They then began their perilous journey. The dark pit through which they were to pass was the shape of an immense funnel, or a cone turned upside down. It was so large that it reached from the surface down to the very centre of the earth; so that though it was as twilight where they entered, and was quite wide and airy, yet as they slowly travelled down its rocky sides the place grew darker and narrower, and the air more stifling, and the smell was worse than anything of which you have ever dreamed. At times Dante nearly fainted, but Virgil put his arms around him and held him up until he revived. I will not stop to tell you of all the horrible experiences they went through. By and by, when you grow to be men and women, you can read the whole poem for yourselves. At last they reached the bottom of the foul pit; it was the very centre of the earth, and was the darkest spot possible. Then they began to climb through a narrow opening which they saw. They wanted to get to the surface on the other side of the world, and again see the light of the sun. Dante felt as if he were escaping from a terrible plague-stricken prison-house. The first things he looked at were four beautiful stars shining far above his head; then he knew he was where he could get fresh air and light, for he felt sure that where stars were to be seen air and light could be found. They soon discovered that they were on a large island, in the middle of which stood a great mountain. This, Virgil told Dante was the mountain which they would have to climb. It was Easter morning! As they were looking about them, not knowing exactly which way to turn, they saw an old man with a long white beard. His face was so radiant that it reminded Dante of the stars at which he had been gazing. The old man told them where to go to begin the ascent of the mountain. But he said that Virgil must first get the grim and dirt off of Dante. You know we can not very well go into dirty places without having some of the cinders and ashes and other filth stick to us. He also kindly told them where they could find some easily bent rushes which they could use to gird up Dante’s long cloak, so that he might climb the better. I think it must have been the old man’s kindness to the many strangers who came to the island that caused his face to look so beaming as to remind Dante of the stars. Poor Dante thought over all his past life, how he had wandered away from his home, how he had found himself in the gloomy woods, how he had met the fierce beasts, and last of all he thought of the blackening dirt he had gotten on himself in coming through the deep hole. Then he thought of his rescue from all these evils, and the tears rolled down his cheeks. Virgil spread his hands out upon the grass, still wet with dew from heaven, and with the moisture thus gained he washed Dante’s face. The tears Dante was shedding helped also to wash away the dirt.