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The Celestial Railroad
Thesewerefreaksofimagination—nothingmore,certainly-meredelusions,whichIoughttobeheartilyashamedof;butallthroughtheDarkValleyIwastormented,andpestered,anddolefullybewilderedwiththesamekindofwakingdreams.Themephiticgasesofthatregionintoxicatethebrain.Asthelightofnaturalday,however,begantostrugglewiththeglowofthelanterns,thesevainimaginationslosttheirvividness,andfinallyvanishedfromthefirstrayofsunshinethatgreetedourescapefromtheValleyoftheShadowofDeath.ErewehadgoneamilebeyonditIcouldwell-nighhavetakenmyoaththatthiswholegloomypassagewasadream.
Attheendofthevalley,asJohnBunyanmentions,isacavern,where,inhisdays,dwelttwocruelgiants,PopeandPagan,whohadstrownthegroundabouttheirresidencewiththebonesofslaughteredpilgrims.Thesevileoldtroglodytesarenolongerthere;butintotheirdesertedcaveanotherterriblegianthasthrusthimself,andmakesithisbusinesstoseizeuponhonesttravellersandfattenthemforhistablewithplentifulmealsofsmoke,mist,moonshine,rawpotatoes,andsawdust.HeisaGermanbybirth,andiscalledGiantTranscendentalist;butastohisform,hisfeatures,hissubstance,andhisnaturegenerally,itisthechiefpeculiarityofthishugemiscreantthatneitherheforhimself,noranybodyforhim,haseverbeenabletodescribethem.Aswerushedbythecavern’smouthwecaughtahastyglimpseofhim,lookingsomewhatlikeanill-proportionedfigure,butconsiderablymorelikeaheapoffogandduskiness.
