what it is. A widow indeed can show a sympathy, and
give a counsel, and speak with a weight of wisdom that one's own mother
cannot always do. All you who by God's sad dispensation are now clothed
in the "white and wimpled folds" of widowhood, let your prayer and your
endeavour day and night be that God would guide and enable you to be
widows indeed. And, if you do, you shall want neither your occupation
nor your honour.

THE ENCHANTED GROUND

"Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any
divination against Israel."--_Balaam_.

"I saw then in my dream that they went till they came into a certain
country whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy if he came a
stranger to it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy of
sleep, wherefore he said unto Christian, I do now begin to grow so drowsy
that I can scarcely hold up mine eyes; let us lie down here and take one
nap." And then when we turn to the same place in the Second Part we read
thus: "By this time they were got to the Enchanted Ground, where the air
naturally tended to make one drowsy. And that place was all grown over
with briars and thorns, excepting here and there, where was an enchanted
arbour, upon which, if a man sits, or in which if a man sleeps, 'tis a
question, say some, whether they shall ever rise or wake again in this
world. Now, they had not gone far, but a great mist and darkness fell
upon them all, so that they could scarce, for a great while, see the one
the other. Wherefore they were forced for some time to feel for one
another by words, for they walked not by sight. Nor was there on all
this ground so much as one inn or victualling-house wherein to refresh
the feebler sort. Then they came to an arbour, warm, and promising much
refreshing to the pilgrims, for it was finely wrought above head,
beautified with greens, and furnished with couches and settles. It also
had a soft couch on which the weary might lean. This arbour was called
The Slothful Man's Friend, on purpose to allure, if it might be, some of
the pilgrims there to take up their rest when weary. This, you must
think, all things considered, was tempting. I saw in my dream also that
they went on in this their solitary way till they came to a place at
which a man is very apt to lose his way. Now, though when it was light,
their guide could well enough tell how to miss those ways that led wrong,
yet in the dark he was put to a st