Page:Burnett - Two Little Pilgrims' Progress A Story of the City Beautiful.djvu/26

18 than John Bunyan's. She had a realistic way of relating them. But her great addition to the story was her description of the City on the Hill, which she always followed Christian into, and which she called the City Beautiful. She had invented a City Beautiful of her own. In it there were all the things she and Robin wanted and all the joys they yearned for. Their father and mother were there, and she and Robin lived with them in a sort of fairy palace, which it was her delight to add to the plan and contents of, every time she told the story and they wanted a new possession. It was so rapturous to be able to say—

"And on one floor of the house there was a corner room full of little machines and everything to work them and mend them—and there were shelves and shelves—full of books about inventions, and bottles of chemicals—that was for you, Rob."

"Electric motors?" Rob would put in eagerly.

"All kinds of motors," she would answer with deliberation—"all kinds. You could work anything and have any number of horse-power you liked, because there were new inventions there that have not been made yet."

When Robin was low-spirited she always described this room and added to its contents. When he was in a happier state of mind and the day was beautiful,