in; come, my sweet maid, come in. So he took them
to the house, and bade them sit down and rest. All in the house wore a
smile of joy to think that Christiana was on her way to The Celestial
City, and they were glad to see the young ones walk in God's ways, and
gave them a kind of clasp of the hand to show their good will. They said
soft words, too, to Mercy, and bade them all be at their ease. To fill
up the time till they could sup, Interpreter took them to see all those
things that had been shown to Christian. This done, they were led to a
room in which stood a man with a prong in his hand, who could look no
way but down on the ground; and there stood one with a crown in his
hand, which he said he would give him for his prong; yet the first man
did not look up, but went on to rake the straws, dust, and stocks which
lay on the floor.

Then said Christiana: I think I know what this means. It is a sketch of
a man of this world, is it not, good Sir?

Interpreter:--Thou art right, and his prong shows that his mind is of
the earth, and that he thinks life in the next world is a mere song;
take note that he does not so much as look up; and straws, sticks, and
dust, with most, are the great things to live for.

At that Christiana and Mercy wept, and said, Ah, yes, it is too true!

Interpreter then took them to a room where were a hen and her chicks,
and bade them look well at them for a while. So one of the chicks went
to the trough to drink, and each time she drank would she lift up her
head and her eyes to the sky.

See, said he, what this bird does, and learn of her to know whence all
good comes, and to give to the Lord who dwells on high, the praise and
thanks for it. Look once more, and see all the ways that the hen has
with her young brood. There is her call that goes on all day long; and
there is her call that comes but now and then; she has a third call
to shield them with her wings; and her fourth is a loud cry, which she
gives when she spies a foe. Now, said he, set her ways by the side of
your King's, and the ways of these chicks by the side of those who love
to do His will, and then you will see what I mean. For He has a way to
walk in with His saints. By the call that comes all day He gives nought;
by a call that is rare He is sure to have some good to give; then there
is a call, too, for those that would come to His wings, which He spreads
out to shield them; and He has a cry to warn men from those who migh