4 ,when the travellers had reached the crowd they saw a strange sight4 ,a large number of pilgrims with the ,king's ,mark upon them were standing around a man who was talking in a loud voice4 ,in his hand he held the ,guide ,book1 and as he spoke he tore out first one page and then another1 throwing them behind him4 ,it is not by any means authentic1 he was saying1 and certain parts which you have taken for truth are nothing more or less than allegory and fable1 while other apparent prophecies were not written by the people you 'suppose1 but by men long after the events had happened1 so are not prophecies at all4 ,mother1 mother1 cried ,iddo1 looking up with tears in her eyes1 do you hear what the man is saying about our ,guide ,book8 ,but before her mother had time to answer1 a loud voice rang out1 which ,iddo recognised at once as that of ,chisleu1 the stranger with whom they had just been talking4 ,that's a lie1 he cried1 no one need believe it4 ,the book is true from beginning to end4 ,then there arose an uproar4 ,let the preacher alone1 cried one1 he says he has studied the question1 and moreover confesses that he himself is journeying to the ,radiant ,city4 ,let him speak4 ,if he has anything to teach us let him do it4 ,but it is false1 cried ,chisleu1 don't listen to him4 ,he's a wolf in sheep's clothing4 ,take the intruder away1 shouted some of the bystanders1 we wish to hear what the preacher has to say4 ,it may be true or it may be false1 but we wish to hear him4 ,come away1 dear1 said her mother to ,iddo1 it won't do us any good to listen4 ,but1 said ,iddo1 what did he mean8 ,no one ever doubts1 surely1 the truth of the ,guide ,book8 ,if it is not true1 how shall we ever find our way to the ,radiant ,city1 or indeed how do we know that there is a ,radiant ,city to find8 she added1 sobbing4 ,my child1 said the mother1 it is a sad fact that now-a-days there are people who are tearing the ,guide ,book to pieces4 ,they do not realize what mischief they are doing1 and hope that people's faith will grow stronger rather than weaker through their criticism1 instead of which the enemy is watching at all such gatherings at which we have been1 and is doing his utmost to sow seeds of doubt in people's minds4 ,but ,i think these very attacks on the ,book go to prove its authorship4 ,the enemy cannot leave it alone1 as he knows that so long as we have the ,guide ,book1 and love and believe in it1 we will follow it and it will lead us to the ,radiant ,city4 ,i have never found the ,word to fail me1 and it has been the guide of millions of travellers who have now reached ,home4 ,some1 indeed1 when just crossing the ,river1 have actually seen the ,king1 so that those who have gone as far as they were allowed with them into the dark valley1 have been filled with joy1 and their faith has been strengthened4 ,the ,guide ,book is true from beginning to end3 that good man was right in what he said1 although ,i could have wished that he had spoken in a more sober manner1 and with less heat4 ,but he cannot argue4 ,his heart is better than his head4 ,oh mother1 he frightened me1 said ,iddo1 wiping away her tears1 and ,i saw many people were laughing at him4 ,is he really journeying to the ,radiant ,city8 ,he is so different from ,amer and that good man who has been walking with us4 ,he loves the ,king1 my child1 said the mother1 and it is his very love that makes him speak when perhaps it would be wiser to be silent4 ,but the ,king can alter all that is not right in him1 and as for me ,i would rather have the heart on fire than the brain4 ,where is ,amer8 suddenly asked ,iddo4 ,amer had stayed behind to listen1 and now was seen coming towards them with his eyes bent in deep thought on the ground1 his girdle was hanging loosely about him4 ,they walked together somewhat silently1 and only discovered after some time that the slow traveller was by now far ahead of them4 ,evidently he had not waited to hear the words of the speaker in the crowd1 but had walked steadily on1 and it was some time before they caught him up4 ,when at last they did so1 ,amer asked him if he had heard what had been said by the orator4 ,when ,i found what he was speaking about1 said the traveller quietly1 ,i moved on4 ,i made up my mind before ,i set out on my journey that the ,guide ,book was the message of the ,king of the ,radiant ,city1 and if it is ,his ,book there can be no fabrication or fable in it4 ,they had not gone far on the road before they came upon a man sitting bey the wayside with his head hidden in his hands and groaning4 ,friend1 said ,belthiah1 what is your trouble8 ,but he did not look up1 a groan was the only answer4 ,he has just encountered the enemy1 said the slow traveller4 ,see how wounded he is1 said ,amer1 and yet his mind is more wounded than his body1 he scarcely notices the hurt4 ,ah yes6 moaned the man1 ,i am sore wounded4 ,i have no strength even to look up1 the enemy has overpowered me4 ,i am in the lowest hell4 ,poor man1 sighed ,iddo gently1 how ,i wish ,i could help you4 ,lady1 he said urgently to ,belthiah1 take your sweet child away1 ,i am no fit company for her2 and you1 young man1 leave me too4 ,i only ask this friend to stay a few minutes with me that ,i may tell him my trouble4 ,slowly they obeyed his request1 for none of them could endure the thought of leaving the poor man in such a plight4 ,friend1 said the wounded man to the slow traveller1 as he sat down beside him1 ,i have lost my ,guide ,book and ,i have lost my sword4 ,in fact the enemy has taken my armour off piece by piece and hope is dead within me4 ,when did the enemy attack you8 asked his companion4 ,ah6 that is the sad part of the story4 ,i found someone in distress on the road4 ,the great enemy ,doubt had him in his grip4 ,his ,guide ,book had been torn to pieces by those who think they are helping others in taking out leaf after leaf of the volume and throwing it on one side4 ,forgetful of my own weakness and sin1 ,i spent hours with him trying to combat the enemy by his side1 but ,i forgot to be watchful myself4 ,i thought ,i was too strong and too brave a soldier to be overcome1 and forgot to cry to the ,king2 and as ,i was talking ,i suddenly felt the enemy himself seize me1 and before ,i knew where ,i was he had wrenched the ,book and my sword from my hands1 and had dealt me a blow which at first ,i thought was that of my death blow4 ,friend1 hope and light and joy are passed for me4 ,despair has me in his grip1 and rather than endure this misery1 and doubt my ,king and my ,city1 ,i mean to go by a short cut to the dark river4 ,then the slow traveller stood up1 looked towards the ,radiant ,city1 and prayed4 ,friend1 he said1 as he fastened his girdle about him more securely1 ,i will fight the enemy with you4 ,nay1 nay1 cried the other1 your fate will be the same as mine4 ,i pray you not to hinder your journey in this way4 ,i beseech you not to trouble about me4 ,the enemy will overcome you as he has me4 ,you are happy in your faith4 ,you have your ,guide ,book next to your heart1 and your sword in your hand4 ,you believe in the ,radiant ,city1 and in your ,king4 ,i will not be the one to throw you into the hands of the great enemy ,doubt4 ,friend1 said the traveller1 while a radiant light from the ,city touched his helmet and illumined his face1 when my ,king calls me to fight1 ,he will see that ,i get the victory1 and ,i fight kneeling4 ,and at that he knelt1 and the enemy1 who had been invisible1 came towards him in all his strength1 and hurled his battle axe at him1 but the traveller parried the blow with the sword4 ,so deadly was the fight that great drops broke out on the forehead of the combatants1 as the darkness of night overshadowed them4 ,for many hours they wrestled1 and all the time the traveller never rose from his knees4 ,fight1 he gasped at last to his companion1 fight1 man1 for there are more with us than against us1 and ,i see the glimmering of dawn1 and even as he spoke a faint light broke upon them1 and rested on the traveller's shield1 and by its light the wounded man saw that his own ,guide ,book1 and the sword he had lost1 were lying by his side within his reach4 ,he stretched out his hands to grasp his sword1 and as he did so invisible hands fastened on his armour1 bit by bit1 and he was strengthened for the fight4 ,so skilfully did he now begin to use his sword that between the two1 who both fought on their knees1 the enemy gradually began to falter in his attacks1 and was finally driven back4 ,the ,king be praised1 said the traveller1 as he rose1 pale and weary1 and looked towards the ,radiant ,city4 ,the light of it was on his brow1 and his shield and breastplate blazed brighter than they had ever done before1 as he began to help the victorious soldier to his feet4 ,the ,king be praised1 echoed the other1 'which teacheth my hands to war1 and my fingers to fight4' ',if the ,lord ,himself had not been on our side 4 4 4 they had swallowed us up quick 4 4 4 ,but praised be the ,lord2 who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth4' ',our soul is escaped1 even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler1' added his friend1 'the snare is broken1 and we are delivered4 ,our help standeth in the ,name of the ,lord ,who bath made ,heaven and ,earth4' ,then the two men grasped hands4 ,friend1 said the man1 whose wounds had been healed1 tell me your name1 as ,i shall ever hold it in loving remembrance and gratitude4 ,my name is ,heman199 he answered1 and yours1 my friend8 ,joezer1 he said1 alas6 ,i am rash1 and underrate the power of the enemy4 ,i forgot the fact which you remembered1 that this enemy always aims at the knees4 ,if he can wound the knees he is much more certain of victory1 but ,i saw you fought kneeling1 and copied your example4 ,praised be the ,king for your help and friendship1 ,heman4 ,as his fellow traveller passed from him1 ,heman1 looking towards the ,radiant ,city1 cried triumphantly1 ,thy word is true from the beginning3 and every one of ,thy righteous judgments endureth for ever4 99 ,faithful4 ,whose help is the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,enchantment4 ,it was not long after this that ,amer found his path diverging from that upon which the mother and her child were travelling4 ,for though the direction was always the same for every pilgrim1 each individual had her or his own separate path which they had to follow4 ,sometimes1 therefore1 it happened that friends would be parted for quite a long time and then would1 to their joy1 suddenly meet again4 ,it was with sorrow that ,amer found his path diverging from that of his good friends1 whose company had been so much valued by him4 ,iddo wept when she looked upon his retreating figure1 for he had been as a brother to her4 ,and indeed her weeping gave a little enemy called ,discontent just the opportunity he wanted to worry her4 ,for some days he got such victories over her that her mother began to look grave and sad1 as she noticed that her child's shield was growing dull for the want of attention1 and the sword lay too often in its scabbard4 ,my child1 she said1 do you really think that your ,king settles the path of each of his soldiers8 ,i fear you are doubting this4 ,the way seems so dull without ,amer1 sobbed the girl4 ,it is the enemy that speaks1 ,iddo1 said her mother1 and1 if you are not careful1 another more dangerous will come to the help of ,discontent4 ,once let him get a hold on you and you will find he is a constant annoyance1 and it will need all the strength you have to shake him off4 ,what is his name1 ,mother8 asked ,iddo4 ,his name is ,depression4 ,he comes with tears and groans at first and you are inclined to pity him1 but1 if you harbour him even for a day1 he begins to bind you with invisible chains till you suddenly awake to find yourself in his grip4 ,mother1 has he ever worried you8 ,yes1 indeed1 was her answer1 soon after your father left us for the ,radiant ,city he came and attacked me4 ,and it is because ,i know what he is that ,i warn you my child to fight him at once if he ever tries to get the better of you4 ,cry at once to the ,king when you catch a sight of him and draw out your sword4 ,never for a moment talk with him4 ,what has ,discontent to do with him8 asked ,iddo4 ,he is one of his scouts4 ,he goes about to see how the land lies1 and where he sees a favourable opportunity of ,depression getting an entrance1 he prepares the way for him4 ,in fact1 he is in his pay4 ,did you not notice how ,depression had the poor wounded man in his grip8 ,if ever he sees a man worsted in the fight1 he at once joins company with him4 ,i do not know what other enemy had wounded the man we passed1 but ,i know that ,depression was standing over him with his poisoned arrows1 hoping to kill him4 ,then ,i must have nothing to do with him1 said ,iddo1 and ,i must pray for ,amer instead of dreaming about him so much4 ,i shall grow happy praying for him4 ,and ,amer needed the prayers of his little friend and of her mother1 for his path now led him through a very dangerous part of his journey2 and what made it all the more so for him was the fact1 that for the greater part of the way1 some of the words of the preacher to the crowd1 to whom he had listened1 filled his mind4 ,amer did not know that the enemy ,doubt was walking invisible by his side1 suggesting difficulties in the ,guide ,book1 neither did he know that the decision to talk over some of these difficulties with the people he met was also the work of the enemy4 ,being of a somewhat speculative turn of mind the matters brought forward by the preacher had interested ,amer greatly1 and he did not realize that to throw scorn on one part of the ,guide ,book was to weaken the whole1 and to take away much of its helpfulness as a guide4 ,neither did he know that the ,guide ,book and sword were so connected that to doubt the one was as good as throwing away the other4 ,he forgot the advice of the ,ambassador to cling to his ,guide ,book1 and his warning that to lose it was to lose the battle1 and so to lose his soul4 ,had he followed the same course as ,heman1 instead of listening to the opinions of men like himself and to the whispers of the enemy1 he would have met him in open warfare1 crying to his ,king all the time for help4 ,afterwards1 when he looked back upon this sad part of his journey1 he remembered how little at this time he was really using the ,book as his guide1 or studying it as he did at first4 ,his mind was full of speculative questions1 and while this was the case he did not study the ,book to learn from it truths which would have helped on his spiritual advancement1 and have made him strong in case of attack4 ,his path led him across the land of ,achshaph499 ,it was a land full of danger to the unwary1 but thousands of pilgrims had passed through it unscathed1 because their armour was bright and their sword in their hand4 ,for those who asked for it1 a special guard was sent to take them across2 an invisible guard1 but a guard that never failed to bring them in safety to the other side2 but ,amer1 instead of a guard1 had for his invisible companion the enemy ,doubt1 and so drew near to the land without fear or much thought4 ,and when he was once inside its gates1 he was enchanted with what he saw4 ,green fields besprinkled with flowers of every hue and scent1 trees throwing their grateful shade between the hot traveller and the sun1 fruit hanging from heavily laden bushes1 rivers and fountains refreshing the heated air4 ,the land is rightly named1 he murmured1 it is indeed the land of ,enchantment4 99 ,enchantment ,the first person he met was a man of a very taking personality1 who came towards him with extended hand and bright smile4 ,amer1 forgetting that he was in the enemy's country1 was only too glad to have him for a companion1 specially as he had plenty to say for himself and was able to tell him much about the beauties of ,achshaph and of the manners of its inhabitants4 ,his name was ,self4 ,stay1 he said suddenly1 as the lad was steadily making his way along the path at his feet1 stay1 you look thoroughly tired and weary with your journey4 ,here is a mossy bank1 sit down and rest awhile4 ,amer looked longingly at the cool green bank1 but as he hesitated he fancied he heard a voice singing the following words3-- ,soldier1 rest1 but not for thee ,spreads the world its downy pillow1 ,on the rock thy couch must be ,while around thee chafes the billow3 ,thine must be a watchful sleep ,wearier than another's waking1 ,such a watch as thou dost keep ,brooks no moment of forsaking4 ,sleep as on the battlefield1 ,girded--grasping sword and shield2 ,those thou can'st not name nor number1 ,steal upon thy broken slumber4 ,with a sigh ,amer continued his journey1 saying1 ,i fear to stay in this enchanting place longer than is necessary1 and ,i have no time to sleep4 ,but ,self1 his companion1 was not discouraged4 ,he had heard the sigh and had noticed that the ,guide ,book was being held very loosely in the lad's hand1 and was aware that the enemy ,doubt could not be far off1 for he saw his shadow on the lad's face4 ,self congratulated himself as he noticed this shadow1 knowing full well that the presence of his friend ,doubt made his victory the more sure1 for the one often prepared the way for the other and were known to be friends4 ,at any rate1 said ,self1 refresh yourself with some of the fruit of the land2 you can pluck it as you walk and ,i assure you it will help you in your course rather than hinder1 for you have but to take a mouthful or two and you will feel invigorated4 ,amer turned and looked at his companion4 ,certainly his face was unusually pleasant and good-natured1 surely there could be little harm in following his advice4 ,might not this pleasant fellow be a friend rather than an enemy8 ,so ,amer stretched out his hand and plucked a golden fruit from off the tree he was passing1 and putting it to his lips he was delighted with its taste1 and for the moment it seemed to give him fresh strength4 ,but on lifting his eyes towards the ,radiant ,city he noticed that it was very indistinct4 ,moreover1 though the fruit had seemed to give him a filip for a time1 he had not walked far before he became conscious that his footsteps flagged4 ,was it his fancy that again he heard the voice singing in the distance8 ,watch1 as if on that alone1 ,hung the issue of the day1 ,pray that help may be sent down1 ,watch and pray4 ,but ,self still walked by his side and ,amer found him no dull company4 ,they had much to say to one another and many discussions4 ,sometimes ,amer seemed to get the better of him1 at other times his companion argued so forcibly that the lad saw matters in his light and acted accordingly1 and all the while the ,radiant ,city became more and more indistinct to him2 his armour which hung about him was ill kept and his sword grew rusty4 ,it was after having a long discussion with ,self that ,amer heard a cry as of pain1 and on looking up a glade he saw an elderly man lying prone on the ground1 having caught his foot in a root of a tree4 ,his ankle was so sprained that he could not lift himself up1 and ,amer made a movement as if to go to his aid4 ,but ,self plucked him by the sleeve1 saying1 ,it is almost a pity that you should take the trouble to help him1 he is old enough to take care of himself1 and should have known better than to have tripped4 ,you have your own business to attend to2 besides while you are in ,achshaph ,i want you to see all that is to be seen and to enjoy yourself4 ,listen6 ,do you hear that music8 ,and suddenly ,amer heard the most entrancing music1 as down a green path1 bordered with flowering shrubs1 came a troop of men and maidens playing some kind of wind instrument1 which made music such as the lad had never heard before4 ,sit down and listen1 suggested ,self1 and ,amer1 fascinated and enthralled1 obeyed1 oblivious of the fact that he had wandered out of the beaten track1 which had he followed would have led him to the spot where the fallen man lay1 and unconscious that the ,radiant ,city was now out of sight4 ,resting there under the green trees1 soothed and enervated by the entrancing music1 ,amer almost forgot the journey to the ,radiant ,city1 the fight1 the dangers of the way1 and could think of little save the flowers1 the fruit1 the music and the beautiful inhabitants of the ,land of ,enchantment4 ,and all the time that ,self clamoured to be heard1 filling his outward senses with dreams of delight1 grim ,doubt stalked invisible by his side1 flinging every now and then darts into his mind4 ,amer had taken off his helmet and shield1 so that the darts1 which we small1 found easy access1 and pierced him though he was scarcely conscious of them2 every now and then one sharper than the others would make him start and tremble1 but so enamoured was he with his surroundings that instead of rousing himself to don his armour afresh1 he would turn the more readily to ,self to devise some means by which to make him forget the pain they caused4 ,he was rudely awakened by a rasping voice that he recognised at once as that belonging to ,chisleu4 ,what now6 ,what now6 he exclaimed1 resting among the roses8 ,why1 friend1 you scarcely look like a pilgrim to the ,radiant ,city4 ,get up with you lad1 this is not your home4 ,it is no business of yours what ,i do1 said ,amer at the suggestion of ,temper1 who had been watching the lad from a distance1 and had been biding his time1 and now exulted in his opportunity of worrying his former companion2 if ,i care to rest on my journey in the land of ,achshaph1 what is that to you8 ,what is it to me1 ,sir8 repeated ,chisleu1 why it is a great deal to me4 ,we are brothers1 and ,i can't see my brother a prey to the enemy without doing my best to help him4 ,you are young1 and do not know the dangers of the land through which we are passing4 ,i am well pleased with it for a time1 said ,amer1 and ,i beg you will leave me alone4 ,that ,i certainly will not do1 said ,chisleu with some heat1 leave a brother in the hands of the enemy6 ,that is not my way4 ,what's wrong with the land8 ,what's wrong8 ,why1 it is a death trap4 ,i was warned before ,i entered it of its dangers4 ,pray1 my lad1 have you eaten any of its fruits8 ,yes1 said ,amer1 and though it was delicious at the time1 it leaves an uncomfortable taste in the mouth4 ,ah6 just so1 just so1 said ,chisleu1 and all the time he was speaking he was perpetually looking down at his feet to make sure that his shoes were still there4 ,i can do no good without my shoes1 he murmured4 ,but1 said ,amer1 ,i cannot think what my affairs have to do with you4 ,and1 besides1 we are not all made alike1 what might do you harm need not necessarily hurt me4 ,every man must judge for himself4 ,every man must go by the ,guide ,book1 answered ,chisleu hastily1 we are there told that we are not to lean to our own understanding4 ,and also1 young man1 he added1 we are told ',let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4' ,you are on dangerous ground my friend4 ,amer looked up at the man who was giving him such good advice4 ,his face was red and agitated1 but the lad could not but be conscious that a real concern for his welfare was the cause of his excitement4 ,however1 ,amer was in no mood to listen to him1 and the man's excitability and somewhat dictatorial manner irritated him2 had ,chisleu been calmer and less emotional he would have had far greater influence over the one he longed to help4 ,i thank you1 ,sir1 for your interest in me1 said ,amer coldly1 but ,i really feel that it is my own concern1 and he rose from the ground intending to walk away1 but to his vexation he found his foot was entangled1 and he could not stir4 ,seeing that ,chisleu had not perceived his difficulty1 he hid the fact from him1 and the man baffled in his efforts1 and sorely tried at the thought of leaving this lad in such danger1 walked slowly away1 his kind heart full of pity4 ,ah6 he sighed to himself1 how little good ,i am6 ,if it had been ,heman1 the boy would have listened4 ,there ,i am again1 telling others of their faults and failures1 and all the time ,i am full of them myself4 ,i am thankful1 however1 that it was not my shoes this time1 and that ,temper was disappointed1 but ,i am sadly wanting in wisdom4 ,poor lad6 ,poor lad6 ,but1 after all1 the ,king knows1 and will send some one more worthy than ,i to his aid4 ,directly ,chisleu's back was turned ,amer began to try to disentangle his foot from the long grass that seemed to have caught it1 but looking closer he discovered that a very thin gold chain had wound itself around his ankle2 so thin was it that ,amer never doubted for a moment that he could break it4 ,but it resisted all his efforts4 ,there it was2 a tiny line of gold glittering in the sunshine among the thick grasses4 ,provoked that such a small thing should prevent him stirring1 ,amer looked around him in the hope of finding someone to help him4 ,but no one was in sight4 ,self1 laughing at his discomfiture1 was not far off1 but did not go to his aid4 ,amer began to wish then that he had taken the good advice of ,chisleu1 who would certainly have done all in his power to release him4 ,the lad's sword was lying hidden in the long grass by his side1 but he forgot it1 and tugged and tugged away at the chain in the hope of breaking it4 ,at last1 being very hot and tired from his efforts1 he lay down again to wait the appearance of some one who might help him1 and suddenly bethought him of his ,guide ,book4 ,when he took it out of his pocket he found that since last reading it several pages had gone4 ,he remembered they had become loose while listening to the preacher to the crowd on the heath1 and probably had dropped out during his journey4 ,this distressed him not a little1 and the words that met his eyes on opening the book added to his distress1 as they seemed to corroborate all that ,chisleu had been saying4 ,they were these3 ',there is a way which seemeth right unto a man1 but the end thereof are the ways of death4 ,even in laughter the heart is sorrowful2 and the end of that mirth is heaviness4' ',the simple believeth every word3 but the prudent man looketh well to his going4' ,as poor ,amer bent over his ,guide ,book1 feeling very sad at heart and beginning to repent of his folly and sin in not obeying the commands of his ,king1 to 'turn not to the right hand nor to the left1' ,doubt was creeping about in the long grass behind him4 ,feeling a presence near him1 ,amer turned round sharply1 and at last saw the enemy who had been for a time invisible4 ,studying your ,guide ,book1 said ,doubt1 why1 ,i thought you had nearly given that up4 ,don't you remember the preacher1 who told you that much that you imagined to be truth is after all only fable8 ,how do you know that the ,radiant ,city to which the ,guide ,book professes to lead you is not fable too8 ,begone1 cried ,amer1 you have done enough mischief already to me4 ,begone1 ,i say4 ,but why this sudden change of front on your part8 ,i thought you were enjoying yourself in this place partly because you were not quite so sure of the truth of your ,guide ,book4 ,you felt that if the ,guide ,book was not true you need not walk quite so carefully along the road1 and might at least rest and enjoy yourself on the way till you had made up your mind upon the question4 ,begone1 cried ,amer in distress1 ,i will have none of you4 ,if you come any nearer you shall taste of my sword4 ,your sword6 laughed the enemy1 ,it has grown rusty by this time1 you would scarcely remember how to wield it4 ,come1 now1 let me sit down by your side and talk over this matter4 ,but by this time ,amer1 now thoroughly convinced of his folly in having anything whatever to do with the ,king's enemies1 wrenched his sword from its scabbard1 and rusty though it was1 wielded it to such good effect that for the time ,doubt fled4 ,but with the victory over ,doubt1 came a terrible sense of sin and fear4 ,if the ,guide ,book was the ,word of the ,great ,king1 if every word of it was true1 if the ,king knew each act of his servants and even their thoughts1 which the ,guide ,book affirmed1 in what a terrible position was ,amer6 ,ever since he had lingered to listen to the preacher giving out his views as to the supposed unauthenticity of the ,guide ,book1 he had been growing more and more careless2 for instead of taking his difficulties straight to the ,king1 he had talked them over rashly with all he met4 ,his ,guide ,book had lain long unread in his pocket1 for the speculations into which he dived did not help him to read it in order to get at the truth1 but simply made him eager to hear all men's ideas on the subject1 which ideas he imbibed almost unconsciously4 ,this had resulted in carelessness of walk1 and in his present state4 ,it had been carelessness that had made him delay in this beautiful land1 and enjoy its delights1 because all the while he had had at the back of his mind the thought that possibly the ,radiant ,city might1 after all1 be a dream4 ,but now that he had put ,doubt to flight1 and realized his position1 he felt in despair4 ,was the ,king so merciful that ,he would have compassion on such an erring traveller as himself8 ,how he envied ,chisleu1 who notwithstanding his rashness1 the mistakes he made1 and his trying disposition1 was evidently conscious of the love of the ,king1 and so openly devoted to ,him4 ,it was just because he belonged to the ,king that he cares for me1 and he called me his brother1 said ,amer to himself4 ,amer dared not call to the ,king4 ,he felt too far off4 ,he could only beat upon his breast and cry1 ,lord1 be merciful to me a sinner4 ,he felt helpless4 ,his foot was beginning to swell1 as in his struggle with the chain1 instead of loosening it he had only dragged it tighter4 ,then he began to cry out loudly1 ,have mercy upon me ,o ,lord1 have mercy upon me4 ,suddenly1 in the midst of his anguish1 he looked up and saw a familiar figure advancing towards him4 ,it was that of ,heman4 ,amer noticed that his eyes were upraised1 and that their expression was one of intense earnestness4 ,he was looking neither to the right nor to the left1 for being conscious of the dangers of the place he was obeying the ,king's command to the letter2 ,let thine eyes look right on1 and let thine eyelids look straight before thee4 ,on his brow the radiance from the ,city of the ,king was resting4 ,amer had not seen anything to remind him of the ,radiant ,city ever since he had parted with ,belthiah and ,iddo1 and he now hailed the reminder with a strange feeling of home sickness4 ,heman1 he cried1 ,heman4 ,at the words ,heman1 who had1 because of a fear of the fascination of the ,land of ,enchantment1 been holding very close converse with his ,king1 looked round as if awakened from a dream1 and saw at his feet the lad whom he had met more than once in the way before4 ,help1 cried ,amer1 all his pride gone1 help1 friend4 ,i am in an agony of fear lest my ,king will not have mercy on me4 ,and see ,i am still so entangled in this ,land of ,enchantment--,land of ,death ,i should call it--that ,i cannot move a step from it4 ,then1 looking towards the ,radiant ,city and taking hold of the chain with his hand1 ,heman wrenched it apart and set the lad free4 ,come1 my lad1 he said1 come1 and he began to move away at once4 ,we must not delay a moment in this ,land4 ,it infects those who linger within it with a sleeping sickness that once given way to is almost impossible to combat4 ,come lad with me and 'let thine eyes look right on and let thine eyelids look straight before thee4' ,do you not see how the long grass is waving8 ,enemies are hiding within it ready to hurl their poisoned darts at you4 ,you are lost if you hesitate4 ,hold communion with the ,king as you pass them and they dare not touch you4 ,ah6 ,but have ,i a ,king now8 sighed ,amer4 ,has ,he not said1 ',him that cometh to ,me ,i will in nowise cast out4' ,can we doubt ,his mercy8 ,he who died for us4 ,since you have released me from the chain ,i begin to think that you may have been the answer to my cry4 ,i cried unto the ,lord to have mercy upon me4 ,and ,he has heard your cry1 said ,heman4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,straying ,,from ,,the ,,path4 ,belthiah and ,iddo passed the outskirts of the ,land of ,achshaph on their journey4 ,iddo looked curiously into the green glades of the land1 and what she saw there fascinated her4 ,mother1 she cried1 look at the flowers in those lanes1 they are lovely4 ,i have never seen such large ones2 surely ,i may pluck some of them4 ,you could not pick them without going out of your path1 my child1 said her mother1 see1 your path only skirts the land4 ,it is not the way the ,king has appointed you to tread4 ,iddo still looked longingly at the flowers4 ,it would only be a very little way out of the path1 she murmured1 and it seems such a pity to pass them by4 ,her mother was silent as she walked steadily forward1 but ,iddo lagged behind4 ,only a yard or two from her path were flowers such as she had never seen or dreamt of4 ,their blossoms were sprinkled in rich profusion over the grass2 blossoms of deep purple and red1 while in the distance she caught sight of others of bright blue1 which attracted her still more4 ,iddo hesitated a moment4 ,there would be time to run and pick a few before her mother had turned the next corner4 ,the temptation was strong1 and suddenly the girl gave way to it4 ,leaving her path she ran into the green glade1 and stooping down picked as many flowers as her hands could hold4 ,then sitting down in the grass she began to decorate herself with them1 placing some in her waistband1 and other blossoms in her hair4 ,how pretty1 sighed a voice by her side4 ,iddo looked round quickly1 and saw a dainty little lady standing beside her1 dressed in very fine clothing4 ,the girl was startled1 and suddenly remembered that she had wandered away from her right path2 but the little creature in front of her did not look alarming1 so though ,iddo rose from the ground she lingered by her side4 ,besides1 the compliment that had been paid to her was not lost upon the girl4 ,these flowers are lovely1 she murmured4 ,but never so lovely as when they deck a pretty maiden1 answered her companion1 it is a pity that the people of ,achshaph cannot see you1 she added4 ,are there many people in this land8 asked ,iddo4 ,yes1 very many1 and they are happy from morning to night4 ,but would you like to see yourself8 ,if you come a few steps with me ,i will show you a lovely picture4 ,oh6 ,i dare not1 said ,iddo1 sorely longing all the time to go with her gay little companion1 ,i am afraid of losing my way4 ,losing your way8 ,where are you going to8 ,i am on my way to the ,radiant ,city1 said ,iddo1 and ,i have no time to lose4 ,you need not lose many minutes if you would like to see how you look4 ,those blue flowers suit your hair exactly2 come just a few yards further2 and ,iddo gave way to the temptation1 and followed her guide till she came to the brink of a pool1 where she was told to kneel down and take a long look4 ,what she saw fascinated her4 ,it was a lovely face that was reflected in the pool1 so lovely that the child at once busied herself with a fresh arrangement of the flowers in her hair4 ,what a pity there is no one else to see you1 said her companion4 ,iddo stood up flushed and pleased4 ,would they like to see me1 do you think8 she asked4 ,to be sure they would1 but they would be afraid of you if you show your armour so plainly4 ,why do you wear it8 ,i wear it because ,i am on the way to the ,radiant ,city1 and there are many enemies to fight4 ,are there any here8 ,no1 they are all friends here4 ,they would laugh at such a thing4 ,you must certainly hide your sword if you want to get to know any of them4 ,i don't like to take it off1 said ,iddo1 looking down wistfully1 but really there does not seem much point in having it here2 the place seems so peaceful1 and if all the people are as bright and nice as you are1 there can surely be no need of it4 ,i think ,i can1 however1 hide it in the skirt of my dress4 ,but1 then1 there is your helmet1 said her companion1 you would look very queer here in a helmet1 and in the rest of your armour4 ,i have seen some of the pilgrims passing through ,achshaph wearing full armour1 she added1 laughing1 and they looked quite ridiculous4 ,in fact1 the people of ,achshaph were so amused at them that1 ,i assure you1 they did not have at all a happy time of it4 ,they looked neither to the right nor to the left1 even when the most lovely music was played on purpose to attract them4 ,they would not pluck a single apple from the trees4 ,is there beautiful music8 asked ,iddo1 her eyes brightening4 ,yes1 indeed1 music and dancing and playing of all sorts4 ,and as you are so very pretty1 my dear1 you will get the best of everything1 only you know you really must not show all that armour4 ,i'll tuck my sword under my dress1 said ,iddo1 now quite bent on seeing more of ,achshaph1 and ,i'll hide my helmet and the rest of my armour in this long grass4 ,there will be no difficulty in finding them again1 will there8 ,no difficulty whatever1 said ,madam ,vanity1 for that was her name1 and it is the only way if you want to enjoy ,achshaph4 ,they must never guess that you are a pilgrim to the ,radiant ,city4 ,iddo looked grave for a moment1 and then stood listening4 ,did you hear that8 she asked4 ,hear what1 my dear8 ,i only heard the breeze in the trees4 ,i thought ,i heard my mother's voice1 said ,iddo1 with a little gasp1 then she added1 ,i don't think ,i ought to come1 and ,i am sure that mother would not like me to be afraid of letting people know that ,i am a pilgrim4 ,you will be with her again very soon1 and it is only just for an hour that you will play at being something else1 and all the while ,madam ,vanity was speaking1 she was making a lovely wreath for the girl's hair1 and at her last words she fastened it among her tresses1 and bade her look at herself once more4 ,you'll be a thorough success in ,achshaph1 she said gaily1 come1 put away those scruples and enjoy yourself1 and after helping ,iddo to hide away her armour in the grass1 and to arrange her sword within the folds of her skirt so that it did not show1 she took her hand and led the way4 ,and for the next few hours ,iddo almost forgot that she was a pilgrim4 ,this is my cousin1 said ,madam ,vanity1 and as she spoke another small person came towards ,iddo with a smile4 ,her name was ,love of ,admiration1 and she1 like ,madam ,vanity1 looked so small and unformidable1 that it never struck ,iddo that they were enemies that had prevented many a one from starting on the journey to the ,radiant ,city1 and had hindered and worried real ,pilgrims with their suggestions and temptations4 ,love of ,admiration took her into a lovely glade where there were a number of youths and girls playing games1 and no sooner were they aware of ,iddo than they came round her exclaiming at her beauty1 and begging her to play with them4 ,iddo1 flushed and excited1 was only too pleased to join them1 and she was made so much of and admired so greatly that she was perfectly happy1 and was quite unconscious of the flight of the hours4 ,her companions vied with one another in getting her beautiful fruit to eat1 in presenting her with the rarest flowers1 and in choosing her for their partner in the games4 ,there was one girl called ,aimee1 to whom ,iddo took a special fancy1 she was older than herself1 and had a more thoughtful face than her companions4 ,thinking that ,iddo might be shy among so many strangers1 she took great notice of her1 and ,iddo rewarded her kindness by a wholehearted devotion4 ,how swiftly the hours flew by the girl did not know2 it seemed to her like a happy dream2 and conscious of her popularity and of the admiration she attracted1 she began to think herself of some importance1 and contrasted herself very favourably with the other girls with whom she came into contact4 ,the expression of her face was gradually altering1 for ,madam ,vanity and her cousin were often at her side holding conversation with her4 ,during a lull in the games1 ,iddo found courage to tell her special friend that she was a pilgrim to the ,radiant ,city4 ,she was not prepared for the effect of her words4 ,a look of disdain crossed her companion's face4 ,i was told that you were1 she answered1 but ,i would not believe it4 ,you are quite unlike every other pilgrim ,i have met4 ,how am ,i unlike them8 asked ,iddo1 feeling rather uncomfortable4 ,the other pilgrims have worn their armour all the time they have passed through our land4 ,but you don't seem to have any4 ,oh yes ,i have1 exclaimed ,iddo1 look1 here is my sword4 ,you have managed to hide it well1 said her companion4 ,the friend who brought me to you told me it would never do to meet you all1 dressed in my armour1 said ,iddo4 ,you were afraid of being laughed at ,i suppose8 ,the tone of voice1 full of scorn as it was1 brought the colour into ,iddo's face4 ,i always meant to show it before ,i left you1 she murmured4 ,aimee looked at ,iddo with an expression that the girl did not quite understand4 ,what are you thinking of8 she asked4 ,i was thinking how much more ,i respected the pilgrims who are not ashamed of their ,king and their ,country1 said ,aimee4 ,oh6 said ,iddo1 ,i am afraid you despise me1 ,i could not bear to think that4 ,well1 my dear1 don't think of it6 ,see1 the game is beginning again4 ,notwithstanding your lack of courage1 there is something about you that ,i like2 come1 they are looking for you4 ,and in the pleasure of joining in the game1 ,iddo forgot for a time the disagreeable sensation that the look of scorn she had caught on ,aimee's face1 had produced in her4 ,it was sometime after this that the game suddenly stopped at the approach of a girl as pretty as ,iddo1 and with much more to say for herself1 and ,iddo's admirers1 with a hasty apology1 left her one by one and centred round the new corner4 ,iddo turned red with disappointment1 and sat down on the grass to watch4 ,it is very unfair1 whispered a voice by her side1 you are far prettier than this new girl4 ,iddo1 startled1 looked around her1 and saw a man leaning against a tree1 watching the group around the new corner with fire smouldering in his eyes4 ,he was an ugly man1 and at first she so disliked the look of him that she paid no attention to his words1 nevertheless her disappointment at being deserted changed at his remark to vexation4 ,every one admired and spoilt you till that girl came1 the man continued1 they are very fickle4 ,iddo felt this stranger was so much in sympathy with her that she looked at him again1 and her face caught something of the gloomy expression that his wore4 ,what shall ,i do8 she asked1 it is horrid sitting here all by myself1 when that girl is being so courted4 ,please give me your advice4 ,wait and see1 said the man1 whose name was ,jealousy1 and as he spoke the crowd came dancing and laughing in her direction4 ,one or two seeing her sitting alone made their way towards her4 ,pretend not to notice them1 whispered ,jealousy at her shoulder4 ,so ,iddo turned away her face as they approached4 ,they did not1 however1 at first notice her behaviour4 ,have you seen that pretty girl who has just joined us8 they asked4 ,i don't think she is pretty1 said ,iddo1 at the suggestion of the enemy4 ,she is quite lovely1 they returned1 and her voice is like a bird's4 ,you should hear her sing4 ,it is the sweetest voice we have heard for a long time4 ,her voice has no strength in it1 answered ,iddo4 ,well1 it may not be strong1 but it is as sweet as a bird's4 ,i don't think so1 argued the girl testily1 ,i heard distinctly two or three flat notes1 she can't have a correct ear4 ,well you are hard to please1 they said1 as they turned away2 while others1 seeing that ,jealousy was at ,iddo's elbow1 stayed1 determined to have a little fun4 ,she is going to dance1 said one1 look at her gracefulness4 ,it seems to me that whatever she attempts she does well4 ,we have never had such an addition to our company1 said another1 every one pales beside her4 ,look at the lovely flush on her cheeks1 said a third1 surely1 he added1 turning to ,iddo1 who was sitting1 miserable and angry1 on the grass by the side of ,jealousy1 surely you must admire her8 ,no1 ,i don't1 said ,iddo1 sullenly4 ,how disagreeable you are1 they exclaimed1 laughing1 we thought you were a very different kind of girl1 and as they moved away ,iddo heard one of them remark3 ,how that girl has disimproved4 ,she has such a sour expression on her face1 which quite spoils her beauty1 and she evidently cannot bear anyone being admired but herself4 ,did you hear that8 asked ,jealousy4 ,i think the way they are treating you is quite disgraceful4 ,had ,belthiah seen her little daughter at that moment she would scarcely have recognized her4 ,her brow was puckered with vexation1 and her eyes wore a remarkable likeness in their expression to that of the enemy by her side--they were moody and sullen4 ,i think ,i shall go away1 she murmured4 ,no1 don't go away1 answered ,jealousy1 show them that you don't care4 ,be cold and distant to them1 it will teach them how to behave4 ,so1 when some of her playmates came near her1 ,iddo looked at them so coldly and disagreeably that they turned back with a shrug of their shoulders1 and warned their friends to have nothing to do with her1 for she was quite impossible4 ,so poor ,iddo was left severely alone1 and began to repent that she had not listened to her mother's advice4 ,the lovely flowers which had attracted her were all beginning to fade1 and she made a sorry picture with her gloomy expression of face1 and the faded flowers in her hair and on her dress4 ,then she rose1 and began to try and find ,aimee4 ,aimee surely would not desert her like the rest of the people1 for she was her chosen friend4 ,where could she be8 ,iddo had been so full of chagrin at the behaviour of the others that she had not noticed that her friend had disappeared1 and now looked about her anxiously4 ,suddenly she caught sight of her in deep conversation with one whom ,iddo recognized at once as being a pilgrim to the ,radiant ,city4 ,she was walking fully armed1 and ,iddo noticed that behind her trotted ,madam ,vanity1 but that the pilgrim would have nothing to say to her4 ,other enemies were also doing what they could to annoy her1 but she perpetually pulled out her sword and they fled4 ,aimee was walking by her side1 looking up at her with admiration1 and as ,iddo neared them she heard her say3 ,why are not all pilgrims to the ,radiant ,city like you8 ,i have just been with one who was so ashamed of being a pilgrim and a soldier1 that she hid her sword within the folds of her dress4 ,iddo noticed that at ,aimee's words1 ,love of ,admiration1 who had been trotting by the side of ,madam ,vanity1 peered up into the pilgrim's face trying to attract her attention1 but her efforts were in vain1 for the girl turned her face away as she spoke in a low voice to her companion1 so low that she could not catch her words4 ,but ,aimee's remark had caused a flush of shame to rise on ,iddo's cheeks1 and though she dreaded to hear any more1 and felt that she had no business to listen1 she gave way to the temptation1 and drawing nearer heard her friend say softly1 ,you almost persuade me to be a pilgrim to the ,radiant ,city4 ,at that ,iddo turned away4 ,she could bear it no longer4 ,if only she had been braver and had confessed her ,king1 what might not have happened6 ,she forgot at the moment that she had not entered ,achshaph at the command of the ,king1 and that while not travelling on the right path1 it was not likely that she could do the ,king's work4 ,she forgot this1 and was filled with remorse at the thought that another had succeeded where she had failed4 ,so depressed was she that she longed to get out of the ,land of ,enchantment as soon as she could1 and began looking about for her armour4 ,but she was not allowed to be alone4 ,jealousy had followed her and now came forward4 ,even your friend1 he whispered1 has forsaken you4 ,iddo felt vexed with his remark4 ,i want to get out of this land1 she said quickly1 and shall find my way better if left to myself4 ,it is extraordinary that ,aimee has forgotten you so soon after all her profession of friendship1 whispered her companion4 ,iddo did not answer1 but her eyes grew angry at the thought of the girl's desertion4 ,i don't suppose1 added ,jealousy1 if you meet her again that she will care at all for you1 as she is evidently quite taken up with her new friend4 ,oh can't you leave me alone1 ,i'm miserable enough without your talk1 cried ,iddo1 who had forgotten by this time that she had a remedy close at hand in her sword4 ,of course1 continued her companion1 you have not a chance4 ,you will never be her friend again4 ,and at those words the girl flung herself on the ground and sobbed4 ,jealousy1 because he had not been worsted at once1 but had been listened to and talked to1 had won his point1 and had worked ,iddo's feelings up to such a pitch of anger that she almost felt that she hated ,aimee4 ,how long she sat sobbing and rocking herself to and fro on the ground1 her heart filled with the thoughts that ,jealousy had planted there1 she did not know1 but at last feeling exhausted and a little frightened lest she should not find her way out of ,achshaph1 she rose and took to looking for her armour in earnest4 ,it was only then that she discovered to her great distress that the flowers that now hung about her were dead1 and had stained her dress with their colours4 ,she took them angrily out of her hair and waistband and threw them away2 but though the flowers were gone the stains still remained1 and she wondered ruefully what her mother would say when she saw her4 ,and from her mother her thoughts flew to her ,king4 ,how she must have grieved ,him1 how disappointed ,he must be in her6 ,suddenly she fell on her knees and clasped her hands1 crying for forgiveness and help4 ,and no sooner did she cry than a bright angel came to her aid1 and taking her by the hand lifted her up and led her to a fountain that was close beside her1 and in which she washed her dress of its stains4 ,then silently the angel showed her where she could again find her armour1 and clad her with it1 and so once more ready for her journey to the ,radiant ,city1 ,iddo found herself on the right path and before long was folded in her mother's arms4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,a ,,fierce ,,conflict4 ,after their journey through ,achshaph ,amer and his friend ,heman passed through a time of rest1 peace1 and joy4 ,their path led them beside the green pastures and still waters1 and though both of them had their hand on their sword ready to fight the enemy at a moment's notice1 they were for a time left in peace4 ,many a lesson did ,amer learn from ,heman1 lessons of patience and humility2 though if ,heman had been told what his example was doing for his young friend he would have been surprised indeed4 ,this humility was one of the chief marks of the ,king's servants1 for they knew that every virtue they possessed1 every victory won1 and every thought of holiness1 was due to the ,king's presence--and to ,him alone4 ,the braver the soldier1 the more conquests he had over his foes1 the brighter he kept his breastplate1 the more humble he became1 and the less inclined he was to speak of himself or of his attainments4 ,there were some with whom ,amer came in contact who surprised him with long stories of their prowess1 of the help they had given to strangers on the road1 of the victories they had obtained over ,temper or ,discontent and other enemies2 but he began to notice that when they spoke much about themselves1 he often met them again on the road in a very sad condition1 as they were an easy prey to the many enemies that were always on the watch to take some mean advantage of the pilgrims4 ,besides1 ,amer1 knowing what bragging had done for him1 could not but fear for them4 ,the two friends rested in the green pastures and drank deep of the still waters1 and so their strength1 which had been much tried during the fierce battle of the way1 was renewed1 their shields and breastplates shone brightly1 their shoes were easy to their feet1 and their helmets covered their heads from the heat of the sun4 ,but the soldiers of the ,king never have much time to rest1 and ,amer began to notice that every now and then ,heman's hand went to his sword suddenly1 as if he felt an enemy near him4 ,the lad would have liked to have asked him what enemy was annoying him1 but his companion was a silent man1 and never cared to talk of himself2 indeed ,amer had noticed that when the conversation came round to something connected with his friend's own personal history1 he visibly shrank4 ,the lad was also aware that he knew very little of the inner history of his friend1 and that many an enemy met ,heman of which he 7,amer7 was unconscious1 so that occasionally he was startled by an exclamation at his side4 ,once when he had imagined from the radiance on his friend's face that he was having a time of peace1 the lad was surprised at noticing a sudden change of expression crossing it1 as ,heman said sternly1 speaking to some invisible foe1 ',rejoice not against me1 ,o mine enemy3 when ,i fall1 ,i shall arise2 when ,i sit in darkness1 the ,lord shall be a light unto me1' and at the same time his sword was plucked out of its scabbard and held up in a threatening attitude4 ,after these encounters with his foes ,heman's shield blazed with light1 and a brightness from the ,radiant ,city played across his face4 ,amer himself had an easier time of it1 and he supposed that the probable cause was1 that being somewhat weak and unstable1 the ,king had surrounded him with his hosts to protect him from the enemy that was surely on the watch4 ,it was just as they left the green pastures and still waters1 that ,heman and ,amer caught sight of a sad looking little figure a few yards in front of them4 ,it was that of ,iddo4 ,she was walking in a dejected attitude1 and apparently unaware that just above her was an angel with a drawn sword1 warding off an enemy who was doing his best to get her into his clutches4 ,iddo1 said ,amer1 where is your mother8 ,the child was too sad even to show pleasure at the sight of her old friend4 ,mother is in the ,valley of ,pain1 she answered1 and the valley sometimes leads to the dark river1 and ,i am afraid4 ,fear not little sister1 said ,amer1 wherever your mother is she is not out of the keeping of the ,great ,king4 ,neither are you4 ,do you know that an angel is guarding you while your mother is away4 ,do not you feel his wings8 ,ah6 said ,iddo1 ,i do not deserve the guardianship of the good angel4 ,i wandered out of my path into the ,land of ,achshaph1 and nearly forgot my ,king there1 and it was only a short time after ,i left it that mother had to go into the ,valley of ,pain2 and ,i cannot bear to think that ,i made some of her days unhappy while ,i was wandering away4 ,i am so miserable that ,i feel to have no strength to fight my enemies4 ,what enemies1 have been worrying you8 asked ,amer4 ,a little family clad all in grey1 called the ,morbids1 have been dodging my path and have done all they could to impede me2 and no sooner had they left than ,i found that one who is near of kin to them was following me1 a much worse enemy1 called ,depression4 ,i know the fellow1 said ,heman4 ,i could only get rid of him by crying perpetually to the ,king for help4 ,and then no sooner had he left me than a worse enemy still beset me4 ,what was his name8 inquired ,amer4 ,iddo shivered4 ,oh6 ,i dare scarcely think of him1 she said1 he had a terrible face1 and the first moment ,i saw him ,i felt sure he would overcome me4 ,his name was ,doubt1 and he began by asking me if ,i thought the ,king could possibly love me as ,he had sent mother into the ,valley of ,pain4 ,and what did you say8 ,i did not answer at first1 but began to wonder if the ,king had forgotten me4 ,and then we had a talk and all that the enemy said frightened me so that ,i lost courage1 and when he hit me ,i fell to the ground and did not try to hit him back4 ,but did you not cry to the ,king for help8 ,no1 ,i forgot to do that4 ,but that kind old man ,chisleu passed by my way and cried to ,him for me4 ,i cannot think how ,i could ever have disliked ,chisleu or talked evil of him4 ,he could not have been kinder if he had been my father1 and if you say there is an angel walking beside me ,i owe that ,i expect to his cries4 ,and ,i owe much to you too1 dear ,amer1 she added looking up at him with a brighter face1 for already ,i feel happier4 ,but ,i do not deserve to have you or to have the angel4 ,little sister1 said ,amer1 where is your ,guide ,book8 ,iddo fumbled in her pocket and at last drew it out4 ,it did not look as if it had been much used4 ,mother has always used hers1 she said1 somewhat shame faced1 and ,i have never looked much at my own4 ,dear child1 said ,heman1 who had been listening in silence to the conversation1 perhaps your mother has been taken from you for awhile to help you to read the ,guide ,book4 ,it is never safe for a pilgrim1 though she may have the best parent possible1 to depend upon her mother's study of the ,guide ,book instead of her own4 ,you did not know that in the ,book it is written3-- ',when my father and my mother forsake me1 then the ,lord will take me up4' ,you need not have feared1 or have doubted for a moment the love of the ,king for you4 ,and as for forgetting you1 why1 a sparrow does not fall to the ground without ,him knowing it4 ,then will the ,king never forget me8 asked ,iddo1 comforted4 ,your mother would forget you sooner than the ,king1 my child4 ,and before long the mother and child had met again4 ,belthiah said little about her experiences to her friends1 but that she had passed through deep waters could not be doubted from her whole bearing1 and that in the ,valley of ,pain she had had communion with her ,king1 was also evident1 from the radiance that lighted up her face when ,his name was mentioned in her hearing4 ,little ,iddo1 she said softly1 you need fear nothing if you have the presence of the ,king with you4 ,i have found my ,guide ,book true4 ,what does the ,guide ,book say about the ,valley of ,pain1 mother8 ',when thou passest through the waters1 ,i will be with thee2 and through the rivers1 they shall not overflow thee3 when thou walkest through the fire1 thou shalt not be burned2 neither shall the flame kindle upon thee4' ',yea1 though ,i walk through the ,valley of the shadow of ,death1 ,i will fear no evil1 for ,thou art with me2 ,thy rod and ,thy staff they comfort me4' ,but1 said ,iddo1 we do not think we shall have to go through that dark valley1 mother1 we hope that the ,king will come for us instead of our going to ,him4 ,i hope so1 ,iddo1 and if ,i do not live to see that day ,i trust that my child will4 ,when ,amer's path diverged again he found himself toiling up a steep piece of hill1 somewhat weary4 ,he had however gathered strength from the rest in the green pastures1 and steadily made his way among the rocks and stones1 walking carefully4 ,at the steepest point he saw a vision that dazzled him and made him think he was dreaming4 ,just in front of him was ,gabrielle1 dressed in white1 and looking as she had looked on that evening so long ago in the ,dark ,city4 ,when however she turned towards him he saw that she was changed4 ,she looked older1 but her charm for him was as great as ever and he sprang to her side4 ,gabrielle6 he cried1 how came you here8 ,by a short cut1 she answered lightly1 and not through the ,east ,gate at all4 ,i climbed over the wall of the ,city and have come in the hope of finding you4 ,but are you then on the way to the ,radiant ,city8 ,certainly not1 she cried1 ,i do not look like a pilgrim1 do ,i8 ,amer looked at her4 ,her eyes were full of mocking merriment and her mouth was hard and satirical4 ,he was at once aware that there was no mark of the ,king upon her brow4 ,i want you to come back with me1 she said1 surely you must be tired of your journey by this time1 and we are tired of being without you4 ,i miss you more than ,i thought ,i should4 ,amer standing looking upon her felt his old love for her welling up in his heart4 ,he had tried to put the thought of her away from him for long1 as he found that whenever he indulged in idle dreamings the enemy took advantage of him1 specially a very formidable enemy named ,jealousy1 whom he had met more than once4 ,he had imagined that by this time ,gabrielle had forgotten him1 and he had done all he could to banish her from his thoughts4 ,but now that she stood before him in her beauty1 notwithstanding the new look in her eyes and a certain hardness about the mouth1 he found his love for her was still as strong as ever4 ,come back1 dear ,amer1 she said1 holding out her hands to him1 give up the ,radiant ,city4 ,you ask an impossible thing1 he answered looking at her steadily4 ,the very fact of his determination made her feel that he was all the more worth winning4 ,have you forgotten the day1 she said softly1 when you told me that ,i should be your ,radiant ,city8 ,amer turned pale4 ,i would do anything in the world for you but turn back1 he said gravely4 ,you won't do just the one thing ,i ask1 she said pouting1 and she looked so pretty and so much like the ,gabrielle whom he had loved so devotedly that his heart beat quickly1 and he could scarcely restrain himself4 ,i love you as my own soul1 he said fervently4 ,gabrielle1 aware of the advantage that she was gaining1 smiled4 ,no1 you don't1 she answered lightly1 you love your own soul better than me4 ,at these words ,amer's hand flew to his sword4 ,he suddenly felt that the enemy was using the lips of the one he loved best in all the world to tempt him4 ,could it be the ,devil himself8 ,the words in the ,guide ,book which had perplexed him at first1 but of which he had been gradually learning the meaning1 flashed across his mind3-- ,for we wrestle not against flesh and blood1 but against principalities1 against powers1 against the rulers of the darkness of this world4 ,get thee behind me1 he cried suddenly1 and turning round he expected to come face to face with an enemy he had not before encountered2 but the foe was invisible4 ,ah6 ,i see1 said ,gabrielle1 you are as mad as ever6 ,we should never suit4 ,we are made of different stuff2 then she added in a softer tone of voice1 ,if you turn back with me1 who knows but that one day ,i might set out on the journey with you8 ,for the moment her companion hesitated1 then he said3 ,if ,i were to turn back with you you would not be likely to go forward with me6 ,the only hope is for us to be walking both the same way4 ,it would tire me to death1 she said1 no1 ,i must make up my mind to do what my father is urging all the time and marry ,desmond4 ,i only wanted to make quite sure that nothing would make you change your mind and purpose before ,i gave my answer4 ,good-bye4 ,as ,amer watched the vanishing figure of ,gabrielle1 the great enemy1 who has taken captive many a poor soul1 sprang upon him and pierced him with poisoned darts4 ,but1 looking again and again towards the ,radiant ,city and crying out in his agony and pain to its ,king1 the lad kept his ground4 ,harder and harder grew the fight1 each gripping each with all the strength they possessed1 and neither giving way for a moment4 ,but the ,king was on ,amer's side and there were more with him than against him1 so though the fight lasted so long that he felt as if he was in a terrible nightmare and would never awake1 the enemy1 being resisted resolutely1 began to lose heart and finally withdrew with many a bad wound4 ,and ,amer1 the conqueror1 fell down faint and almost done to death4 ,but tender hands ministered unto him and sleep overtook him1 sleep such as the ,king gives to ,his beloved4 ,he awoke at last with some words of the ,guide ,book ringing in his ears4 ',he will not suffer thy foot to be moved2 ,he that keepeth thee will not slumber4 4 4 4 4 ,the ,lord is thy ,keeper4' ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,passing ,,of ,,heman4 ,the next time that ,amer came across ,heman he was struck by a new expression on his face3 there was a brightness that he had not noticed before4 ,i am drawing near the ,river1 he said in an awed whisper1 but ,i have the support of my ,king4 ,not yet1 ,heman1 surely not yet1 said ,amer sorrowfully4 ,yes1 lad4 ,if ,i am not mistaken the ,river is near1 and the last conflict with the enemy1 he added1 slowly1 and as they turned together the next corner of the road1 there loomed before their eyes a dark valley and at the end of the valley a river4 ,amer's path lay along the side of the river for a time1 but ,heman's ended at the brink4 ,the lad trembled as he walked by his side1 but was astonished to notice a joy on the face of his companion not at all in keeping with his own feelings2 but looking far away beyond the river1 he caught sight of a wonderful shining light from the ,radiant ,city1 and noticed that his companion's eyes were fixed steadily upon it4 ,then suddenly without warning1 what seemed like a dark cloud1 came between ,heman and the ,city4 ,ah1 he groaned1 it is the enemy2 pray for me1 for ,i feel to have no strength for the last conflict4 ,cry to the ,king and cry loud for help3 and then ,amer saw1 as if in a dream1 the cloud form itself into an army of dark figures1 as if the ,devil and his angels were in league to do all in their power to wrest this good soldier from the ,king1 and he remembered the ,ambassador's words1 ,some are fighting up to the very end4 ,as the lad cried aloud to the ,king for his friend1 he noticed that at the edge of the river there appeared a cross which flung its shadow over ,heman1 and to which again and again he turned and clung4 ,and every time he clung to the cross or got within its shadow1 the powers of darkness which were surrounding him drew back as if they had received a wound4 ,at these times ,amer became aware1 that even nearer than the evil spirits1 who were trying to do their utmost to tear the fainting soldier from the cross1 there was a band of bright angels supporting him4 ,at last1 when he swooned1 and would have been drowned in the deep waters1 these bright spirits carried him tenderly in their arms to a spot in the river1 where a radiant figure stood1 with outstretched hands1 and the hands had the marks of having once been pierced with nails3 while across the river came the sound of music1 such as ,amer had never heard nor dreamed of1 and the song of a multitude of voices welcoming the warrior home4 ,then the lad fell on his knees and worshipped4 ,ah1 said a voice by his side1 ,i am too late to see the passing of one of the bravest and best soldiers that ,i have known1 and ,amer turned to see to his comfort1 the figure of the ,ambassador1 whom he had never thought to meet again4 ,sir1 said ,amer1 pale and trembling1 does the great enemy always attack the ,king's soldiers so fiercely at the end8 and he related how harried had been the last moments of ,heman and with what a fierce conflict he had had to engage4 ,nay lad1 he said1 but it does not altogether surprise me4 ,the braver the soldier the harder the fight1 and the enemy made one last effort to do what he has failed to do for so long4 ,but as a rule the passing into the ,radiant ,city is peaceful and bright4 ,i have known soldiers who have sung with joy as they have reached the river1 and who have been surrounded with a wall of fire so that the enemy could not reach them4 ,the ,king knows each one so thoroughly that ,he will never let anyone be tempted above that he is able1 'but will with the temptation also make a way of escape4' ,and think of the reward that good soldier is now getting3 his affliction was 'but for a moment1' and worketh for him1 'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory4' ,i fear the ,river1 said ,amer1 shivering1 for his path still lay through the ,valley of the ,shadow4 ,nay lad1 fear not1 said the ,ambassador4 ,the ,king does not send you help to cross it till the time to cross it comes4 ,has ,he not promised to be with you8 ,and how do you know that you will have to pass through the ,river at all8 ,the ,king may come in the clouds first to take ,his people ,home4 ,if ,i'm not mistaken1 he added1 ,depression is at your side1 take out your sword1 lad4 ,and the ,ambassador was right1 and ,amer found that in wielding his sword1 ,depression departed1 and that when his enemy had departed1 he began to think of the light of the ,city on ,heman's face1 of the song of welcome he had listened to1 and looking up to his ,king1 he said1 ',what time ,i am afraid1 ,i will trust in ,thee4' ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,dark ,,forest4 ',what time ,i am afraid1 ,i will trust4' ,these words were continually in ,amer's mind during the next part of his journey1 for he found his way led him into a gloomy forest1 and looking down its long dark avenues1 for a moment he hesitated4 ,it was indeed so dark that he wondered if it could be the way intended for him to tread2 he wondered still more as on entering it fearfully1 he found he could not see any distance before him1 but looking down at his feet he saw that there was no mistake about it4 ,his path lay before him1 though he could only see one step at a time4 ,he buckled his sword tighter around him and made sure that all his armour was in the right position1 and with a brave heart walked boldly into the still deeper recesses of the forest4 ,for a short time he was comforted by the fact that far1 far away1 he caught a faint glimmer of light which he knew must come from the ,radiant ,city2 but after a time even this faded1 and he felt himself in total darkness4 ,a terrible silence pervaded the place4 ,not even the flutter of a bird among the trees nor the sound of the faintest breeze4 ,it was as if he were in a dead world4 ,the perspiration stood out on his forehead and his hands trembled as he gripped his sword4 ,so appalled was he at the darkness and silence1 that he dared not even call aloud1 on the chance that there might be someone near who could come to his aid4 ,the sense of utter loneliness amazed him4 ,he had experienced nothing like it before4 ,loneliness and darkness appalled him1 fearfulness and trembling came upon him1 and horror overwhelmed him4 ,suddenly1 as faint with forebodings1 he slowly and painfully made his way1 seeing only one step at a time1 some words from his ,guide ,book flashed across his mind like a sunbeam from the ,radiant ,city4 ',who is among you that feareth the ,lord1 that obeyeth the voice of ,his servant1 that walketh in darkness1 and hath no light8 let him trust in the ,name of the ,lord1 and stay upon his ,god4' ',what time ,i am afraid1 ,i will trust1' he cried1 and the very fact of breaking the silence by that cry1 gave him courage and comfort4 ,many a time after this1 during that dark journey1 he called aloud to his ,king1 and when he did so1 he was conscious of a ,presence quite near to him1 of a ,companionship that made his heart burn within him1 and in the consciousness of which he was able to face the horrors of darkness that seemed likely to overwhelm him4 ,but at times even the sense of the ,presence seemed to be hidden from him1 and he had but to find comfort in the fact1 that1 the ,king had promised to be with his servants unto the end1 that though unseen and unfelt1 ,he could not be far off1 so he cried out in the words of the ,guide ,book1 many of which he knew by this time1 by heart1 ',why art thou cast down1 ,o my soul8 and why art thou disquieted in me8 hope thou in ,god3 for ,i shall yet praise ,him1 for ,his ,presence is salvation4' ,at last1 as he neared the end of this part of his journey1 he became aware that a glimmering of light could be seen in the distance1 and that with every step he took it became brighter1 till at last1 through a vista among the trees1 he caught sight again of the ,radiant ,city1 looking brighter and more dazzling than it had ever looked before4 ,at the sight of this he fell on his knees and worshipped his ,king ,who had brought him safely through the darkness4 ,then he rose and looked around him4 ,surely now his path was to lead him on and upwards1 higher and higher2 surely for him the darkness was past and over4 ,he looked about eagerly for his pathway1 and to his amazement found it led into the forest again1 though by another way4 ,alas6 he cried1 my strength will fail me4 ,i dare not encounter the horror of darkness again4 ,so depressed was he that he sat him down under the shadow of a rock1 and hiding his face in his hands he groaned aloud4 ,for a long time he sat there1 and as he rested1 he fell asleep and dreamt4 ,the ,king stood before him2 not as he had often thought of ,him1 radiant in power and might1 with a beauty unspeakable and dazzling in its glory3 but with a crown of thorns on ,his head1 with pierced and bleeding hands and feet1 with a face marred by suffering and sorrow4 ,but1 notwithstanding ,his bleeding feet and hands and ,his pierced brow1 ,his eyes were directed towards a little wandering lamb who had strayed beyond the fold1 and lay bleating on a thin ledge overhanging a precipitous cliff2 and as ,he looked ,he moved towards it1 though the thorns and prickly bushes at ,his feet opened the wounds afresh4 ,although the cliffs were almost impassable and the danger great1 the ,king never hesitated2 leaning over the awful abyss1 ,he reached down till ,he grasped with ,his bleeding hands the little lamb1 and lifting it up1 sheltered it in ,his bosom4 ,then ,amer awoke4 ,had it been a dream or had it been a vision8 ,whatever it was1 it contained a lesson for him which changed his whole view of his journey4 ,he was filled no longer with his own dangers and difficulties1 but recognized that he had been saved to serve1 and that the very reason of many of his experiences through which he had passed1 was not merely to make him more fit for the ,radiant ,city1 but that he might be able to sympathize with other travellers and help them on the way4 ,on learning this he rose4 ,but for him the darkness was lightened by many a glimpse of the ,radiant ,city1 and he found the forest silent no longer4 ,as he made his way along his path he constantly met other travellers1 faint with fear or oppressed by the enemy ,depression1 or ,despair1 and he cheered them so that they had the courage to meet their foes in battle1 and to overcome them4 ,to ,amer's great surprise he met the last person whom he would have expected to meet in such a place4 ,he came upon a man lying prone upon the grass4 ,at his first look at him he thought there was no life in him1 but on coming closer he discovered that it was ,chisleu1 faint and weary4 ,his face had lost its energy1 and he had no words even with which to greet ,amer4 ,he looked at him with sad and dreary eyes1 so unlike his former self1 that the lad almost doubted if it could be he4 ,chisleu1 he exclaimed1 is it you8 ,but ,chisleu did not answer1 he still looked wearily up at ,amer without a word4 ,then1 noticing compassion written large across his friend's face1 he groaned4 ,friend1 said ,amer1 are you in pain8 ,aye1 aye1 answered ,chisleu1 ,i'm in pain of body and mind4 ,i'm in the dark1 friend1 in the dark4 ,and not only in the dark1 said ,amer1 glancing about him1 but in the hands of ,despondency1 ,depression1 and ,despair4 ,what1 what1 cried ,chisleu1 excitedly1 awakened out of his torpor1 and aroused to action1 do you mean to say it is the work of the enemy8 ,surely1 what else could it be8 ,i thought1 said ,chisleu1 the ,king had forgotten me4 ,it is not the ,king who has forgotten you1 but the enemy who has thought of you4 ,the ,king never forgets ,his own4 ,had you been looking around you instead of giving up as if all were lost1 you would have recognized it as the work of the three enemies which ,i now see hidden among the trees4 ,ah6 sighed ,chisleu1 you do not know the terrors of this forest1 ,i am overwhelmed by them4 ,friend1 ,i know even too well1 answered ,amer1 ,i have been in it a long time4 ,it is a place of horror and the darkness of death1 said ,chisleu4 ,and ,i should be in the same state as you at this present moment1 said ,amer1 had it not been for the help of my ,king4 ,and yet1 said ,chisleu1 raising his head to look more earnestly at him1 you look as if you were upheld4 ,have you really experienced such horror as ,i have8 ,such darkness that even now ,i scarcely dare to think of it4 ,but since then ,i have seen a vision of the ,king which has turned my darkness into light4 ,i think ,i can even thank ,him now for the lessons ,he taught me in the darkness4 ,but come6 ,i will help you to rise1 and if the enemies attack you again1 ,i will add my sword to yours4 ,i do not wonder that they met you by the way1 ,chisleu1 and were so determined to overcome you4 ,it was only natural that such a good brave soldier1 who is always on the look-out for those who are in sorrow or need1 should be attacked by the enemy4 ,you have done too much good for him to forget you1 or to leave you alone4 ,as for me1 ,i have only just learnt that ,i am saved to serve4 ,ah1 friend1 you little know me1 sighed ,chisleu1 the mistakes ,i have made6 and the way ,i have judged far better people than myself1 and have tried to set them right according to my own judgment6 ,nay1 ,i felt sunk so low and that ,i was of so little good on the road1 that ,i feared my ,king had forgotten me1 when ,i found myself in such a dark place4 ,but1 he added1 rising1 if you are right1 and this misery comes from the enemy1 and is not that ,i am forgotten in the ,radiant ,city on account of my sins1 ,i will take courage4 ,i understand now1 said ,amer1 why my way led me again into the forest4 ,the ,king was thinking of you1 friend1 and sent me to help one who in the past has helped me4 ,helped you6 exclaimed ,chisleu1 astonished1 nay1 lad1 ,i remember nothing of the kind4 ,i am a good-for-nothing fellow who meddles with every one ,i come across1 thinking to do them good4 ,i am the fool who steps in where angels fear to tread4 ,had it not been for you1 persisted ,amer1 ,i might still be in the ,city of ,achshaph4 ,you were the one who first tried to arouse my conscience and to make me see my danger4 ,but come1 we must not linger4 ,so these two brave soldiers buckled their swords closer and set out side by side1 as long as their path lay together1 to fight the enemy and to help the wounded4 ,and many a one had to thank their ,king for them1 and called them both by the name of ,ahiezer--,brothers of ,assistance4 ,at last the forest came to an end1 and their ways parted4 ,once again in the broad sunshine ,amer breathed in the fresh air with delight and gratitude4 ,his way led through fields full of brightly coloured flowers4 ,the air was laden with their scent1 and vibrated with the song of birds4 ,having so lately emerged from such a dark and dreary passage1 the sunshine1 the sounds1 and the scents1 filled him with delight1 and that which rejoiced him still more was the fact that his path lay up the side of a hill1 and every step he took found him higher1 in fresher air1 with a clearer view of the ,radiant ,city4 ,he had the joy also of meeting his old friends ,belthiah and ,iddo1 who1 after welcoming him1 looked earnestly in his face4 ,amer1 they said1 you have grown into a man since last we saw you4 ,there are marks of victory and strength on your face4 ,you have passed through some great experience4 ,i have been in the dark forest1 he answered gravely1 for even now the remembrance was painful to him1 and ,i found light in the darkness4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,dangerous ,,heights4 ,amer's path did not lay long beside that of his friends4 ,he parted from them at the top of a beautiful green hill1 dotted over with flowers4 ,he had been climbing ever since he had left the dark forest1 but now as he looked up and saw the towering mountains before him1 the green hill dwindled to a valley in his estimation4 ,stern rocks and steep precipices confronted him1 as after waving his farewell to his friends whose path still lay along the gentle slopes1 he eagerly set out alone again on his journey4 ,where his path would lead him he did not know4 ,he only knew he was on the way to his ,king1 and instead of having to walk through the darkness1 he was to scale the heights1 and somewhere1 far1 far above him was the ,radiant ,city4 ,he opened his ,guide ,book to make quite sure of the way1 and though within its pages he found words which strengthened him and encouraged him1 he also found a warning which he pondered over for some time4 ',let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4' ,clasping his ,guide ,book in one hand and his sword in the other1 he continued to mount4 ,the way at first was not difficult4 ,it was a gradual slope by the side of high cliffs1 and occasionally out of the rock there flowed past him a stream of cool water1 with which he quenched his thirst4 ,the scenery was magnificent1 but all the time he felt conscious1 that though the enemies of the road had as yet made no sign of their presence1 they were not likely to be far off1 so that it was not wise to loiter on the way4 ,as he ascended higher the path became steeper1 the scenery more awful in its character1 but the air was exhilarating4 ,frowning precipices confronted him1 masses of rocks piled one on the top of the other rose before his view1 deep gorges and chasms lay beneath him4 ,wherever he looked he was fascinated by its grandeur and awed by its impressiveness4 ,higher and higher his path led him1 till he felt himself to be at so giddy a height that he trembled1 though rejoicing4 ,he remembered when he had first started out on his journey1 mounting a hill and crying out in his exuberance of spirits and pride1 ',i shall never be removed3 ,thou ,lord of ,thy goodness hast made my hill so strong3' and he recollected how the words had scarcely left his mouth1 when the enemy1 ,spiritual ,pride1 in all his grand trappings1 had accosted him and led him to what might have been his ruin4 ,how soon he had had to change his cry and say3-- ',thou didst turn ,thy face from me and ,i was troubled4' ,the remembrance of those days1 together with the warning he had read in his ,guide ,book1 kept him on the watch1 and forbade him thinking of his own strength or ability4 ,and whenever he was tempted to think that he must be a brave soldier to have been led by this path1 he put the thought away from him2 he knew when such thoughts crossed his mind that the enemy was near4 ,at last1 at a giddy height he came to a standstill1 discovering that his path lay across a narrow bridge which spanned a deep1 dark gorge1 so deep and so dark that ,amer could not see the bottom4 ,the bridge was nothing but a natural arch of rock1 about a foot wide1 with no protection on either side4 ,at so giddy a height was it that he nearly fainted at the sight4 ,it seemed to him that it was impossible not to fall1 and to cross it was to court death4 ,moreover as he stood leaning on his sword at the edge of the gorge across which he had to go1 he became aware that the rocks and cliffs were riddled with caves1 and far down below he caught sight of small figures moving in and out of them1 figures which1 as his eyes became accustomed to the dim light1 he saw were clad in darkness and gloom4 ,they were in a state of excitement1 as if preparing for a great event1 for they were running to and fro1 intent on some business4 ,it would be into their care he would be hurled were he to lose his footing4 ,looking still more steadily down1 he became aware of what looked like a regiment of armed soldiers about half-way down the cliff1 and their armour he recognised as that of the soldiers of ,spiritual ,pride1 red and gold4 ,these were not busy as those further down seemed to be1 but were standing perfectly still1 with bows and arrows in their hands1 the arrows being directed towards the narrow bridge across which ,amer's path lay4 ,at the sight his courage failed1 ,i must perish6 ,i must perish6 he cried1 while the veins stood out on his forehead like cords1 so great was his fear and anguish of mind4 ,at these words he suddenly felt his ankles twitched and on looking down he beheld his old enemies1 the ,morbids1 clinging about him4 ,but with a sudden angry blow from his sword they fled4 ,he would have nothing to do with them4 ,he looked around for a way of escape4 ,could he have missed his path8 ,was there not the choice of an easier road8 not perhaps so honourable but less terrifying by which he might avoid the bridge8 ,but no6 ,there was no sign of any other way but that which he felt he could not possibly take4 ,then he bethought him of his ,guide ,book4 ,was there any word therein which might comfort him in this great strait8 ,and there he found that instead of one passage there were many which seemed exactly to fit his need3 they were as follows3-- ',fear thou not2 for ,i am with thee3 be not dismayed2 for ,i am thy ,god3 ,i will strengthen thee2 yea1 ,i will help thee2 yea1 ,i will uphold him with the right hand of my righteousness4' ',i will guide thee with mine eye4' ',looking unto ,jesus4' ',my strength is made perfect in weakness4' ,as he read1 his courage returned to him1 and he prepared for the effort4 ,fully clad in the ,king's armour he set his foot on the bridge1 and to his comfort he noticed that right across it there was flung the shadow of a cross1 and that every step he took placed him more within the shadow which wrapped him round like a wall4 ,he was conscious at the same time of the noise of arrows whizzing fast past him4 ,some indeed were so well aimed as to light on his breastplate and shield1 but glanced off leaving him unhurt4 ,others fell thick around his helmet so that he was almost deafened by their noise1 and had it not been for the fact that he knew he was enwrapped by the shadow of the ,cross1 would so have unnerved him1 that he must have fallen4 ,for there were not only the poisoned arrows of the soldiers belonging to ,spiritual ,pride falling around him on every side1 but there was the dark abyss below him1 in which he knew the allies of ,despondency and ,despair were making ready and preparing for his fall4 ,moreover whenever he thought of them or for a moment looked down1 he tottered4 ,he found his only safety lay in looking towards the ,radiant ,city1 where dwelt his ,king4 ,and whenever he directed his eyes upwards1 he was conscious of a wonderful peace stealing over him1 peace even in the midst of hurling darts1 and the hisses of the arrows striking his armour4 ,so full was ,amer of gratitude and thanksgiving to the ,king for preserving him in his great danger1 and so conscious of ,his ,presence1 that he had not seen a small band of pilgrims awaiting him on the other side of the bridge1 and was taken quite by surprise1 when1 on arriving in safety on firm ground1 his hands were grasped enthusiastically1 and words of welcome were showered upon him4 ,so little had he thought of his own courage or ability in passing unscathed through the darts of the enemy1 and so full had he been of thoughts of his ,king1 that when he heard the exclamations of wonder at his prowess from those who gathered around him1 he began for the first time to think of his own part in the matter4 ,the pilgrims1 who had been led by a less conspicuous path1 and had arrived just in time to see ,amer1 notwithstanding the many darts from the enemies below which were being hurled at him1 calmly walking with his eyes raised towards the ,radiant ,city across the dangerous pass1 fell to praising him and congratulating him1 and among their voices ,amer recognised those of ,belthiah and ,iddo4 ,dear ,amer1 cried ,iddo1 clasping his hand within hers and looking at him with eyes that shone like stars1 we are proud to call you friend4 ,how much you must be thought of by our ,king to have been led by such a path1 so high and so dangerous4 ,i am glad that you are my friend4 ,you are an example to us all1 said another4 ,oh that ,i had more courage and more faith4 ,we shall not forget what we have seen to-day4 ,how was it1 asked a third1 that you walked so straight and did not falter8 ,i know few who could have crossed unscathed as you have done4 ,the height alone is enough to have made any man giddy and lose his head4 ,it was no doing of mine1 said ,amer1 but the praise was sweet to him4 ,he had not seen some half-dozen of the soldiers of ,spiritual ,pride1 having been foiled of their endeavour to bring him to ruin while crossing the bridge1 leave their posts and begin hurriedly to scale the rocks so as to meet him as he landed in safety on the other side2 and he did not know that the thoughts which began to course through his mind at the words of his friends1 were in reality small poisoned darts thrown by these same enemies4 ,meanwhile he stood listening to his new and old friends' congratulations1 with a sense of pleasure3 and so well did his enemies do their work that he gradually began to talk to his friends of his sensations when on the bridge1 and with a comfortable sense of superiority gave helpful advice1 as he thought1 to those around him who might be called upon to endure a similar experience4 ,indeed he began to think of himself as a hero1 and as his path lay for some time in the same direction as that of many of the pilgrims1 he found himself listening with interested attention to the talk of some who were behind him and who were making him the subject of their conversation4 ,in fact he became greedy of human praise1 and was quite vexed with one of the pilgrims who had all the time maintained silence4 ,this pilgrim was a man some years older than ,amer1 who often looked at him earnestly but did not add one word of praise to those which were being showered upon him4 ,amer noticed too1 with chagrin1 that this man took pains to walk continually by his side1 which effectually prevented others1 who were greater admirers1 from getting near him4 ,at last so earnest was the man's look and so grave1 that ,amer felt impelled to enquire as to its cause4 ,friend1 he said1 may ,i know your thoughts8 ,i will give them if you wish1 was the answer1 but ,i fear they will not be such as you are accustomed to hearing4 ,nevertheless1 ,i take such an interest in you and am so anxious that you should in no wise disappoint our ,king1 that should you desire it ,i will tell you what is in my mind4 ,amer1 having by this time become accustomed to praise1 changed countenance1 and an expression which till now had been foreign to his face crossed it1 but he answered1 ,i am ready to hear4 ,it is sad1 said the man slowly1 how one pilgrim can hinder another4 ,these fellow soldiers around us have1 it seems to me1 been used by the enemy to your hurt4 ,indeed8 said ,amer1 coldly4 ,friend1 continued the man1 you did not see what ,i saw1 the soldiers of ,spiritual ,pride scaling the cliffs and take their position by your side4 ,amer looked round sharply4 ,i see no sign of them1 he said4 ,nay1 but do not you know by this time1 that those who they attack are very often the last to perceive their presence4 ,well1 said ,amer1 ,i do not know after all1 even if what you say is true1 why ,i should be so surprised4 ,they generally attack the bravest soldiers of the ,king4 ,the man looked at him sadly4 ,disappoint not our ,king1 he urged4 ,he has done so much for you in saving you when in such peril2 ,i pray you to keep humble1 and to remember that you owe all your safety to ,him and not to your own prowess4 ,you speak truly1 said ,amer1 in a somewhat superior tone of voice4 ,no one knows better than ,i1 that great truth2 but ,i think perhaps you forget that it may dishonour the ,king as much to deny what ,he has done for you--the courage ,he has given you1 the wisdom ,he has imparted to you--as to speak too much of it4 ,the man who was old enough to be ,amer's grandfather did not resent the sermon that had been delivered with a certain amount of conceit4 ,but he was silent for a moment4 ,then looking quietly with his clear penetrating eyes at his companion1 he said slowly1 ',let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall1' and with the words he left ,amer and followed his own path which at that moment led away from that of the other pilgrims4 ,amer looked after him with mingled feelings of vexation and respect4 ,then remembering the words just spoken1 turned him about to see if he could detect any signs of his enemies4 ,but they had carefully hidden themselves4 ,his sober reveries were disturbed by the voice of one of the pilgrims4 ,we are thankful that our path leads us the same way as yours for a time1 as we feel we have the advantage of your company4 ,you have had so much more experience than we have that we know we shall be safe following your example and advice4 ,no doubt you will be able to point out dangers in the road and will be the first to detect the presence of the enemy4 ,the words which would have filled ,amer with pleasure a few moments before1 had now rather the opposite effect1 because of the conversation which had so lately taken place4 ,nay friend1 he answered in a depressed tone of voice1 ,i do not see that my example is worth much1 neither am ,i capable of giving you any better advice than others4 ,it is only your humility that makes you say this1 answered his companion4 ,i have always known that the bravest1 noblest1 most courageous of the ,king's servants are the most humble2 and at these words the other pilgrims1 ,belthiah and ,iddo among them1 drew near1 and asked him for his experiences and for instruction4 ,amer found it a much pleasanter occupation to listen to them than to the warnings of the stranger4 ,but he did not know that as he talked1 the expression of his face gradually altered1 and the light from the ,radiant ,city became dimmed to him4 ,he was now full of himself1 and talked freely about his experiences on the road2 and the enemies which followed him just out of sight1 but near enough to throw their darts through the chinks of his armour1 which was beginning to hang about him loosely1 laughed to themselves4 ,the rule1 which they always looked at before they started forth to warfare1 ,get the man to talk of himself1 had been most successfully obeyed4 ,as the pilgrims turned a corner of the road they came in sight of a child sitting alone1 and crying4 ,a short time ago ,amer would have gone to his aid at once and befriended him1 for was he not one of the ,brothers of ,assistance8 ,but now he looked around and at his glance one of the company took the matter in hand4 ,it is as well1 thought ,amer4 ,that is a work anyone can do1 it does not require talent nor any special capability to attend to or help a child4 ,anyhow it is not my work1 as it would be a waste of my powers4 ,my business is to lead others3 all these people are hanging on my words and ,i must not disappoint them4 ,the people who thronged around ,amer were not all of the same position of life4 ,some of them wore more costly garments than others1 and their manner and conversation proved them to be superior in culture and intellect4 ,an enemy with whom ,amer had had to do while staying in ,achshaph1 took advantage of this fact to tempt him4 ,it will be to your advantage1 he whispered1 to make much of these influential people4 ,amer did not recognize the voice of the enemy1 so his sword lay idle in its scabbard1 and he began to pay more attention to the cultured pilgrims than to the humbler ones among them4 ,but at times he felt uneasy1 and certain words he had read in the ,guide ,book recurred again and again to his mind3 ',my brethren1 have not the faith of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,lord of glory1 with respect of persons4' ,but1 whispered the enemy1 when he found ,amer thinking of these words1 to be popular with these influential people means that you will attract a crowd to hear your good advice1 and so it will help rather than hinder the ,king's work4 ,and so1 for awhile1 ,amer was noticed to spend much of his time with them1 to the neglect of the poorer among the pilgrims1 and so well did his enemies do their work1 that he was quite unconscious that the ,radiant ,city was growing dim to his eyes4 ,but the young girl who had stayed to succour the child was before long seen hurrying after him with a face full of joy4 ,oh how good it was of you1 she cried to ,amer1 to let me do that bit of work4 ,the poor little boy was sick and suffering4 ,as ,i tended him and tried to dry his tears1 a bright angel came from the ,king to take him to the ,radiant ,city2 and1 she added in a soft1 awed tone of voice1 the angel gave me a message from the ,king4 ,a message8 repeated ,amer4 ,yes1 said the girl softly1 a message straight from the ,king ,himself4 ,what was the message8 ' ,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren1 ye have done it unto ,me4' ,amer was silent and ashamed1 while a sudden craving for his ,king's approbation took possession of him1 and made him realize for the first time that the ,radiant ,city had almost faded from his sight and that he was out of touch with it4 ,it was with a start that he noticed its dimness4 ,was the stranger right then8 ,had he through pride and carelessness drifted into the hands of the enemy8 ,he grasped his sword1 which for some time had hung idle by his side1 and cried out to his ,king4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,cross ,,in ,,the ,,valley4 ,it was with grief that the band of pilgrims watched ,amer out of sight as his path diverged from theirs4 ,but1 they said1 we could not expect to have his company long4 ,the ,king has other plans for him than to help and lead such a small band of pilgrims4 ,have you noticed1 said one of them1 that his advice has not been of late so ready for us1 that he has grown graver and sadder8 ,yes1 answered his companion1 he seemed to lose his zeal and his assurance1 and to be weary4 ,it is tiring climbing to the heights1 said a third1 as for me ,i would rather be led through the valleys4 ,i like lowly paths best4 ,anyhow1 said another1 we are saved the enemies that often attack those whose path leads them to the peaks4 ,we are not so strong and brave as ,amer1 and would not be able to overcome them as he has done4 ,but ,amer himself1 as he began to descend into the valley through which his path lay1 was filled with sadness4 ,depression walked by his side1 while the family of ,morbids held fast hold of his ankles so that his footsteps dragged heavily4 ,he had no courage to fight them or to resist them4 ,so far away seemed the ,radiant ,city and his ,king that he felt it was almost impossible to look up1 and his path lay down1 down1 down1 into the ,valley of ,humiliation4 ,he began now to remember how that good soldier1 ,heman1 had shrunk away from anything in the form of praise1 how he would never talk about himself1 and was always on the watch against the enemy ,pride4 ,he remembered how on the occasion when ,belthiah had been asked the secret of her peaceful aspect1 ,heman had hastily looked around him in search of the enemy1 warning her that he was listening for her answer4 ,he remembered too how1 when imprisoned in the cave belonging to ,spiritual ,pride1 he had read the rules that were to be followed by his soldiers1 and that one of them was to persuade the man they were in league against1 to talk of himself4 ,he recognized1 too1 the fact1 that all the time he had been deceiving himself into believing that he was praising his ,king he was praising himself1 and he recollected the words of the old pilgrim which at the time they were spoken had filled him with vexation3 ,disappoint not our ,king4 ,and had he not disappointed ,him8 ,ah6 how much6 ,as ,amer descended into the valley1 filled with these thoughts1 a great hunger took possession of him1 a hunger for the ,presence of his ,king and for ,his approbation4 ,after all1 what did the flattery of man matter in comparison with one word of praise from his ,king4 ,all those who had hung upon his lips1 listening to his advice and to his experiences1 had probably by now forgotten him3 while the ,king1 ,whom he had neglected1 was still loving him and thinking of him4 ,in the old days1 ,amer might have fancied that his sin had robbed him of the love of his ,king4 ,but he knew his ,king better now1 and he had read in his ,guide ,book1 that 'neither death1 nor life1 nor angels1 nor principalities1 nor powers1 nor things present1 nor things to come1 nor height1 nor depth1 nor any other creature' could separate him from the love of his ,king4 ,so he knew that ,he must be still looking down in love and pity upon him2 although his sins had come as a cloud to hide ,him from his sight4 ,and at the thought of ,his love1 of ,his tender compassion1 of ,his patience with him1 notwithstanding his many falls1 and the constant disappointments he had caused ,him1 a great longing took possession of his soul1 and he cried out in the words of the ,guide ,book1 ',my soul thirsteth for ,thee1 my flesh longeth for ,thee in a dry and thirsty land1 where no water is4' ',as the hart panteth after the water brooks1 so panteth my soul after ,thee1 ,o ,god4' ,at last1 as he reached the bottom of the valley1 he perceived a cross standing in the midst of the path along which he had to tread1 and with a cry of gratitude he flung himself beneath its shadow1 and a great peace stole in upon him2 the peace of sin forgiven4 ,spiritual ,pride's soldiers1 who had been following at a distance1 hoping for an opportunity of wounding him again1 and anxious lest ,amer should altogether escape them1 at the sight of the cross and of the prostrate figure of the young soldier at its foot1 felt that their power was almost gone1 and leaving only one to keep watch at his elbow1 and to give them a warning should a likely chance occur again of wounding him1 turned back to worry and annoy some other poor traveller4 ,but the man they had left behind felt his post to be a discouraging one1 as ,amer1 on rising to continue his journey again1 was on the watch1 so that ,spiritual ,pride's emissary could not get near him4 ,once however while ,amer was resting on his journey1 the enemy managed to gain his ear for a moment4 ,how changed you are1 he whispered1 you are greater than you have been before1 because you are humbler4 ,you never talk of yourself to the passers-by1 but always manage to turn the conversation when it is about you4 ,you are getting as humble as ,heman4 ,amer was rather drowsy when these thoughts entered his mind1 but suddenly he recognised the source from which they came1 and rising1 fully awake again1 he dealt such a blow at the enemy that he fell at his feet1 dead4 ,amer's love for his ,king had so grown1 that now his one great longing and aim was to please ,him1 and remembering his ,king's words to the young girl who had tended the little boy across the dark river1 and finding them written in his ,guide ,book1 he looked out for the weakest and smallest of the pilgrims that came across his path1 to help and to succour them4 ,the people whom others passed by and neglected1 became now dear to his heart as he recognised that in serving them he was serving the ,great ,king4 ,and these did not often happen to be the noblest1 the bravest1 or the most interesting among the pilgrims1 but just the reverse4 ,many of them would have been wholly uninteresting to ,amer1 had it not been for the fact that they belonged to his ,king1 and were dear to ,him4 ,amer has changed1 said one of his friends who had listened with such rapt attention to his words of advice before he had trodden the ,valley of ,humiliation4 ,he does not attract crowds around him as formerly2 do you not remember how they would walk by his side to catch every word that fell from his lips1 even the noblest and the greatest of the pilgrims felt they could learn from him1 and followed him4 ,you are right1 answered the person addressed1 he certainly has not such an audience as formerly1 and is not so popular2 that is to say people are not drawn to him as they used to be1 but ,i am not sure that they are not drawn more to their ,king after talking with him4 ,do you think so8 said the former speaker questioningly4 ,i have noticed1 answered the other1 that many1 after talking with him1 soon leave him1 but go away with their lips moving in prayer1 and their eyes raised to ,heaven4 ,so that in thinking less of him1 you believe they think more of their ,king8 ,i am sure of it3 ,i happened to walk beside him a short part of the journey not long ago1 and ,i was struck1 not by what he said1 but by what he did4 ,he never seemed to think of himself1 but was always on the look-out to help others1 but in such a quiet way that had ,i not been watching him closely1 ,i should never have noticed it4 ,it had the effect of making me go and try and do likewise4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,indifference4 ,belthiah and ,iddo's path had led them for a long time across a flower-besprinkled plain4 ,there were no hills to mount and no valleys to descend1 and their path had for the most part been even and uneventful4 ,they had not however been free from the enemy4 ,the little sprite1 ,worry1 had more than once taken hold of ,belthiah1 and had left its wounds visible across her brow3 and his comrade1 ,foreboding1 had occasionally thrown her in the way of ,despondency1 a troublesome enemy1 whom she had to fight bravely before overcoming2 but she had had seasons of great happiness because of the conscious presence of the ,king4 ,iddo also had had her battles4 ,indolence more than once attacked her1 specially when he saw her becoming interested in her ,guide ,book2 for after ,heman's advice not to depend upon her mother's study of the ,book1 but to study it for herself1 ,iddo had often consulted it3 nevertheless she was by no means well versed in it1 and ,indolence so constantly attacked her with success that she made but poor progress4 ,neither did ,discontent and his comrade ,irritability leave her alone2 sometimes ,belthiah looked with anxiety at her child when she saw how easily she gave way to these enemies4 ,they were about half-way across the plain when their paths met those of another mother and daughter1 with whom they joined company4 ,iddo was delighted to have a companion1 and the two girls for many a mile followed their parents hand in hand4 ,adin199 for such was her name1 had much to tell1 having met many more people on her journey than had ,iddo1 and the latter learnt much from her of which she had been ignorant4 ,among other things1 ,adin told her that there were people who were apparently journeying towards the ,radiant ,city with views quite contrary to her mother's4 99 ,dainty4 ,times have changed1 she said1 since our mothers started on their journey4 ,people have come to the conclusion that much in which they believed is mistaken2 that for instance it is not necessary to be so different to those who are not servants of the ,king2 that certain things are lawful which in those days were considered dangerous1 and that there are many ways after all to the ,radiant ,city4 ,the old-fashioned views with which our mothers started their journey are being more and more questioned and pushed on one side4 ,we must move with the times1 she added4 ,iddo listened astonished4 ,loving and reverencing her mother1 the girl resented the idea that her views could be anything but correct1 and expostulated with ,adin indignantly when she termed them old-fashioned4 ,but by degrees she became accustomed to what she heard and began to wonder if there might not be some truth in it4 ,do many people agree with these views8 she asked4 ,so many that it is really quite peculiar to think like our mothers1 was ,adin's answer2 then with a laugh she added1 there are a few however who think my friends and ,i are very far gone in the wrong way4 ,we met an old man on the road1 who walked some distance with us1 and when he heard one of these new thinkers discussing the subject with mother1 he cried out indignantly1 ',madam1 ,i hear the enemy's voice in that of your friend4 ,beware1 ,i beseech you4' ,and then he turned round on our friend and rated him soundly for what he had been saying1 crying1 ',it is false1 it is false1 there is one way and only one for each servant of the ,king1 and the path is straight and narrow4 ,the only safe plan is to believe in the ,guide ,book and not in the imagination of man4' ,he was so excited1 added ,adin1 that ,i was almost amused4 ,was his name ,chisleu8 asked ,iddo4 ,ah6 then you know him8 ,yes1 he was so good to me when mother was in the ,valley of ,pain1 when ,i had hard work to fight my enemies1 said ,iddo4 ,yes1 he is a good man1 said ,adin1 one could not doubt that1 but oh6 how narrow6 ,he is even more narrow than mother2 apparently he thinks no one can possibly be in the right path unless they entirely agree with him in every detail4 ,even mother does not believe that4 ,she thinks there are certain truths that are quite necessary for us all1 but that truth may be many-sided1 and though there is only one way1 the ,king does not lead each one of ,his servants by exactly the same path4 ,but they must all have the ,king's mark on them1 said ,iddo4 ,yes1 said ,adin1 so mother thinks3 but that she was not very decided on the subject herself was evident from her hesitating answer1 and ,iddo began to feel a little perplexed and bewildered4 ,anyhow1 added ,adin1 people have extraordinarily different views about the ,guide ,book2 some seem to be doing all they can to convince us of its untrustworthiness4 ,yes1 said ,iddo1 ,i shall never forget how ,i felt when ,i heard that for the first time4 ,but you have not lost your faith in it have you8 she asked anxiously4 ,oh no1 answered ,adin1 but somehow ,i don't seem to think of it quite in the way that ,i did4 ,you can't help being a little affected by things you hear4 ,iddo suddenly looked around her4 ,she had fancied she had heard a laugh close at her elbow4 ,was it the enemy8 ,if so he had made himself invisible2 but she felt they were on dangerous ground4 ,they had not noticed that their mothers were by now out of sight and that they had swerved a little from the path4 ,they were so busy talking over these subjects1 that it was some time before they realized with a start that they were no longer following their parents1 and that they were passing some gates that led into a thickly populated town4 ,oh1 cried ,iddo1 in distress1 we have lost our way6 ,but ,adin was fascinated with the crowds of people that she saw through the gates that were standing wide open4 ,she had not seen so many people congregated together for long1 and they were apparently light-hearted and not troubled with the enemy1 as they were laughing and talking as if they had not a care4 ,let us go in1 she said1 they cannot be dangerous people or allied with the enemy1 as they are not even noticing us1 but look thoroughly happy and unconcerned4 ,come1 don't be a coward1 for ,iddo had drawn back4 ,but1 she said1 ,i am quite sure mother has not gone that way1 ,i should never find her there4 ,how do you know8 said ,adin1 why we are nearly sure to come across some other pilgrims who will do their best to help us to find our mothers4 ,there is really nothing to fear4 ,looking through the gate ,iddo recognized the face of a pilgrim she had met in the way4 ,it must be all right1 she murmured as they passed through1 as she is here4 ,perhaps mother may after all have gone this way4 ,to ,iddo's astonishment she recognized many a one whom she had noticed standing listening to the preacher on the heath1 and there was something about them that did not exactly re-assure her2 they seemed almost to be settling down in the town instead of walking through it1 and what filled her with concern was the fact that as yet ,adin and she had not found a trace of their own path4 ,will you tell us the name of this place8 said ,iddo to a passer-by1 who looked good-natured and kind4 ,this is a town1 in the ,land of ,indifference1 he answered1 smiling4 ,are all these people on the way to the ,radiant ,city8 she asked anxiously4 ,many of them profess to be1 he answered1 looking at her kindly4 ,but are you8 she asked4 ,he shrugged his shoulders4 ,ask me an easier question1 he said1 and turned away4 ,people do not like to be questioned1 said ,adin in a vexed tone of voice1 ,come1 don't be so worrying1 let us anyhow enjoy ourselves while we are here4 ,look1 there are many things to see4 ,it must be a happy place1 as almost every one is laughing4 ,i have seen quite as many people yawning with weariness1 said ,iddo2 but she quite forgot all the time to open her ,guide ,book for an explanation of the town1 and after all there was so much to be seen and so many people to watch1 that gradually the thought of the ,radiant ,city grew dimmer1 and the enemy who had led the girls into the town1 felt he could safely leave them for a time1 while he went to tempt another traveller on the road4 ,but every now and then ,iddo's conscience awoke1 and she begged for information of those about her4 ,how is it1 she asked one who had been joining company with her and her friend1 how is it that people seem so light-hearted here8 ,because they don't worry about things they cannot understand1 she answered lightly1 what is the good of worrying8 ,but don't they ever think of the possibility of not reaching the ,radiant ,city if they stay too long in this place8 she asked4 ,but why should you think that even now they are not on their way8 answered her companion4 ,i take for granted when ,i think of it at all that ,i am going there4 ,we do nothing very wrong in this city4 ,i do not think that the enemy is particularly busy here4 ,we are thoroughly steady and respectable and good-natured4 ,what more can you expect of us8 ,pray don't get it into your head that we are going to be left for ever outside the ,radiant ,city4 ,but1 said ,iddo1 perplexed1 ,i thought every one who journeyed there had to put on armour4 ,and you have none4 ,this is such a peaceable place my dear1 that we do not need armour4 ,indeed1 some time ago a man passed through this town fully armed1 he would not turn to the right hand or to the left4 ,his path he said lay right across1 and though we could not but respect and reverence him1 as the light of the ,radiant ,city was full on his face1 when he had gone1 we could not help smiling4 ,what good was his armour to him here8 ,no enemy was likely to attack him4 ,we told him this1 and his answer was1 ',it is written in the ,guide ,book1 ,be sober1 be vigilant1 because your adversary the devil1 walketh about1 seeking whom he may devour4' ,we asked him what guise the enemy was likely to put on to entrap unwary travellers4 ,what did he say8 asked ,iddo4 ,he told us the name of our land would answer that question1 and then opening his ,guide ,book as he walked1 he read aloud1 ',i know thy works1 that thou art neither cold nor hot3 ,i would thou wert cold or hot4 ,so then because thou art lukewarm1 and neither cold nor hot1 ,i will spue thee out of my mouth4 ,because thou sayest1 ,i am rich1 and increased with goods1 and have need of nothing2 and knowest not that thou art wretched1 and miserable1 and poor1 and blind1 and naked2 ,i counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire1 that thou mayest be rich2 4 4 4 4 ,behold1 ,i stand at the door and knock4' ,do you know the name of this man8 said ,iddo1 it sounds like my friend ,heman4 ,i do not know his name1 as he would not stop2 even while he was consulting his ,guide ,book he was moving on for fear the enemy should attack him and keep him longer in the land4 ,one could not but admire him as he was in such deadly earnest1 and one could not but reverence him as he walked1 as his whole bearing made one recognise that his ,king was great1 and that the ,king's business required haste1 as he told us4 ,moreover he had much tact1 and those who spoke to him always listened respectfully1 and indeed such was his influence as he passed through1 that more than one followed him out of the town4 ,i felt sure he would never be content to go out of it alone4 ,in fact he was in it but not of it4 ,but on thinking about it afterwards one could not but wonder that he thought it all of such vital importance4 ,there are other ways of getting to the ,city besides his4 ,as for me ,i prefer moving slowly4 ,enthusiasm does not appeal to me4 ,then the pilgrim did not think it right to linger here8 asked ,iddo4 ,his path lay right across you see1 answered ,adin quickly4 ,we are looking for our path and are as likely to find it in the town as out of it1 for ,adin had got imbued with the spirit of the land and felt it mattered little that they should find their path at once2 why need they worry8 ,but ,iddo1 though outwardly satisfied with this argument1 was inwardly anxious4 ,the thought of her mother would intrude upon her even in the midst of some pleasurable excitement1 with which they were well provided in the town4 ,it is true at times a kind of lethargy crept over her and she would laugh with the rest1 as if she had not a care or trouble4 ,but she began to wonder why it was that her enemies apparently left her alone4 ,her sword was very rusty and the rest of her armour dim1 but ,adin assured her that they were not needed in this place4 ,but ,iddo was unhappy4 ,she began to pine for the sight of the ,radiant ,city and for travellers who were definitely walking there1 and above all things she grew home sick for the conscious ,presence of the ,king ,himself4 ,it is true that she had not enjoyed much of ,his ,presence at any time1 for she had depended so much upon what her mother had told her of ,him1 that she had not sought earnestly enough to know ,him herself4 ,but now she began to long for ,him1 and looked eagerly at the faces of passers-by1 hoping that she might find at least one who was bound for the ,radiant ,city4 ,but again and again she was disappointed4 ,the ,land of ,indifference was the most unlikely of any place to come across those who had made any definite decision to go to the ,radiant ,city1 and many whom she questioned had really not thought about the matter at all4 ,the subject does not interest me1 they said1 looking at her eager upturned face with surprise4 ,we are here to enjoy ourselves1 and have no time to think of such matters4 ,others would answer her questions with the words1 ',let us eat and drink1 for to-morrow we die4' ,iddo began to wonder if she could possibly persuade ,adin to leave the crowded town in search of their paths to the ,radiant ,city4 ,she felt she had not the courage to make the step alone1 besides which she found ,adin's companionship very attractive1 and knew that unless she could take her friend with her she might never see her again4 ,but ,adin was far too engrossed with all she saw and heard to wish to leave her present quarters4 ,there is plenty of time1 she said1 when ,iddo timidly tried to persuade her that the only right and wise course to take was to leave the ,land of ,indifference4 ,of course ,i suppose we shall eventually have to go1 but ,i don't mean to go yet4 ,i cannot feel at home here1 sighed ,iddo4 ,not at home8 cried ,adin1 why what do you want8 ,after all1 you are not my sort1 ,i fear4 ,you are naturally dependent on others1 and do not rejoice in your freedom4 ,you should not have left your mother4 ,i would try and find her if ,i were you1 and then follow her step by step4 ,you will never be happy if you don't1 and ,adin gave a somewhat scornful laugh4 ,i dare not go and ,i dare not stay1 murmured ,iddo4 ,that is just what ,i say1 said ,adin1 you have no courage to carve out a line for yourself4 ,but1 said the girl1 stung to resistance1 it has not been a question of my carving out a line for myself4 ,it has really been with me a choice between following my mother and following you4 ,and ,i do not know why ,i chose to follow you4 ,my mother never led me astray4 ,you had better go1 said ,adin1 and ,i will look for another friend who is bolder and more courageous1 and who is not always thinking about uncomfortable things like you are4 ,besides ,i have come to the conclusion that ,i have made a mistake about myself all my life4 ,the views you love are cramping4 ,i like to be free4 ,i am much more suited to the ,land of ,indifference than to the ,radiant ,city4 ,and ,i really doubt if ,i have ever been on the way there4 ,i have just followed my mother1 that is all4 ,then1 said ,iddo1 you mean to stay here8 and to give up all thoughts of the ,king and the ,radiant ,city8 ,how do you know there is a ,king and a ,radiant ,city8 said ,adin4 ,the enemy must be very near to make you say that1 said ,iddo gravely4 ,oh1 don't give way to him4 ,i am quite sure he is seeking your ruin4 ,the enemy6 ,nonsense1 child6 ,why1 ,i find no one believes in the ,devil now4 ,the very mention of him raises a smile4 ,indeed1 if you spoke to the inhabitants of this land as you are speaking to me1 they would think you were daft4 ,no one who has any learning ever thinks of him4 ,he is a myth4 ,have you learnt all this while you have been here8 said ,iddo1 sadly4 ,yes1 and a great deal more2 much that convinces me that it is quite mad to give up the pleasure of this place for the dream that you are following4 ,then1 said ,iddo1 this shows me how wrong ,i have been to have come here at all4 ,if they say such things in this land it is no place for a servant of the ,king1 and there was a firmness in her tone of voice and a look of resolute determination in her eyes1 which ,adin had never thought to see in her timid little friend4 ,she liked her all the better for it4 ,put your scruples away1 she urged1 and let us enjoy ourselves4 ,i shall miss you if you go4 ,it is so hard to leave you in this town1 said ,iddo1 with tears in her eyes1 if only you would come too4 ,think what it will be to be shut out of the ,radiant ,city at last6 ,there you are again6 ,in such dead earnest6 ,they are quite right here when they say that people who are on the way to the ,radiant ,city are so terribly tiring4 ,they will not take things as they find them or leave people as they find them1 but will always be trying to save them from what they look upon as their doom4 ,why not let people believe what they like8 ,so long as they are happy1 why disturb them8 ,of course you feel like that if you don't believe in anything strongly1 answered ,iddo1 but when you are sure that there is a ,radiant ,city1 and that those who will not listen to the ,voice of the ,king inviting them there1 will be shut out at last1 it makes all the difference4 ,go1 then1 little believer1 said ,adin1 and try and save others1 but don't save me1 ,i beg you2 and with a laugh and nod the girl turned away1 and ,iddo felt that the last word had been said between them4 ,she had no friend now in the ,land of ,indifference1 but stood alone4 ,a feeling of great isolation took possession of her2 but she knew it was through her own carelessness and fault that she was in such a plight1 and she determined at once to leave the place4 ,she had some difficulty in finding her way back4 ,the streets were intricate1 and so crowded with men and women that her progress was slow4 ,but no sooner had she begun to retrace her steps in earnest1 than she fancied she saw a glimmer of light in the far distance which she knew must come from the ,radiant ,city4 ,but the enemy who had been watching her for some time1 fearful now of losing his prey1 began to dodge her steps1 and the family of ,morbids clung around her1 so as to impede her progress4 ,there is no use trying to get out of the land1 they cried1 you have got too used to its ways4 ,you will not find your mother1 you don't deserve it4 ,you have been playing in the enemy's country all this time1 and now expect the ,king to welcome you back4 ,he will never do it4 ,it will take years to get rid of the marks of the land upon you1 and by other words they did all they could to drag her back and discourage her4 ,then the far worse enemy1 ,doubt1 met her just as she was passing through the gate1 and hurled his darts at her face1 that for a time she was so blinded by him that no sight could she get of the ,radiant ,city1 and she began to wonder if ,adin's words were true1 and she had been following a mere dream--a mirage4 ,but the very fierceness of the enemy's assault made ,iddo cry the louder and the more persistently to the ,king1 and though at first no answer seemed to be vouchsafed and she was only conscious of the sharp arrows of the enemy1 she would not give in4 ,the ,king was her only hope1 and she knew ,he would help her4 ,if ,i die1 she cried1 ,i will die crying to ,him1 for mercy and help4 ,at last above the storm of the battle she heard a still small voice1 saying1 ',him that cometh to ,me ,i will in no wise cast out1' and on looking up1 she caught sight of a bright light shining down upon her1 the light from the ,radiant ,city4 ,then she fell on her knees and worshipped her ,king1 and the enemy slunk away4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,singers4 ,iddo had not gone far on the path1 which1 when out of the ,land of ,indifference she found lying before her1 when she heard singing1 and turning a corner she came in sight of a band of pilgrims going her way4 ,the very sound of their voices inspired her with courage and happiness1 and1 as she followed closely behind them she heard the words of their song3 ,o happy band of pilgrims1 ,if onward ye will tread4 ,with ,jesus as your ,fellow1 ,to ,jesus as your ,head4 ,o happy band of pilgrims1 ,look upward to the skies1 ,where such a light affliction ,shall win you such a prize4 ,and as their voices ceased another chimed in1 ,my merry heart is springing1 ,and knows not how to pine1 ',tis full of joy and singing ,and radiancy divine4 ,the words were new to ,iddo1 but the voice she recognized at once as that of ,chisleu4 ,oh1 how glad ,i am to see you1 she cried1 making her way towards him4 ,chisleu turned upon her a face full of calm joy4 ,there was such a change in it that had it not been for the voice she would hardly have recognized it4 ,it was a gentle1 chastened1 yet radiant face4 ,i did not know you sang1 said ,iddo4 ,i have only lately learnt1 he said1 ,i met these good people1 and when ,i said ,i could not join them in their songs1 they pointed out to me that as there was to be so much singing in the ,radiant ,city it was as well to learn on the journey4 ,and it is astonishing how it helps the journey1 it seems another thing to me4 ,and moreover ,i find it does not only make things easier1 but in the ,guide ,book we are commanded to sing and be joyful4 ,i never realized that before4 ,does the ,king then so much like us to sing that he has written about it in the ,guide ,book8 said ,iddo4 ,yes1 ,i find ,he has4 ,i had no idea that it was my duty to be happy as well as my pleasure4 ,but ,i find it written there1 ',rejoice evermore4' ',the joy of the ,lord is your strength4' ',is any merry8 let him sing psalms4' ,i only wish ,i had known this before4 ,why8 asked ,iddo4 ,for two reasons4 ,one reason being1 that1 as ,i say1 it makes all the difference in the journey1 as the enemy does not like to hear it and it keeps him away4 ,there is nothing that baffles him more ,i believe than to hear the soldiers singing one of the songs of the ,radiant ,city4 ,and when ,i have an idea he is near and wants me to listen to him1 ,i cry1 ',may ,jesus ,christ be praised1' and he slinks away4 ,he finds the gloomy soldier by far the easier prey1 ,i fancy1 than those who sing4 ,why it has been so all along4 ,how do you know that8 said ,iddo4 ,in the ,guide ,book we read about one of the armies of the ,lord going to meet a strong enemy4 ,and it says when the ,lord's soldiers began to sing the enemy was smitten4 ,and what is your other reason8 ,my other reason is that ,i feel ,i have done so much harm by my gloominess4 ,a lot of young people whom ,i might have helped have run away when they have seen me coming1 just because ,i felt it my duty to pick holes in them and to be stern1 and to judge them4 ,now if they had found me singing1 who knows but they might have been helped on their journey4 ,every young thing likes music and merriment4 ,and then there is a third reason which ,i forgot and which is more important even than the others4 ,what is that8 asked ,iddo4 ,because a ,master is judged by his servants1 and a ,king by his subjects4 ,and if they see that the soldiers and servants of the ,great ,king of the ,radiant ,city are cheerful and happy1 they naturally think it must be the service of the ,king that makes them so4 ,child1 he added1 ,i feel ashamed when ,i think of what people must have thought of my ,king1 when they heard my censorious words and looked at my gloomy1 angry face4 ,i1 of all ,his servants1 ought to rejoice4 ,why1 ,mr4 ,chisleu8 asked ,iddo4 ,why8 ,because ,he has done great things for me4 ,i have done so much harm on the road1 made so many mistakes1 even once went so far as to doubt ,his love1 thinking ,he had forgotten me1 while all the time ,he was looking down upon me in love and tenderness1 and sent my good friend ,amer at last to persuade me of this4 ,i1 of all men1 should be full of joy and thankfulness4 ,and do you think1 said ,iddo1 that ,i ought to learn to sing8 ,aye6 sure enough you should4 ,have you nothing to be thankful for8 ,even as he spoke1 a little enemy crept out of the grass at his feet and looked at him4 ,for a moment ,chisleu was taken so much by surprise1 as he was not expecting one1 that he started4 ,then he recognized him as one of a band of rebels whose names are ,conceit1 ,self-,satisfaction1 and ,complacency1 and at once he drew his sword1 while at the same time he sang ',may ,jesus ,christ be praised1' and at the sound of his singing and the sight of his sword1 the enemy slunk away4 ,do you see that fellow8 asked ,chisleu of ,iddo1 ,i know him and his comrades of old4 ,i think he has been particularly troublesome since ,i have learnt to sing1 as ,i don't remember meeting him so often in the old days4 ,it is because he hates me singing the ,king's songs4 ,i expect1 he added1 he looks out for every occasion to turn my song to his own advantage4 ,i see ,i must be on the watch against him4 ,i did not see the enemy1 said ,iddo1 ,i wonder why he attacked you while you were helping me4 ,perhaps just because ,i was helping you3 and after all1 added ,chisleu thoughtfully1 if ever there is a chance for the enemy it is when we are talking of ourselves4 ,we have to do it occasionally1 ,i suppose1 but very occasionally1 and then we must remember that we do it at our own peril4 ,sometimes it is a duty to brave this danger for the sake of another2 but often we think we are braving it for another's sake1 while all the time it is for our own sake1 that we may be thought well of1 or in a spirit of self-congratulation4 ,you see the words of the ,guide ,book are true1 ',the heart is deceitful above all things1 and desperately wicked4' ,but1 said ,iddo1 you always seem to me so good1 surely there is no need for you to be so watchful4 ,chisleu's face changed1 as he turned and looked upon her with sternness4 ,my child1 don't do the enemy's work4 ,he failed just now1 and so he is trying to catch me through your lips4 ,never flatter4 ,iddo was startled1 and could not help comparing the intense earnestness of the soldier of the ,king1 with the utter indifference she had been impressed with in the land she had left3 and at the same time1 ,chisleu's face having regained its calm joy1 she could not but contrast the peace and happiness written so plainly there and in the faces of the other pilgrims1 who were walking so merrily on in front of her1 with the artificial merriment of that land4 ,everyone there had seemed to her1 the more she knew them1 to be making amusement their work rather than their recreation4 ,she was sure it was sometimes real hard work4 ,and when the excitement was over she had often seen a look of weariness on the faces of those who had worked the hardest to procure the fun4 ,iddo found that the pilgrims' songs were not all directly about the ,radiant ,city and its ,king4 ,they sang about the beauties of the way1 of the flowers the ,king had raised to cheer them1 of the trees ,he had planted to give them shade1 of the changing sky overhead1 and the sweet-scented winds about them2 of the stars and sun the ,king had created to give them light on the way1 of the ever-moving sea1 of which they often caught glimpses1 of all the wonders of nature2 they sang also of the beauty of love1 of acts of heroism1 of thoughts too deep for words1 and when ,iddo expressed some surprise at what she heard1 ,chisleu reminded her of the words in the ,guide ,book1 ',the works of the ,lord are great1 sought out of all them that have pleasure therein4' ,iddo was much struck by noticing the great change in ,chisleu1 how his voice had softened1 and his mind expanded1 and how1 instead of thinking that every one was in the wrong1 he constantly confessed that he was in the wrong himself1 and imputed good motives to people where others found it difficult to do so4 ,but every now and then the old enemies got the better of him2 he would suddenly irritably interrupt the pilgrims in their songs1 with the complaint that they were singing out of tune1 or too fast for the newcomers1 or had put the wrong tune to the words4 ,and now and then his irritability would become infectious1 so that he would suddenly awake to the fact that he had been the means of discord4 ,but whenever this happened he confessed his sin so humbly1 that the enemy1 who had done what he could to make him inconsistent1 had to retreat1 with the knowledge that ,chisleu's quick confession of sin1 instead of resulting in confusion and in making an occasion for other enemies to run in1 had been the means of shaming some of the pilgrims who had given way1 and had caused them to resist the enemy4 ,mr4 ,chisleu1 said ,iddo1 ,i want to learn to sing4 ,will you teach me8 ,teach you6 ,nay1 you must go to the ,king ,himself for that4 ,we can only sing when ,he teaches us4 ,when ,iddo next met her mother she had learnt to sing1 and her mother thought her voice the sweetest she had ever heard4 ,she was not alone in her opinion4 ,many a one was cheered on his way to the ,radiant ,city by the sound of it4 ,some who had fallen on the road1 being hard pressed by the enemy1 and the victims of ,despondency or ,despair1 lifted up their heads1 as ,iddo's voice caught their ears1 while others who were on the eve of wandering from the right path1 resolutely turned away from the enemy who was tempting them4 ,for ,iddo sang of the wonderful love of the ,king1 ,who had died for them1 and was even then watching them1 and of the glory and brightness of the ,radiant ,city to which they were travelling4 ,and she sang moreover of the ,coming of the ,king1 to which she was looking forward now with ardent expectation4 ,and the words she sang were these3-- ,thou art coming1 oh my ,saviour1 ,thou art coming1 oh my ,king1 ,in ,thy beauty1 all resplendent1 ,in ,thy glory1 all-transcendent2 ,well may we rejoice and sing2 ,coming3--,in the opening ,east1 ,herald brightness slowly swells2 ,coming3--,o my glorious ,priest1 ,hear we not ,thy golden bells8 ,one day in the midst of her singing1 ,iddo felt her mother1 with whom she was walking hand in hand1 step forward alone1 towards a river running at the foot of the hill1 which the girl had not noticed4 ,a sudden panic of apprehension seized her4 ,mother1 ,mother1 she cried3 but even as she spoke1 her mother turned round with a radiant smile on her face1 and1 waving farewell to her child stepped into the waters with a song on her lips4 ,iddo sank on to the ground1 her song silenced4 ,for a time she lay quite still1 her face hidden in the long grass1 her hands outstretched in misery4 ,then suddenly across the hills came the voices of the pilgrims singing3-- ,oh sweet and blessed country1 ,the home of ,god's elect6 ,oh sweet and blessed country1 ,that eager hearts expect3 ,jesus1 in mercy bring us ,to that dear land of rest2 ,who art1 with ,god the ,father1 ,and ,spirit1 ever bless'd4 ,gradually the words of the beautiful song brought comfort and healing to her heart1 and before long her voice was heard1 sweet and true1 as she walked through the ,valley of the ,shadow1 for she could be silent no longer1 as the ,king ,himself had taught her to sing--even songs in the night4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,brink ,,of ,,the ,,river4 ,amer's path had now for some time led him by the banks of the river that flowed through the ,valley of the ,shadows4 ,in its shadows he found many waiting for the ,king's guard to take them across1 and going in and out among them1 ,amer did what he could to remind them of the ,king's love and of ,his mercy4 ,he had not much time to think now of his own dangers and difficulties1 indeed he had to leave the keeping of his soul to his faithful ,creator and ,king2 and he was surrounded with an invisible army of angels1 who warded the enemy off again and again when he was engaged with those he was seeking to comfort4 ,every now and then1 however1 he found himself gripped by the enemies who are peculiarly busy with those soldiers who are spending their lives in working for others4 ,when ,amer saw some of the pilgrims1 as they passed through the valley1 paying but scant notice 7because wrapped up in their own soul's welfare7 to those in hopeless misery who were on the borders of the river1 he found himself again and again passing a hard judgment on their conduct1 and criticising their selfishness1 forgetting that there had been a time in his own history1 when his thoughts had been so engaged with the health of his own soul1 that he had had no eyes to see the needs of others4 ,then there were some who did what they could to help1 but whose help was so unwise in ,amer's eyes1 and so far from being profitable1 that the enemy1 ,impatience1 took hold of him1 and pushed him to the ground more than once4 ,he had in fact1 constantly to be reminding himself of the words in the ,guide ,book1 ',judge not1 that ye be not judged1' ',who art thou that judgest another man's servant8 to his own master he standeth or falleth4' ,and when he felt conscious of these enemies he could only cry to his ,king1 as he drew out his sword1 and his cry was always heard and answered4 ,amer's voice was the last that many a pilgrim heard this side of the dark river4 ,he had been in the ,valley for some time when he suddenly heard his name spoken by a voice that made his heart beat1 and he saw1 standing on the very brink of the river1 ,gabrielle1 but so altered that he hardly recognized her4 ,indeed1 though she looked so pale and thin that he felt she must be very near the end of her journey1 the expression of her face was so unlike that he had ever seen upon it that he was amazed2 it reminded him of the light that he had noticed on the face of ,heman as he passed to the ,radiant ,city4 ,you did not expect to meet me on the journey1 she said1 as he grasped her hands1 but ,amer1 when ,i saw you were in such dead earnest and would not give up the ,radiant ,city or your ,king even for me1 ,i felt there must be some truth in what others told me was a mere legend1 and ,i could not rest till ,i had set out on the same journey4 ,and ,desmond8 asked ,amer4 ,i never married him1 she answered1 how could ,i when once ,i had known you4 ,when ,i told you ,i should1 ,i said it out of pique1 ,i never really intended to1 though my father did all he could to persuade me4 ,but ,i could not rest till ,i had passed through the ,east ,gate4 ,but oh6 my journey has been so short6 ,i have had such a little time in which to prove my loyalty to my ,king4 ,just a few short weeks6 ,and now ,i have to cross the ,river4 ,how can ,i be sure that the ,king will receive me after forgetting ,him for so long8 ,i feel the enemy ,doubt is doing what he can to wrench my soul away from ,him4 ,amer looked at the ,river and noticed that across it lay the shadow of the ,cross1 as it had done during the passing of ,heman4 ,dearest1 he said1 you must get beneath the ,cross1 then ,doubt will fly from you4 ,is it there for me8 she asked faintly4 ,as much for you as for the warrior who for years has fought under the ,king's banner4 ,help me to get within its shadow1 she pleaded3 and ,amer1 putting his arm around her1 gently moved her in its direction1 and as she stood beneath its shadow1 he saw a peace steal across her face4 ,i think my feet have touched the brink1 she whispered1 ,i wish1 oh6 ,i wish1 you were coming too4 ,i will not leave you till the ,king has hold of your hand1 said ,amer1 as her head sunk on his breast4 ,are you quite sure ,i am under the shadow of the ,cross8 she murmured4 ,yes1 these are the ,king's own words1 he answered3 ',as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of ,man be lifted up3 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have eternal life4' ',christ ,jesus came into the world to save sinners4' ,then ,he must have come to save me1 said ,gabrielle1 but her words were so faint that ,amer could scarcely hear them4 ,suddenly she raised her head from his shoulder4 ,it is the ,king1 she said1 while a radiance from the ,city lighted her face1 ,he is calling to me1 and ,amer1 as he loosed his hold of her1 saw her step down into the cold waters and stretch out her hand to some ,invisible ,one4 ,then1 as he stood still as if turned to stone1 he suddenly fell to the ground1 for an enemy whom he had never met before had fallen upon him4 ,rebellion had thrown his arrow successfully at him1 and now stood over his fallen prey so that he was unable to rise4 ,for the time his shadow was so deep and dark that ,amer nearly lost the sight of the ,radiant ,city3 and so well did ,rebellion do his work that his victim lay without so much as an effort to rid himself of him4 ,he could only think of the one he had found but to lose again1 and was full of hard thoughts of the way by which he was being led4 ,he could not live without ,gabrielle1 he cried4 ,so successfully had he hitherto managed to banish her from his thoughts1 that he had imagined that his love for her could never again be roused to its full heat4 ,but now that he had once more seen her1 had looked into her eyes1 had heard her voice1 and had found her so infinitely sweeter than he could have pictured1 he felt his will rise up against the will of his ,king1 and so lay unresistingly in the grip of ,rebellion4 ,his strength all seemed to have vanished1 his work to have lost its interest1 his path impossible to tread any longer4 ,suddenly in the distance he heard the sound of singing4 ,if ,god ,himself be for me ,i can a host defy4 ,it was the band of singing pilgrims1 ,iddo and ,chisleu amongst them1 praising1 as they passed on the heights above the ,dark ,valley4 ,then1 with a sudden spring1 ,amer leapt up1 and drawing his sword1 he fought4 ,fought in the strength of his ,king1 crying out all the time for help to overcome4 ,and the enemy1 taken by surprise1 and perceiving that this soldier1 who had looked so weak and helpless1 was now resolved to conquer1 gradually drew back1 till a favourable moment came to turn and fly4 ,then once more ,amer took up his work in the ,valley1 and found that the thought of ,gabrielle having passed to the ,radiant ,city made it seem nearer to him than ever before1 and recognized the fact that though divided from him by the ,river1 she was really much closer to him than she had ever been while in the ,dark ,city4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,till ,,he ,,come4 ,amer's path now led him across a plain1 it was bare and treeless1 but every now and then he came by green pastures and still waters and was refreshed on his monotonous journey4 ,he was able to hold communion too with his ,king1 and though this part of his journey was free from any special incident1 he learnt lessons of trust and patience which he might not have been able to learn in the stress and noise of hard warfare4 ,it was not long before he came to a town1 the inhabitants of which struck him as looking more miserable than those he had ever met before4 ,what is the name of this place8 he asked of one4 ,it is the ,city of ,despair1 he answered1 with a fierce and angry stare4 ,you have but to look around you to learn its name4 ,and as ,amer's path led him into it he was filled with horror at all he saw4 ,some were sitting by the road side with their heads bowed in their hands1 the picture of misery2 others were fast asleep1 and ,amer noticed that at the head and feet of these1 little black imps were sitting keeping guard1 so that at the least sign of waking they might administer narcotics and soothe them off to sleep again2 some were raging and roaring about the streets1 while others looked on laughing loudly1 but their laughter rang hollow and suggested more misery than the sobs that issued from their fellows4 ,amer found he was not the only soldier of the ,king who had entered the ,city of ,despair4 ,some were there before him who had1 like him1 been struck with its horror and misery1 and were fighting with all their might the evil spirits which were enslaving so many4 ,what is the meaning of all this8 asked ,amer4 ,it means1 said one of his fellow soldiers1 that hundreds in this place have either not heard of our ,king or hearing of ,him will have nothing to do with ,him2 and the ,devil and his angels are doing their best to shut their ears and to lull them off into the sleep of death1 so that the ,good ,news may never reach them4 ,we are here1 and you1 my friend1 have been sent here1 to proclaim the ,good ,news and to fight the enemy that is destroying these people1 soul and body2 and the fight is long and fierce4 ,we need to watch and we need to pray1 and to hold close communion with our ,king4 ,for we find the enemy will suddenly turn upon us and try and rend us1 when he sees us bent upon destroying his work here and that we are resolved to do what we can to liberate his slaves4 ,it is the greatest honour anyone can have to be led to work in this ,city1 for it is in the forefront of the battle4 ,but remember1 friend1 you must pray1 you must pray4 ,then a great yearning came into the heart of ,amer to tell these people of the ,king of the ,radiant ,city1 and he began to go up and down the streets proclaiming the ,good ,news4 ,many a one looked up at him with eyes full of misery1 to shake their heads with the cry1 ,too late1 too late6 ,nay1 said ,amer1 it is the ,king ,himself ,who has sent me to you4 ,he would never have sent me had ,he not been willing to receive you4 ,others told him to leave them alone4 ,we do not wish to find out what we have lost3 leave us alone1 man1 we have chosen our path and must stick to it1 while some who had never heard of the ,king and ,his mercy1 laughed unbelievingly4 ,had your story been true we should have been told about it long ago1 they said4 ,nobody ever told us4 ,would people who have known such good news for years never have taken the trouble to come and help us in our misery if they knew it to be true8 ,but every now and then ,amer would meet one whose eyes would follow him with a hungry expression visible in them1 as he went about proclaiming the ,good ,news1 and then he knew that his efforts were not in vain1 and he would tell him of the ,great ,king ,who had died on the ,cross to save him and to give deliverance from the enemy4 ,we will fight the enemy together1 ,amer would say1 and he would fall on his knees and pray4 ,his fellow soldiers had been right when they had told him that the warfare would be fierce and long2 it needed all his strength not to give way1 and his enemies were watching him determined to make him fall4 ,pity thyself1 they would whisper in his ear1 pity thyself1 you are losing strength1 the battle is too hard1 others can do the work1 why put yourself into such danger8 ,then ,pride would murmur1 ,you of all people must persevere1 you are by far the most successful worker here4 ,no one works so hard as you1 and people will listen to you who turn a deaf ear to the other soldiers4 ,amer found this enemy even more difficult to overcome than the others1 and he knew him to be the more dangerous1 for if he induced him to continue his work for any other motive than that of obedience to his ,king1 it would be ruined4 ,then ,despondency would try and seize him4 ,give it all up1 he cried1 it is useless1 these people are too far gone in wickedness1 your efforts are quite in vain4 ,all these enemies attacked ,amer while he was busy about his work1 and often he found when he was doing his utmost to break the chains of some poor slave1 he would receive a blow from an unseen hand1 and it was only by crying to his ,king fur help that he was able to overcome4 ,then his fellow-workers would quite unconsciously be used of the enemy to tempt him4 ,for these friends sometimes surprised him4 ,although called by their ,king to do this work some of them seemed to look upon it rather lightly4 ,they did not apparently feel bound to do it with all their might1 neither did they seem to understand ,amer's zeal and earnestness4 ,we cannot all work like you1 they would say to him1 it would be foolish on our part if we did4 ,we should soon break up and not be able to work at all4 ,we really think you tire yourself out with your efforts1 and they are often in vain4 ,but the people are dying around us1 said ,amer1 and we are only here to work4 ,but there is no cause for such extraordinary self-denial as you seem to think1 they said4 ,you make us feel ashamed of ourselves4 ,besides you are injuring your health4 ,you are working far too hard4 ,and ,amer1 listening1 recognized the voices of more enemies than one2 but he still worked on1 and had the joy of leading many a one out of the ,city of ,despair into the sunshine of the road to the ,radiant ,city4 ,and so he worked on1 fighting1 praying1 and proclaiming the ,good ,news of the ,kingdom3 and as he worked a wonderful radiance began to light up his face4 ,it was the light of the ,radiant ,city that lay upon it4 ,the people among whom he laboured became aware of it4 ,i think1 they said1 he must be growing like the ,king he is always telling us about1 ,who is so loving and merciful4 ,and his fellow-workers noticed it and talked about it to one another4 ,what a beautiful character he has1 they said1 he puts us all to shame1 but never speaks as if he were the least more faithful or earnest than we are4 ,he is one of the humblest men we have ever come across4 ,if ,i had met that man some twenty years ago1 said the one whom ,amer had seen with such a very miserable face1 on entering the ,city1 he might have been the saving of me4 ,it is what the man does that makes me half inclined to believe in what he says4 ,and ,amer worked on quite unconscious of the remarks of people about him4 ,what1 however1 he was conscious of1 was that every now and then he caught a gleam of a river in the distance4 ,at first it had somewhat startled him1 but as day by day he seemed to be drawing nearer he would look at it earnestly4 ,was his time approaching to cross it8 ,he was very conscious now of a ,presence by his side1 and the companionship of this ,presence kept him in peace and joy4 ,but as the ,river drew near the enemy also approached to make one more effort to capture this brave soldier of the ,king4 ,doubt would remind him of some of the words he had listened to on the heath about the ,guide ,book1 but finding that ,amer no sooner became aware of his presence than he called upon the ,king for help and drew out his sword to do combat1 he tried another plan4 ,he would haunt his memory with sins he had committed in the ,city of ,punon before he had begun his journey1 sins which had been forgiven years ago1 questioning him as to how he dared to hope for mercy1 considering he had done things of which he was now so ashamed4 ,but ,amer was able by this time to distinguish between the voices from the ,radiant ,city and the voices of the enemy1 and he clasped his breastplate the closer2 besides which he noticed that the shadow of a ,cross was always at hand1 and when the enemy taunted him and tried to make him doubt his ,king's love and forgiveness1 he flung himself beneath it1 and when fighting under its shadow he always came off conqueror4 ,at this time too he kept looking towards the ,radiant ,city with the words3-- ',i will fear no evil3 for ,thou art with me4' ,as he drew nearer the ,river he thought less about it and more of the ,city beyond it4 ,at times he almost fancied he could hear the songs of triumph that he knew were being sung there in honour of his ,king2 and many a time when utterly weary he lay down to sleep1 he would dream of it1 of its streets of gold1 and gates of pearl1 and above all of the ,king1 ,who was the ,light thereof4 ,when ,iddo1 whose path had led her with ,chisleu and the other singing pilgrims into the ,city of ,despair1 went up and down its streets singing of the ,king1 ,amer would look up and smile1 adding his voice to hers4 ,but when alone1 the words most often on the lips of this good soldier1 were those telling of his need and of the ,king's power to supply the need4 ,my ,saviour ,i have nought to plead ,in ,earth beneath or ,heaven above2 ,but just my own exceeding need1 ,and ,thine exceeding love4 ,those who were with ,amer noticed how full of love and patience he now was3 how the enemy1 ,irritability1 which had so often given him a blow on his lips1 was silent3 how he never judged unkindly or spoke ill of people1 but like his ,master and ,king was filled with a consuming pity for them4 ,but if his friends had had eyes to see1 they would have been aware of a crowd of evil spirits on the watch for him1 who would surely have worked him ill had he not been in such constant communion with his ,king4 ,as it was they could never get near him1 for the ,presence of his ,king was around him like a wall of fire1 and a shadow of a ,cross enveloped him4 ,amer remembered at times his question to the ,ambassador when he had started on his journey1 as to whether it was the lot of every soldier to be harried at the end1 as was ,heman the ,brave2 and every now and then1 when for a moment he lost sight of his ,king1 ,fear crept up1 hoping to gain possession of him2 but so used was he now to confide his thoughts to his ,king1 that ,fear could get no more than a sudden look at the man he hoped to conquer4 ,indeed1 the enemies that had crowded so hopefully around him when they were aware of how near ,amer was to crossing the ,river1 had to be content with looking at him from a distance1 and gradually1 as they noticed that the nearer he drew to the ,river1 the brighter and more peaceful grew the expression of his face1 they lost hope4 ,then it was1 that while in the act of cheering a fellow pilgrim1 ,amer heard his name called1 and1 with the light of the ,radiant ,city on his brow and his ,king's name on his lips1 he plunged without fear into the cold waters to fall at the feet of his ,king4 ,then ,chisleu and ,iddo1 who had seen his passing1 burst into a triumphant song3 ,the saints of ,god1 their conflict past1 ,and life's long battle won at last1 ,no more they need the shield or sword1 ,they cast them down before their ,lord3 ,oh happy saints1 for ever blessed1 ,at ,jesus' feet how safe your rest4 ,and the pilgrims on the hill above1 caught up the words and sang again3-- ,oh happy saints1 for ever blessed1 ,at ,jesus' feet how safe your rest4 ,but some there were who fell on their knees and wept1 for they loved him so4 ,and ,iddo1 seeing them1 turned away with tears in her eyes1 for he had been as a brother to her4 ,then1 after a moment1 she stood erect and strong1 while the light from the ,radiant ,city fell on her face4 ,it is only till ,he come1 she said4 ,yes1 till ,he come1 answered ,chisleu1 and then they both went back into the ,city of ,despair to work and to watch1 ,till ,he ,come4 ,,the ,,end4