[Gutenberg 61280] • The Young Pilgrim: A Tale Illustrative of "The Pilgrim's Progress"

This volume is from 1874.

From the Preface:

It may perhaps be necessary to give a brief explana-

tion of the object of this little work. It has

been written as a Child's Companion to the

Pilgrim's Progress. That invaluable work is

frequently put into youthful hands long before the mind

can unravel the deep allegory which it contains ; and thus

its precious lessons are lost, and it is only perused as

an amusing tale.

I would offer my humble work as a kind of transla-

tion, the term which was applied to it by a little boy

to whom I was reading it in manuscript — a translation of

ideas beyond youthful comprehension into the common

language of daily life. I would tell the child, through

the medium of a simple tale, that Bunyan's dream is a

solemn reality, that the feet of the young may tread the

pilgrim's path, and press on to the pilgrim's reward.

I earnestly wish that I had been able more completely

to carry out the object set before me; but difficulties

have arisen from the very nature of my work. I have

been obliged to make mine a very free translation, full

both of imperfections and omissions. This is more

especially the case where subjects are treated of in the

Pilgrim's Progress which concern the deeper experience

of the soul. Of fearful inward struggles and tempta-

tions, such as befell the author of that work, the gloom

and horrors of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, the

little ones who early set out on pilgrimage usually know

but little. They find the stepping-stones across the

Slough of Despond, and are rarely seized by Giant

Despair. It would be worse than useless to represent

the Christian pilgrimage as more gloomy and painful

than children are likely to find it.

There are other valuable parts of the Pilgrim's Pro-

gress, such as the sojourn in the House Beautiful, which

is believed by many to represent Christian communion,

which could hardly be enlarged upon in a design like

mine; while the present altered appearance of Vanity

Fair has compelled me to wander still further from my

original, if I would draw a picture that could be recog-

nized at the present day, and be useful to the rising

generation.

Such as it is, I earnestly pray the Lord of pilgrims to

vouchsafe his blessing on my little work. To point out

to His dear children the holy guiding light which marks

the strait gate and the narrow path of life, and bid

them God speed on their way, is an office which I most

earnestly desire, yet of which I feel myself unworthy.

I may at least hope to lead my young readers to a nobler

instructor, to induce them to peruse with greater interest

and deeper profit the pages of the Pilgrim's Progress,

and to apply to their own characters and their own lives

the precious truths conveyed in that allegory.

A. L. 0. E.