all things so brought it
about that Christian escaped out of their hands, who should come forth
and join him at the upward gate of the city but just Hopeful, who not
only joined himself to the lonely pilgrim, but told him also that there
were many more of the men of the city who would take their time and
follow after. And thus, adds his biographer, when one died to make his
testimony to the truth, another rose up out of his ashes to be a
companion to Christian.

When Madame Krudener was getting her foot measured by a pietist
shoemaker, she was so struck with the repose and the sweetness and the
heavenly joy of the poor man's look and manner that she could not help
but ask him what had happened to him that he had such a look on his
countenance and such a light in his eye. She was miserable, though she
had all that heart could wish. She had all that made her one of the most
envied women in Europe; she had birth, talents, riches, rank, and the
friendship of princes and princesses, and yet she was of all women the
most miserable. And here was a poor chance shoemaker whose whole heart
was running over with a joy such that all her wealth could not purchase
to her heart one single drop of it. The simple soul soon told her his
secret; it was no secret: it was just Jesus Christ who had done it all.
And thus her poor shoemaker's happy face was the means of this great
lady's conversion. And, in like manner, it was the beholding of
Christian and Faithful in their words and in their behaviour at the fair
that decided Hopeful to join himself to Christian and henceforth to be
his companion.

What were the things, asked Christian of his young companion, that first
led you to leave off the vanities of the fair and to think to be a
pilgrim? Many things, replied Hopeful. Sometimes if I did but meet a
good man in the street. Or if mine head began unaccountably, or mine
heart, to ache. Or if some one of my companions became suddenly sick. Or
if I heard the bell toll that some one was dead. But, especially, when I
thought of myself that I must quickly come to judgment. And then it is
told in the best style of the book how peace and rest and the beginning
of true satisfaction came to poor Hopeful's heart at last. But you must
promise me to read the passage for yourselves before you sleep to-night;
and to read it again and again till, like Hopeful's, your heart also is
full of joy, and your eyes full of tears, and your affection