twice-told tales- the celestial railroad-第3章

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reverberating　thunder　filled　the　Valley　with　its　echoes。　Had　the

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

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

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

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

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

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

engine；　on　arriving　at　a　stopping…place。

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

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

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

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

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

took　occasion　to　prove　that　Tophet　has　not　even　a　metaphorical

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

sometimes　forming　themselves　into　words　almost　articulate…　would

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

draw　short　breath；　positively　emitted　smoke　from　their　mouth　and

nostrils。

　　　Among　the　idlers　about　the　train；　most　of　whom　were　puffing

cigars　which　they　had　lighted　at　the　flame　of　the　crater；　I　was

perplexed　to　notice　several　who；　to　my　certain　knowledge；　had

heretofore　set　forth　by　railroad　for　the　Celestial　City。　They　looked

dark；　wild；　and　smoky；　with　a　singular　resemblance；　indeed；　to　the

native　inhabitants；　like　whom；　also；　they　had　a　disagreeable

propensity　to　ill…natured　gibes　and　sneers；　the　habit　of　which　had

wrought　a　settled　contortion　of　their　visages。　Having　been　on　speaking

terms　with　one　of　these　persons…　an　indolent；　good…for…nothing　fellow；

who　went　by　the　name　of　Take…it…easy…　I　called　him；　and　inquired

what　was　his　business　there。

　　　〃Did　you　not　start；〃　said　I；　〃for　the　Celestial　City？〃

　　　〃That's　a　fact；〃　said　Mr。　Take…it…easy；　carelessly　puffing　some

smoke　into　my　eyes。　〃But　I　heard　such　bad　accounts；　that　I　never

took　pains　to　climb　the　hill；　on　which　the　city　stands。　No　business

doing…　no　fun　going　on…　nothing　to　drink；　and　no　smoking　allowed…

and　a　thrumming　of　church…music　from　morning　till　night！　I　would　not

stay　in　such　a　place；　if　they　offered　me　house…room　and　living　free。〃

　　　〃But；　my　good　Mr。　Take…it…easy；〃　cried　I；　〃why　take　up　your

residence　here；　of　all　places　in　the　world？〃

　　　〃Oh；〃　said　the　loafer；　with　a　grin；　〃it　is　very　warm　hereabouts；

and　I　meet　with　plenty　of　old　acquaintances；　and　altogether　the

place　suits　me。　I　hope　to　see　you　back　again；　some　day　soon。　A

pleasant　journey　to　you！〃

　　　While　he　was　speaking；　the　bell　of　the　engine　rang；　and　we　dashed

away；　after　dropping　a　few　passengers；　but　receiving　no　new　ones。

Rattling　onward　through　the　Valley；　we　were　dazzled　with　the

fiercely　gleaming　gas…lamps；　as　before。　But　sometimes；　in　the　dark

of　intense　brightness；　grim　faces；　that　bore　the　aspect　and　expression

of　individual　sins；　or　evil　passions；　seemed　to　thrust　themselves

through　the　veil　of　light；　glaring　upon　us；　and　stretching　forth　a

great　dusky　hand；　as　if　to　impede　our　progress。　I　almost　thought；　that

they　were　my　own　sins　that　appalled　me　there。　These　were　freaks　of

imagination…　nothing　more；　certainly…　mere　delusions；　which　I　ought　to

be　heartily　ashamed　of…　but；　all　through　the　Dark　Valley；　I　was

tormented；　and　pestered；　and　dolefully　bewildered；　with　the　same

kind　of　waking　dreams。　The　mephitic　gases　of　that　region　intoxicate

the　brain。　As　the　light　of　natural　day；　however；　began　to　struggle

with　the　glow　of　the　lanterns；　these　vain　imaginations　lost　their

vividness；　and　finally　vanished　with　the　first　ray　of　sunshine　that

greeted　our　escape　from　the　Valley　of　the　Shadow　of　Death。　Ere　we

had　gone　a　mile　beyond　it；　I　could　well　nigh　have　taken　my　oath；

that　this　whole　gloomy　passage　was　a　dream。

　　　At　the　end　of　the　Valley；　as　John　Bunyan　mentions；　is　a　cavern；

where；　in　his　days；　dwelt　two　cruel　giants；　Pope　and　Pagan；　who　had

strewn　the　ground　about　their　residence　with　the　bones　of

slaughtered　pilgrims。　These　vile　old　troglodytes　are　no　longer

there；　but　in　their　deserted　cave　another　terrible　giant　has　thrust

himself；　and　makes　it　his　business　to　seize　upon　honest　travellers；

and　fat　them　for　his　table　with　plentiful　meals　of　smoke；　mist；

moonshine；　raw　potatoes；　and　saw…dust。　He　is　a　German　by　birth；　and　is

called　Giant　Transcendentalist；　but　as　to　his　form；　his　features；

his　substance；　and　his　nature　generally；　it　is　the　chief　peculiarity

of　this　huge　miscreant；　that　neither　he　for　himself；　nor　anybody　for

him；　has　ever　been　able　to　describe　them。　As　we　rushed　by　the　cavern's

mouth；　we　caught　a　hasty　glimpse　of　him；　looking　somewhat　like　an

ill…proportioned　figure；　but　considerably　more　like　a　heap　of　fog

and　duskiness。　He　shouted　after　us　but　in　so　strange　a　phraseology；

that　we　knew　not　what　he　meant；　nor　whether　to　be　encouraged　or

affrighted。

　　　It　was　late　in　the　day；　when　the　train　thundered　into　the　ancient

city　of　Vanity；　where　Vanity　Fair　is　still　at　the　height　of

prosperity；　and　exhibits　an　epitome　of　whatever　is　brilliant；　gay；　and

fascinating；　beneath　the　sun。　As　I　purposed　to　make　a　considerable

stay　here；　it　gratified　me　to　learn　that　there　is　no　longer　the　want

of　harmony　between　the　townspeople　and　pilgrims；　which　impelled　the

former　to　such　lamentably　mistaken　measures　as　the　persecution　of

Christian；　and　the　fiery　martyrdom　of　Faithful。　On　the　contrary；　as

the　new　railroad　brings　with　it　great　trade　and　a　constant　influx　of

strangers；　the　lord　of　Vanity　Fair　is　its　chief　patron；　and　the

capitalists　of　the　city　are　among　the　largest　stockholders。　Many

passengers　stop　to　take　their　pleasure　or　make　their　profit　in　the

Fair；　instead　of　going　onward　to　the　Celestial　City。　Indeed；　such

are　the　charms　of　the　place；　that　people　often　affirm　it　to　be　the

true　and　only　heaven；　stoutly　contending　that　there　is　no　other；

that　those　who　seek　further　are　mere　dreamers；　and　that；　if　the　fabled

brightness　of　the　Celestial　City　lay　but　a　bare　mile　beyond　the

gates　of　Vanity；　they　would　not　be　fools　enough　to　go　thither。　Without

subscribing　to　these；　perhaps；　exaggerated　encomiums；　I　can　truly　say；

that　my　abode　in　the　city　was　mainly　agreeable；　and　my　intercourse

with　the　inhabitants　productive　of　much　amusement　and　instruction。

　　　Being　naturally　of　a　serious　turn；　my　attention　was　directed　to　the

solid　advantages　derivable　from　a　residence　here；　rather　than　to　the

effervescent　pleasures；　which　are　the　grand　object　with　too　many

visitants。　The　Christian　reader；　if　he　have　no　accounts　of　the　city

later　than　Bunyan's　time；　will　be　surprised　to　hear　that　almost

every　street　has　its　church；　and　that　the　reverend　clergy　are

nowhere　held　in　higher　respect　than　at　Vanity　Fair。　And　well　do　they

deserve　such　honorable　estimation；　for　the　maxims　of　wisdom　and　virtue

which　fall　from　their　lips；　come　from　as　deep　a　spiritual　source；

and　tend　to　as　lofty　a　religious　aim；　as　those　of　the　sagest

philosophers　of　old。　In