ge me." "Well," said the other, "you know your sore, and I know
mine; and, good friend, we shall all have enough evil before we come to
our journey's end." And soon after that, of all places on the upward
way, Mercy's evil began at the Wicket Gate. "I have a companion," said
Christiana, "that stands without. One that is much dejected in her mind,
for that she comes, as she thinks, without sending for; whereas I was
sent to by my husband's King." So the porter opened the gate and looked
out; but Mercy was fallen down in a swoon, for she fainted and was afraid
that the gate would not be opened to her. "O sir," she said, "I am
faint; there is scarce life left in me." But he answered her that one
once said, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my
prayer came in into Thee, into Thy holy temple. Fear not, but stand up
upon thy feet, and tell me wherefore thou art come." "I am come, sir,
into that for which I never was invited, as my friend Christiana was. Her
invitation was from the Lord, and mine was but from her. Wherefore, I
fear that I presume." Then said he to those that stood by, "Fetch
something and give it to Mercy to smell on, thereby to stay her
fainting." So they fetched her a bundle of myrrh, and a while after she
revived.--Let young communicants be content with Mercy's invitation. She
started for the City just because she liked to be beside a good woman who
was starting thither. She wished to help a good woman who was going
thither; and just a little desire began at first to awaken in her heart
to go to the city too. Till, having once set her face to go up, one
thing after another worked together to lead her up till she, too, had her
life full of those invitations and experiences and interests and
occupations and enjoyments that make Mercy's name so memorable, and her
happy case such an example and such an inspiration, to all God-fearing
young women especially.

5. John Bunyan must be held responsible for the strong dash of romance
that he so boldly throws into Mercy's memoirs. But I shall postpone Mr.
Brisk and his love-making and his answer to another lecture. I shall not
enter on Mercy's love matters here at all, but shall leave them to be
read at home by those who like to read romances. Only, since we have
seen so much of Mercy as a maiden, one longs to see how she turned out as
a wife. I can only imagine how Mercy turned out as a wife; but there is
a picture of a Sc