The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-15

bic. The result lie a kind Of ofnintessenco. The
Black Man in the forest, the mtg rides, cackling
and gibberlog of tho witches, the haunting ter
rors Of Galuws Hin, the Indians .'Irking In the
shadows and In the twilight, the pro, Wing wolves
| and especially that WOLF head named to the
| meeting house, with tho splashes ~ blood
beneath, at thoughts of which, doubt,css. he
had often, when child, drawn the uedc. Othes
Tight over his head, aud many other things;. all
terminated In the favorine soil OF his imdgirs
tion and grew and brought forth raw material
for di .tillntion.
Tracing the course and cfcct OF some moral
poison was his CHIEF study warning mankind
against II, his literary business. TO demon
| strdte their truth and make mis- warnings moro
| impressive, he brings his SUBJECTS ai.h goes
/ through with his prepared experiments beiUre
YOU Hester PDnne IL contaminated by crime
| Dmmesdalc Is tainted by crime and hypocrisv
| Chillingworth is euvcnomed by revense Judge
| Pynchcop bv an Inherited virds, breaking out
afrcsh In him; Miriam bv some shalow Of
wrong dong and by momentary consent 10
felony; Zrnobia by -onc great indiscrctlon
| liongsworth ny one idea. an overruling pur-
posowhch, In the name Of charity. makes him
most uncharitlbe; the Man 81 Adamant nv
beo'ry the Seeker for tie Great CIrDuncle by
avaricc. and 40 on. His conscious duty or his
most subtle pleasure was to make known and
elucidatc, In dusky wiv, the workings ami
fatal results Of wickodness. the Kind Of necessi-
~ which springs from wrong doing, aud It's all
pervading blight. lie seems ever ready ~ cry
out, "Woe l. unto me II preach not TINS eos-
pcl!' "would that | had folio to wiite," he
exclaims. INSTEAD OF an article Of a dozen
pages! Then might oxemplfy how an innu-
ence beyond our control lays It's strong hind on
every deed we do, and weavcs its con eql snces
into an iron tissue Of necessity All nov
understand" says IIilia. how the sins Of gem
crations past have created an dtmo sphere Of sin
for those that follow. While there IL a single
guilty person in the universe. each innocent one
must feel his innocence tortured by that guilt"
And again. In the Old Mause he lifts up his
voice;
Come. all We guilty ones, and rank YOUR
selves In accordance with the brotherhood Of
crime This. indeed, IS an awful summons |
almost uemble To look at the stranle partner
shi ~ that begin to DO formed. reluCt intlv but
oy the invinci9e necessity Of like to like in this
part OF the procession. \ tOrgcr from the State
prison seiz"s the arm Of distinguished nnan-
cier How Indignantly does the tier pie al his
fair reputation upon Change AMI insist that his
operations, hy their maguincencs Of scope were
removed inio quite another sphere 81 morality
than those Of nis pitiul com anton, hat let
q murderer with hi clanking chains, ami
pairs himself-horriole to tell-wth as pure
and upright man. In all Observable
respects. ~ ever partook ~ tho consrcrntcd
bread and wine. He Is one ut those. pc chance
the most hopeless II all sinners. who practice
such AN exemplary system OF outward duties
that even deadly crime NAV be hidden fro II
their own signt and remembrance under this
unreal frostwOrk. Yet he now fuds his place.
Why do that pair 81 n uniting girls. tn the
pert Effected lanen and the sy leer at the by
sttndcfs' lntruue thcmScivc+ into the same rank
Win yonder decorOus matron and that some
what prudish maiden surely these poor crea-
lures. born To vice az their sole aud natural
Inheritance can be 40 IL asspci lfe- for women
who have been Gu irdet round about by all the
prophecies Of domestic lie. and who could NOT
err unless they fret created the opportunity.
ON. no; II must be merely the impattincncc Of
those uublushlnr hussics. and we can onl, WON
der how such respectable laIics should have
responded to a aummons that WIS not meant
Tor them. Nothing Is more remarkable than
the VARIOUS dccep iois by which guilt cuncea.s
Itself from the perpctr,tor's conscience. and
oitenest, perhaps by the spi,udOr Of its gar
ments. statesmen. rulers. generals. AMI all men
who act over an extensive sphere. are most liable
to be dc'uded in this way; they commit wrong,
dcvlst tion. and murder on so grand a scale
thtt II lmpresses them as speculative rather
than actual but In or procession we nn them
linkcd IN detesiablo conjunction wiki the mean
est criminals whose deeds have thc vngarty Of
ptt,l de- us. Here the elect Of circumstance
and accident IS done away, aud man nnds his
rank according % the spirit OF NJ crime, in
whltcver shape 1t may have been developed.
However yelled In alleGory. or varied In ex-
preston by tones OF insinuation. innuendo, or
irony. this Is the burden OF his thought. the
theme ~ his discourse. Doubtless. the desire
to unfold II In a folio spurrcd MIN to writ his
longer works. the romances. Throughout them
all il is the underlying motive Running through
and with this, as kind Of obligato pani-
ment. is a secondary theme that has been treat
ed by many, but rarely with more subtle effect.
It is plainly enough indicated By the Italian
organ grinder and his puppets:
The Italian turned crank aud, behold!
every one OF these small Individuals started
into the most curious activity. The cobbler
IN
ed ms iron: the soldier waved his glittefing
blade; the lady raised a tiny breeze win her
fan; the jolly topper swigged Justify at his bot
tie ; scholar opened IA, book, with eager thirst
Tor knowledge, aud turned his head to and fro
along the page; tho milkmaid energetic lily
drained her cow and a miser counted gold INTO
his strong box all at the same turning u
pulse. lover salnted MS mistress ON her lips !
Possibly some cin', at once merry aud bitter,
u td desired 10 signify. IN this pantOmmic enc,
INA we murtals' Whatever our business or
amusement however serious, however triainy
an dance :, one lleutttl tune. and. in spite
OF our ridiculous activity. bring nothing finally
To pass. For the most remarkable aspect the af-
fair was, that at me ccssati IN Of the asrevsry-
npuN Was y tilled' AT once, lrIh The most eN-
tr giant llfo into dead torpor. Neither wa
the cob Jer'S SIN @ 1ni.hcd, nor the blncksmith's
ron snaped ont nor Wa, there drop left Of
hi nd IN the TOP Rs bottle, nor druu more Of
milk In tho mikmaid's udi nor one addit ional
com In the mseI strong box nor wa, the scno-
lar u Iage deeper IN his book. All were proc selv
IN the same condition as before they made
them~olyes 50 r,dict.lou. bv tbrir hnsts - IN
TO cuJ ", to accumulate gold, and 10 become
wise Saddest Of all, more aver. tue lover was
none tue happier for the maiicns gram od kiss.
Thus, the limitations OF his work are distinctly
enough designated. l. irsdiy speaking, he wrought
upon and aimed to Illustrate but one sub
iect lie was rather one sided than many sided.
lie was like dark lantern, shining only In one d.
rection, and ther, not 80 much to light up space
AS to make shadows visible. Clearly and mi
nutely as his individual thoughts are wordeI,
his deeuer meaning not alwaNs a ivlnus I.a