New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-03-24
From tic london HId1uhIed NsWf
THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.
pY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

pla gYat building houses with the scattereu
frat .nents Of marble, when, on the hiii-hue pe
low them, they heard a roar OF laugn1er' noS
mirthful, but slow, and even solemn, IKE a wiho
shaking the bows of the forest, ,,r..,.
(" Father what is that? 2" asked the nttie boy,
leaving his play, and pressing betw'xt MS fa-
TIERS knees.
q Oh some reyeller, l suppose answered the
lime 'hnr ,ve :. some merry fellow from the bar
room in the village, who dared not laugh loud
enough within doors, lest he should blow the
roof Of the house off So, here he is, shaking
his jolly sides at the foot Of Graylock."
sBut, father" said the child, more sensitive
than the obtuse, middle-aged clown, he does
not laugh like man that is glad; so the noise
frightens mel"
Don't be a fool, child" cried the father,
gruiily you will never make a man, do be-
leye; there is too much Of your mother in you
l have known the rustlDg Of leaf to startle
her. Hark, here comes that merry fellow now
You shall see that there is no harm in him.
Bartram and his little son, while they were
talking thus, sat watching the lime-k kiln. 1t
was rude, round, tower-like structure, about
twenty feet high, heavily built of rough stones,
and with hillock of earth heaped about the
larger part of its circumference, so that the
blocks and fragments of marble might be drawn
by cart loads and thrown in at the top. There
was an opening at the bottom Of the tower, like
an oven mouth, but large enough to admit
man in STOPPING posture, and provided with
massive iron door. With the smoke and jets Of
flame issuing from the chinks and crevices OF
this door, which seemed to give Abundance INTO
the hill side, it resemblcd nothing so much as
the private entrance to the internal regions,
Which the shepherds Of the Delectable Noun
tains we're accustomed to show to pilgrims.
There are many such lime kilns in that tract
of country, for the purpose Of burning the white
marble which composes large part OF the sub
stance Of the hills. Some Of them, built years
ago, and long deserted, with weeds growing IN
the vacant ground Of the interior, which is open
to the skv. and grass and wild flowers roofing
themselves into the chinks Of the stones, look
already like relics of antiquity, and may yet be
overspread with the lichens Of centuries to
come Others, where the lime-burner still feeds
his daily and nghtlong fire, afford points oil IN
terest to the wanderer among the hills, VINO
seats himself on log of wood or fragment OF
marble, to hold chat with the solitary man.
1t is O lonesome, and, when the character is In
clined to thought, may be an intensely thought
full occupation, as it proved in the case OF Etilan
Brand, who had unused to strange purpose, II
days gone by, while the fire in this very KIN
was burning
The man who now watched the fire was of Q
different order, and troubled himself with NJ
thoughts save the very few that were requisite
to his business. At frequent intervals he hung
back the clashing weight Of the iron door, and
turning his face from the insufterable glare
thrust in huge logs Of oak, or stirred the i'm
mense brands with long pole. Within the fur
mace were seen the curling and riotous flames
and the burning marble, almost molten with tn
intensity Of the heat; while without, the refec
ton of the fire quiyered on the dark intricacy o
the surrounding forest, and showed in the fore
ground bright and rudy little picture of thu
hut the spring beside its door, the athletic AM
coal-begrimed figure Of the lme-burner, an
the half-frightened child, shrinking into tn
protection Of his fathers shadow. And whe
again the iron door was closed, then re-appear
ed the tender light of the half-full moon, who
vainly stroye to trace out the indistinct shape
of the neighboring mountains; and, in the W
per sky, there was a fitting congregation
clouds, still family tinged with the rosy sunse
though thus far down into the valley the sur
shine had vanished long and long ago.
The little boy now crept still closer to b
father, as footsteps were heard ascending II
hih side, and human form thrust aside IL
bushes that clustered beneath the trees.
Halloo who is it !" cried the lime burne
vexed at his sons timidity, yet half infected
it. "Come forward and show yourself like
man, or I'll fling this chunk of marble at yo'
head"
You offer me rough welcome" said
gloom. voice, as the unknown man drew nigl
ystvppssither claim nor desire kinder on
ever atmy own Preside"
To obtain a distincter view, Bartram thrt
open the iron door of the kiln, whence mmed
ately issued gush of fierce light that smo
full upon the strangers face and inquire. 10
careless eye there appeared nothing very r
markable in his aspect, which was that OF
man in coarse, brown, country made SUIT
Clothes tall and thin, with the staff and hea
shoes Of q wayfarer. As he advanced he fix
his eyes-which were very bright-intent
upon the brightness of the furnace, as if he !
held, OF expected to behold, some object wort
of note within it.
''Good evening, stranger said the lime bnr
or; "whence come you so late In the day z
II come from my search" answered the wa
farer, SC for, at last, it is finished"
"Drupk or crazyr' muttered Bartram
himself. "I shall have trouble with the
low The sooner drive him away the bettel
The little boy, all in a tremble, whispered
his father, and begged him to shut the door
the kiln, so that there might not be so mu
light, for that there was something in the ma
face which he was afraid to look at, yet col
not look away from. And, indeed, even 4
lime burners dull and torpid sense began to
impressed with an ndescribable something
that thin, rugged, thoughtful visage, with
grizzled hair hanging wildly about it, and tn
deeply sunken eyes, which cleaned like Fl
within the entrance of q mysterious cave
But, as he closed the door, the stranger turf
toward him, and spoke in quiet, familiar W
that made Bartram feel as if he were s
and sensible man after all.
" our TASK draws 10 an Gnu, L eee, Suiu
This marble has already been burning til
days, A few hours more will convert the st
to lime" =.
"Why, who are youp' exclaimed the Ii
burner You seem as well acquainted v
my business as / am myself
"And welllI may be-" said the stranger;
/ followed the same craft many long "
and here, too, on this very spot. But you
new conner in these parts. Did you ever h
of Ethan Brand J"
1.-The man that went in search Of the
pardonable Sin :" asked Bartram with lau
The same,' answered the stranger. $
has found what he sought, and therefore
comes back again"
.What then! are you Ethan Brand /
self?' cried the lime-burner, in amazement.
am a new conner here, as you say, and they
it eighteen years since you left the foot OF III
lock. But, can tell you, the good folks
talk about Ethan Brand in the village yon
and what strange errand took him away
his lime-kiln. Well, and 80 you have found
objectionable Sin p
s'Even So" said the stranger calmly.
elf the question is fair one," proce
Bartram, "where might it be p
Ethan Brand laid his finger on his own III
Heres' replied he.
And then, without mirth in his counter;