The City of Reputation.

While lying on my lounge one gloomy afternoon, lazily watching the flicker of the firelight, and musing on all sorts of strange subjects, wondering how so many doctors went unhung, how so many authors escaped deserved starvation, how so many divines became such excellent dancers, I was roused by a gentle knock at my door. Supposing it to be some prowling student, who had a spare hour to waste with some unfortunate, I shouted, come in, in a voice never particularly melodious, but on this occasion so gruff that though it said come in, it implied pretty distinctly that the visitor had better stay out. However the door slowly opened, and to my surprise, in walked a man whose ancient dress and calm features plainly showed that he was of a generation long since gone, and gladly forgotten by many perhaps, but whose stern devotion and brave hearts, have rendered them immortal in the annals of the church. There was no mistaking the quiet composure of that face. My strange visitant could be no other than John Bunyan, the man, who had found those "that did talk pleasantly of religion." I offered him a seat, not a little abashed, but the simple courtesy of his manners soon reassured me, and I cagerly listened to hear what he might have to say. Moreover a strange boldness began to come over me prompting me to a loquacity which I fear was not altogether becoming in one so young, insomuch that when the Dreamer asked me if many journeyed from these parts to the Celestial city now-a-days, I replied that many did professedly set out thitherward, but mistook for it the city of Reputation which had been founded by a colony sent out from Vanity-Fair. At this the Dreamer seemed a little pained but only remarking that he had heard something of that city in his own times, he drew from his pocket an antique book, bound with strong leather and fastened with a rude iron clasp. At first I thought it might be an old copy of the "Pilgrim's Progress," but presently I saw on the back in old fashioned letters, with f instead of s, 66 History of the World." Putting this in my hands he desired me to turn over and read to him what was said therein about the city to which I had alluded. As I turned over leaf after leaf hastily scanning the pages, I could not help thinking how different it was from any history that I had ever seen before. I could find nothing of Babylon, or Athens, or Rome. Nothing was said of Egypt or Persia, or any

of those kingdoms which figure so largely in ordinary histories, but instead of these page after page was devoted to the kingdom of Riches which seemed to have been one of the most powerful. There were many stories of persons who had set out from the town of Poverty and emigrated to the above mentioned kingdom. Some of these had encountered obstacles put in their way by those who already dwelt in the country of Riches, and struggled against them cursing most bitterly, but it seemed that when these very people had attained their journey's end, they were the ones most fond of hindering those who came after. I also noticed that there was a good deal said about the city of Social-influence, and it seemed that many set out from the town of Low-degree, to go thither in the hope of bettering their condition. It would have been amusing to read the quaint account which the book gave of the expedients which these pilgrims resorted to in order to get over the route. It should be noticed that this city was the metropolis of the kingdom of Riches, and its streets were paved, with dollars, and broad pieces of gold, which every pilgrim had to bring with him. In order to get these, some mixed up queer drugs and sold for sovereign remedies, others collected tin-ware and went around exchanging it for rags, others still held traffic in a celebrated kind of fish, and the book said that there would have been nothing derogatory in these last two occupations to those who had engaged in them, if they had not told such abominable falshoods to conceal the fact, and affected such extreme disgust for their less fortunate fellow travellers whom they had left behind. But as I noticed my visitor growing impatient, I hastened to find what was said of the city of Reputation. It was one of the oldest in the world, and almost all who journeyed to the temple of Fame passed through it, but many stopped there unable to get any further. Those who lived here enjoyed many attentions not granted to other people, and also had to submit to much extra inconvenience. But all found it so pleasant a residence on the whole, that they would make any sacrifice rather than move away, and, such was the glitter of its turret tops and spires, that multitudes seeing them from an immense distance, rushed frantically forward on the road thither. Perhaps it ought to be told here, that many who entered the city and climbed to the loftiest pinnacles of the temples and castles fell down headlong to the ground, but they always got up with less breath to be sure, but a great deal more wisdom then they possessed before. But notwithstanding such casual

ties as these, there were constantly to be seen men of all professions trooping thitherward. There were scholars who filled their lamps with their life-blood in order the better to see their way. There were lawyers, who finding their consciences burdensome, threw them aside in order to get forward more swiftly. There were ministers who coined the word of God into a lie, and bought therewith pulpits cushioned with flattery, in this city of their desire. There were authors too who wrote infamous lies, defending all sorts of villiany, that those engaged in it might lend them a hand, on their journey. There was much more in the book, respecting these, but some of it I have forgotten, and another portion interested me much more. It appeared that the city of Reputation was built near the boundary line which runs between the districts of Youth and Manhood. Formerly it was wholly within the district of Manhood, but in later times it has extended quite a distance into the province of Youth, and it was the description of the students quarters in this part of the city which interested me most, for I had known some who were dwelling in this very place. What astonished me most however, was that although the book seemed old, yet its descriptions were applicable, almost without exception, to those who in later times set out for Reputation, but the reader must judge for himself. There was it seemed in the Student's quarter various eligible stopping places, among which the most celebrated were De Forest Castle and Valedictory Corner, but it was vaguely hinted by some that this latter is barely out of sight of the valley of the shadow of death. Indeed some have thought that the whole city of Reputation was not far from it. But notwithstanding these stories, many paid out their health very liberally in order to get lodging at these places. There were also many other localities much striven for, and to secure a residence in any of the dwellings on Prize Row was thought very desirable.. Then there was Scholarship square, which was affirmed by many to be a pleasanter neighborhood than Prize Row even, at any rate there were some very aristocratic people who sometimes stopped there, among whom were Mr. Stupidity, Mr. Clownishness, Mr. Arrogance, and many others.

But those who advocated Prize Row, referred loftily to Mr. Selfconceit, Mr. Skin-well, and Mr. Bombast, gentlemen of the most distinguished parts. Besides the gentlemen who actually dwelt in the above-mentioned situations, there was a vast number who came

to the city and took private rooms a little more retired. There was one street just back of Prize Row called Sent-up Avenue, which was a favorite resort of these gentry. Rumor said that they possessed vast treasures of intellectual wealth, amply sufficient to put them in possession of the most expensive dwellings on Prize Row, Scholarship Square, or even to rent De Forest Castle itself; but either an aversion to any ungentlemanly display, or an excessive love of retirement, induced them to remain in Sent-up Avenue There was still another part of the Student's quarter in the good city of Reputation, much sought after. This was Good-fellow's Place. Those who resided here were not at first recognized by such stars as Mr. Clownishness, or Mr. Self-conceit, but after a while it usually came out that they had a tremendous amount of innate talent. They had read largely and thought profoundly, to say nothing of their being the "best hearted fellows in the world."

As I was rattling off page after page of the book to my companion, of which the above are the barest hints, I came suddenly upon a paper nicely folded and pressed, which I was requested to open. То my surprise it was a collection of extracts from the diaries of Mr. Stupidity, Mr. Skin-well and others, which they had kept whilst on their journey to Reputation. I was much gratified at the discovery, for I was longing to know how they ever endured the fatigues of so arduous a pilgrimage.

Mr. Stupidity, it seems, had found the road very difficult at first. He had been obliged to sit up night after night reading translations, and poring over his lessons, and then he frequently found himself at fault. He never meddled with anything aside from his regular studies, but plodded straight forward in them. He was of the opinion that Shakespeare was commander-in-chief at Agincourt, and thought it probable that Dr. Johnson was a very good physician.

Mr. Clownishness and Mr. Arrogance were men of a different mould. They had intellect enough, but the one, while remembering his Euclid, had forgotten his manners, and the other had forgotten everything except that he dwelt on Scholarship Square, in the city of Reputation. It ought to be said however in justice to all, that these were not the only dwellers on the Square, but Mr. Modesty, Mr. Real-worth, and many other worthy gentlemen, also took up their abode there.

Mr. Skin-well in his pilgrimage had been sore put to it, sometimes. But he had collected all the information that he could rela

tive to the subjects of his compositions, and so dexterously had he interwoven the thoughts and language of others, that at length he began to believe that he was quite original. Every one spoke highly of Mr. Skin-well. He possessed extraordinary talent for description, and besides, he wrote with such astonishing rapidity that there was no doubt but he possessed a mind of the first order. Mr. Bombast, too, was held in high repute, and the large silver 1, on his door in Prize Row, indicated that his next move might be into De Forest Castle. He too had some difficulty on his journey. Some very malicious persons had said that his writings were too vapory, and would never admit him among the Self-conceits, and the Skin-wells. But the sequel showed that Mr. Bombast was not a man, at least in his own estimation, to be trifled with. Mr. Self-conceit had gone forward from the first with the utmost confidence. Yet some had been disposed to throw obstacles even in his way to the town. He had also met with some rather sudden mishaps to be sure, but as a gen. eral thing he had made the journey with a good deal of composure.

As for those who lived on Sent-up Avenue, and in Good-fellow's Place, they fared badly enough at first. They floundered about in the little society puddles which they found in the road, trying hard to convince those around that they too were going to the city of Reputation. They talked loudly and long whenever the Pilgrims met for any purpose, and blustered around when marshalls were to be chosen, but it was of no avail, and they began to lag.

At length however they hit upon the happy expedient of suggesting oysters and brandy-punches to some of their more powerful companions, whereupon it was immediately discovered that great injustice had been done them. They were hoisted on the shoulders of those able to run with them, and carried rapidly forward toward the city of their hopes, with nothing else to do but to hand down the oysters and brandy. When they were well within the city, and every body was wondering, it was loudly proclaimed that they had applied for residences on Prize Row, but after these apartments had all been assigned to others, owing to some misunderstanding, as many as could took lodgings in Sent-up Avenue, and the others, out of sheer carelessness, quartered in Good-fellows Place.

A great many of the inhabitants of Reputation were of the above stamp, and had got there by hook and crook of truly strange construction. But it was pleasant to find, on reading a little farther, that besides Mr. Modesty, and Mr. Real-worth, there abode there