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The Celestial Railroad
Smooth-it-away,"isthefamousSloughofDespond—adisgracetoalltheneighborhood;andthegreaterthatitmightsoeasilybeconvertedintofirmground."
"Ihaveunderstood,"saidI,"thateffortshavebeenmadeforthatpurposefromtimeimmemorial.Bunyanmentionsthatabovetwentythousandcartloadsofwholesomeinstructionshadbeenthrowninherewithouteffect."
"Veryprobably!Andwhateffectcouldbeanticipatedfromsuchunsubstantialstuff?"criedMr.Smooth-it-away."Youobservethisconvenientbridge.Weobtainedasufficientfoundationforitbythrowingintothesloughsomeeditionsofbooksofmorality,volumesofFrenchphilosophyandGermanrationalism;tracts,sermons,andessaysofmodernclergymen;extractsfromPlato,Confucius,andvariousHindoosagestogetherwithafewingeniouscommentariesupontextsofScripture,—allofwhichbysomescientificprocess,havebeenconvertedintoamasslikegranite.Thewholebogmightbefilledupwithsimilarmatter."
Itreallyseemedtome,however,thatthebridgevibratedandheavedupanddowninaveryformidablemanner;and,inspiteofMr.Smooth-it-away’stestimonytothesolidityofitsfoundation,Ishouldbeloathtocrossitinacrowdedomnibus,especiallyifeachpassengerwereencumberedwithasheavyluggageasthatgentlemanandmyself.Neverthelesswegotoverwithoutaccident,andsoonfoundourselvesatthestationhouse.
