Page:Burnett - Two Little Pilgrims' Progress A Story of the City Beautiful.djvu/82

70 "They must look alike," said Meg. "I am sure they must. See what it says in the Pilgrim's Progress: 'Now just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them, and behold, the city shone like the sun'; and then it says, 'The talk they had with the shining ones was about the glory of the place, who told them that the beauty and glory of it were inexpressible.' I always think of it, Robin, when I read about these places like white palaces and temples and towers that are being built. I am so glad they are white. Think how the city will ‘shine like the sun,’ when it stands under the blue sky and by the blue water on a sunshiny day."

They had never read the dear, old, worn Pilgrim's Progress as they did in those days. They kept it in the straw near the treasure, and always had it at hand to refer to. In it they seemed to find parallels for everything

"Aunt Matilda's world is the City of Destruction," Meg would say; "and our loneliness and poorness are like Christian's 'burden.' We have to carry it like a heavy weight, and it holds us back."

"What was it that Goodwill said to Christian about it?" Robin, asked.

Meg turned over the pages. She knew all the places by heart. It was easy enough to find and read