The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-10-17
FL Grip
Ubrougb Europe
6p
Rev. Jobn Gibson.
.N~N~N>N

18th myself, Florence, Mrs. Evans,
and Mr.. T. D. Cook, left Dunstable
by train for Bedford, the town made
memorable forever by the immortal
dreamer John Bunyan. Here the
"Pilgrims Progress" one of the best
known books was written, a. book
which has charmed the imagination
of the young, delighted the hearts
of the aged, and afforded spiritual
help to all who have read it for over
two hundred years. It is today a
religious classic, read around the
world. This is the highest miracle
of genius that the imaginations of
one mind should become the person
al recollections of another; and this
miracle the tinker has wrought.
There is no ascent, no decl;vity, no
resting place, no turnstile, with
which we are not perfectly acquaint-
ed" So said Lord Macauley, and it
is we'll said.
Having read this great work
several times, and given Sabbath
evening lectures upon it, we had
long purposed that when the oppor-
tunity presented we would visit the
shrines of Bunyan at Elstow and
Bedford. Therefore we started on
this day OF anticipated pleasure and
profit with great delight. We were
highly favored in having as our
guide for the day, T. D. Cook Esq,
our host Mr.. Cook is a lively
young man of eighty years. He
proved an excellent leader manifest
ing much vitality, activity, and en-
durance, for one SO young. Having
lived in the county all his long life
and taken an intelligent interest in
all that belonged to Bunyan history,
he knew the things we desired to
see and know, like a book. He was
a walking encyclopedia of Bunyan
information.
After leaving the train at Bed
ford we walked to the village of
Elstow, about one mile. Here we
first visited the Bunyan cottage, a
small, quaint cottage. by the road
side containing four small rooms.
We entered, got some refreshments
and purchased some, souvenirs.
Very little of the material that was
in the cottage in John Bunyan' s day
| is there now. The oak beams that
support the upper floors, are about
six feet from the first floor, making
low rooms. These beams are about
all that is left of the original cottage,
the style and form being retained,
Someone has said that the Bunyan
cottage of today, is like the
boys jack knife, which had belonged
to his grandfather, which he showed
with pride to his comrades as his
ancient sires knife. The knife had
changed its blades several times, and
it's haft twice or thrice, still it was
his grandfather's knife. So with the
Bunyan cottage of our day, all except
it's oak beams and stone floor slabs.
1t has little dormer windows in the
red tiled roof.
AS we sat in this humble cottage
we shought of the wonderful provi-
dence, that had raised here burn
ing and shining light in the person
of lowly peasant, whose light and
influence have not waned, but waxed
more and more with the lapse of
time. Once a peasant, always a
peasant, is not true even of old Eng
land. AS in our own beloved United
States, many of the most renowned
sons of Great Britain began life in
lOWly homes.
We visited the old Moot Hall on
the village green, a unique structure,
that remains the same as in the DAYS
of Bunyan, and in which some of his
first sermons were preached. It is
still preaching station, supplied by
the Congregational church of the
Bunyan meeting house, of which DR..
John Brown, the author of the best
life OF Bunyan, is the pastor.
We entered and visited the build
ing add satin the pulpit. The car
penters were repairing the internal
part of the cid hall when we were
there. On the green on which the
hall stands John Bunyan had played
the old English game OF ip-cat,
sometimes on the Sabbath, which
afterwards troubled his tender con