Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-19
The objectionable Sin.
BIZ NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

solemn, like a wind shaking the boughs of
the forest.
"Father, what is that" asked the little boy,
leaving his play, and pressing betwixt his
fathers knees.
"Oh, some reveller 1 suppose" answered
the lime-burner; "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 of. SO,
here he is, shaking his jolly sides at the foot
of Graylock."
"But 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 me!'
DON'T lie fool, child,'' cried the farmer,
gruf1y; "you will never make 4 man, do
believe: there is too much of y6ur mother in
you. / have known the rushing Of leaf to
startle her. Hark here comes that merry
fellow now. You shall see that there is no
harm in him."
Bertram and his little son, while they were
talking thus, sat watching the lime-kiln. 1t
was a rude, round, tower-like structure,
about twenty feet high. heavily built ofrough
stones, and with a Lillock of earth heaped
about the large 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
DOtiOui VI tic lOhti, ilhc oil OHth lilOubh: p"S
large enough to admit man in STOPPING
posture, and provided with massive iron
door. With the smoke and jets of fame issu-
ing from the chinks and crevices Of this door,
which seemed to give admittance into the
hillside it resembled nothing much as the
private entrance to the Internal regions,
which the shepherds of the Detachable Noun
tains were accustomed to show to pilgrims.
There are many such lime-kilns III that
g of Err nJnfT
the white marble, which composes large
part of the substance of the hills. Some of
them, bnIlt years ago, and long deserted.
with weeds growing i'll the vacant ground of
the interior, which is open to the sky, and
grass and wild flowers roofing themselves
into the chinks of the stones look already like
relics of antiquity and may yet be oversprcad
with the lichens of centuries to come.
Others, while the lime burner still feeds his
daily and night long fire afford points of inter-
ct to the wanderer among the hills, who seats
himself on "a log of wood or a fragment of
marble. to hold Chat with the solitary man.
1t is a lonesome, and when the character is
inclined to thought, may be an intensely
thoughtful occupation, as it proved in the
cases of Ethan Brand, who had unused to
some purpose, il days gone by, while the fire
in this very kiln was burning.
The man who now watched the fire was of
different order, and troubled himself with
no thoughts save the very few that were
requisite to his business. At frequent inter-
walls, he flung back the clashing weight of the
iron door, and turning his face from the
insufferable glare, thrust in huge logs of oak,
or stirred the immense brands with long
pole. Within the furnace were seen the
curling and riotOus flames, and the burning
marble. almost molten with the intensity of
the heat; while without. the reflection of the
fire quinced on the dark intricacy of the
surrounding forest, and showed in the
foreground bright and ruddy little picture
of the hut, the spring beside its door, the
athletic and cOal-begrimed figure of the lime
burner and the half-frightened child, shrink
ing into the protection Of his fathers shadow.
And when again the iron door was closed,
then re-appcared the tender light of the half
full moon, which vainly strove to trace out
the indistinct shapes of the neighboring
mountains; and in the upper sky, there was a
fitting congregation OF clouds, still family
t;ngcd with the rosy sunset, though this far
down into the valley the sunshine had van
ished long and long ago.
The little boy now crept still closer to his
father, as footsteps were heard ascending the
hillside, and human form thrust aside the
bushes that clustered beneath the trees.
'.Halloo who is it p cried the lime-burner,
vcxed at his sons timdity yet half infected
by it. 'Come forward and show yourself like
a man, or I'll fling this chunk of marble at
your head"
''You offer me a rough welcome" said a
gloomy voice as the unknown man grew nigh:
''yet I'll neither claim nor desire a kinder
one. even at my own fireside."
To obtain a distincter view. Bertram threw
open the iron door of the kiln, whence i'm
mediateiy issued gush of fierce light that
smote full upon the strangers face and figure.
To careless eye there appeared nothing very
remarkable in his aspect, which was that of a
man i'll a coarse, brown, countrywide suit OF
clothes, tall and thin, with the staff and hea-
Wy shoes of a wayfarer. AS he advanced he
fixed his eyes-which were very bright-in-
tently upon the brightness of the furnace. as
if he beheld or expected to behold, some OBJ
ject worthy of note within il.
Good evening, stranger" said the lime
burner, ''whence come you so late in the
day ~
Il come from my search" answered the
wayfarer, for. at last, it is flushed"
Drunk or crazy'' muttered Bertram to
himself; Il shall have trouble with the fellow.
The sooner drive him away the better"
The little boy. all i'll tremble, whispered
to his father, and begged him to shut the
door of the kiln, so that there might not be
as much light, for that there was something
in the mans face which he was afraid To look
at, yet could not look away from. And. in
deed, even the lime burners dull and torpid
sense began to be impressed with an indescri-
bable something in that thin, rugged. thought.
full visage, with the griZzled hair hanging
wildly about it, and those dceply-sunken eyes
whIck cleaned like fires within the entrance
of a mysterious cavern. But, rs he closed the
door, the stranger turned toward him, and
spoke in quiet. familiar way, that made Ber
tram feel as if he were sane and sensible
man after all.
your task draws to an end, | see," said he
This marble has already been burning tire,
stone into lime"
why, who are you?' exclaimed the lime
burner. You seem well acquainted with
my business as am myself
"And well may be, )" said the stranger: "fOl
| followed the same craft many long year
and here. too, on this very spot But yoJ
are new conner in these parts Did you evel
hear OF Ethan Brandt"
1.-The man that went in search of the I'm
pardonble SIM" asked Bertram with laugh
"rhe same" answered the stranger. III,
has found what he sought, aud, therefore, h
comes back again."
''Whatl then you are Ethan Brand himself?'
cried the lime-burner in amazcment. II All
! a new conner here, as you say, and they cal
ii eighteen years since you left the foot o
| Gray lock. But, can tell you, the good folk
still talk about Ethan Brand in the villag
yonder, and what strange errand took hin
from his lime-kiln. Well, and so you hav
found the objectionable Sin :"
Even So" said the stranger calmly.
eli the question is a fair one" proceede,
| Bertram ''where might il bel"
Ethan Brand laid his finger on his owl
| heart.
Here y replied he.
And. then. without mirth in his countenane
but as il moved by an involuntary recognition
of the infinite absurdity of SC, king through
out the word for what was the closest OF al
things To himself and looking into ever,
heart, save his own, for what was hidden il
| no other breast he broke into "a Ian Oh of scorn