Litchfield enquirer., 1861-11-28

A writer in the NesU Eaglanoler, for October professes to give the key to Hawthornes allegory in the Marble Faun" It is as follows:
 "We understand that the four principal char. acters in the story personify the different ele- ments which we perceive in onr strangely mould ed natures the Soul, or Will, whichever we may call it the Conscience, or intuitive power the Reason, or intellect and lastly, the Animal Ma ture, Or Body. These four we find united in companionship, and in a state of comparative isolation from all others. They form, so to for the time being, sojourners in the ancient city of Rome, at a distance from their homes.
 The beautiful and courageous Miriam repre- sents the Soul; her judicious and honorable
 friend, the sculptor Kenyon, is the Reason.- She ever finds ill him wise counselor, but he
 is too cold and austere to secure her full conf. dence or to give her, in her great trial the warm sympathy she seeks. Rightly is he represented as a worker in marble, even as the Reason deals with truths in their naked severity and coldness. The fair and lovely Hlda admirably personates the Conscience. and sustains, throughout, the purity and loftiness of so elevated a character.- Sympathizing and kind, tender and true, though dignifed and somewhat reserved, she dwells apart, in the summit of lofty tower, above the dust and miasna of the city; and though she comes down, and walks the filthy streets of Rome, her white robe is unsettled and she returns at night to feed her companions, the white doves (puEe thoughts and desires) and to keep the flame burning on the altar of prayer. The others often refer to her as having finer perception of the beautiful and true than themselves and, though they sometimes complain that her stan- dard of virtue is too high for them to reach. and her judgment upon their opinions and conduct too severe, yet they never satisfied that theirs is correct, unless it coincidcs with hers.
 Miriam and Hlda are both artists, for our nature was formed to enjoy and to produce the beautiful although Hilda does not now originate pictures, as in her native home, but copies from the old masters that is the Conscience refers to sociated with these hisll-souled friends, we find gay and thoughtless youth, so simple-minded and careless that they regard him as mere child in understanding yet his graceful beauty and mirthiulness, and especially his affectionate and winning manners, afford them 50 much plea- sure that they admit him to constant compani. onship. This is Donatello, who represents the Animal Nature. Kenyon wooes Hilda with an admiration bordering on reverence, and Donatel- 10 passonately loves Miriam, though neither finds his affection at first fully reoprocated Mir ian indeed often regards the childshness of Do. nate!lo with contempt. But after Hilda has
 pi"'c noi o7hcaIe WfisC, sne graSps the strong hand oi Kenyon; and when Miriam finds herself cast oif py Hllda and regarded with suspicion by hehyon' sne ciings tenaciously to the tenderness yet remaining for her in the heart of Donatello. That IS, when the Conscience has been weaken. cd by intercourse with guilt, it is glad to lean somewhat s upon the understanding and after the Soul has become debased by crime she loses much of her dignity and delicacy, and is even willing to confess, in the most huniliating man. ner, her sutyecton to the Boy, end dependence upon 1t for happiness. |" l lost all pride," says Miriam, when llilda cast me off"
 Before his contact with guilt Donatello is ip state of perfect, though chidke enjoyment, He is in sympathy with the animal erection un. derstands the language of beasts and birds, and they come at his cali. Whether he has really pointed and furry ears, being himself only an improved animal, we are left in doubt even at the end of the story,